Who are your regulars?

Great idea for a thread :o)

I live in the West Midlands, I guess we're semi-rural (if you were and estate agent, lol!).  There's a big walkway and fields on the estate and open farmland about half a mile away.

My regulars are House Sparrows (30+ of them), Starlings, Blackbirds, Robin, Dunnock (only ever seen one at a time), Blue Tits, Great Tits and Coal Tits, 8 Collared Doves, 6 Woodpigeons...oh and a Magpie!  There's also a female Sparrowhawk who appears in the street or flying over often, I think she's beautiful to look at (photo in my gallery).

A regular winter visitor are Goldcrests - I had two last year and they were coming every day for the 7 weeks I knew to (I had an operation and was housebound for 7 weeks so watched my feeders all day).  The Goldcrests were particular fans of the suet - the balls and the blocks.

They're lovely little birds and it was so funny, the one day when we were out there the male sat in the conifer calling at us!

Hi Paul E, where are you in the West Midlands to be getting Goldcrests? I'm in Dudley - have never seen them here. Saw some in Surrey when I lived there. Where do you go for walks/birdwatching. We got to Baggeridge/Himley, Sandwell Valley, Saltwells Nature Reserve, Wrens Nest Nature Reserve. If you go anywhere with something unusual, please let me know.

Hi birdmum,

I live in Willenhall - in between Walsall and Wolverhampton if you don't know it, but live the New Invention/Essignton end of town.

When I go out for a walk (usually with my Westie Bobby in tow) its either along the fields and walkway of the estate or towards the pools and woodland in Essignton.  I have yet to visit Sandwell Valley even though it is so close.  From I can gather it is well worth the trip.

Here's two photos from January when the Goldcrests were visiting.  Hope these are ok sizes etc.  I'll put larger ones in my gallery too.

Hi Paul E, I don't know Willenhall at all sorry. I thoroughly recommend Sandwell Valley though, apparently they have skylarks but I have never seen them.

Thankyou for the goldcrest pics they look great, so tiny but feisty looking.

If you are ever near Dudley, Wrens Nest Nature reserve is good in summer & Saltwells Nature Reserve (sign posted from Merry Hill Shopping Centre) is also good. There are also lots of good varieties of wild birds in Dudley Zoo grounds too.

You're not missing much re. Willenhall, lol!

Thank you for the comments about the Goldcrest pics, I'm hoping they return this year now I have a new lens and I'm better with my camera!

I have been thinking about going to Sandwell Valley soon, in fact I considered today but it never happened for one reason and another.  Might go sunday if the weather is decent.

I haven't been to Wrens Nest for years, in fact I'd forgotten about it!  I'll make plans to go there in the summer.

I've never been to Saltwells Nature Reserve will have to look into that too.

It's gorgeous in summer, they have a fantastic wildflower meadow that is teaming with butterflies. The chalk pitt area has a wide variety of birds, but because it is so large and difficult to get around you need some good binocculars. Good Luck at Sandwell Valley, get a map from the farm area to make sure you get to see all of it, as we missed a large part the first time we went. Take lots of duck, swan, geese food too, for the pond.

Paul,

Thank you so much for sharing these photos of goldcrests. You were very lucky to have then visit you and I hope they come back again. If I got some I wouldn't be able to stand still long enough to take a phot - I would be looping the loop.

Thank you for the tips and advice birdmum :o)

I bought a new pair of binoculars from The Lodge earlier on in the year and haven't put them to real good use yet - so there's a good excuse!

I bought the RSPB\s Where to Discover Nature book recently and have enjoyed looking through it and picking places I want to visit.  I'd recommend the book if you haven't got it already.

Coombes & Churnet looks to be a place to visit come spring too :o)

Sparrow - thank you for your comments.  Fingers crossed they will return with this cold weather, hopefully they've remembered me :o)  They're that small they could already be visiting and I just don't know!

I was shaking with excitement the first time I spotted them, but had to remain as calm as possible but believe me it was hard!

A couple of questions:

One thing I have noticed from the information everyone is giving is that I seem to be the only one with no finches, apart from goldfinches. I have no greenfinches or chaffinches.

Any tips on how to attract them? I have seen chaffinches in the trees, and did have one or two land in my garden months ago, but none since.

I also wonder about the tits. I do get bluetits, great tits and coal tits every day, but not in vast numbers. In fact, normally just one or two briefly. They swoop down, nick a seed, and fly off again. They don't do any clinging, and they are gone in a blink. I can see them in next doors tree. Also at least one if not two blue tits are using my nest box as a night time roost at the moment. So why isn't my garden full of them? Or is this normal?