Hi everyone I'm so excited, just had to tell everyone, I've been feeling so sorry for the Song Thrush I've had visiting, he/she has been getting mobbed and chased away by the Blakbirds whenever he comes to my garden for a feed, and he's been getting so nervous of late with the Blackbirds now in pairs attacking him, and all on his own while I have noticed lot's of my birds pairing up, I had wondered if he would find a mate with them being so scarce now, AND HE HAS, he turned up today with his own mate, with a mate for support now I hope the Blackbirds might leave him alone. I don't suppose they will though with all the fighting for there patch of land now spring is on it's way.
Being new to this, I don't know but does it ever happen that some birds won't find a mate and miss a breeding season.
There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.
Hi Sparrow.
Good idea with the upstairs window. It is more like a birds eye view and there is nothing to block out the picture - ie Watering Cans etc..
Great to have your own little area for your birds, and your bird study.
I use the lounge area we have for the PC work/TV, and I have a view to my right of all the activity at the feeders and the bird bath (i can chase of the Magpies if they outstay their welcome - the Blackbirds hate them).
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Susan H said: Hi Blackbird and BBB, I take most of my photos from upstairs as I get a better view of the whole garden and can open a window without making the downstairs cold and upsetting hubby, who complains if I open windows when the heating is on as he says he is paying to heat the whole town! I also do a lot of my bird watching from upstairs. My office is what would be a spare bedroom, and my TV and computer are there, all my books and things, so I am comfortable. The birds also can't see me, which is useful.
Hi Blackbird and BBB,
I take most of my photos from upstairs as I get a better view of the whole garden and can open a window without making the downstairs cold and upsetting hubby, who complains if I open windows when the heating is on as he says he is paying to heat the whole town! I also do a lot of my bird watching from upstairs. My office is what would be a spare bedroom, and my TV and computer are there, all my books and things, so I am comfortable. The birds also can't see me, which is useful.
Hi Kathy,
that was my thinking with my camera. I have a Canon 400D and I knew I had to get more use out of it and figure out how to work it properly. I did take the Open University digital photography course last year too just to get the hang of it a bit more.
Going back to the bird trust bit again (sorry!) one of my woodpigeons got that trusting I had the door open taking photos of him and he walked down the garden and stopped about 4 feet away looking at me very curiously. I got a few shots before he turned around and waddled back up the garden!
Unknown said: Hi Bishy, I know what you mean there, lol! Bobby likes to come with me when I go into the garden. Some of the birds don't know who to keep an eye on - although the Blackbirds take no notice of him! I used to have a robin with a scar across his chest come here, considering he'd obviously escaped an attack of some description he was incredibly tame. Lovely little chappy he was :o)
Hi Bishy,
I know what you mean there, lol! Bobby likes to come with me when I go into the garden. Some of the birds don't know who to keep an eye on - although the Blackbirds take no notice of him!
I used to have a robin with a scar across his chest come here, considering he'd obviously escaped an attack of some description he was incredibly tame. Lovely little chappy he was :o)
Sorry yes, that's Bobby in my avatar. He's like the bouncer of our garden, any birds start fighting he goes out and sorts them out lol.
Here's a photo of that robin, he really was lovely.
Hi Paul
Love the Robin picture - i see what you mean about the scar
Great idea about the 'Digital' course. Was the course helpful, and what did the coursework mainly consist of?
Dave and i have thought of doing the same thing ourselves. We have bought the RSPB Digital Camera book to boot. It gives helpful tips and hints too.
LOL with the Woodpigeon. He sounds a mighty character to have around. A very confident bird to be in your garden area.
In one of our former rentals in Scotland, we had a conservatory and I would leave the door open at times to let the fresh in into our house. On two occasions my friendly Blackbird ended up in the conservatory flying about and he got himself so stressed out too - silly billy. He was very photgenic. (with my old manual camera)
Operation fluffy towel to catch him, and he went out the door chinking in disguist but not for long thank goodness.
