Spring birds

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Falconhoof said:
Got some great tits checking out the nest box at the minute.
The neighbour's cats probably licking it's lips allready :neutral:

50 million birds the little flea ridden bastards kill every year in this country.
I can feel another "I hate cats" thread coming on, we havnt had one for a couple of weeks!
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I've got the same. Robin's have nested for years in my garden. They must have been checking out the box as next doors cat tiptoed down 24ft of trellis to have a sniff. It's in a holly bush but I put large chicken wire on the front so the shite can't get in it when the chicks are there.

Time to get the old carpet gripper rods to top it off again. I had blackbirds nest in a honeysuckle covered arbour last year too. Unremarkable as you lot are lucky with the beautiful countryside and the variety of wildlife you have, but there's fuck all left down here in SE London. Although I am amazed to get rare visits from sparrowhawks and goldfinches.
 


The best way I've found to attract the few birds I get, is to tend my garden (snigger). I planted a mixed berry producing hedge and some small fruit trees. Also have lots of clematis and other climbers. I've found the birds will even take advantage of seeds and nectar from non native plants.

I have 2 winter beauty clematis that blue tits strip for nectar and pollen. They do the same with a winter flowering honeysuckle. I'm going soft in my old age, but not many others seem to give a damn down here, just wall to wall decking and concrete.
 
Arewesafeyet said:
The best way I've found to attract the few birds I get, is to tend my garden (snigger). I planted a mixed berry producing hedge and some small fruit trees. Also have lots of clematis and other climbers. I've found the birds will even take advantage of seeds and nectar from non native plants.

I have 2 winter beauty clematis that blue tits strip for nectar and pollen. They do the same with a winter flowering honeysuckle. I'm going soft in my old age, but not many others seem to give a damn down here, just wall to wall decking and concrete.
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I've still got sunflower heads in border , the Tits go mad for them also had bullfinches on them this morning , also get a flock of long tailed Tits in garden daily through winter one of the most colorful garden birds close up.
 
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What's this then? An egret?

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Not sure if this is the same thing hunched up or different

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%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i68.tinypic.com/286wmpy.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

I know nowt about birds me, but we get some Bobby dazzlers round here, including sand cranes the size of emus that just stroll around like they own the place and cross the road without even worrying about cars, the mad bastards.

I used to know how to post images - what happened?



It's see now - the prefix and suffix replaces the square brackets with text - what's that all about then?
 
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Swindon On Tour said:
Nothing like a pair of great tits like.
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I used to be a bit of a birder (all footy now and no twitching or even casual birding) last year I added to my UK life list with a pair of Penduline Tits on the Tees marshes. Stunning fellas and even cuter than the Crested Tits in the Highlands.
 
Noticed the birds have started singing again when I was in the woods this afternoon. It sounded lovely!
 
Blythmakam said:
I've still got sunflower heads in border , the Tits go mad for them also had bullfinches on them this morning , also get a flock of long tailed Tits in garden daily through winter one of the most colorful garden birds close up.
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I love watching the long tailed tits. I get a group of about 6 very noisy and bouncing about. Great to see. My feeding station is quite noisy so the goldfinches ignore it and go to next door's quieter one.
 
Tex said:
What's this then? An egret?

Logon or register to see this image



Not sure if this is the same thing hunched up or different

Logon or register to see this image



%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i68.tinypic.com/286wmpy.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

I know nowt about birds me, but we get some Bobby dazzlers round here, including sand cranes the size of emus that just stroll around like they own the place and cross the road without even worrying about cars, the mad bastards.

I used to know how to post images - what happened?



It's see now - the prefix and suffix replaces the square brackets with text - what's that all about then?
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Looks like a Great Egret or Great White Heron as known over there. Distinguished from the Little Egret (do you even get them?) and Snowy Egret by the lack of yellow feet. Cattle Egret can be ruled out as no other markings except pure white.

becs said:
Noticed the birds have started singing again when I was in the woods this afternoon. It sounded lovely!
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I have no feeding station but have plenty of locations I regularly visit. Once the first migrants appear (usually House Martins) it's good to get to the coast. I often have a dodge to Barnard Castle and Deepdale Woods when they are alive with Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers.
 
