hi
we moved into a bungalow in June and found a birdfeeder station in the garden. Since then we've added another feeder and birdbath and stock and clean daily, but I'm a novice at identifying my visitors.
Welcome.
The RSPB Bird Identifier can be useful , but an inexpensive book is better to get you familiar with birds. Of course you can always ask for help on here especially if you have a photo.
www.rspb.org.uk/.../form.aspx
My gallery here
Checkout the forums' Community HOMEPAGE for lots of interesting posts from other members.
Yes, I've been using the identifyer, discovered what a dunnock is and found out the big brown bird with the speckled chest that makes all my little flock take refuge in our hawthorne hedge is a sparrow hawk, and the smaller one with the rosy chest is her mate :)
Hi SPLO,
Welcome to the forum from me in Lancashire.
Everyone was a novice once. You will soon learn, and this forum is a good place to start - take photos of your visitors and then either post them on here in the "Identify This" sub-forum that you will find under the Wildlife tab, or compare the photos to the birds in the RSPB pages HERE . Also get yourself a basic Garden Birds field guide. If you browse through the forums in the Wildlife section you will find hundreds of threads with photos of garden birds.
Don't be afraid to ask any questions. We don't bite (most of the time!) Most of all, enjoy yourself and your new hobby - be warned, it's all very addictive!
EDIT posts crossed with Galatas.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
heh that much I've already discovered. My kids think I'm barmy in my old age. No decent camera to take pictures I'm afraid. It's on the wish list :D. Tiny garden, 30' x 15', but a waist high hawthorne hedge within a foot of the feeders which the birds seem to see as a safe refuge. They arrive mostly from the wood 30' away and we see them making their way through the hedge from branch to branch.
Nickname is one given me by my 6'+ sons. Too long to use as is, so reduced to initials. Self Propelled Lawn Ornament - I'm 5'4"
Unknown said: Nickname is one given me by my 6'+ sons. Too long to use as is, so reduced to initials. Self Propelled Lawn Ornament - I'm 5'4"
:) back-answering cheeky I'd agree, but teasing cheeky just shows affection. I think I'm scrapping my first 'hour'. Of the 7 bluetits that were here at the same time yesterday only 2 showed up, the 30+ sparrows were only 10 and the chaffinch and coaltit didn't put in an appearance at all. I'll try again lunch time
Yes - me too. Our honeysuckle hedges is full of hedge sparrows and one day I spied a strange bird sitting on an old bucket patiently waiting. My husband knows every bird there is to know and calmly told me it was a Sparrow Hawk. He is welcome but - he's not allowed to stay long!
:D We have vertical blinds at the window. I've found shaking the blind causes the sparrow hawk to move off without bothering the flock who are noisily hiding in the hedge. I have the local cats trained too, I only have to rattle the security chain on the back door to have them depart. They've learned if the door actually opens they get wet.
LOL SPLO you aren't quite the novice you say you are!
However, I welcome my sparrowhawk - he has to eat, too, and they are such magnificent birds.
Hi SPLO
Do I detect a "Pratchett" influence in the nickname?
You're 1 inch taller than me by the way.