tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-417540782149264282012-02-08T20:49:37.032ZWelcome and thankyou for visiting My Garden Birds. I would like to introduce you to some of the feathered friends that visit my small, English garden. They bring endless pleasure and sometimes a touch of humour too. Hope you enjoy.woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-7939447757303726002012-02-06T18:42:00.000Z2012-02-06T18:42:51.305Z

Yesterday we were greeted by a hefty covering of snow, we were also visited by a number of birds that I have never seen before, a species which is mostly a winter visitor, the Brambling. Was it because of the snow that they could not find food in their regular haunt, I do not know, but now they have discovered our bird-food cafe, perhaps the Bramblings will return. Of course it is possible that

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-88383364080685037052011-08-08T19:26:00.001+01:002011-08-08T19:28:20.427+01:00

House Sparrows Do you remember the young House Sparrow I showed you that had the white wings and tail?- Unusual Young House Sparrow - Well although there have been many of the youngsters coming into the garden, I have to say that I have not seen that cute little fellow again. New fledgling House Sparrows continue to appear on a regular basis, being brought along to our free "eat in or takeaway"

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-41865599996108549452011-07-26T18:30:00.013+01:002011-08-08T19:32:33.826+01:00

I sat outside with my bowl of cornflakes, enjoying a rare moment of peace in the early morning sunshine. In the uppermost branches of the tall conifer that overlooks our garden, were a multitude of Starlings. How many, I could not hazard a guess at, some were in full view while others were merely ghostly heads showing through the foliage. The Starlings were unusually quiet, normally an endless

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-27967267148661945992011-07-11T18:36:00.040+01:002011-07-13T19:16:19.003+01:00

Here are a few pictures Of the unusual Young House Sparrow with white wing and tail feathers ( mentioned in previous post here ) This was a recently fledged young Sparrow, able to fly, but still reliant on the parent birds to provide the food. I saw it for a period of about half an hour, but have not seen it again since that time.

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-57986506819419408202011-07-09T20:14:00.001+01:002011-08-08T19:30:09.153+01:00

Looking back at the week with my Garden Birds. It's been a funny old week - weatherwise that is - one minute it's sunshine, then heavy downpours of rain, then the next thing you know, out comes the sun again. But wind, rain or shine, nothing on the weather front stops the birds from visiting the garden. Reflecting on the past week, it has been a rare moment indeed to look out on the back garden

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-70255074581625796242011-06-22T19:06:00.000+01:002011-06-22T19:06:46.393+01:00

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-32390995451840232332011-06-15T19:01:00.001+01:002011-08-08T19:31:07.595+01:00

There are more and more young House Sparrows appearing in the garden, this morning some newly fledged babies were being fed by the parents.  How many of these young House Sparrows are around at the moment I could not hazard a guess at. I have managed to count up to 15 at one go but there were more of them at the time hidden in the pear tree. Where they are all nesting I do not know, they seem to

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-6246988584484930882011-06-14T11:31:00.002+01:002011-08-08T19:32:01.192+01:00

The garden seems to be empty of birds at the moment, maybe due to the alarm that has been driving us daft for the last 20 mins, or the window cleaner who has come next door, or maybe next doors dog barking. Having said that, my garden birds have become so used to the dog barking that they all now seem to take no notice of it at all. Just a moment ago the garden was awash with birds as it so

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-81908574081862890302011-06-11T20:52:00.000+01:002011-06-11T20:52:40.485+01:00

Afraid I've been having some problems with my video but here is a short clip of some of the Young Starlings feeding.

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-59665824045980937372011-06-09T19:58:00.000+01:002011-06-09T19:58:08.086+01:00

Following our holiday in Devon last week, we have returned to find that there are a large number of young birds in our garden. Starlings and House Sparrows to be precise. Another recent report has stated that these two species of garden birds are still in rapid decline. I guess we must have more than our fair share of them because there are so many it is impossible to even hazard a guess at the

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-16206465916709631382011-05-09T19:20:00.003+01:002011-06-14T11:28:36.078+01:00

Since I first observed the Collared Dove family, they have been visiting the garden at least once every day. I have seen mum, dad and one youngster coming to feed at around the same time each evening. I have no idea how old the young Dove might be, it is fully feathered and appears only slightly smaller than the adult birds. It lacks the black and white collar or band of the adult and as with

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-85074062502785418562011-05-05T21:32:00.003+01:002011-06-14T11:26:44.861+01:00

