How many birds in your garden today?

[tamsin]

Our baby blackbirds fledged yesterday! They don't actually appear to be able to fly yet (I thought the first one had just fallen out). More mum and dad are trying to bring food to them all hidden in various spots around the garden.

[catbasket]

Yesterday a greenfinch was back in the garden, again not on the feeders but on a bush next to them. It was looking very interested in what was going on (there were tits and sparrows feeding) but unfortunately the farmer came down the lane in his tractor and the noise frightened them all away.

Then we had our first woodpigeon! Big old beast, not the most elegant of landings on the feed tray After it had gone a teeny tiny starling arrived, then a blue tit ... and the starling suddenly looked normal starling-size again

[T8Ter]

Starling

Colourful one singing for breakfast.

[rustylady]

Goldfinch on the niger feeder. Loads of sparrows, two sets of blackbird parents busy foraging for food. One pulled an enormous worm out of the lawn.

[Buleste]

I've got some very ballsy Blackbirds. They'll happily feed away when I'm just a couple of feet away from them. They don't even bother about my cats either. I'll have to try see if they'll eat out of my hand.

There was a superb chase between a sparrow hawk and a wood pigeon in my back garden. They came zooming over hedges and fences when the sparrow hawk tagged the pigeon in my neighbours garden. But because the kids were out they spooked the sparrow hawk, there was an explosion of feathers and the pigeon flew back the way it came a little balder but with the sparrow hawk hot on it's tail again.

[sewer rat]

And todays addition to my list - Shelduck, pair of them, on shoreline at the castle veg garden

[jacob marley]

We have some young Bluetits in the garden which is most unusual because they do not hatch out until the Oak trees break into leaf and they have not yet..jacob

[rustylady]

Baby blackbirds in the nest in the passionflower have their eyes open.

[wellie]

Gutted, but positive....
I was potting on seedlings in the Dutch Greenhouse today, popped out to attach some netting for the sweet peas to cling to on our rusty old arbour, and a Sparrow Hawk winged it out of nowhere straight into the apple tree in the centre of the garden.

I'm not sure, but I do hope that Trousers and I have helped the 'Little Bird' population, by not ridding the Apple Tree of it's strangling Ivy? And the reason we chose, was because it'd give the birds somewhere to hide if they needed to.
Nature will always be nature, obviously, and death will undoubtedly occur every day.
But we're blessed here wiith a beautiful array of garden and wild birds..... for which we are so truly grateful.X.

[emily84]

New additions to my previous list over the last couple of days!

The robin I had seen next door finally came over into my garden and spotted 3 Goldfinches yesterday, 1st time ever! Think my new seed mix and meal worms are doing a good job!

[SueA]

Look who's building a nest in our conifer!
Not a very sharp photo, I took it through the upstairs window. The pair of goldfinches have been visiting the upright cherry tree for a while & now seem to have decided to stay.

[wellie]

I try and revisit a really small independent garden centre near to where we used to live, every time I'm in the vicinity, to have a chat with Graham, and to buy a ruddy big sack of birdnuts. He used to be able to sell one to me at about £25, which lasted for ruddy ages, but now, it's about £32+? and that's not just his profit-margin stuff. So I'm having to buy smaller quantities from him more regularly.

I've discovered, incidentally, that garden birds are much more partial to my Bread Machine loaves than Trousers is

[catbasket]

OH and I saw three swallows on the telephone lines opposite the house on Wednesday morning, our neighbours saw them yesterday on the same phone line, and I saw them again this afternoon flying over the field.

Also on Wednesday there were three collared doves sitting in the feed tray, which is only about eight inches in diameter. One got shoved out quite rapidly and the pair stayed for a few more minutes ... until the male got a little amorous, when they both flew off into the trees.

On Thursday saw the red kite again - just slowly spiraling upwards on a thermal. Absolutely effortless, amazing sight.

Today I saw the scruffiest blue tit I have ever seen. Poor thing looked like it had possibly had a near death experience with a cat. It sat in the feed tray eating for about five minutes, not even moving when I was about four feet away from it getting the young plants in for the night ... then flew off, came back and ate a lot more. It came back four times in total and seemed to eat a huge amount.

[sewer rat]

This weeks's additions are Ringed Plover, Redshank, Heron, Treecreeper and Dipper.

[catbasket]

Bit of excitement this morning as I spotted a goldfinch on top of the feeding station. It flew away then came back a couple of minutes later and started feeding on the thistle seeds! First finch we've seen since we put the thistle feeder out (3 weeks ago?). Then a few seconds later another goldfinch turned up!

Luckily, the second time I dragged the OH out of the shower room she did get to see it