What have you had in your garden?

[John]

I have just looked out of our window and seen a most unexpected visitor to our Sunflower Hearts Feeder. It was a beautiful male Brambling, which is a bird I would never have thought I would have seen in our garden. A totally unexpected visitor.

I am in another forum and a thread regarding garden birds was started and it has become a very popular thread and I thought it was about time a thread was started on here to see what birds the WAB members get from time to time.

We have only lived here since Nov 2004 and I must admit we have had some fairly surprising results. I think so far the most surprising bird of all was the Treecreeper seen on the Silver Birch a few weeks ago. We are still being visited by up to 12 Siskins as well as a fairly large Goldfinch flock of up to 50 birds (allthough they are thinning out now).

We used to have a pair of Bullfinches but they haven't been seen since a large area was cleared of trees and bushes last May. Other good birds we get are the odd visit by both Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker. We even had the latter feeding one of her young on the fence last year.

A Blackcap has overwintered around here and we get occasional glimpses of it on and around the feeders. Another suprise visitor lately is a beautiful male Reed Bunting. That has been seen quite often recently. We have a healthy small population of about twenty House Sparrows that visit most days.

Other oddities include a Heron that now and again stands on our fence looking at the fish in our pond. A Mallard that sat on the roof of our bungalow for a few hours and the occasional visit by the local Sparrowhawk. We also get Buzzards thermalling above our head quite often.

Now that you have seen what we have had how about letting us all know what you get in your Garden.

One member I know will possibly outstrip us all as Helen has some amazing garden birds, including Red Kite, so hopefully Helen will give us a run down on her visitors.

John

[digi]

Blackbirds, Blackbirds some Starlings and some more Blackbirds.

Not sure why I get so many blackbirds because I no longer have a lawn.

There are feeders but the birds just don't come.

[Wild-Woman]

I think the most unusual birds we have had in the garden was a flock of redwings under the apple tree,eating mushy apples left from the autumn (I know,I'm a bad gardener) in January. Visited for a couple of days then left.

We do get herons,early in the morning, nicking our goldfish. We once also had an escapee love-bird. That was a real surprise. Apparently a person in the next road that had an avery had been a bit careless about locking it up one night and all 40 escaped. She only got a few back. Sad really because I would think they would have been attacked by the local magpies and the sparrowhawk. They would make easy targets because of their bright colours.

That's about as unusual as I can remember John.ww

[nicole]

The most exciting thing iv seen in my garden (I think I mentioned it in another post) was a black-redstart on my birdtable, I nearly fell out of my deckchair with excitement. Other interesting things have been stagbeetles, and something that came down my chimney last year (no not Santa heehee ) a carpenter bee. A part from that I see the usual starlings, sparrows, great spotted woodepeckers, blue-tits etc... I must admit iv always been very lucky in the garden and have seen some fantastic beasties!

[nightshade]

There have been plenty of birds,since I changed the style of the garden to become more wildlife friendly.At the moment there are goldfinches,siskins,along with half a dozen bramblings (the first time I have noticed them in the garden was this year)a great tit examining the interior of a string of round clay pots and the potted fig tree(brown turkey)Jackdaws are nesting in a neighbours eaves and now a woodpigeon which seems to be nesting in a conifer at the front of the house
I am so pleased that a little hard work has resulted in so many extra visitors that probably just flew over before

[nightshade]

I have just had a greenwoodpecker investigating a low pile of rotting turf and a recent logpile that I have drilled to encourage solitary bees and wasps!
Wildlife gardening works!

[Ollie]

Afraid we get nothing out of the ordinary but here is what we do get. I must mention however that we have no back garden and the front garden is only about 18' x 18'. Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Robin, Greenfinch. these are regular. Occaisonly we do manage Long Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Song Thrush and Wood Pigeon. All in all we think that's a fair variety for the size and position of the garden.