One of the Collared Doves which live in our neighbourhood flew onto the bird bath to take a drink of water. Did you know that Collared Doves (and other pigeons) do not raise their heads when they drink as most birds do, they are able to suck the water up in a continuous stream. The Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Starlings, House Sparrows and Blackbirds all love our bird bath, for them it is a

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-40137143967545448712011-04-11T11:22:00.001+01:002011-06-14T11:27:33.492+01:00

Well what gorgeous weather we have enjoyed over the last few days, it definitely makes you believe that Spring is in the Air. It has been, or has seemed to me at least, a long and cold winter. There has been very little activity from the birds in my garden during the past few weeks, even the Starlings seem to be far fewer in number. I have not seen the Coal tits for a long time and Blue tits

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-35801572466315490972011-01-30T20:35:00.000Z2011-01-30T20:35:10.007Z

Well things did not go to plan for me this weekend with the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Saturday morning, and full of good intention, I settled myself down with pen and paper, plus of  course tea with 2 sugars and a little milk, and with a good lookout onto the rear garden. Starlings started to appear almost immediately and I realised how difficult it is to count so many  birds when none of

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-81846262286134429622011-01-29T12:18:00.000Z2011-01-29T12:18:03.129Z

A reminder for those of you in the UK about the Big Garden Birdwatch organised by the RSPB. I do it every year and email my results in. The following information is from the RSPB How to take part: If like us, you love birds and want to help them, then the Big Garden Birdwatch is your chance to do something that really counts. All you need is a pen, some scrap paper (or, a printout of our

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-20951034280202816422011-01-28T20:54:00.000Z2011-01-28T20:54:50.284Z

I have started to make some sketches of my garden birds. It is early days yet and I have not practised drawing for quite some time, hopefully my efforts will improve. Collared Dove This is a sketch of one of the regular Collared Doves that visit our garden. Of course it is nigh on impossible to identify individuals with any certainty, but in the afternoon a lone Dove feeds on the bird table then

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-91691526900938135602011-01-21T19:05:00.000Z2011-01-21T19:05:27.450Z

An overnight frost had painted the garden white, the air was still, the sky clear, and it appeared to be very cold outside. Like yesterday, the bird bath was frozen and I could see from the patio doors that the bird table was empty, no food there for my garden birds. I made ready the food and water, donned my coat and boots and braved the cold of another January morning. It was apparent that the

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-52582450757987659742011-01-20T20:05:00.000Z2011-01-20T20:05:45.760Z

 

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-83393461350077113822011-01-20T09:54:00.001Z2011-01-20T09:54:51.969Z

Today started out as a cold, frosty and foggy morning. The first birds I saw in my garden were the pair of Collared Doves as they came to feed and drink. The water appeared to be frozen so I would have to attend to that ASAP. Soon the House Sparrows were around the feeders and the male Blackbird was scratching around on the garden where we scatter the mealworms. Unfortunately for him it seemed

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-25745192122976032002011-01-02T11:15:00.000Z2011-01-02T11:15:15.990Z

This morning soaked bread put on the garage roof yesterday was being wolfed down by a flock of Starlings, Sparrows and Wood Pigeons. In no time at all there was not a trace to show that it had ever been there. Starlings were soon all over the bird feeder pole and the bird table, fighting and squabbling, making their usual racket and tucking into the lardie cakes and fat balls. House sparrows then

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-70474132421765318342011-01-01T19:41:00.001Z2011-01-01T19:42:19.116Z

Well it's hard to believe that yet another year has flown quickly by and we are here at the start of 2011, a New Year - Day1. The garden has seemed unnaturally quiet today and there is an unusual amount of food left in the feeders, on the table and on the ground. Do you think the birds have a hangover after celebrating the New Year? Actually I have not seen the usual number of birds coming into

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-39438558795141435652010-12-30T19:27:00.000Z2010-12-30T19:27:56.127Z

I was so excited today to see a flock of Long Tailed Tits in my Garden. I had glanced out of the window and spotted a Coal Tit on one of the feeders, then immediately noticed a second one fly over to it from the Pear Tree. As I was telling Mrs "W" that I could see Two Coal tits on the feeder, I noticed what I thought to be a third Coal Tit then realised I was looking at a Long tailed Tit.