Unknown said: Hi Kathy, that was my thinking with my camera. I have a Canon 400D and I knew I had to get more use out of it and figure out how to work it properly. I did take the Open University digital photography course last year too just to get the hang of it a bit more. Going back to the bird trust bit again (sorry!) one of my woodpigeons got that trusting I had the door open taking photos of him and he walked down the garden and stopped about 4 feet away looking at me very curiously. I got a few shots before he turned around and waddled back up the garden!
The OU course gave information on the history of cameras and photography, as well as explaining the technical side of things (ISO, aperture etc). The course consisted of 10 parts and was a different part every week with a multiple choice test mid-way through and at the end you have to do an assignment where you chose pointers and photos that relate to those pointers and write about them.
Coursework wise, you could submit 10 images a week, they expected at least 3 of them to related to that week's topics.
Photoshop is also covered too, not too in-depth but it was enough for me. I'd done nothing in Photoshop before as I couldn't figure it out, but found the course helpful.
I would recommend taking a look for it on their sight. The course code is T189.
I have that book too :o)
One of our Blackbirds (the one I call The Boss) is quite fond of me - when she was a chick she'd found her way out of the nest in the conifers and was literally surrounded by cats. Fearing for her I shooed the cats, caught her in a towel and put her in the conifers out of harms way. She's been around ever since :o)
Thank you for the course details. I will print them out and keep them and see what is on offer.
Funny how Blackbirds can become a great friend - it is although they love people. If they where people they would be very outgoing and confident and take no nonense from anyone.
The Female Blackbird in out garden is a lot shyer than the male one. In our last garden the female Blackbird was around our feet all of the time.
Wonder if Song Thrushes would ever become as friendly?
Unknown said: The OU course gave information on the history of cameras and photography, as well as explaining the technical side of things (ISO, aperture etc). The course consisted of 10 parts and was a different part every week with a multiple choice test mid-way through and at the end you have to do an assignment where you chose pointers and photos that relate to those pointers and write about them. Coursework wise, you could submit 10 images a week, they expected at least 3 of them to related to that week's topics. Photoshop is also covered too, not too in-depth but it was enough for me. I'd done nothing in Photoshop before as I couldn't figure it out, but found the course helpful. I would recommend taking a look for it on their sight. The course code is T189. I have that book too :o) One of our Blackbirds (the one I call The Boss) is quite fond of me - when she was a chick she'd found her way out of the nest in the conifers and was literally surrounded by cats. Fearing for her I shooed the cats, caught her in a towel and put her in the conifers out of harms way. She's been around ever since :o)
How sweet, thats a lovely photo, it does look like he had a lucky escape doesn't it. There's a cat that lives across the road from me, and I often see the Blackbirds over the road pecking about in the dirt, and the cat stalking them, I always throw open my window, the birds get startled and fly off, leaving a rather annoyed looking cat behind, swishing his tail like fury, I think he must hate me. lol
You have to do these things though don't you, BBB? Nextdoor's cat stalks our birds and caught a Collared Dove and left it for dead on our garden *sigh*. This dove was lying there, conscious and as daft as it sounds, I kept telling it was going to be ok, we took it to the vets but unfortunately it wasn't ok :o(
Although its not nice to watch, I have no objections to the Sparrowhawk catching the birds, that's nature afterall and she's not about to become a vegetarian. But I do object to domestic moggies as they're doing it for fun. We did have a row with our neighbour over their cat, she works in a solicitors and had the cheek to send us a letter on headed paper saying her cat had a right to roam etc...called it a wild animal though so I think she was slightly misinformed there, lol!
Sorry, I'm waffling and taking over your thread!
Hi Paul E, thats so sad, that doesn't sound daft at all, I would be the same I hate to see any animal suffering, when animal hospital was on the T.V I stopped watching it in the end because I would sit there every week in floods of tears and be totally depressed for the rest of the evening. When it comes to the Sparrow hawk I'm like you, I'm torn, on one hand its sad to see a bird you have been feeding and watching and have come to know, get tacken like that, and on the other hand you don't like to think of any bird going hungry and suffering, and there only doing what comes natural, can't help feeling sad about it though.
And don't worry about taking over the thread, I think it has now turned into a chit chat about anything to do with your garden birds, which I think is nice.