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Maximus said:
Looks like a Great Egret or Great White Heron as known over there. Distinguished from the Little Egret (do you even get them?) and Snowy Egret by the lack of yellow feet. Cattle Egret can be ruled out as no other markings except pure white.


I have no feeding station but have plenty of locations I regularly visit. Once the first migrants appear (usually House Martins) it's good to get to the coast. I often have a dodge to Barnard Castle and Deepdale Woods when they are alive with Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers.
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You're impressing me with this knowledge marra. I never had you down as a bird lover (you know what a mean)
 
Await the call of the Chiffchaff then know Spring has arrived.
We always get them and Blackcaps around the garden at the beginning of Spring.

Maximus said:
Looks like a Great Egret or Great White Heron as known over there. Distinguished from the Little Egret (do you even get them?) and Snowy Egret by the lack of yellow feet. Cattle Egret can be ruled out as no other markings except pure white.


I have no feeding station but have plenty of locations I regularly visit. Once the first migrants appear (usually House Martins) it's good to get to the coast. I often have a dodge to Barnard Castle and Deepdale Woods when they are alive with Wood Warblers and Pied Flycatchers.
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Man of many talents you........now all is missing is some fishing :)
 
Son of Stan said:
Yes I think bells on cat collars help give a bit of a warning. My bird population seems to be thriving, lots of sparrows, tits and blackbirds. Long tailed tits are my favourite as they seem to bounce from twig to twig. I'm just sad that hedgehogs seem to be in decline, I had none last year and about 8 the year before.
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No, ours is worryingly awol this year. he was tiny when he came about four year ago and lived under our shed, even got him brave enough last year to take worms and stuff off a saucer while we stood about three feet away from him. havent seen him this year
 
Swindon On Tour said:
Await the call of the Chiffchaff then know Spring has arrived.
We always get them and Blackcaps around the garden at the beginning of Spring.



Man of many talents you........now all is missing is some fishing :)
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Just couldn't get away with fly fishing. Caught a 6lb rainbow and retired. Wasn't much better with sea fishing though caught more fish before retiring.

Chiffchaff were always a good call, but they are not all migratory nowadays as some over-Winter. Therefore it's the hirundines (housemartin, sandmartin,swift and swallow) I look out for and of course Wheatear. A great switch off from footy on warm Spring evenings.

Edited to recall I once found a female blackbird sitting four eggs once in Late January after a warm spell had clearly thrown the switch from Winter to Spring!
 
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Swindon On Tour said:
Await the call of the Chiffchaff then know Spring has arrived.
We always get them and Blackcaps around the garden at the beginning of Spring.



Man of many talents you........now all is missing is some fishing :)
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I we get a chiffchaf every year , he never gets sick of bleating out the same tune hours on end lol !
 
yorkyexile said:
No, ours is worryingly awol this year. he was tiny when he came about four year ago and lived under our shed, even got him brave enough last year to take worms and stuff off a saucer while we stood about three feet away from him. havent seen him this year
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Aww. I was seriously upset at losing mine. I'd even had one of them to the vets as he was out during the day when it was hailstones outside. He was fine and pootled around my kitchen when he came back so I took lots of pictures and videos. He wasn't even phased by the cats. But he's disappeared, and that still saddens me.
 
Son of Stan said:
Aww. I was seriously upset at losing mine. I'd even had one of them to the vets as he was out during the day when it was hailstones outside. He was fine and pootled around my kitchen when he came back so I took lots of pictures and videos. He wasn't even phased by the cats. But he's disappeared, and that still saddens me.
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On the plus side our local tree rat is alive and kicking, the little grey get. Helping himself to the birds feeders :lol:. We chuck him peanuts but the crafty little sod just buries them up the garden then goes back to the feeders. Loves his fat balls and suet balls
 
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