|
|
This blackbird (Turdus merula) built its nest in thick ivy and is one of two nests in our garden.
The young chicks shown in the first photo grow up very quickly but still rely on their parents (mostly the male)
for food after they have left the nest. The juvenile at the top of the right hand picture is from the third clutch
of the season and is still harrassing its exhausted and rather ragged looking father for food.
All its parent wants to do is rest and take in a bit of the sun.
The father isn't interested in feeding it any more and also seems uninterested in me too as he's still
finding food to feed to his fourth (and last) clutch of the season.
|
Blue tits (Parus caeruleus)
are familiar visitors to our garden. Having observed the rearing of a family of them last year,
we are pleased to see them frequent the feeding stations.
At the moment they can't make up their minds
whether they are going to occupy their old box from last year that I've moved to where the great tits nested,
or occupy the new one I built this year with the new camera in it. I wish they would make their minds up
soon so the great tits can move in to where they are supposed to be. Oh unruly nature!
|
|
|
|
These long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)
are two of a group of four that flit around our garden. They are the cutest little pink black and white fluff balls
with a long tail sticking out.
|
|
|
Two collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto)
decided to build a nest in our grape vine directly over our patio table. They are useless at building nests,
they had four attempts at building and each time it just fell down because all it is a few twigs thrown together.
In the end I helped out and jammed the twigs in for them so it all held together. I probably won't be doing that
this year as they are very messy creatures and I would like to use our patio table without having to
clean it every time. Here you see a single egg in the nest which must have been followed
by another one since we ended up with 2 chicks (or maybe they both came out of the same egg, maybe not!).
|
|
|
Both these birds are infrequent visitors. Before starting to actually watch the birds in our garden,
I would have thought that the coal tit (Parus ater)
on the left was fairly common, but apparently not to our garden.
The goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
(which is similar to a
firecrest (Regulus ingicapillus)
but does not have the horizontal black line through the eye) is only slightly more frequent, here you see it
looking rather wet after its bath in our pond waterfall.
|
|
|
Ahhhh, goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis).
Probably the most colourful of all our visitors. We installed a Niger seed feeder to encourage the
goldfinches into the garden and at first got nothing. Then we got a pair and now we have up to six
birds at any one time. I had booked six of them for the photo shoot, but one of them didn't turn up.
You can see the other five wondering where the sixth had got to, I couldn't wait so I took the photo anyway.
Finally the sixth one turned up and wanted its picture taking by itself, so here it is (and I didn't pay it!).
|
|
|
I was watching the bird feeder when I saw one of the birds flying sideways, then I saw that it was in the clutches of
the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
who had picked it off the feeder. I think it was a sparrow but I'm not sure,
maybe you can tell from the feathers?
The sparrowhawk took twenty minutes to eat it which gave me lots of time to get some good pictures.
Now what about the picture on the right, this was taken last year by the bird feeder webcam that used
to watch the pond. This bird looks like it's putting on the air brakes very quickly as it approaches the feeder
and it looks like it has a hooked beak, is it the sparrowhawk?
|
|
|
The heron (Ardea cinerea)
like the sparrowhawk is a predator, some people think that predators should be kept out of the garden.
In our garden all wildlife is welcome except for the rats which tunneled into my pond last year (I bet they
got a surprise when they broke through the liner). The heron pictured here is too frequent a visitor to
our pond for my liking, last year it took three of our fish. What really annoys me is that it didn't eat
two of them, but just left them in the garden.
|
|
|
Great tits (Parus major) are also frequent
visitors to the feeders and we are hoping they will take up residence in one of the nest boxes. We discovered them nesting
in the eaves of the house last year and have put one of the nest boxes close to the access hole which has now been repaired.
|
|
|
We see the chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs)
at the feeding stations frequently, mostly at the larger seed feeder and also on the floor.
I love them! They are feisty and cheerful.
|
|
|
House sparrows (Passer domesticus) nested
in the Montana Clematis last year. They were fiercely noisy and sometimes I wished they would shut up. When they did I missed them
and was pleased when they raised another brood.
The Dunnock (see right) (Prunella modularis)
is often mistaken for a sparrow (in fact it's sometimes called a Hedge Sparrow). Notice that it has a more pointed beak. They tend to skulk on the ground under the feeders.
|
|
|
Peacocks (Pavo cristatus) can
be seen strutting around our village and the have been doing so for quite a few years. Occasionally they come
and visit our garden and we are amused by them.
Happily we don't have a formal garden as I have heard that they can spoil a border.
The wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is shy
but can be seen around our pond, on the patio or on the fence if we watch patiently. I saw what I though was one
hunting insects around the pond the
other day and it turned out to be a shrew.
|
|
Lots of robins (Erithacus rubecula) come
to our garden. It's not supposed to happen but I have seen up to five of them at a time and they are not fighting!
Maybe its because there is plenty of food to go around and also they may all be related. When I am out working
in the garden there is always one nearby, watching for grubs and worms to be turned up by my labours.
Mistle thrushes (Turdus viscivorus)
and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos)
also come every now and then, but I haven't managed to snap them with the camera yet.
|
|
|
|
We see the great spotted woodpecker
(Dendrocopos major)
a few times a year, this one is at the top of the telegraph pole across the road from us, although I have
seen it picking insects off our dead apple tree.
I never used to like starlings
(Sturnus vulgaris),
as their latin name suggests they are are a bit vulgar or brutish. I think it's the sharp beak that
looks a bit intimidating. Now I watch them balancing on the bird feeder and peering upside down
straight into the camera they seem more comical. They have recently taken up nest in a hole in the eaves
right next to the bird feeders.
|
|
|
Finally, the woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
- this is the fat slob of the garden. It eats and waddles around the garden and bashes into the bird feeder to
knock the seed onto the floor.
|
|
