I had an hour to spare this afternoon so sat an watched the birds.
I tallied 28 species including some flocks of Goldfinch.
I personally think they're beautiful little birds, I could have watched them all day.
My Resident Sparrowhawk made an appearance and kill, opting for a Starling.
Also had another visitor trying his luck.
Most enjoyable with my coffee.
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
Plenty of goldfinches here - hatched their young early this year - and we suspect some second broods too (?). Have them all year, but some may be migrants, or maybe not since they know there is no food shortage here!We have our feeders outside the kitchen window, so they provide our breakfast entertainment!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Hi OG
Sounds like fun in your garden! I haven't seen the robins going at each other, but I have quite a few feeders, and they each have their favourite feeders. They don't seem to mind the dunnocks either who also use the feeders the robins do. Our garden isn't large by any means, approx 45' x 50'
Unfortunately I don't have the feeders near the house as we have a cat who likes to lay around outside the backdoor or in amongst the shrubs we have so most of mine are at the bottome of the garden.
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
That's a great set of pictures. I love garden bird watching myself, it's a brilliant form of entertainment and personally I've found it to be a great way of learning about various bird species. It's no wonder a flock of goldfinches is called a charm.
Paul
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
Lovely pictures, that is a most impressive feeder, bet it weighs a bit..!
I managed to attract a few Goldfinches for the 1st time this year, and with the quick purchase of a Niger feeder I have managed to persuade them to keep coming back.!
Quite chuffed.
I had my first ever goldfinch in my garden this week. Pictured on a nyger seed feeder
Wow - brilliant photo Alan. Lovely and sharp. The "first" always generates its own excitement, don't you find? I was quite ecstatic over my first house sparrow visitor, simply because it was the first time I had seen one in many years (well over a decade and more like two decades).
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Great addition to your garden species Alan, thanks for sharing the photo.
If anyone was wondering how to sex the birds! the below diagram's are just some of the methods used.
Buzzard
Thanks Buzzard. Crumbs! That doesn't look very easy!
There is something new to learn everyday...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skylark58/
Lol! Never thought I'd be studying the nasal hairs of goldfinches I've photographed! I'm lucky to have a year round flock of up to 30 sometimes! They are so noisy when the fledglings are down! Beautiful birds!!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Hi SB & MarJus,
It is fascinating and rather difficult at the same time.
With regards to sexing the birds using the nasal hairs, unless you have an extremely good close up picture of the head.
The nasal hair identification method is something you wouldn't be able to do using your bins / scope.