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-81276203272160982452010-12-24T21:03:00.001Z2010-12-24T21:03:56.703Z

To all my family, friends and readers of this blog: MERRY CHRISTMAS From The Woodpecker and my Garden Birds

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-83054769412316202652010-12-22T19:23:00.000Z2010-12-22T19:23:35.550Z

Once more we awoke to find that outside of the warmth and shelter of our house, everywhere was covered in a fresh fall of Snow and the birds must be fed. They depend on us more and more in this weather and so we do what we can to help them out.     Here is a nice freshly made bird cake made with lard, currants, sultanas, mixed seed and grain. Mmm, delicious.   Some fresh water; Snow cleared

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-4068232303219366622010-11-17T18:49:00.001Z2010-11-17T18:50:52.996Z

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-87676447801662041942010-11-16T18:32:00.000Z2010-11-16T18:32:25.500Z

The last few days in our part of Staffordshire, England have started with cold and frosty mornings. One of the first jobs to be done by either Mrs Pecker or myself, is to de-ice the water for our Garden Birds. It is essential in all weathers and throughout the year, that the birds have access to water both for drinking and for bathing. Dipping ourselves into a bath of cold water on these cold

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-43984158299040394742010-11-08T21:00:00.000Z2010-11-08T21:00:30.495Z

10.00am and I am looking out through the kitchen window, watching the rain that has been falling steadily all  night. The tall Conifer moves with the wind as though alive, swaying to and fro while deep within the evergreen foliage, birds take shelter, keeping a firm grip as they are tossed about like sailors on a stormy sea. This heavy rain and blustery wind is forecast for the entire day. A

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-38647281888540714722010-11-06T16:02:00.001Z2010-11-06T16:06:01.689Z

The number and variety of birds visiting our small housing estate garden is quite amazing and I think Autumn heralds the start of a great time for Garden Bird Watching. The hours of daylight are reducing more and more and so the birds must concentrate all their feeding into a much shorter time period than they did in the summer. They also require plenty of food for their fragile bodies to process

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-27467629120823146512010-11-03T14:44:00.000Z2010-11-03T14:44:35.760Z

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-65764246071195283772010-10-25T17:56:00.001+01:002010-10-25T17:58:17.397+01:00

Yesterday I watched the Coal Tit and saw some behaviour that I do not think is usually seen in common garden birds of the UK. Again it was sheer luck that I glanced out of the kitchen window whilst filling the kettle and saw a Coal Tit, I first saw it as it flew from the feeder and onto the drive. I considered it to be another chance sighting, but maybe these Coal tits are visiting the garden so

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-42346325322227660212010-10-17T21:06:00.000+01:002010-10-17T21:06:06.131+01:00

The Coal tits showed again this morning as I was looking through the kitchen window. The feeder pole had swung around and so as the first little fellow landed on the seed feeder I had a perfect view of it. I am getting quite fond of seeing these Coal Tits. Of course I did not have a camera to hand as he or she put on a perfect display for me. "Should I fetch my camera?" I said to myself over and

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-10492930053838902782010-10-15T19:49:00.000+01:002010-10-15T19:49:38.481+01:00

I have not been spending much time consciously watching the birds in my garden recently, but the casual sitings from the window (usually in front of the kitchen sink) have been getting very interesting. We have experienced the usual late summer lull of August and September when most of the birds seem to disappear but now as autumn kicks in, the garden takes on a whole new perspective. The

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-32027620662085871372010-10-01T20:01:00.000+01:002010-10-01T20:01:32.776+01:00

As I stood on this first day of October, looking out onto the garden through the patio doors and watching the rain, I thought to myself, "Well there's no chance of any summer this year then." Part of the garden looks sodden and waterlogged, part of it looks sad and neglected, it all in fact looks rather a mess. As I stood there contemplating the universe, how long a coalition government could

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-30998475017123514912010-09-27T19:40:00.001+01:002010-09-27T19:41:02.224+01:00

I stepped outside of the kitchen door and my eyes were immediately drawn to the sky, to the Sparrowhawk soaring on the wind, searching for prey. Although my eyes are not good and I found myself to be without my specs, the light seemed to shine in such a way as to make visible the light brown colours on the underside of the bird. This airborne hunter, hungry for a meal, drew overlapping circles

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-86154403330562472432010-06-19T20:53:00.000+01:002010-06-19T20:53:56.995+01:00

