What a week - started off really busy and then my broadband speed with Tiscali dropped from a normal 3500Kb/s to a drastic 110Kb/s. Not for the first time as the same thing happened towards the end of last year. All appears to be back to normal now.
After an absence of a few weeks I was very pleased to see the Goldfinches return to the feeders. I managed to take a very short piece of video before the hairy monster went out the back door and scared them off. As the clip was so short I slowed it down to half speed so it would be worth the effort of watching.
Also I was very pleased to see the hedgehogs had not gone AWOL but had changed their routine. Checking through my security video recordings I found that instead of arriving soon after 10pm they had moved their visits to a quarter to one in the morning for several days. Last night though, Honey was back on the early shift so Bobby was able to say a quick hello before bedtime.
Jackdaws continue to visit the ground feeder. They are always on the look out for danger - forever glancing up and in all directions. This one can be seen placing seeds under its feet, presumably while it strips off the outer covering. I have often seen Blue, Coal and Great Tits hold a Sunflower seed on a branch while they peck off small pieces but it wasn't until I viewed this piece of video that I saw a Jackdaw do a similar thing.
Thank goodness you are back John!! I really have been very worried about you, I was going to email but thought if you were ill or had family problems the last thing you would want would be inquiring emails. Anyway here you are safe and sound, I should have thought about internet problems, they can be a real pain.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the Goldfinches, have you had any juveniles yet? The Jackdaw video was interesting too, surprising to see such a large bird dealing with a tiny seed in that way.
Hi Jan. Thanks for your concern. We expect decent speeds for internet connection these days and it is really annoying when the system fails us. Now got lots of catching up to do!
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed any juvenile Goldfinches as yet - plenty of others though.
I couldn't make out what the Jackdaw was doing when I was watching it - not until I transferred the video to the computer this morning.
Great observation with the Jackdaw John.
ReplyDeleteHe's certainly keeping a watchful eye out too.
Hi John and I echo Jan's comment - I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Freedom2Surf which is now Tiscali so fingers crossed.....
Great that your Goldies are back - such perky little birds and good news on the hoggy front too.
Very neat post John!! I love your movies they are my favorite part of your blog. I have never seen a Golden finch with all those colors before. So don't sweat if you don't get hummingbirds because you get birds I will never see.
ReplyDeleteHappy Father's day John!! I hope you get lots of treats.
Crista
Thanks Keith. The Jackdaws are constantly on the alert and the slightest movement scatters them. I had to wait until its head was immersed in the seeds to reach up and start the recorder and then keep very still - not easy for a born fidget. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tricia. I was definitely getting withdrawal symptoms as everything was so slow. I find it difficult sometimes dealing with Indian call centres but Tiscali do get things fixed once they are convinced the fault is not in the home. Last time the same operator in India phoned me on four days to see if the fault had been cured.
ReplyDeleteDon't see the Goldfinches every day - they are very early morning visitors here - so it is always nice to spot them. Also relieved to spot Honey again and know all is well with them
Thank you Crista. I think we all have a list of different birds we wish we could have visiting.
ReplyDeleteSince taking a closer interest in our own wildlife I have been surprised how many lovely birds we have in the UK.
I am pleased others like my little videos. I certainly love taking them as they can sometimes show so much more about bird behaviour than a still photo - great as those can be.