Bird feeding stations.

Robin, Erithacus rubecella

Greenfinch, Chloris chloris.
2 Males

Pff. keeping that other male off MY food was hard work!

The Greenfinches are definitely very bossy on the feeders, these days
Male Chaffinch and Great Tit, Parus major

Coal Tit, Parus ater

Female House Sparrow, Passer domesticus( right)

Blackcap, Sylvia atriciapilla
Male.

My Duunock, Prunella modularis


Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
Female
Male.


Rook, Corvus frugilegus

Most of my Corvids(Rook, Jackdaws and Hooded Crows. Plus some Magpies) are not very happy with the new set-up at the kitchen feeding station. They have difficulty flying to and landing on the little mesh birdtable, almost tipping it over, where the pole not tied up.
Another, large, birdtable is supplying the Collared Doves, Streptopelia decaocto, the Blackbirds, Turdus merula. And anyone else who comes along.

Blackbirds take over the garden and the birdfood.

Blackbird, Turdus merula, female
Soft bedding!

We have 12 of them now. They have totally shifted over the balance of power. The Rooks, Jackdaws and Hooded Crows, were mostly looking down from the fence at those Black and Brown birds fighting each other for the food. Mind you, it was fascinating to observe those big Corvids, trying to grovel their way into the garden!

In winter, large numbers of Blackbirds and other Thrushes visit Ireland and the UK looking for food and warmth.
Robin, Erithacus rubecula
All 4 Robins had drawn swords, and although last winter the cold weather made some species forget about territories temporarily, not this time around!


Ah! This coconut shell with peanutcake is mine!
The Rooks had managed to drop it off its hook, giving the Blackbirds a little ray of well needed fat and protein. They fought each other for the delicacy inside.



Redwing, Turdus ilacus
The Redwing, a little smaller than our native Song Thrush, was quick to respond to those free handouts.

Stand off between one of the Song Thrushes, Turdus philomelos, and a male Blackbird. The prize? Leftover peanutcake and crumbled fatballs. Among the seed.

Before the snow.
Dunnock, Prunella modularis

Male House Sparrow, Passer domesticus

Male Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs


Male Blackcap, Sylvia atriciapilla
Do I see food down there?

In that very cold spell in February, this year, we had a female Blackcap visit the garden until spring. This time, it is the male who needs a good feed. I only discovered him on Christmas Day, when I sat counting the many Blackbirds on the ground, and spotted him down there looking for fallen bits of seed and other food which the Blackbirds might have missed.

After the first snow, I made the big mistake of going outside into the garden to feed the birds. (as you do, right? That is just part of everyday life, right? I did not think that that low covering would be a problem. How wrong I was. Oops. Wheeling over to the 'birdtable' (The Fatsia japonica) I soon realised that I could not get back inside, as my wheels got stuck onto the tracks I had made getting out there. It took me 40 minutes to get back indoors. The distance? A little over a metre! On a certain moment I did have to get out of my wheels and pull her forwards, without pushing her into my legs. Needless to say I almost fell over. Anyway, that was 12 days ago. Today is the first day that I was able to get out ago, after the thaw set in. I was getting claustrophobic, sitting inside all this time. Usually I spent a large amount of time outside, whatever the weather. Even when it was freezing during daytime, in late November/early December, I would still go and settle out in the garden with my thoughts, the birds above and around me.
The thaw has set in with lashing of rain; back to the normal gales and rain. From the south instead of the west. (Atlantic storms with used to be our normal winter weather-pre climate chance-) in other words, no chance for photos through those wet windows.

Eddy, our village shop owner, has helped us out by bringing shopping up to us, during this cold period, a service you only find in these small communities. When I had asked for lard for the peanutcake, I got a six pack of fatballs instead, because he didn't have any. The birds got this for free.

One of the Pied Wagtails, Motacilla alba


Our resident Blue Tits brought a few friends to dinner too.


Territorial bounderies forgotten?

Redwing, Song Thrush and Blackbirds; winter is here.

Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos, a Thrush which is resident around the garden and the little road to the factory behind our house.
. In the winter months of this year he/she was joined by one or two from the continent, other birds of the same species which had escaped the cold temperatures of continental Europe. I expect these again this winter. I can feel that it is going to be another severe winter


Female Blackbird, Turdus merula,
We don't see much of Blackbirds during the rest of the year. At least not here. One male (at least) lives in the trees which border the greenery of the council estate and the houses below. He often tries taking seeds from the garden whenever I am not in the kitchen. If he can persuade one of these females to stay for the summer next spring, I don't know. I hope so; because I love juvenile Blackbirds.




Male Blackbird
Here he is; or is it? how can we be sure it is our local Blackbird? We cannot!


Redwing, Turdus pilaris,
I spotted this Redwing in the Hawthorn behind our garden, at the end of last month. They might be our smalles Thrush, but I think they are one of our most attractive birds. I had to take these photos through two fat fences which stand between us and the school next door.

At this time of year, trees like Hawthorn, Rowan and Holly, among others, offer natural food to these birds to help them survive these cold months. Other Thrushes which you may encounter in your garden, (especially if you got apple trees with a few apples on the ground) include Fieldfare)
On the day I took this picture, I wanted to get to the other Hawthorns on the council estate. Snow and ice kept me locked inside my house and garden however. For quite some time. Which caused me to get very claustrophobic. Just not being able to get out of the gate!




Robin. Erithacus rubecula


Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba

Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus

Great Tit, Parus major.

Food and Spring on the minds of my Birds

Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus


Dunnock, Aegithalos caudatus

We've been having cold days, and frosty nights in the past week, and over the weekend, meaning that Thrushes like Blackbirds, Mistle or Song Thrushes, are still finding it hard to find earthworms in the ground. The Song Thrush is still coming for her daily meals, the Blackbirds too, are also still feeding here. On another note, the Blackbirds seem to have something else on their minds too; Spring.
The two males and the one female, which have been coming daily, have been joined by male number three. He, and another 2 females, had been calling on us in December and early January. It is clear that the males do not tolerate him this time. I just love observing them. It is a pity that I do not get to see the beautiful chestnut female any more. A colouring which I had not seen before in Blackbirds.
The female Blackcap is still in control of the food, it seems. Fruit in all shapes, sizes and taste, is still going fast. Miss Blackcap seems to have switched to the more staple foods like seeds, suet and nuts. Never mind; the fruit is being gobbled up by the Song Thrush, Blackbirds and Jackdaws. They are the garbage bins of the garden and will eat anything, which others might not favour immediately.
Song Thrush, Turdus philomelus



Jackdaw, Corvus monedula


2 Blackbirds, Turdus merula
(Left: male. Right: female.)
male House Sparrow, Passer domesticus


female Blackcap, Sylvia atriciapilla



We try and keep these suet halves (which have now been filled up with home-made peanut cake again) for the little ones; the Coal and Blue Tits, mainly. So, upon spotting this tail, at the end of the feeder (which the Rooks had turned around) I had a suspicion as to who the owner of this tail was, and indeed: Miss Blackcap had found her way onto the coconut husk. Not very good news; she is bullying them enough already.


eventually she appears.

Collared Dove, Streptopelia decaocto


Robin, Erithacus rubecula


Spotting my little Wren in the garden again, made me feel a lot better again. It kept busy with foraging on the ground, on the supports of the shelf, in planters, and anywhere else she thought might be fruitful.

Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes



Foryears I've tried getting a clear picture of my Wren scouring the wood of the shelf supports, and I might have -almost-succeeded. At least I can show people now where she goes on these supports. More or less.