Garden Threesome.

The garden birds have been evading me since the new year list started but they came good today with the two Goldies and the Coal Tit being added to the list.

Return of the Natives.

What an amazing day in the backyard garden . First up was the Goldcrest followed by Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Blackbirds , Starlings, House Sparrows ,Robins and Coal Tits. Next came the male and female Blackcaps, a Redwing in the trees, fleeting foray of a Firecrest, the return (as predicted) of the Bullfinch (male) and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. The total species counted by Angie today was twentyfour.
An amazing week has seen the return of the Goldcrest, Firecrest, Blackcaps, Bullfinch and G.S.Woodpecker to the garden.
We are now waiting for a Siskin and I am trying for a Nuthatch to add to the count.

Little Dinkies

I was alone in the house and deciding what wonderful creation I should have for breakfast when I saw a movement in the leafless Honeysuckle. Firecrest was my initial reaction as I rushed to get my camera. The bird was still there when I fired off a half a dozen rubbish photographs at 1/40 sec. Although the photograph are not worth putting on the blog they clearly show it was a Goldcrest. That confirms we now have a Firecrest, Goldcrest and a male and female Blackcap in the back garden. Bullfinch's next and a Woodpecker.

Winter Garden Birds.

This year has been a little slow with the return of the natives to the garden. A lot of species are still missing namely....Blackcap, Collared Dove, G.S Woodpecker, Siskin, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Jay ,Bullfinch and Firecrest also the Greenfinches and Goldfinches visiting is rather spasmodic .
The number of Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Chaffinches and Great Tits has increased while the likes of Sparrows, Starlings ,Blackbirds, Dunnocks, L.T Tits, Magpie and Woodpigeon have at least remained the same or increased slightly.

Yesterday I saw two Robins perched together on the same branch not four inches apart. I always believed the Robin was a solitary bird and very territorial during the winter months so I was surprised to see this.
The previous day I noticed a movement in the wood pile and the leafless honeysuckle.it was one of our usual small birds that visit us continually throughout the winter months.. but a Goldcrest or Firecrest I am not sure which. I raced down the stairs to tell Angie. Maybe I should have stayed put and identified the bird before moving, as it happened ..Angie caught a glimpse of it and confirmed it was one or the other.
Hopefully a photograph will follow shortly.

Blue Tit

Blue Tit .................Parus caeruleus

We seem to have few extra Blue Tits on the feeders this year ... which is a definite bonus to the viewers.

Coal Tit

Coal Tit ..............Parus ater

Garden Robin

Garden Blue Tit.

Blue Tit .................Parus caeruleus

Tested out the camera in the garden trying to emulate the settings I had before it broke down.

The wooded backdrop is always dark so fast speeds are generally out.

I am reasonably happy with the result considering the conditions..but I expect better in the future.

Blue Tit

L.T.T

Chaffinch's are Back

Blackbird

Blackbird ................Turdus merula

Long-Tailed Tit

Old Faithfuls

Joseph Starling

A Low Garden Count

Things are very quiet at the moment. A lot of the usual mobsters around the garden have taken to the nest or just cleared off. So the blog relies again on the old faithful Robins.

Backgarden Robin

House Sparrows

Woody at Large.

Wood Pigeon ..................Columba palumbus

Latest Robocop

Robin....Erithacus rubecula