Bumper year for birds?

[rich p]

We've got loads of visitors now after a lacklustre start; blackbirds, blue tits, robins, sparrows.

We do get pigeons too, pesky great heffers, Mrs 3BM says that they're birds too but I hate them and wish they'd **** off and die.

I can't help disliking greedy magpies too.

 

[coffeejo]

No dawn chorus this morning - either drowned out by or cancelled due to the strong winds. But recent additions to the garden include goldfinches, though I had to add a second feeder for them once a second pair started to turn up each day. Pretty amazing watching an aerial dog fight illuminated by the flashes of bright colour on their feathers but then the robins started to join in so I worked on a peace strategy that is working well thus far. Though there were rumbles the other day when one of the woodpeckers saw off a blackbird who was trying to steal some of the suet block. I'm not sure if the woodpecker was retaliating to the attempted theft or the cheek of a ground feeder being up so high...

 

[Glow worm]

Parakeets? Is this a southern thing? I've never seen one in Yorkshire!

I was down in London last week and saw quite a few of Parakeets. Bright green things they are. Apparently they've become a bit of a pest.

 

[rich p]

There's a dunnock threesome sex romp going on in my garden right now - filthy swines

 

[coffeejo]

There's a dunnock threesome sex romp going on in my garden right now - filthy swines

Flying pigs?

 

[rich p]

Flying pigs?

...is there a word for anthropomorphising birds into pigs?

 

[ianrauk]

I was down in London last week and saw quite a few of Parakeets. Bright green things they are. Apparently they've become a bit of a pest.

Indeed they are. There are now thousand's of them in the London area and surrounds. They are decimating peoples fruits trees, apples, plums etc. And also driving out the native birdlife. There has been talk of a cull.

 

[Rezillo]

For the past few years a couple of pairs of wild mallards hang round our garden at this time of year before disappearing, presumably to nest somewhere else. They've become increasingly tame, to the extent that if I appear at the kitchen window, they will move to the living room patio door, expecting bread to be thrown to them. Come April, that is usually the last we see of them until the following year.

This year, we had a bit of a change:
View attachment 42874 View attachment 42872
View attachment 42875
Then a drake appears.......
View attachment 42876

Duckling update:

There were 13 ducklings a few days ago and at the time of posting the above, 12. Today - still 12! Bearing in mind the meadow they spend most of the time in is patrolled by little owls, two cats and has weasels, not to mention various other large predatory birds in the area, this is not bad going. They are still all very vulnerable, though, and will be for some time to come.

 

[coffeejo]

Not as exciting as roast ducklings, a new visitor to the garden this morning: a nuthatch who was extremely pleased with the new sunflower seed feeder. And the dawn chorus was back, so I didn't need to play reiver's recording

 

[Rezillo]

Not as exciting as roast ducklings, a new visitor to the garden this morning: a nuthatch who was extremely pleased with the new sunflower seed feeder. And the dawn chorus was back, so I didn't need to play reiver's recording

Our dinner today is stuffed roast duck!

 

[Cubist]

Must admit I am no bird expert altho I know quite few species. My id was a lazy check on google!

We have a pond and despite the cats we get quite a lot of birds but I've not seen these before.

They were very agile and flew around the branches of our birch tree as if playing a game - there were 4. There were similar to blue tits but no sign of the blue and less white on the head - we get quite a few blue tits so I know what they look like. These were more like coal tits in being duller so it may have been these. Unfortunately they haven't been back so no photo opportunities.

Long tail tits? Smaller than a blue tit with a long tail, and look like little lollipops. Always hang around in pairs or small groups. No blue on them, but could look yellowy grey in the right light.

 

[Rezillo]

Duckling update:

13 are now 11, with those remaining all looking well: