Add your "Odds & Sods" here thread ... 2020

Starting with a first for me ... Sparrowhawk in neighbour's garden here in quarry, only ever seen a seemingly lost youngster many years ago!

Grabbed ID vid footage through d/glazed door, then battery died & by time I'd replaced it to go outside for better res a delivery driver stopped next door & frightened the bird off!! grrrrrr

Hope it's a one-off for the sake of my Spadger horde!

2019 thread here ... https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/196421/add-your-odds-sods-here-thread/1275306#1275306

  • Shame about the raptor's Hazel, but nice captures of the Stonechat.

    Very nice captures Linda.
  • Very nice to meet up again at Parkgate, even if the tide was a little disappointing. I am only just starting to work up my photos, as after the light-weights had gone, we were rewarded by a couple of SEO's coming out, although I had to go and search for them. Then, another was pointed out back at the car park when I returned so there were a few around.
  • These were taken from the car the other week on our local B1066 raptor road.

  • Miserable day, storm Dennis blowing in, garden waterlogged but still had a few little birdie visitors to cheer me up.....

    robins were still chasing each other regarless of the weather....

    usual visitor with his not so orange beak....

    woohoo the rain has stopped......

    couple of redwings....seeing less everyday now

    all the starlings chilling in the tree eyeing up my garden .....

    and yes the did all end up in the garden must have ended up being about 40 of them...I only usual get 3 or 4!

    And finally the squirrel doing a bit of yoga and having a bite to eat

  • Wonderful shots of your little visitors , Linda
  • Extremely windy today...

    I bet no one will see me in here! Joy

    I have spent most of the morning trying to make my feeders pigeon proof...they always find a way......

    If its not the pigeones its the starlings...i dont mind them all having some food but the wee birds dont get a chance when they are sitting in them stuffing themselves until its empty Confused

  • I think the only way is targeted feeding. I used a caged seed feeder that only the tits and finches were small enough access. The Starlings would use the hanging fat feeder, but didn't have a monopoly as the tits also used it. Pigeons couldn't get at or use either, which gave everyone else a zone of their own if the communal area, like a table, was over-run by larger birds.
  • Some cracking photos folks.

    I've not been very active of late, mainly due to my leg, along with the inclement weather the last two weekends.

    However, Saturday I felt a little more like messing with the camera, and spotted one very contented wood pigeon filling its face from the nut feeder, and looking very proud at times!

  • Despite the terrible weather outside today I got a new little visitor....

    A female siskin I think ??

    Its amazing how seeing a new visitor in the garden can brighten ones day ...then had to go out for a while but returned to a pile of feathers , half a pigeon and a very full up sparrowhawk siitting on the fence but took off as soon as I got my camera!

  • Good handy perch for the Wood pigeon Mike, nice to see as I don't get any in the garden, plenty of ferals though.

    Also good to see the Siskin Linda, lovely little bird to have visiting.