I suddenly spotted this male Blackcap on the sunflower feeder competing for space with the Greenfinches. Not great photos as shot through glass on a gloomy damp morning. Never seen one as early in the winter as this.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Oh what a lovely sighting :) he's a handsome fellow and hope he revists your feeder now he's found the sunflower hearts. We had dry morning and not too bad at all but now its raining !
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Regards, Hazel
Brilliant TJ, your wish is my command!
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
What a beauty TJ, hope he stays around for you. We had the male and female here one year, on the suet balls if I remember correctly. Pouring with rain here but at least the wind isn't half as bad as they said.
Lot to learn
It was a nice surprise. Very early in the season to get one in the garden. I hope it's not the portent of a harsh winter.
It's been horrible here today. Pouring with rain and so dark I can barely make out whether there's any birds on the feeders.
On our news in the week they had an item on the weather & apparantly due to El ninio we are due 2 years of warm weathers. The very next item was that the bears in the zoo at Paris have hibernated a month early, a sign of bad winter. So who do you believe? Is it the bare truth?
We've had a lovely day & went out for a walk this afternoon which made me feel a lot better.
Hazel C said:The very next item was that the bears in the zoo at Paris have hibernated a month early, a sign of bad winter. So who do you believe? Is it the bare truth?
Groan !!!!. Glad you are having a better day than the UK and were able to enjoy a walk. The north of England and western Scotland is being battered by the first storm of the winter which they have named Abigail. Up to 250 mm of rain is forecast for the Cumbrian fells. I hope they don't get as far as Zane by the end of the winter.
I had a brief visit from Mr Sprawk yesterday but don't think he caught anything. Better watch your back Mr Blackcap.
Looks like the Sprawk is watching his back! We get kestrels around the garden but not seen one of those here; Mind you we don't get a lot of Sparrows either.
Hazel C said:Mind you we don't get a lot of Sparrows either.
Oh, he's not that choosy. Anything with feathers (or probably fur) will do.
Wouldn't mind a Kesser in the garden, that would bring me up to 51 species
Well spotted Teejay(especially through the gloom)! I get Blackcaps but not this early-I usually see them mid December through to early May,they have a tendency to be very territorial at the feeders,even with their own species. Despite this I like seeing them and get around it by setting up several extra feeding sites for them which they individually defend,this seems to work well.
Jayne
See my Flickr photos here.
Lucky you TJ, I shall hope for brief stay from Blackcap ... it's been over two years now since my first & last glorious visit!!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr