What birds or bird have you seen today – communal thread, I hope!

I've seen our blackbirds collecting nesting material. Last year they nested in the vine climbing over the arbor so I'll have to watch for them again. Yesterday they were happy hunting for food

And then of course the Starlings are very noisy, fight each other all the time.
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I have had a bit of luck in the last 36 hours first up a brace of Mandarin ducks I flushed and got grab shots.
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A barn owl fly by was a special treat after weeks of blanks
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Then a work trip to Kent yesterday got me a Redshank
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And a very distant marsh Harrier which was tagged 39 white on left wing and 39 red on right also has deformed feet
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This morning I'm sitting in the study in the house. We have Pampass grass outside and I've a flock of sparrows constantly stripping it, about 2 feet from my face.
The main batch got blown down in the storms but I managed to save them a patch, but they're a little skittish when the camera comes out this year.
Were fine with it last year
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Byker28i said:
Back to the bird pictures.

The blue tits are back. One is very picky, sits on the seed feeder for ages throwing seed out onto the floor until it gets to the particular seed it wants
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This is probably due to the budget seed you are feeding them, from the picture it looks like wheat is the primary ingredient in the mix.
Pigeons are the only bird I know that eats it and even that is when there is nothing else is available.
 
AHILL said:
This is probably due to the budget seed you are feeding them, from the picture it looks like wheat is the primary ingredient in the mix.
Pigeons are the only bird I know that eats it and even that is when there is nothing else is available.
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Cheers - every days a lesson
 
White-Fronted Goose.
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A flock of WF Geese but in the front (lower) is the Red Breasted Goose. It normally hangs out with the Barnacle Geese. It did go back to them later. Obviously a sociable goose..lol
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Couldn't resist a shot of this colourful chap that came along.
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Jannyfox said:
Not today but from Sunday. It usually takes me several days to finish the editing.
One from a rather dull Slimbridge. I struggle with some birds in bright, high contrast conditions and the dull light helped tame the highlights/shadows, but then it's hard to make the bird 'pop'. Swings and roundabouts........... The pintails were quite obliging. Since the reflections weren't up to much I'm not berating myself for chopping a bit off it, as I normally would.
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You did better than me with the Pintails Jan...

They were being rather lazy at Barnes the other day....



DSCF0652 by Steve Jelly, on Flickr

Not a great image, hence it not going up with the others!!
 
Byker28i said:
Cheers - every days a lesson
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Sunflower Hearts seem to work best for me. I get all sorts on there, but the Goldies do prefer the Niger seed feeder (but I only have 1, and it's small - I have 3 other seed feeders and often get 20 Goldies at a time in the garden).
 
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Jelster said:
Sunflower Hearts seem to work best for me. I get all sorts on their, but the Goldies do prefer the Niger seed feeder (but I only have 1, and it's small - I have 3 other seed feeders and often get 20 Goldies at a time in the garden).
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I had a niger seed feeder but nothing came to it. I'll experiment with different seeds
 
Not seen any. Around here we've robins, sparrows, tits, pidgeons, doves, starlings, blackbirds, magpies and crows
The magpies and crows stay out the garden, but are often seen pecking around the eves of the houses where the sparrows nest
 
Byker28i said:
Cheers - every days a lesson
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No problem, your very welcome. ;)
improving the seed is very easy and not as expensive as people think.
try feeding 100% sunflower hearts they only cost £1 - £1.30 per kg and you will see the numbers at your feeders triple almost immediately. everything eats sunflower hearts :D
just make sure you keep the feeders clean to prevent disease transfer.
 
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From yesterday's visit to Holyhead. Late processing them.

Shovelers.

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Widgeon

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Couldn't get any closer as there as a wall and a ditch in the way. Brent geese and shelducks too far out on the mudflats even for long zoom.

Pentax K3 and a Sigma 150-500 at full extension.

Howard
 
Jelster said:
Sunflower Hearts seem to work best for me. I get all sorts on there, but the Goldies do prefer the Niger seed feeder (but I only have 1, and it's small - I have 3 other seed feeders and often get 20 Goldies at a time in the garden).
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Ok after advice from you and @AHILL, I've swapped out the general seed mix from the big feeder for sunflower hearts. I picked up a small bag this morning.
We'll see how that does today

The tits have been heavily into the fat ball feeder
 
Byker28i said:
Ok after advice from you and @AHILL, I've swapped out the general seed mix from the big feeder for sunflower hearts. I picked up a small bag this morning.
We'll see how that does today

The tits have been heavily into the fat ball feeder
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This morning, in the snow, the Goldies have emptied both of my sunflower heart feeders. So like a responsible adult (me, really?) I've been out and filled them up, topped up the Nyger seed, fat balls and put out some mealworms. That should keep them happy for a couple of days.
 
Jannyfox said:
Where was this? It looks almost like a guillemot in winter plumage, but I could be completely wrong
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Perth in Scotland Janny - my attention was drawn as they were swimming up the middle of the river (2 of them)hence I couldn't get to a point where I could get closer to them
 
Mich56 said:
Perth in Scotland Janny - my attention was drawn as they were swimming up the middle of the river (2 of them)hence I couldn't get to a point where I could get closer to them
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They're coastal birds normally but they're not far off the sea in Perth. It could be the weather conditions that's brought them in. I think they are sometimes seen 'inland' but it's unnusual, so well done - a great spot. It would be worth running it by a local ornithological society if you have one or just the local birders to see if the ID and/or sighting can be verified.
 
First, a heavily cropped shot of a pair of male Common Scoters shot at WWT Barnes. First time for many years we have had these on site. I'm guessing they have been blown inland due to the East winds.


Common Scoter by Steve Jelly, on Flickr

Not much else happening today, rumours of an Icelandic Gull, but I didn't get to see it; and a visit from a pair of GBB Gulls (they are big!)


GBB Gull by Steve Jelly, on Flickr
 
Couldn't resist birds and snow, they go together so well, even the common every day birds find new life in your shots, with a sprinkling of snow, like this Blue Tit :)

 
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