OFF-SEASON OBS - LOCH GARTEN - September 2019-February 2020

Crestie and friends

(c) RSPB Loch Garten

I got a notification from YouTube that the Ohio "backyard bird feeder" man is now streaming a cam in the Czech Republic, so had to have a little look - they've got a basket setup and the first live birds that popped in were Great Tits and Blue Tits, a nice close view.

Skipping back hastily, I found a GSW(?!) with a moustache - eh?!

They've got more than that, Scylla. Scott is now streaming from Alabama and Alberta as well as the UK, Germany, Poland and Netherlands. Check out a webcam capture I posted on the Forum HERE

scylla said:

I don't post much here out of respect to RSPB.

It's obviously not appropriate to post that sort of material here as this is to do with Loch Garten. However, there's nothing to stop you posting it on Wildlife on the web which many people do with respect to Peregrines, Owls etc. Of course LG groupies will never see it because they never venture further than LG threads. 

Unknown said:

scylla said:

I don't post much here out of respect to RSPB.

It's obviously not appropriate to post that sort of material here as this is to do with Loch Garten. However, there's nothing to stop you posting it on Wildlife on the web which many people do with respect to Peregrines, Owls etc. Of course LG groupies will never see it because they never venture further than LG threads. 

Absolutely, TeeJay, and I had both "LG" and RSPB" in my mind when I typed that but chose the unwise one :-/  Should have typed "RSPB LG".

And you are right about LG groupies* too, tho I have posted in the Wildlife section when I'm following perries and UK barn owls but wasn't able to this year due to roping myself in to help with 2 bald eagle nests elsewhere, and I monitor a SoCal barn owl cavity 24/7 all year round.

*I reckon that I am the one who appears to qualify highest for the groupie tag, not having had anything to do with birds until meeting EJ and Odin.

I really thought that MonkeyCheese was joking when he said Middle Spotted Woodpecker, until I saw it proclaimed solved and then found it via google.  So is that what the moustachioed one is?

.

Anyway!...  I only popped in to see if the bird I have just spotted in my feeder downloads has been spotted already, and it hasn't, so I'm excitedly going to do snaps and a little vid.

What a slow start this morning!  No-one until after daycam, then a single Coal Tit.  Later a couple more and later still they "flocked in":

Great Tit with a spotty breast:

Our fave was there several times:

This Robin didn't approach the feeder even tho it had no rivals:

Ta-daahhhh !!!  As to be expected, I had to google these... I used the term "finch with red face".  They had better be Goldfinches!

I wish you could have watched the discovery with me - there was a Crestie at the feeder and, with me going at 100 miles an hour thru the footage, it suddenly turned into (what appeared to be) a red spinning blob and I thought the cam had gone wrong.

There were plenty of birds, including all the tits and the GSW - not many squirrels.  That's up to 12:40.

Lovely Goldfinches, Scylla. I didn't know they would eat peanuts--ours go for the sunflower hearts and on rare occasion, Niger seed. Learned something today.

scylla said:

They had better be Goldfinches!

They are indeed scylla. I can't remember seeing them at LG before. They always look as if they're made up of left over bits from other birds

I always think of Goldfinches as living Christmas tree ornaments. And they sing very sweetly as well.