Where have all our garden birds gone?

[Ramblin Rich]

Thanks, but please don't credit me in case Sarah comes over for another look...   

[Ramblin Rich]

Big news - The little ones have flown!

 

Yesterday morning, Sarah got some pictures of one looking out of the box

 

 

 

The parents were still collecting plenty of food & going in & out at frequent intervals

 

 

 

 

Yesterday evening though, I didn't see any activity & no sound from the box either, so assumed we must have missed them going.

However, this morning Sarah found this little chap clinging to the side of the raised bed sleepers

 

 

Then down on the path

 

 

We don't know if this was the only one, or if the others had already left, but it was really heart warming to see even this one

 

As before, pictures © Sarah Poyner 2013 - please contact us if you would like to use

[Xerces Fobe2]

Had a cheeky visitor in the garden  yesterday. I love Robins they bright and playful this one looked in the garage decided it was mess and then sat the TV aerial for a while!

 

 

Nigel

[Ramblin Rich]

Lovely - the 3rd shot is really nice

[DDolfelin]

Our latest resident (his missus is on the nest).

 

[Gruffalo]

Our latest resident (his missus is on the nest).

 

MallardDrake.jpg

You must be providing a nice environment and Sarah's good at capturing them too!

[Budgie]

Our latest resident (his missus is on the nest).

Since drakes have nothing to do with bringing up the ducklings, leaving it all to the females, I'd have thought he'd be off looking for another female to have another family woth.

[Jaz]

<p>People are growing more exotic plants, a lot of beautiful trees or flowerless shrubs are de rigueur, even more petals on the heads of the usual flowers make it hard for insects to get to the nectar.. And if he insects can't get nectar so easily...... People are also removing plants like dandelions which attract a lot of bees and butterflies. Less available nectar equals less insects = less birds. </p>

<p>Bring back weeds!!!! Even nettles (it can be the little blue ones) are a valuable source (not all nettles sting, and those that sting are only really bad at certain times of the year they do spread fast of course..grow them in a bucket?). Old fashioned plants evolved over millions of years to work with insects, we are changing plants so fast the insects (and thus the birds who eat them) can't catch up. </p>

<p>Leave a little messy part in you garden and they will return. A small compost area encourages worms and all sorts, Robins love them.</p>

<p>Plus smaller gardens = smaller trees, easier for cats to catch them.</p>

<p>We have lost a lot of yellow hammers, magpies, etc because our pony died and the insect who liked their manure are gone.</p>

<p>Also if you have healthy trees, do not remove the leaf litter or the fruit that falls on the floor this attracts non flying insects and more food. Each year we let the majority of our fruit trees to just drop their fruit on the floor, thrush and blackbirds love them.(it helps them through the winter) They also like old fashioned cherry trees, Oh and and the grapes in our greenhouse </p>

<p>Birds feed their young insects, not bread peanuts, seed, etc.</p>

<p>I could go on ad nauseam.......... Hope this helps.</p>

Edited June 8, 2013 by Jaz

[Horsetan]

Thanks, but please don't credit me in case Sarah comes over for another look...   

Rich:

 

What camera does Sarah use? The close-up quality is far better than my S1600 can manage!

[DDolfelin]

Since drakes have nothing to do with bringing up the ducklings, leaving it all to the females, I'd have thought he'd be off looking for another female to have another family woth.

 

He loiters.

They are the only mallards within quite a distance but, of course, they can fly.

What he does with his spare time when I'm not watching, I can't tell.

[Horsetan]

This afternoon I've been copping a feel of a fledgling tit. At least I think it was a tit. It had got trapped in a recycling box. Having fished it out and given it a more convenient launchpad, it didn't seem all that keen on leaving. It eventually decided to perch on my foot before making a (very) delayed take-off.

 

It was an incredibly soft, warm tit   and I can now say what it feels like to have a bird in your hand.....as well as what happens when you don't have a leg to stand on.

[Ramblin Rich]

Rich:

 

What camera does Sarah use? The close-up quality is far better than my S1600 can manage!

 

Thanks - it's a Canon 1000D (entry level SLR) with 55-200mm zoom - these are on max zoom with some cropping and compression to upload here. We could probably do with longer lens for the bird pictures, but the macro is also very nice:

 

Several factors in an SLR's favour in my mind compared to our Panasonic compact (skip this bit if you want to avoid the "photo bore" section! ):

- The lens has image stabilisation (ok so does the Lumix...)

- I feel the fact that it's got a viewfinder means you can hold it steadier than the compact camera which only has the rear screen, so you have to hold it at arms' length

- Also easier/faster to compose shots through viewfinder; manual zoom also faster (although these are mostly at max zoom)

- Much faster setting exposure (and auto focus if you use it)

- Big lens = more light in the image = less 'noise'

 

We both like using the Canon - the Lumix is fine for sticking in a bag for snaps when out with the kids (and in fact phone cameras are almost more convenient), but the SLR beats it hands down for 'proper' photos. I'm looking forwards to getting some model shots with it when I have something built...

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Here are a few Skomer island garden birds from our recent trip to south-west Wales....oystercatchers, peregrine falcon, puffins, guillemot and razorbill feature

 

 

Dave

Edited June 9, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Horsetan]

This one, feeding in the rain this afternoon, has got me stumped..... Anyone - off the top of your heads - remember what bird this is?

[Gruffalo]

Its a Jay, very bright wing plumage. A member of the crow family I believe and tends to feed on eggs in nests rather like magpies if readily available.