His dad led him to the safety of the Holly bush, and told him to stay there where he would be safe. such a cute little fledgling House Sparrow. He kept watching out for his dad in the hope that he would soon return. You can see from the yellow at the base of it's beak that this youngster has not been long from the nest. After sitting in the sun and preening ones self, there is nothing quite

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-5619680079358907122010-06-15T16:38:00.001+01:002010-06-15T16:38:44.693+01:00

I have been deliberating lately as to whether the Crows (see recent posts) are actually a significant threat to my garden birds, especially the youngsters. The trio of Crows (The Crows Around my Garden) became four and have then been joined off and on by other itinerant individuals. I mentioned before how I found them amusing and enjoyed watching their antics and comic displays but began to be

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-8031983003334729962010-06-12T15:08:00.000+01:002010-06-12T15:08:22.552+01:00

Following my last post about the Crows, I did begin to wonder if their prescence did actually have some sinister consequences, namely the lack of young birds. Very few babies of the feathered variety had been seen in my garden. There was the flurry of young House Sparrows, but no sign of fledgling Starlings, Blackbirds or Robins which we would normally have seen by now. But fear not, things have

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-91579802924035271232010-06-03T20:35:00.002+01:002010-06-03T20:37:13.661+01:00

A trio of Crows have recently decided to make a home of our neighbourhood. For some weeks now I have seen them every day, usually on the rooftops of the surrounding houses but also coming down to our garage roof to feed on the soaked bread we put there. Despite being large powerful birds they always seem to be rather skittish and nervous, flying off at the slightest noise or movement. Why these

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-26322929743653724902010-06-01T18:38:00.002+01:002010-06-01T18:43:19.613+01:00

Seems like it's Baby Bird time in the garden again, there have been quite a number of fledgling House Sparrows around during the weekend. Male and Females of the species were very conscientiously feeding individuals amongst the foliage of the Pear tree. Monday seemed to be play school day, the youngsters were having fun like they were in the kindergarten, flying together in groups and I'm sure

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-13915486067654939272010-01-31T19:32:00.001Z2010-01-31T19:37:51.413Z

I have just submitted my results for the Big Garden Birdwatch for 2010. I had been planning on doing the count yesterday but Ron was working on the roof of his garage which is located at the rear of our garden. Too much disturbance was going to have an affect on the birds, plus the fact that I did not fancy sitting behind the patio doors with my pen, paper and cup of tea, staring up the garden

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-76395646927370519102010-01-29T19:43:00.000Z2010-01-29T19:43:25.531Z

Do not forget, for those of you living in the UK, that the Big Garden Birdwatch takes place this weekend, that is 30th and 31st January. It is organised by the RSPB but you do not have to be a member to take part. All you need to do is to record the highest number of each species of bird seen in your garden, or local park (but not flying over) at any one time, during a one hour period on either

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-73108220292669164192010-01-07T20:27:00.000Z2010-01-07T20:27:11.325Z

It is always exciting to spot a bird that you have not seen before. Today I saw a Fieldfare, a species of bird new to my Garden. And not just one, but upwards of 25 in total, they have been around for most of the day. I did not identify them as being Fieldfares when first seen this morning, I merely thought they were Starlings that appeared different because of the way the sun was shining

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-69218090752639267562009-12-31T20:46:00.000Z2009-12-31T20:46:29.295Z

To all my friends, followers, and readers of this little blog, I would like to wish A HAPPY NEW YEAR !! May 2010 be good to you.

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-36182204696450265462009-12-30T15:42:00.000Z2009-12-30T15:42:23.492Z

Jack Frost had painted the landscape, transforming the appearance of all that was exposed to the touch of his ice laden brush. Overnight, water had turned to ice, trees and shrubs sparkled white, while frozen spiders webs shimmered now in the first rays of sunlight. After the rich pickings of Autumn the birds now faced the hard cold days of winter. Those nuts and berries plus the many and varied

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-31962734844410579032009-12-24T19:14:00.002Z2009-12-24T19:37:35.008Z

Merry Christmas everyone.  Merry Christmas from me too. and us. Yes A MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all.

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-52348408001747346232009-12-16T13:43:00.000Z2009-12-16T13:43:43.915Z

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-39911640452926141002009-12-07T13:10:00.002Z2009-12-07T13:10:00.497Z

Three days ago, Friday to be precise, we had a pair of Coal Tits visit the garden. This is the first occasion that we have observed this species here at home. They seemed to be quite relaxed feeding on seeds in the vertical hanging feeder, making frequent visits and flying to and fro between the neighbouring trees. I was unable to take any pictures of them, they refusing to stay still once I had

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-82478843321774452009-12-06T17:00:00.000Z2009-12-06T17:00:01.797Z

This piece continues from yesterdays post where we saw the Blackbird tucking into some meal worms in the garden. During that time he was not alone. Flitting about and watching with interest were a Robin who has become a frequent visitor again and also a Little Wren. A group of House Sparrows were constantly flying in and out but the relative peace was about to be shattered. The Blackbird

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-33600520547657691422009-12-05T17:15:00.011Z2009-12-05T19:45:08.096Z

After writing the post titled Blackbird likes Holly berries, it seems that my Garden Blackbird has begun to wander more into the garden and is certainly eating more than just those berries. Perhaps he takes them as desert, a nice bit of fruit, part of the 5 a day we are all told we should eat. "I've had enough of those Holly Berries" the handsome male Blackbird thought to himself. "The lovely

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-65454146409435808932009-12-02T16:45:00.000Z2009-12-02T16:45:05.315Z

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-43905802842923723082009-11-27T14:48:00.003Z2009-11-27T15:01:35.531Z

Yes I know, that is a picture of a Wood pigeon, yet again. But they are always around and this one was having such a nice rest. I could not resist taking a picture as it posed so nicely. I have started to gather some pictures of Woodpigeons in an attempt to see if it is possible to identify individual birds by differences in their markings. As I began to photograph this bird that happens

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-57372074091963482382009-11-24T20:35:00.001Z2009-11-24T20:38:44.903Z

This is one of my feathered friends I saw this morning, but he is a rather greedy Woodpigeon. The mixed bird feed is suitable for a variety of birds, containing all of the popular, favourite seeds. This mesh tray fixed to the upright metal pole is good during this very wet weather (we seem to have had endless rain here recently) because any rain easily passes through, therefore the food does

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-75124204315349572482009-11-17T09:58:00.000Z2009-11-17T09:58:14.936Z

Last night as the light was first starting to fade, the Woodpigeon stood on the edge of the garage roof, looking towards me. I was likewise stood in front of the kitchen sink looking through the window towards the Pigeon. It showed no inclination to fly away but rather seemed to make motions towards the bird feeder in an attempt I am sure to make me realise that the mesh plate used to hold the

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-37091554199644163642009-11-08T09:15:00.006Z2009-11-08T09:51:46.890Z

I hoped you liked that previous post where I showed you a few of the birds I encountered during my holiday in Australia. But what of the birds back in my own British Garden?Well I returned to find that Autumn was well under way with most of the leaves having fallen from the trees. The ground is muddy and strewn with leaf debris and that unmistakable damp autumnal feeling is in the air. And the

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-22513785391579312432009-11-04T19:22:00.006Z2009-11-04T20:40:20.003Z

As some of my regular visitors may know, I have spent the last month in Western Australia. I thought before I returned to blogging about my garden birds I would show you a few of the birds I saw while I was there.The GalahThe Galah is easily identified by its rose-pink head, neck and underparts, a paler pink crown, and a grey back, wings and undertail. Galahs are quite common in the areas

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-51549234735456622042009-09-24T16:16:00.003+01:002009-09-24T16:21:43.307+01:00

What determines a birds activities, where it goes, what it does, Do Birds Think?I sometimes wonder as I look at my garden birds, do they have a conscious mind, are they capable of thought processes like we humans, or are they merely living automatons following a set of inbuilt complex instructions.When they awake each morning do they think "Ooh what a lovely morning, nice to see the sun again,

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-42609723036876340252009-09-23T20:39:00.006+01:002009-09-23T21:10:09.515+01:00

A few days ago this young WoodPigeon visited our garden, making good use of the feeder tray that still held some grains of seed. I managed to capture a few Young Wood Pigeon Pictures before he flew away.This is the second youngster of this species that we have seen in the garden recently. How many actually survive to this age I do not know though I am sure many perish before attaining this

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-82623908176322549492009-09-15T13:37:00.005+01:002009-09-15T14:02:31.637+01:00

Here we are, half way through September ( the time seems to fly much faster than any bird, where has this year gone) and My Garden Birds are starting The Return as I knew they would.From late July and throughout August we have very little bird activity in the garden apart from the regular Woodpigeons and Doves. The Blackbirds and Robins are absent for a much longer period than this, seeming to