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

In our garden we get lots of different birds, at the moment we have 2 pairs of reed bunting making regular visit, feeding off the table and then flying probably a mile back to the nest(we can see where they land) also now get a male chaffinch coming every day. On top of those we get:

Loads of blackbird(counted 9 one day in the garden)
Collered dove(9 on the floor around the bird table on thursday)
House Sparrow
Dunnock
Goldfinch
Wren
Robin
Magpie
Starling
Wood Pidgeon
Occasional Blue Tit
Sparrowhawk(watched one for a couple of minutes yesterday)

All birds love the huskless seed

[Wolfhill]

In my garden we get a large variety of birds, I counted about 100 on a cold blizzarding day in March.Heres a list of the birds I get:
Tree Sparrow(about 20 pairs resident in the garden they nest every year in boxes.)
House Sparrow (about 10 pairs which nest under the eaves of the house)
Dunnock(usually about 5 birds at the feeders at once, getting seeds dropped from feeders)
Robin(3 pairs the males are highly teritorial at the moment)
Chaffinch(about 30 birds in the garden every day, that number triples when it's snowing)
Greenfinch(used to be a rare sight in the garden but now a few come every day)
Goldfinch(we get a pair in every day munching on the peanuts)
Bullfinch(had 6 birds in for a few days in early winter)
Blackbird(about 3 pairs nest in the garden)
Blue Tit(10 birds in every day)
Great Tit(5 birds in every day)
Coal Tit(about 5 of these visit every day)
Long Tailed Tit(rarer visitor but when they do come there is usually 4 of them)
Song Thrush(a couple resident in the garden)
Mistle Trush(occasional visitor)
Yellowhammer(5-6 feed in the garden every day, the males are beautiful)
Other regular visitors incude:
Starling
Wren
Goldcrest
Wood Pidgeon
Collared Dove
Sparrowhawk
Tawny Owl
Buzzard
Siskin
Brambling
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Sedge Warbler
Lapwing
Pied Wagtail
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Rook
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Redwing
Fieldfare
Pheasant
Red-Legged Partridge
Kestrel
Swallow
House Martin
Grey Heron
Reed Bunting
Oystercatcher
Black-Headed Gull
Herring Gull

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

That's some list i'd love to live in Scotland, the wildlife and countryside is stunning

[Mark43]

Mine has improved since putting out seed feeders..

Wood Pigeon
Starling
Blackbird
Dunnock
Blue Tit
Gold Finch
Chaffinch
Green Fich
Crow
Magpie
House Sparrow

Frogs and Toads galore,Hedgehog last year and a Fox most nights.

[John]

Hey Wolfhill, that's some list. Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer are birds I would love to have in our garden.

BTW I did forget another bird that visited our garden last year on a few occasions. A Chiffchaff. This little bird set up residence in the trees nearby and came into our garden on the odd occasion. I hope he comes back this year as it was great hearing his song each day from our garden.

John

[cherrybee]

I have only just started with feeding birds in my garden.Before I started here the only things that were put out was left over bread that my hubby threw out the door.Now I have bought a couple of feeders,used an old table for the seed and now hubby has promised (when he gets round to it,to make me a table to put on the fence right by a bush the birds use a lot.When I first started we have always had crows and 2 collared doves ,sparrows,and one woodpigeon,Blackbirds and loads of common gulls.
There were others flying about but I was hopeless on names and they never really entered my garden.
Now I have a pair of woodpigeons as well as the pair of doves,robins,2 starlings,yesterday a blue tit,(flew off before I could get the camera) and today 2 greenfinches,I am thrilled to bits.Might have to get him indoors to make me a little hide now.Trouble is all my grandkids would take it over as their playhouse(all ten of them)
oh and 2 magpies.

[RobF]

We've had ring ouzel singing from the telephone wires, jack snipe, whinchat, stonechat, dipper, grey wag, common sandpiper and wheatear. We can also see feral goats and hear a black grouse lek from the garden.

Rob

[Barbara]

I have more feeders out this year than ever before and offered a greater variety of seed.
So far I have seen

goldfinches
siskins
greenfinches
coal tits
blue tits
great tits
house sparrows
long tailed tits
collared doves
wood pigeons
robins
wren
stalings
magpies
jays
heron
blackbirds
a great big toad that made me jump when I turned round and saw it
newts
frogspawn
that's about it I think, I'll probably go outside now and see something I have forgotten!
This year I have not seen the woodpecker who normally visits but I have heard him, perhaps somebody is offering tastier treats than I am.
We usually get a pair of mallard ducks as well but they've not returned yet either.

[John]

Originally Posted by RobF

We've had ring ouzel singing from the telephone wires, jack snipe, whinchat, stonechat, dipper, grey wag, common sandpiper and wheatear. We can also see feral goats and hear a black grouse lek from the garden.

