Garden Birds chat 2011

littlebug

Still no siskins It really is late for them. They're usually a permanent fixture on my feeders by now.

Mothman

Long-tailed tits are visiting in evening as well as morning

Samba

Ello,

First time post in the forum, I'm supporting the birdies visiting my garden but i'm now amazed at the number now frequenting the garden for most of the day.

At the moment I only have a small bird house which is great for the smaller birds.

But my food supply is now running low, was mostly putting out apples from our garden along with some nuts and raisins but I don't think that's suiting everyones pallet

Probably been asked a million times before but I had a look around the forum/stickies and couldn't find the any info.

I'm based in South Dublin and just looking on info on where the best place might be to find a good variety of string feeders?

Edit - After a lengthy bit of research, Woodies look like they have everything I need in stock and at reasonable prices.
I'll report back what comes and visits

Bsal

I had my first ever Mistle Thrush in the garden today really nice, and a couple of Redpoll that I had never seen before too.

littlebug

Samba wrote: »

Ello,

First time post in the forum,
Edit - After a lengthy bit of research, Woodies look like they have everything I need in stock and at reasonable prices.
I'll report back what comes and visits

Welcome Samba.
I'm in the west but maybe some of the other Dublin folk can advise on places and prices etc. I don't think I've ever shopped around for bird feeders but I'm sure there probably is a difference in price if you check.

whyulittle

Cold little Robin this evening

fryup

saw a Redwing today, first of the winter

sables2

Bsal wrote: »

I had my first ever Mistle Thrush in the garden today really nice, and a couple of Redpoll that I had never seen before too.

That's ironic. Today when i was driving out of my estate i saw what looked like a Mistle Thrush on an ariel cable above me. A stunning medium sized bird with a spotted breast. I'm relatively new to birding, so still not 100% sure. Certainly a bird I've NEVER seen before for sure. It may have been a Song Thrush of my moderate experience. How can you know for sure within a split second to positively identify a bird at these kind of distances...is it years of experience and wearing binoculars around the neck 24/7 to get positives? I couldn't use the bino's today as i was driving.:mad:

sables2

whyulittle wrote: »

Cold little Robin this evening

whyulittle,
really beautiful image. so sharp and festive to boot!

doctor evil

Is the lesser Redpoll slightly smaller than a Goldfinch?

Corruptedmorals

Birds are very scared today. A foot of snow here, I tramped down paths in it and put down seed and fat balls but there's more birds looking at it pereched up high than coming down and eating it. Normally would have 15 birds at one time, now about 3 or less at a time.:( Starlings especially are scared, robins blackbirds and chaffinches less so. No sign of my friendly sole wood pigeon yet..enormous thing.

RonMexico

Just had either a woodcock or a snipe in my back garden. Not sure which but first time I've seen one in the garden.

meemeep

Birds are happy here in D18. I've had robins, thrushes, tits and the usual starlings/magpies/crows. The thrushes were eating the last of the berries on the bushes, and spent ages underneath the bush in at the wall - picking at something - no berries down there. Not sure if there would be any insects surviving the cold?

I caught sight of one little guy, size of a robin, but with a very white breast - Was sure he was a robin till he turned round - any idea what he could be?

Half-cocked

Had 4 Waxwings and a Yellowhammer in the garden today, 2 new species for the list. Also our first Fieldfare of the winter.

ender ender

Please excuse the atrocious image quality, my camera is terrible in low light situations, but can anyone tell me if this is a meadow pipit? This is the second week it's been into my garden and I want to make sure I get a positive id so I have my counts right.
I thought the starlings were staging a major invasion last week but the snow seems to have brought in all the finches - there were at least 20 yesterday. Mainly chaffinch and goldfinch, and 2 greenfinches (a first for me).

Rainbowsend

ender ender wrote: »

Please excuse the atrocious image quality, my camera is terrible in low light situations, but can anyone tell me if this is a meadow pipit? This is the second week it's been into my garden and I want to make sure I get a positive id so I have my counts right.
I thought the starlings were staging a major invasion last week but the snow seems to have brought in all the finches - there were at least 20 yesterday. Mainly chaffinch and goldfinch, and 2 greenfinches (a first for me).