[chaz]

Well, there's a coincidence. I looked out of the kitchen window this morning and saw a jay perched on the top of our garden shed. It didn't stay long enough for me to get a snap - jays are usually quite shy and wary. We have a tiny garden and this is the first time we have ever had a jay visit, although great spotted woodpeckers do visit occasionally in colder weather. Yes a jay is a species of crow, and yes it will eat eggs and nestlings if it finds a nest of a small bird. They are very intelligent birds which bury acorns as a stash for the winter months. If one suspects that another bird has seen where it has buried some it is on record that it may well dig them up and bury them again elsewhere.

 

At the moment we have parties of young starlings, house sparrows, great tits and goldfinches visiting our bird feeders.

 

Chaz

Edited June 15, 2013 by chaz

[chaz]

Mornin' all,

 

Here are a few Skomer island garden birds from our recent trip to south-west Wales....oystercatchers, peregrine falcon, puffins, guillemot and razorbill feature

 

 

Dave

 

I'm green.... I was going to visit Skomer myself this year but couldn't go. Nice video, love the puffins, but garden birds? That's pushing it a bit.....

[Budgie]

At the moment we have parties of young starlings, house sparrows, great tits and goldfinches visiting our bird feeders.

 

Chaz

What? No robin(s) or blackbird(s)?

 

It is amusing to watch jays using my garden railway as a kind of watch tower. Getting pictures is well-nigh impossible, though. I think I'm going to have to pinch a few ideas from Springwatch, and set up a few cameras around the garden.

[Orinoco]

Just back from a walk along the Chesterfield Canal from West Stockwith on the Trent to Worksop. It is teeming with bird life - and not just the floating variety either.

 

This is one of my favourite shots

 

 

Just wondered what this little beauty was?

 

 

Apologies fr the quality, but the camera is a cheap pocket digital camera with poor zoom

Edited June 15, 2013 by Orinoco

[chaz]

What? No robin(s) or blackbird(s)?

 

 

Nope. The two robins and two blackbirds that visited all through the winter don't seem to have bred. We also get a near daily visit by a song thrush but haven't seen any youngsters.

[chaz]

Just back from a walk along the Chesterfield Canal from West Stockwith on the Trent to Worksop. It is teeming with bird life - and not just the floating variety either.

 

This is one of my favourite shots

 

b2.jpg

 

Just wondered what this little beauty was?

 

b2.jpg

 

Apologies fr the quality, but the camera is a cheap pocket digital camera with poor zoom

 

Lapwing - excellent wader

 

AKA   green plover, peewit, pyewipe etc etc

 

Used to be numerous on farmland, still common enough on coastal marshes, estuaries etc.

Edited June 15, 2013 by chaz

[simon hudson]

I have been amused this week by the House Martins There are a few nest in the houses opposite me.I hadn't really noticed them till this week I live on the second floor so overlook the houses opposite.Whilst sitting in my window I kept seeing white flashes so I took notice, All of the young fledglings have started to fly and it's been quite spectacular all week watching first the parent birds leave the nest followed by the brood.There are quite a few trees here abouts and watching the birds feed on the small fly life has been a joy.I have tried taking pictures but the little b@ggers are way to fast

[chaz]

I have been amused this week by the House Martins There are a few nest in the houses opposite me.I hadn't really noticed them till this week I live on the second floor so overlook the houses opposite.Whilst sitting in my window I kept seeing white flashes so I took notice, All of the young fledglings have started to fly and it's been quite spectacular all week watching first the parent birds leave the nest followed by the brood.There are quite a few trees here abouts and watching the birds feed on the small fly life has been a joy.I have tried taking pictures but the little b@ggers are way to fast

 

Oh, woe.... we used to have house martins nesting on our house - and indeed on most of the houses in the terrace and in the summer the air was full of the birds and their calls. But the numbers dwindled and only one house still has a nest. We live near the River Itchen and on a summer evening we could see clouds of the birds hawking over the water for insects, but not anymore. Still, on a brighter note I have seen a lot more swifts this year than I did last.

 

Chaz

[simon hudson]

The things I've missed for the past couple of years are the bats, I haven't seen any for a while.There is a big old church opposite as well, I did ask one of the locals and he reckons that things should improve as the pigeons had taken over a few years ago,but they have put netting up and other devices to deter them but bats should be able to get access.Unfortunately all the bat boxes are empty.A bit off topic I would love to cast a fly over your local water.Unfortunatley like the River Tweed I wouldn't be able to afford it.They say the Itchen is a beautiful stretch of water I think a lot clearer than the river Wear.my river when I get home to fish it

Edited June 15, 2013 by simon hudson

[chaz]

The things I've missed for the past couple of years are the bats, I haven't seen any for a while.There is a big old church opposite as well, I did ask one of the locals and he reckons that things should improve as the pigeons had taken over a few years ago,but they have put netting up and other devices to deter them but bats should be able to get access.Unfortunately all the bat boxes are empty.A bit off topic I would love to cast a fly over your local water.Unfortunatley like the River Tweed I wouldn't be able to afford it.They say the Itchen is a beautiful stretch of water I think a lot clearer than the river Wear.my river when I get home to fish it

 

Yes, the Itchen is beautiful and as it was canalised at one time (The Itchen Navigation) The stretch from Winchester to Southampton is fully accessible along the old tow-path. Since the otters have come back (otters in the centre of Winchester ) they have driven the mink away and so the water voles have made a tentative re-appearance.

The river is also good for another of your competitors - the kingfisher. The section of the valley where the M3 crosses is full of traffic noise but the red kites don't seem to mind.

 

Chaz