Whats in your garden?

**highlander** · 01-Sep-09, 15:24

Not seen the goldfinches or greenfinches for ages, only got sparrows, blackbirds, robin, dunnocks, starlings, collar doves, bramblings, linnets, and only seen once a goldcrest, plenty of buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels flying about. forgot about the swallows

**porshiepoo** · 01-Sep-09, 17:15

Have loads of Greenfinches here.

Buzzards, Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk.
Loads of Tits of different types and some kind of Reed dweller that has made a home on our pond Reeds. We can hear it and caught one glimpse of it but it makes a racket most of the day!
We normally have Willow Warblers here too but haven't seen or heard one at all this year.

Loads of swallows and house martins too.

**Lavenderblue2** · 01-Sep-09, 17:47

Originally Posted by highlander

Not seen the goldfinches or greenfinches for ages, only got sparrows, blackbirds, robin, dunnocks, starlings, collar doves, bramblings, linnets, and only seen once a goldcrest, plenty of buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels flying about.

Now we have got Greenfinches Highlander, isn't that odd with us being so close to one another. You didn't mention Chaffinches, we've got lots of these too. We've got most of the rest - not too sure about the Bramblings or Linnets though.

**highlander** · 01-Sep-09, 18:49

well please stop feeding them, i want them back lol

**Iffy** · 01-Sep-09, 20:04

I let our cat out of the back kitchen door just the other day.

Shortly after there was an almighty bird chorus which I can only describe as "chittering", and not being accustomed to this obvious "bird vocals" I took a look out of the window wondering what on earth kind of bird was making SUCH a racket !!

Well, there sat perched on a branch of a bush (quite close to the road and in obvious sight), as brazen as you like, was a wee wren !! Now this little bird is quite a frequent visitor of our back garden, but, normally, we just see it very fleetingly !!!

This wee guy, that I saw, was gonna hold it's ground come what may !! I was very fascinated by its territorial stance and lack of shyness!!

I, very quitely, took our cat back in the house, but BOY the wee wren was still giving it "licks" for a good few minutes after !!!!

**Lingland** · 01-Sep-09, 20:40

Have all the above but fewer tits and siskins than usual

**Lavenderblue2** · 02-Sep-09, 07:46

I have only seen one Blue Tit here and the Siskins which were here in huge numbers in the spring seem to have gone.

A few weeks ago my husband found a dead greenfinch in the garden.
It had been ringed so I took the ring off and contacted the RSPB. After giving them the info on the ring - which was so small it had to be read for us by our sharp eyed granddaughter - I was told that in a few weeks I will recieve all of the information about where the bird was ringed ect. I look forward to that.

They also told me that there is a virus that Greenfinchs', and I suppose other birdies, are able to catch from feeders and bird tables... I give mine a good scrub every couple of weeks, they get so mucky, but maybe that isn't enough.

**Lingland** · 02-Sep-09, 18:41

Originally Posted by Lavenderblue2

I have only seen one Blue Tit here and the Siskins which were here in huge numbers in the spring seem to have gone.

A few weeks ago my husband found a dead greenfinch in the garden.
It had been ringed so I took the ring off and contacted the RSPB. After giving them the info on the ring - which was so small it had to be read for us by our sharp eyed granddaughter - I was told that in a few weeks I will recieve all of the information about where the bird was ringed ect. I look forward to that.

They also told me that there is a virus that Greenfinchs', and I suppose other birdies, are able to catch from feeders and bird tables... I give mine a good scrub every couple of weeks, they get so mucky, but maybe that isn't enough.

If you could find time it would be interesting to hear the history of the greenfinch. I have loads of them.

**redeyedtreefrog** · 02-Sep-09, 21:13

Originally Posted by porshiepoo

Have loads of Greenfinches here.

Buzzards, Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk.
Loads of Tits of different types and some kind of Reed dweller that has made a home on our pond Reeds. We can hear it and caught one glimpse of it but it makes a racket most of the day!
We normally have Willow Warblers here too but haven't seen or heard one at all this year.

Loads of swallows and house martins too.

lol. I love innuendo.

**dafi** · 04-Sep-09, 20:46

We had a raven to day, thats a first for the new garden list.

**highlander** · 04-Sep-09, 23:32

Originally Posted by Iffy

I let our cat out of the back kitchen door just the other day.

Shortly after there was an almighty bird chorus which I can only describe as "chittering", and not being accustomed to this obvious "bird vocals" I took a look out of the window wondering what on earth kind of bird was making SUCH a racket !!

Well, there sat perched on a branch of a bush (quite close to the road and in obvious sight), as brazen as you like, was a wee wren !! Now this little bird is quite a frequent visitor of our back garden, but, normally, we just see it very fleetingly !!!

This wee guy, that I saw, was gonna hold it's ground come what may !! I was very fascinated by its territorial stance and lack of shyness!!

I, very quitely, took our cat back in the house, but BOY the wee wren was still giving it "licks" for a good few minutes after !!!!