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-41638717223693081782009-09-12T19:08:00.012+01:002009-09-12T20:32:39.477+01:00

Columba Palumbas to give the true Latin name, identifies the bird referred to variously as the Wood Pigeon, Woodpigeon and occasionally as the Ring Dove. I had always written this birds name as Woodpigeon, but my spell checker tells me I am wrong to do so. It says I should write it as two words, namely Wood and Pigeon. I looked it up on Wikipedia, the online dictionary, and it too infers that I

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-54881200952623104872009-09-01T18:45:00.005+01:002009-09-01T19:54:48.830+01:00

I may have mentioned previously, a pair of Wood Pigeons that I look upon as being Extraordinary Pigeons. Extraordinary in the sense that they seem almost human at times and seem to have more personality than one would associate with the normal Wild Wood Pigeon.This pair of birds that I often refer to as a couple, have been regular visitors to our garden for over three years and have stayed

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-26433092048425443502009-08-30T20:41:00.005+01:002009-08-31T19:29:14.847+01:00

During the late summer it seems that the majority of the birds disappear from the garden. I only see an occasional House Sparrow or Starling instead of the large numbers we had visiting earlier in the year.No Blue Tits or Great Tits visit the feeders or hang upside down on the fat balls. I do now recall however, having been reminded by writing that last sentence, that I saw two Blue Tits last

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-67235992643499620222009-08-20T13:53:00.005+01:002009-08-20T14:43:49.271+01:00

I have just seen a Sparrowhawk from the kitchen window, circling high overhead, but travelling swiftly away due to the very windy conditions. Obviously it was checking out the gardens looking for suitable prey. The Sparrowhawk became scarce in Britain during the 20th century because it was badly affected by the liberal use of pesticides. Indeed though I grew up in a rural area, I cannot remember

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-68788375325956499072009-08-03T07:29:00.003+01:002009-08-03T08:14:01.552+01:00

From Saturday 1st August 2009The heavily laden branches of the Pear tree are bending under the sheer weight of unripe fruit and the downward curvature imparted thus lends a look of sadness to the tree. This mournful expression is all the more apparent by the greyness of the sky and the incessant falling of the rain.One bunch of the pears accidentally forms a natural cover over a platform on the

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-80753168047640764862009-07-25T16:50:00.004+01:002009-07-25T18:53:35.720+01:00

I must admit to neglecting My Garden Birds somewhat of late. Not, I must hastily point out, neglecting their well being or welfare, but rather it seems I have not had the time to observe the everyday activity of our feathered friends. They have been fed and watered, although at this time of year there is an abundance of natural food for them to find. As regards water, we have experienced so much

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-84280384559331546662009-06-28T08:49:00.004+01:002009-06-28T09:11:59.217+01:00

This past week has seen a flurry of activity in the garden in the form of many more baby birds. This year has been an extraordinarily productive one for our feathered friends around here, or so it seems.We have numerous newly fledged House Sparrows and Starlings in the garden this week being fed by the adult birds. That unmistakable fluttering of the wings accompanied by those ever open mouths

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-81490833727528017582009-06-15T06:00:00.005+01:002009-06-15T06:30:51.993+01:00

Five o'clock,I look out of the house.Nothing is stirring,Not even a Mouse.Well that is not strictly true, because a male House Sparrow is stirring in the garden. A Woodpigeon flies across my field of vision to perch atop the large Conifer. He or she, of course I know not which, is soon accompanied by one of the resident male Blackbirds. I wonder if they might be exchanging early morning

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-68205507656771852502009-06-11T13:27:00.010+01:002009-06-11T20:16:58.269+01:00

"Hey Starl""What is it Stan?""The chap who lives here is by the window with his camera, looks like he is going to try taking pictures of us.""Yes, I can see him Stan.""Lets do that trick Starl, where we make our heads disappear""That sounds like a great idea Stan!!""That fooled him.""Sure did Stan!!"

