ID Please!

[jdurbo]

Hi
It was pale brown all down the chest, with black and white on the wings, maybe pale brownish around the neck and a little bit of a sticky up hair do!!!
I've had a look and the only bird i can see that looks near to it is a chaffinch but not blue on the head.
I would'nt know if it was a chaffinch cause not seen one before.
Oh and it was eating off the ground and not a feeder.
Ta very much
jen xxx

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by jdurbo

Hi
It was pale brown all down the chest, with black and white on the wings, maybe pale brownish around the neck and a little bit of a sticky up hair do!!!
I've had a look and the only bird i can see that looks near to it is a chaffinch but not blue on the head.
I would'nt know if it was a chaffinch cause not seen one before.
Oh and it was eating off the ground and not a feeder.
Ta very much
jen xxx

Female chaffich? 'sitcky up hairdo' may be the darker drown colouring on the top of the head

[WestLothian]

Lady Chaffinch perhaps?

[WestLothian]

You have to be fast at typing here!

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by WestLothian

You have to be fast at typing here!

lol, sorry!

[John]

Well you have thrown me. There are not that many birds in Britain that have black and white wings, (unless it is Leucistic bird such as a Blackbird with white markings for example).

Here is one bird for consideration. A female Bullfinch.


I don't think it is a Bullfinch but I just can't think of another bird that comes close to fitting your description (unless it is an escapee).

John

[jdurbo]

Hi
I'm sorry about the description..I'm not very good am i
Just been looking at picture on google and i'm sure it was a chaffinch (female or juvenile) not sure which.
Thanks very much to you all and thats another new bird in my garden.
jen xxx

[John]

Hi Jen

Well here is a photo I took of a male Chaffinch.


And here is a photo taken by Jon of a female.


Does that help?

John

Originally Posted by jdurbo

Hi
I'm sorry about the description..I'm not very good am i
Just been looking at picture on google and i'm sure it was a chaffinch (female or juvenile) not sure which.
Thanks very much to you all and thats another new bird in my garden.
jen xxx

[jdurbo]

Yes it does thank you.. deffo a female.
Am i likely to see more then do you think?
jen xxx

[John]

Originally Posted by jdurbo

Yes it does thank you.. deffo a female.
Am i likely to see more then do you think?
jen xxx

They are very common garden birds so in theory you should see a fair number but I have known areas almost devoid of various species. Nothings guaranteed in birding. Hopefully you will see more.

John

[jdurbo]

Originally Posted by John

They are very common garden birds so in theory you should see a fair number but I have known areas almost devoid of various species. Nothings guaranteed in birding. Hopefully you will see more.

John

Oh i hope so!! Before we moved in march we only used to see 3 birds (species that is and not just 3 birds, that would just be crazy) and now we are up to 21.
jen xxx

[John]

You can do something about attracting them by using various feeders around the garden. I find that Sunflower Hearts and Fat balls are the main attractors but I use about 8 different foods to get them into my garden in numbers.

You should have plenty of cover nearby, allowing them an escape route if under threat, plus you could create a wildlife garden where insects etc can flourish.

Birds are not going to visit a wildlife wilderness so we have to do something that makes it worthwhile coming into our gardens.

John

[jdurbo]

Originally Posted by John

You can do something about attracting them by using various feeders around the garden. I find that Sunflower Hearts and Fat balls are the main attractors but I use about 8 different foods to get them into my garden in numbers.

You should have plenty of cover nearby, allowing them an escape route if under threat, plus you could create a wildlife garden where insects etc can flourish.

Birds are not going to visit a wildlife wilderness so we have to do something that makes it worthwhile coming into our gardens.

John

Well since we've been here i've planted some bushes but they are quite small so i let the ground in the border just overgrow down the bottom of the garden.
I got niger,nuts,seeds,sunflower hearts and a bowl for the ground feeders, and sometimes scatter bits in the border.
Oh a bird bath and a bowl of water on the ground.
Im i missing much do you think?
thanks jen xxx

[jdurbo]

Oh and i have put up one nest box.
jen xxx

[Cazzie]

Sounds like you've got it sorted Jen! Just give it a bit of time and you'll start to see new species visiting

Specific ground feeders tend to be Chaffinches, Dunnocks and Blackbirds. Robins will do either ground or feeder in my experience, and the rest will just go for anything that's available lol!

We've recently moved into our new place in Yorkshire (in April) and have had a nice array of birds compared to where we used to live in Shropshire

[John]

By the look of it next year should see you really benefit by the good work you are doing. It might happen earlier, especially around Winter when the birds become reliant on our gardens for food.

John

Originally Posted by jdurbo

Well since we've been here i've planted some bushes but they are quite small so i let the ground in the border just overgrow down the bottom of the garden.
I got niger,nuts,seeds,sunflower hearts and a bowl for the ground feeders, and sometimes scatter bits in the border.
Oh a bird bath and a bowl of water on the ground.
Im i missing much do you think?
thanks jen xxx

[jdurbo]

Hi
I did see the male chaffinch today, It's funny how alot of male birds have more colours.
I watched the birds of paradise (attenborough in paradise) last night which i found very funny, the birds are both very beautiful and bizarre!!
jen xxx