Hard to tell from the photo, but I am thinking Dunnock? Meadow Pippet looks like a mini thrush so quite distinctive with a speckled breast.

ender ender

Thanks Rainbowsend, yeah the photo is pretty terrible and doesn't really show the bird properly. It did have a speckled breast, in fact when it first appeared in my garden it was alongside a song thrush and looked very much like a smaller version of that. Although it isn't obvious here it was quite a slender bird too.
I had a dunnock in today and it was much darker, and very blue/grey on the front. Do they vary much in colour? I'll keep an eye out for it tomorrow, maybe it'll come closer to the camera!

trebor28

hard to tell from just a photo alone.
i dont thin its a dunnock.
they are a much darker brown with an almost grey breast.
it might well be a meadow pippit.


on a side note.
saw my first treecreeper this morning when i was out feeding my hens, 6+ robins, 4 blue tits, 2 coal tits, etc.

i think it was my first ever.

Feargal as Luimneach

ender ender wrote: »

Please excuse the atrocious image quality, my camera is terrible in low light situations, but can anyone tell me if this is a meadow pipit? This is the second week it's been into my garden and I want to make sure I get a positive id so I have my counts right.
I thought the starlings were staging a major invasion last week but the snow seems to have brought in all the finches - there were at least 20 yesterday. Mainly chaffinch and goldfinch, and 2 greenfinches (a first for me).

It's a meadow pipit. You can see the slender thin bill. You can also see a distinct moustacial stripe.

Mothman

Robins are being a bit tolerant of each other at moment. Had four at once on the bird table. A little argy bargy but not the usual territorial behaviour.

Feargal as Luimneach

Mothman wrote: »

Some birds within zoom range of house.


Female Blackcap

Your female Blackcap has defected to Baltinglass West Wicklow Mothman;)

Mothman

Mothman wrote: »

Long-tailed tits are visiting in evening as well as morning

I could set my clock by them! Very consistant with there time with regard to dawn and dusk. Counted 7 this morning.

Rainbowsend

Mothman wrote: »

Robins are being a bit tolerant of each other at moment. Had four at once on the bird table. A little argy bargy but not the usual territorial behaviour.

Have noticed that also, four are regulars in the garden at the moment, the blackbirds are the main rowdy's the spend all their time guarding the food and chasing off everything in sight that they dont get to eat anyway :eek: the only birds that aren't intimidated by them are Dunnocks they just carry on eating.

littlebug

A few this morning,
Basketball bird, thrush, blackbird and a rook, starling and jackdaw who took it in turns to pose on the pole for me

ThunderCat

A grey wagtail has been visiting the last few days. Never saw one before. Getting a good few goldfinch and redpoll as well thanks to the nyger.

Half-cocked

5 very aggressive Fieldfares today, chasing all the other birds away from the apples and then attacking eachother when there were no other species left!

ender ender

Thanks for confirming the meadow pipit, folks. At the risk of wrecking heads I had another new visitor today, if someone can tell me what it is I'd really appreciate it! Could it possibly be a reed bunting? That's the nearest I can think of, but doesn't strike me as a suburban garden visitor.
14 goldfinch today is a new record for my garden, think I had a goldcrest too (first I've ever seen).

googsy

Spent the last hour looking at a Long Eared Owl perched on one of the washing line poles about 30 foot from the back window. Seemed to be listening, then turning quick to the spot of the noise to try and see if it can see movement under the snow. They are beautiful in an eerie sort of way when there's a thick blanket of snow on the ground and trees. A barn owl used to perch occasionally on the same washing line pole !

It's a great time to catch a glimpse of an owl in these snowy conditions at night time.

Feargal as Luimneach

ender ender wrote: »

Thanks for confirming the meadow pipit, folks. At the risk of wrecking heads I had another new visitor today, if someone can tell me what it is I'd really appreciate it! Could it possibly be a reed bunting? That's the nearest I can think of, but doesn't strike me as a suburban garden visitor.
14 goldfinch today is a new record for my garden, think I had a goldcrest too (first I've ever seen).

Adult male Reed bunting winter plumage.....

ender ender

Sweet. Thanks Feargal!