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-59629098519015105742009-06-09T20:41:00.003+01:002009-06-11T20:19:15.010+01:00

In answer to a question asked on Twitter here are some quick pointers to help you identify Woodpeckers.Hi Karen,The greater Spotted Woodpecker is a medium sized Black and white bird roughly the size of a Blackbird. The underparts are a dirty white colour but the main colour indicator is that the male, female and juveniles all have a patch of easily seen red body feathers beneath the tail and a

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-81002406369388948442009-06-05T08:22:00.004+01:002009-06-05T21:02:50.590+01:00

Typically this week, most of the bird activity is during the first few hours of the morning. We currently have many many young Starlings, who along with their elders seem to come enmasse for breakfast, smaller groups (but the same birds) will visit throughout the rest of the day.Young House Sparrows are still around, but not in such numbers as they were before we went away last week. I think this

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-23752702444050087112009-05-20T20:05:00.004+01:002009-05-20T20:25:15.505+01:00

At 5.30 this morning, I looked out of the kitchen window to a scene reminiscent of playtime at the kindergarten. It seems that we have more fledgling House Sparrows in the area along with the first Starlings to fledge so far this year. There is so much activity that to count them, either the Sparrows or the Starlings, is impossible. The Starlings are all newly fledged, still carrying the fluff on

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-74694333925027183892009-05-20T13:20:00.006+01:002009-05-20T20:05:20.935+01:00

Following the recent cat attack that ended the short life of one of our young Blackbirds, it was decided that something must be done to help safeguard, as much as possible, our Garden Birds.Some of the habitat we had created to be of benefit to the birds, had also proved to be a perfect hiding  place for these feline predators.The most dangerous area has proved to be the bird table, so common in

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-74298693056012954972009-05-08T08:36:00.005+01:002009-05-08T09:07:47.817+01:00

For at least one of the birds it was a case of Black Cat Bad Luck in the garden earlier this week. This particular large male Black Cat is relatively new to the area, but is making his mark.The black cat superstitions of bad luck for those whose path it crosses came true for what was possibly one of the young Blackbirds. The youngest of the 2 juveniles had taken to sitting on the edge of the bird

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-33008679819147891482009-05-04T20:07:00.002+01:002009-05-08T17:07:49.523+01:00

Well last week saw plenty of bird activity in the garden, it seemed to be teeming with the usual residents and some of the less common visitors.First though an update on the babies. We have confirmed that there are in fact 2 young Blackbirds, both along with the adult male are spending lots of time in our garden. There is an obvious difference in size indicating that they hatched at different

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-75463088188982349332009-04-18T14:22:00.001+01:002009-04-18T19:07:16.025+01:00

Seen for the first time, the first of the new arrivals, in the shape of a young Blackbird. It was following it's dad about the garden, learning it's way around and stopping at intervals to receive a tasty snack.Today I observed Mr Blackbird busy collecting morsels of food and flying onto the rear fence then into the Holly bush, obviously feeding the youngster or youngsters who were being kept

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-64867960111452093072009-04-15T19:58:00.000+01:002009-04-15T20:03:47.141+01:00

It was mid morning yesterday when I heard this tap tap tapping coming from above. I knew it was Mrs Pecker, but I did not realise that she was trying to attract my attention, until that is she went to the top of the stairs and shouted me."Come here quick" she cried.And quick I went, as quick as I can do quick that is. Through the rear bedroom window she pointed out the Grey Heron that was perched

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-29916449321191128192009-04-15T19:52:00.000+01:002009-04-15T19:56:52.968+01:00

Mrs Pecker has spotted a pair of Bull Finches. They appeared in Ron's behind then flew down the gardens to Phil's (4 gardens down) where they fed from one of the bird feeders he has hanging there.I would like to point out that when I said the Bullfinches appeared in Ron's behind, I meant the garden of Ron who lives behind us.We have only seen Bullfinches once before in our garden. That was one

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-88466990168264064532009-01-31T12:40:00.001Z2009-04-26T21:00:45.860+01:00

It was within 5 minutes of Mrs Pecker putting out some Mealworms, that the male Blackbird appeared. I must say he is a handsome chap, perfect deep black plumage, bright yellow beak and a physique that any male Blackbird would be proud of.She was barely back inside the house when I saw him fly over the rear fence to land on a branch of the small apple tree. From here he flew to the handle of the

woodpeckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13077435643444581310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41754078214926428.post-20700557208364983412008-12-11T18:59:00.000Z2008-12-11T19:08:55.710Z

They grew up here throughout the summer (if you could call it summer). They ate, scrapped, argued and were generally mischievous. In the evening they would enjoy a communal bath and last bite of supper before heading into the safety of the tall ??tree to spend the night. These were the fledgling Starlings, numbering around 30 before they disappeared.

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