Love hearing the wrens when they give it yea haaa, such a powerful noise for a little bird, i now notice the sounds of the birds when the cat is near the bird table, the birdies can be very vocal

**highlander** · 05-Sep-09, 11:14

**highlander** · 05-Sep-09, 11:15

**riggerboy** · 05-Sep-09, 15:06

Originally Posted by highlander

some shot with the golf ball, bet tiger woods wishes he could do that,

as for whats in my garden ??????? a wheel borrow, a rusty old car and more than likley a few dog doos

**highland red** · 05-Sep-09, 18:57

Goldfinches are back with some young: and just this week the Greenfinches are back too. Starlings-a-plenty, Collared Doves and the odd Siskin.

Chaffinches occasionally. Had an early morning visit from a Great Tit which surprised me as I haven't seen any tits at all up here before. Ravens and Buzzards flying around. An Owl flew accross my path as I was driving into Thurso in the early hours of the morning a couple of days ago.

Earlier in the year I was replenishing the garden feeders and when I turned around there were a pair of Siskins on one of them a few feet away. I was so close I was afraid to move in case they flew off. BUT to my astonishment they actually came to the nearer feeder. I felt very privilidged to be so close to wild birds (within touching distance). Is this normal for Siskins?

**Lavenderblue2** · 24-Sep-09, 15:06

Originally Posted by Lavenderblue2

I have only seen one Blue Tit here and the Siskins which were here in huge numbers in the spring seem to have gone.

A few weeks ago my husband found a dead greenfinch in the garden.
It had been ringed so I took the ring off and contacted the RSPB. After giving them the info on the ring - which was so small it had to be read for us by our sharp eyed granddaughter - I was told that in a few weeks I will recieve all of the information about where the bird was ringed ect. I look forward to that.

They also told me that there is a virus that Greenfinchs', and I suppose other birdies, are able to catch from feeders and bird tables... I give mine a good scrub every couple of weeks, they get so mucky, but maybe that isn't enough.

Originally Posted by Lingland

If you could find time it would be interesting to hear the history of the Greenfinch. I have loads of them.

Today I received a letter from BTO with the information regarding the little birdie.

Ring no: TJ86271. Species: Greenfinch. Age: Juvenile (3). Sex: Male

Brood size: Not stated. Ringing date: 15-Jun-08. Place: Shebster.

Ringer: D S Omand. Time since ringing: 403 days

Distance: 7 km. Direction: 58 deg.

It then goes on to give the grid reference for where it was ringed and then the reference of this property.

Amonst the many other types, heaps of Sparrows, Dunnocks, Chaffinch etc, I've still got lots of Greenfinches in the garden.
Alas the bird feeder blew down last week in the gales, we are really going to have to make something far more sturdy and get it concreted into the ground if we are going to feed them throughout the winter months. The little birdies provide so much entertainment, I'd hate for them to go away.

**skinnydog** · 24-Sep-09, 21:30

You are making me jealous!! All my birds have disappeared in the last few days. The swallows who had very kindly nested on the side of the house have gone and all the sparrows and starlings that were eating me out of house and home every day have just upped and off. I even had 2 pigeons who came at the same time every night and they have gone too. I can't understand it. I haven't seen any sparrow hawks or anything that could be scaring them off and we dont have a cat. Any ideas on what could have happened?

**Lingland** · 25-Sep-09, 21:51

Originally Posted by Lavenderblue2

Today I received a letter from BTO with the information regarding the little birdie.

Ring no: TJ86271. Species: Greenfinch. Age: Juvenile (3). Sex: Male

Brood size: Not stated. Ringing date: 15-Jun-08. Place: Shebster.

Ringer: D S Omand. Time since ringing: 403 days

Distance: 7 km. Direction: 58 deg.

It then goes on to give the grid reference for where it was ringed and then the reference of this property.

Amonst the many other types, heaps of Sparrows, Dunnocks, Chaffinch etc, I've still got lots of Greenfinches in the garden.
Alas the bird feeder blew down last week in the gales, we are really going to have to make something far more sturdy and get it concreted into the ground if we are going to feed them throughout the winter months. The little birdies provide so much entertainment, I'd hate for them to go away.

Thank you for getting back with the info. I seem to have more goldfinches than recently and a few blue tits but no siskins I do get a lot of pleasure watching the birdies My but the greenfinches seem to squabble an awful lot

**Lavenderblue2** · 26-Oct-09, 11:39

I haven't been able to take any photos yet but these last few days I've had a pair of Stonechat's - what beautiful little birdies they are!

I'll try and get a photo...

**WeeBurd** · 01-Nov-09, 16:11

We've had a Grey Wagtail visiting the garden for the last week or so, that's a newbie for us. Also, our Redpoll has appeared back again today, so I've been busy snapping away.

We have the usual hoard of Goldfinches, Siskin, Greenfinches, Sparrows, Doves, Jackdaws, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robins & Starlings... but strangely no Blackbirds (that includes my tame one

) or Song Thrushes since the end of June. I'm wondering if wandering cats may have scared them away, but if so, why are the wee birdies still coming?