Just Good Friends

A couple of House Sparrows were sat next to each other calmly ignoring the constant arguments between the Blackbirds on the ground below.



Here a pair of Collared Doves were sat on top of the artificial wagon wheel taking it in turns to preen each other. It was probably this pair I saw mating the day before and one of which was snapping small branches off a miniature tree to take up to the tall Leylandii.



They stayed there for about ten minutes so I was also able to take some video which I will probably keep for Friday.

Nest box news.



A Blue Tit made a very brief visit to the nest box yesterday so at least they haven't forgotten about it.

Friday at the Flicks ( Pheasant, Rook, Dunnock)

It was quite a surprise to see the Pheasant helping itself to the fat ball I had placed in the ground dish for the Blackbirds. Two different views from different cameras.



This Rook had spotted me watching and spent a while in a tree waiting to see if I would go away before deciding to try elsewhere.



This clip of a Dunnock was taken a while ago and then forgotten about until I found it again a couple of days ago.



Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.

Determination

Every now and then a Blackbird decides it wants to eat from one of the seed feeders. The problem is that the ring perches are too small for them to balance and get their head in the hole so they have to flap like mad to maintain their balance.



The Pheasant continues to make the odd appearance. This time it was interested in a fat ball I had placed in the ground dish so the Blackbirds could get their share.



Whoops - clumsy!


There should be a video clip of this action on Friday.

As far as the Collared Doves are concerned Spring must be round the corner. This morning I spotted one breaking a thin branch off one of my dwarf trees and flying off with it into the large Leylandii.

When is a Blackcap not a Blackcap?

There I was standing just inside the conservatory with the door open trying to get some clearer shots of the local bird visitors in the nearby bushes. After a couple of false alarms I spotted a small bird with a jet black cap and thought to myself, "At last" as I had never seen a Blackcap before. Although it was roughly twelve feet away it took no notice of me or the sound of the mirror clattering in the camera as I took a few shots.

Once I had transferred the photos to the computer and cropped them I decided to check with my trusty Collins Complete Guide to check whether what I had seen was really a Blackcap. Of course I had been wrong.



The body colouring was completely wrong. What had visited was a female Bullfinch. The first one of those I have seen. A couple of years ago I had briefly seen a male Bullfinch but no other sightings since until this female turned up yesterday.



I hope there are a couple breeding in the area.  It would be really great to have them visit the feeders.

Pigeons in Flight

There can be up to five Wood Pigeons in the garden at the same time these days and they are often flying around the neighbourhood. Yesterday I stood just outside the back door to see what I could get in the way of flight shots.

Just about to land on the telegraph pole - a favourite vantage spot.


Racing a Greenfinch to the trees.


Wings and tail spread for a glide down.


Touch down -
The Angel of the East Midlands? - with apologies to the Angel of the North.


After spending two nights in a tree at the bottom of the garden and staying around long enough to be counted the Pheasant seems to have moved elsewhere.

So far I have seen no more activity in the Blue Tit nest box since my last piece of video.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.

Taking a one hour snapshot of the bird visitors to the garden usually brings up some surprises. As I observe from day to day there is hardly a time when there isn't one or more of the tit families at the feeders. During the count I though there would be none right up to the last few minutes and no Coal Tits appeared though they had been frequent visitors for weeks. Normally I spot the odd Jackdaw from time to time so it was quite a surprise when four landed at the same time. Also there are usually quite a few Chaffinches but only three turned up in that hour.

The final results were:



Of course I had the camera to hand, just in case.

Not now dear, I've got a headache ....


I wonder what Blackbird tastes like ...


It had been a beautiful sunny day, though cold, and the sky stayed clear into the night which gave me a chance to try to capture the full Moon.



A few days ago I mentioned that the Wood Pigeon on the feeder looked as though it needed pince nez to focus on the food. Well, Glo from Porcelain Rose took that as a challenge and the result can be seen here:

http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae351/les_0277/dove-pince-nez.gif

A great piece of animation from Glo. Brilliant.

A Bit More of the White Stuff and a Resident Pheasant

For once the weather forecasters got things correct. We did get one session of prolonged snow. It didn't stop the bird visitors from eating. In fact they became even more frantic to stock up.

Tree Sparrows and a Chaffinch


The usual Starlings and House Sparrows


Most unusual, in my garden, to see two male Blackbirds so close to each other.


Just as the light was beginning to fade I noticed that the pheasant was sitting in a tree at the bottom of the garden. Even when Bobby went for a stroll round it stayed there with just its head following Bobby's every move.


For the moment it seems to have adopted my garden for there it was at daybreak ignoring the squabbling Blackbirds on the snow covered lawn.


 It even strolled over to the ground feeder and helped itself to a free breakfast.