Kitchen Garden Forum

Our brambling numbers have now risen to about 15, always so pleasing to see. Siskins have turned up as well. I know they now breed in the area but we only tend to see them on the feeders in winter. The long tailed tits are now regulars too and even a tiny goldcrest sometimes comes to nibble at the fat.
Today I watched a very determined starling trying to get to the fat blocks on which a female great spotted woodpecker was feeding. The GSW got so fed up with being pestered it suddenly lunged at the starling which had the sense to get out of the way of the rather sharp beak!

I love watching the birds. We've only had one Brambling, but Siskin numbers are increasing and like you the woodpecker and long tailed tits are visiting again. A pair of Gold crests makes an occasional appearance and a Willow tit has become a regular along with good numbers of other tits. The greenfinches still here and lots of Goldfinches and Chaffinches.

Did you see the reports of the Dusky Thrush in the papers? My son works with the woman who spotted it in her garden. He brought me a calendar she has printed from a photo she took of it eating an apple.

Goldcrest working its way round the window frame next to my front door, a real treat.

Dear All,
saw a tree creeper yesterday on the way back from our staff Christmas lunch. So picture the scene; there we all were, four of us peering and pointing into a tree when along came a tourist who described a large arc around us and walked away rather rapidly whilst looking over his shoulder somewhat nervously.
We also have lots of gold crests who are very tame and we can (if careful) get to within a foot or two before they get nervous and fly off.
Regards Sally Wright.

Wow - you chaps are so lucky to see all these 'exotic' birds! I do have a blue tit living in a nest box in the garden at the moment. Very cute!

I'm always envious as well Steve. I've got Sparrows (very grateful as they are in decline), Starlings, one Robin, an occasional finch of some type and hundreds of Seagulls in the school field behind. However did spot a juvenile woodpecker in the school as well year before last which was exciting.

When I want to feel even luckier I pop off a few blocks to Stanpit Marsh where all sorts turn up - gone before I've even found the page in the bird identification book, but know they must be quite good as loads of photographers hiding around the place!

Westi

Hi,

Great photo! We get a gold crest which is obsessed with one of our windows - flys up and down it continuously ... Not quite sure why? Love these birds.

My absolute favourite bird which we see is the wag tail - so much character. Always makes me smile.

Pawty

I get the odd woodpecker, Jay, Goldfinch, dozens of Starlings, & Sparrows. And Wood pigeons

We do get the occasional little flock of goldfinches and long tailed tits at certain times of the year and where I walk the dog there are yellowhammers. I'm like you Westi, if I want to see anything more exotic I head off to Rutland Water which is (obviously) great for water birds. I always avoid the keen birders though, in case they ask me what I've seen. Never seem to match the description in the book!

Funny about jays. There are years when we get them on the feeder and in the trees, but then they disappear again for a few years. None here at the moment, I wonder if it has anything to do with the acorn harvest which hasn't been brilliant here this year. It's a good thing, though, that there is not much fruit grown in this area, because we are regularly visited by five male and four female bullfinches, lovely to see but, I can imagine, very destructive in spring.

Agree Pawty about wag tails!

Got them at work not at home and they make me smile overtime. When it's a bit tough at work I go outside & laugh at the silly ducks on the lake & the wag tails in the car park at the education centre. Instant therapy!

Westi

The bullfinches are regular winter and spring visitors to our garden but don't make any noticeable difference to the apples plums or pears. It is the blue tits and blackbirds that are the problem eating all the cherries. I've only two trees but they are too large to net. I've tried making net bags and tying them over a few branches which works when the fruit has set but it can cause moulds in wet summers so I'm still looking for solutions.

Saw my first ever goldcrest yesterday. Such a tiny bird, but so busy! Wonder how such a tiny thing can survive the winter cold while I'm huddled around a radiator! Not such a great view as you though Geoff. Your pics are amazing!

I'm very fortunate with the wildlife up here, I live in the middle of a small village, so not everything comes into the garden, but a lot either flies over or is on the edge.


I have a flickr site you are welcome to view, I do a lot of wildlife photography.

Lovely stonechat photos, tigerburnie. Stonechats used to nest quite near us at the edge of the moor, as did wheatears, ring ouzels, whinchats and, at the side of the reservoir, common sandpipers, but then Yorkshire Water, in their wisdom, opened a public footpath all round the reservoir and now most of these birds have stopped nesting because of the constant disturbance, including, I am sad to say, dog walkers who regularly let their dogs off the lead to roam through the bracken.

A goldcrest often feeds on our fat blocks. The other day I wished I had had a camera ready because on one side of the fat block was a great spotted woodpecker and on the other side a tiny goldcrest!