The First Visitor

The camera feeder is in rather an out of the way position but it took less than two hours for the first brave visitor to inspect it. What was it? Just think which common garden bird is always close by when there is anything happening when you are gardening. The Robin.



It was very cautious at first but as the only visitor so far it now has its own private source of food. I am seriously thinking about moving the feeder to near the bottom of the garden. There is plenty of bird activity there plus lots of trees and bushes as safe places for them.

P.S.



A Blackbird has finally found the feeder. Things are looking up.

Peanut Cake Visitors

The Robin Peanut Cake blocks I ordered from C J Wildlife are proving to be very popular with my garden visitors, especially as many birds are feeding nestlings at the moment. A short video showing Blue Tit, Robin and House Sparrow:



The 'cake' consists of peanut flour, tallow, Sunflower hearts, kibbled peanuts, dried mealworms and other seeds and fruit.

The camera nest box hasn't been taken by any birds but does seem to have a resident wasp. I am sure there is a Song Thrush nest in the Ivy at the bottom of the garden, or very nearby. A couple of days ago I saw two Song Thrushes together on the lawn and one keeps visiting to collect worms and always flies back to the same spot in the Ivy. So far I haven't managed to video it as the Song Thrush is very wary and timid.

Nest Box Visitors

First - A short while ago I saw two Robins on the lawn. The male will usually attack and drive off any other male Robin intruders in his territory. Those two kept about six feet apart with no signs of aggression. A single Robin has been the first and last visitor to the bird table every day. About a week ago the camera caught two on there at the same time. Slight aggression but both fed at the same time. I hope this is a bonded pair who will nest nearby in the near future.



Now on to the nest box. On Sunday morning a pair of Great Tits came to investigate it. The box was also visited the following day.



Sunday was very overcast so the camera stayed in black and white. Monday was much brighter so a colour clip was captured.

Bird Table Cam - First Results

When checking to see what has been recorded the phone app looks like this:



The orange bars show when movement was detected and recordings made. Not all clips show birds actually on the bird table but here are the best so far:



Dunnock, Robin, Starlings and Blue Tit. As I thought, the seed is well in focus but the birds are just a bit too close so end up in soft focus but still recognisable.

How Time Flies

After a bit of judicious trimming of vegetation and re-positioning the IR detector I set things up again to see what wildlife was visiting for a drink or a quick bath.

Here is the IR detector in place:

 

I was thinking I had built this a couple of years ago and was astounded when I found out I had originally written about building it ten years ago here (Heath Robinson Strikes Again). While the weather is fine I have left the detector in place so the birds get used to it being there.

A few regulars from Tuesday:

House Sparrows


Female Blackbird


Robin

(must remember to set the camera to manual focus)

Wood Pigeons


At least there were fewer false triggers and empty photos to delete.

More Bird Feeder Visitors

The soundtrack was recorded at a different time using a small wav / mp3 recorder
50p coin for scale.



Most of the bird sounds, including the clicking, were made by Starlings.

A Tale of Two Robins

Or to be exact one with a tail and one without:



More than a bit surprised when I was scanning the video captures to see what had been visiting the bird table. Born like it or the result of an altercation with a cat or another Robin? We will never know.

Wordless Wednesday

Inside the Can

Have tried a few times to photograph the Robin nest inside the discarded watering can.
The best so far, best being a relative term .....



A crop from that photo showing three nestlings:

Watering Can Robins

I have been spending many a happy time watching the Robin couple taking food to the brood they are raising in an abandoned watering can in the garden.











It is quite astounding just how frequently the parents are arriving with food for the youngsters. They are going to be thoroughly shattered by the time they fledge.

The collage was put together using the Mac app PhotoTangler which blends the edges of adjacent photos.

Would You Adam and Eve It?

Been watching a Robin collecting grass or moss and disappearing in the same direction every time so I went on a nest hunt. Now, there is a perfectly good, safe, dry nest box on the back of the shed set up for any Robin looking for a des res:

   

As can be seen from the grab from the video camera inside the box, completely deserted.
Anyway, that wasn't the direction the Robin kept disappearing. That was almost to ground level at the side of the greenhouse. What was there which would be of interest to a Robin?

An abandoned watering can?:


A quick peek inside showed some fresh moss near the back:


A closer view:


Yes, definitely signs of recent activity.
Now, is this going to be a safe place to bring up a family?
Too many cats prowling at all times of day and night so we will have to wait and see what happens.
Maybe I could erect some wire netting to protect the area.

No problem with the can filling with water when it rains.
It was abandoned as there is a large crack in the base so it has good drainage.

Robins are well known for using anything they think suitable as a nesting site from kettles to cardboard boxes in outbuildings.

This and That

Quite a few of the local birds are visiting the feeders in pairs. Robins, Dunnocks, Blackbirds and Chaffinches all tend to arrive as a couple. Among the Robins is one which spends a lot of time watching me as I potter round the garden or in the greenhouse:



From time to time bursting into song:



I've also noticed lots of birds gathering nesting material, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird and Starling being among them.

I think my first Cymbidium orchid is now in full bloom:



Now waiting for the larger one. Always a long waiting game as they seem to be very slow to grow and mature but make up for it by staying in flower for many weeks. A new miniature one arrived today so I potted it on and gave it a good soak and feed. This one is near flowering size so I am hoping to see it bloom next year.

Visitors to the new Bird Table

It didn't take long for the locals to start using the new bird table.
First brave soul was a Robin:


Others included.....
Dunnock:


female Blackbird:


Starling:


Great Tit:


and Chaffinch


I also noticed a Blue Tit but it was too fast for me. There were plenty of House Sparrows but they seemed to prefer the hanging feeder under the bird table.

Title was created with the Mac app Art Text 3 and the FeatheredFlight font.

Friday at the Flicks - Bird Table

Cold all day yesterday so the little birds were grateful when I topped up their feeders several times.
A few birds caught by the tiny video camera in the top of the bird table:

We Belong Together

Looking at this photo you might think the Robin was keeping an eye out for any predator:



Actually I had been watching a pair of Robins for a while. It was a fair bet that two Robins close together in the same garden meant a possible breeding pair. This pair kept moving from place to place. Whenever the female rested the male would start displaying, bowing down and then lifting his head to show the full effect of his red breast. When this photo was taken the female was perched on a wire above his head.

I was hoping to catch the moment when the male offers food to the female. I have seen it once in the past but if it happened this time it was out of sight.

Wordless Wednesday

A Few Regulars

Coal Tit:


Blue Tit:


Great Tit:


Robin:


Wood Pigeon:

Friday at the Flicks - Bird Table Visitors

Enjoying the remains of a suet cake:



Starling, a pair of Great Tits and a Robin.

It shouldn't be too long before the first youngsters arrive. Recently I have noticed a male Blackbird with a beak full of Sunflower hearts and a female Blackbird collecting spiders from the lawn.

Robin Visits the Bird Table

One Clean Robin

I am used to seeing Robins visit the bird bath to have a drink but I think this is the first time I have seen one take a bath. By the looks of it I think this is one of this years brood. First it just stood in the middle of the water, then had a little splash about, stood some more, then more bathing and so on: