Mummy..... I'm hungry..

Apart from house Sparrow Fluffers, we've got a few other youngsters as well. These two species are my current favourite. (And the Willow Warblers of course.) And although I do have a couple of love Sparrow fluffs, I've got no time to look for them at the moment.

JJ has already learned that a new generation will be the new star. I'm not saying he/she has accepted the younger one. In fact JJ has started to become a wee bit annoying when she/he gobbles up almost all available food in the planter. Until now it was a club of 4 youth from last year, which were OK with each other. These days, however, it is fights all the time between these four juvenile Jackdaws from last summer.

1-year-old Jackdaw. Corvus monedula.




This little Robin is trying to look big- you got an adult's suit on, only thing is, you still got your yellow gape! So, if you do not look like the adult you're trying to portray, you might as well beg for food! A free meal is always handy.

Juvenile Robin, Erithacus rubecula

That big step to stardom for a young Jackdaw

Silently he landed, a sudden itch made him jump up. Keeping low, he crept toward the corner of the birdtable where he saw his breakfast; as usual his many plates were filled. He could see seeds, the grey Sunny ones. None of that ‘little stuff’ was there, thank the Sun! The taste was OK, but they were so hard to regurgitate from his crop, and they stuck to his ‘real’ filling breakfast, spoiling the taste of his daily fat requirement. And they were hard to eat anyway, picking one up needed a delicate touch his mother had told him when she first took him here, that ‘big day’ when he was a baby still. And when they still used that silly name. She still uses it now and then. She even had the nerve to tell me. Yes, me, the subject in this case!-that it had to do with familiarity or something like that in the sound or tones. Don’t know what She was trying to say really.
As long as She feeds me it is alright and I think I do please her. If only she could get rid of those little parasites on my table! Those brownies are not too bad; they might come en masse and eat a lot, they do take up their wings and leave as soon as I lower myself over my table and will make room for me or for my-and extended-family.
However it is those other little ones. First there are those thichers. Their call is this irritant ‘thichering’ the only description I know. These are cowards too. They put that yellow breast out as far as they can whilst ‘thichering, but as soon as they spot a little bit of shadow, off he is.
No, the real parasites are those other little Black-caps. They have the guts to stay and/or return while I am feeding! Honest! They show no respect for anyone it seems. Even Rooks can not dine alone! I ask you, is that normal?

At least here I am feeding in a more relaxed manner. Enjoy the pictures.

We’ve hinted in a previous post somewhere (wildlife?) that Junior had changed his name because of his stardom and his debut.
He kept insisting on the big screen, he yet has to understand (as do I!) the reality of streamlined videos.
We had a lovely video which at 40.8MB was too big to upload according to Francis and only this afternoon did I read up about VAG and QVAG to understand that by choosing VAG 30frames per second, I had immediately gone for the best of the best. So instead, we filmed the boy again this morning.
Photobucket had no problem in posting movies bigger than 20MB, yet another attempt has to wait till tomorrow when rain is forecasted.

I will get the hang of it eventually, don’t worry.

Settling into Autumn's rhythm

JJ is becoming more beautiful by the day. I’ve tried to get pictures of his gorgeous moulting breast, dappled grey, brown and loose downy feathers. And although he did pose for another series, he was only allowing me photos of his breast whenever the Sun’s reflections where catching the lens.
The other birds are settling into their autumn routine again, the Coal Tits are flying to and fro every few seconds almost, and apart from fattening up now, filling their larder too. I’ve always wondered where it hides the food.
The Blue Tit has been feeding regularly too. Only thing is where is its mate? The Sparrows are doing fine it seems, the scare of last week seems to have abated again and we are just continuing the daily routine of sterilizing the food trays each mornings. I have not spotted the bird with the scabs on its face since last Thursday and I am still on the lookout, just to see if it had made progress or if any other birds have been infected. Sofar I have not spotted any other infected birds. Of course this does not mean anything yet.
Neither have I heard anything from BirdwatchIreland, whom I had sent photos of the infected Sparrow.

I had promised a few more pictures of JJ for his fans, and another Jackdaw has been added too.


Some pictures of today and yesterday
Chaffinch, male

Blue Tit
House Sparrows
Jackdaw
J.J>

J.J. at his best:

JJ, aka Junior Jackdaw: A new name for the Star

OK, Junior has obliged to some photos to help him rise to stardom.
Mind you, there was one condition; We will be hosting images of JJ, our Jackdaw, not of Junior our juvenile Jackdaw..
Actually I found to have quite a lot and will share them over a couple of days. Trouble is, as I was sorting those pictures, who did arrive and knocked onto the edge of the planter, calling me to attention? Yep.
I’ll be glad to have these posted as there is a few other issues which need their own space.

A few of the other birds asked for a little space too, if you don’t mind.


One of the Coal TitsPart of the House Sparrow Gang; including a few of the juveniles. We still get very new ones, fledged this or last week probably. The colony has done extremely well this summer, against the odds of having lost most of the Gang's adults to the disease, Trichomoniasis, last autumn and winter.On of the Great Tits (male);And yes, here are the photos of the one you were all waiting for! With at least 4 Jackdaw Juveniles, I'm surprised at how easy it is to recognise this JJ. He/she is very special and at arrival, he will start to listen to the window or the door and to my voice. He's so sweet. And sorry, that's it, folks!