Rob

I have to ask Rob

Where on earth do you live to see that lot. north wales by chance (near World's End comes to mind).

John

[Polecat]

A good thread, I've enjoyed reading it

I feel privledged to watch any bird my garden though I've never kept a list of what actually visits the more interesting ones are:

Merlin
Hobby
Goshawk
Barn Owl
Tawny Owl
Short Earred Owl
Long Earred Owl
Osprey ( perches on my spruce during migration )
Red Kite ( mostly flying over but has landed occasionally )
Raven
Great Grey Shrike ( uses the telephone wire / fence )
Reed warbler
Reed Bunting
whitethroat
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Heron
Redstart
grasshopper warbler
Jay
Sand Martin
Mistle Thrush
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( it has occasionally fed with the finches and tits at the birdtable - )
Greater spotted woodpecker ( theres always one or two in the garden during daylight hours - they don't half destroy my fenceposts! )

And I do have to pinch myself often!!

[John]

Originally Posted by Polecat

A good thread, I've enjoyed reading it

I feel privledged to watch any bird my garden though I've never kept a list of what actually visits the more interesting ones are:

Merlin
Hobby
Goshawk
Barn Owl
Tawny Owl
Short Earred Owl
Long Earred Owl
Osprey ( perches on my spruce during migration )
Red Kite ( mostly flying over but has landed occasionally )
Raven
Great Grey Shrike ( uses the telephone wire / fence )
Reed warbler
Reed Bunting
whitethroat
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Heron
Redstart
grasshopper warbler
Jay
Sand Martin
Mistle Thrush
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( it has occasionally fed with the finches and tits at the birdtable - )
Greater spotted woodpecker ( theres always one or two in the garden during daylight hours - they don't half destroy my fenceposts! )

And I do have to pinch myself often!!

You do live in a beautiful part of Britain and that garden list is something else. I doubt if there are many garden lists to beat that.

John

[Polecat]

Originally Posted by John

You do live in a beautiful part of Britain and that garden list is something else. I doubt if there are many garden lists to beat that.

John

I've enjoyed watching birds for the past 35 years John, and moved here 6 years ago. I really can't believe it......My garden IS a garden, about 1.5 acres.....

There are many more birds visit too, my memory isn't that good!!..... others;

Crossbill
Stonechat
wheatear
Meadow pipit
Tree Pipit
Grey wagtail
Yellow Wagtail.
Nightjar
Redpoll
Twite
Snow Bunting

Birds I've watched from my garden include:
Great Northern Diver
Little Grebe
great crested Grebe
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Brent Goose
Pink footed Goose
Snow Goose ( One of my favorites )
Pintail
Gadwall
Wigeon
pochard
goleneye
goosander
Smew
Red breasted Merganser ( I have a soft spot for this one too )

Theres more, but my brains gone dead again!!!!

When we sell the house I'll let you'll know- ( I don't want to move but we don't get enough snow here!! )

[RobF]

Originally Posted by John

I have to ask Rob

Where on earth do you live to see that lot. north wales by chance (near World's End comes to mind).

John

We live at the top of the Coquet valley in North Northumberland, in the Cheviot hills. Its a great place to live and work.

Rob

[purds]

nothing too exciting im afraid but still great to watch, i am working on attracting more finches, i get plenty fly over but none seem to visit, i have only ever seen one finch in my garden and strangely enough it was a male bullfinch so i cant grumble.

blue tit
great tit
long tailed tit
wren
dunnock
robin
song thrush
mistle thrush
blackbird
bullfinch 1
house sparrow
starling
collared dove
wood pigeon
sparrowhawk female adult (shes had her fair share of most of the above)

[Beryl]

I only have a shared front garden , it's very long and right on a main road.
I still have visitors though.
I have magpies and starlings and the odd black bird. Thr starlings live in a bush which hangs over the wall from the Park Hotel Public house , it's full of starlingand they sing merrily. It's lovely to hear. Oh yes and of course herring gulls

[Tursiops]

I've just started renovating/redesigning a garden for my landlord. The garden list has got off to a modest but promising start with:

Blackbird (nesting next-door)
Robin
Starling
Blue tit
Great tit
Long-tailed tit (nesting in Honeysuckle)
Chaffinch
House sparrow
Collared dove

Common Frog
Newt (?sp)

Small Tortoiseshell
Red Admiral

I'm sure there's more to come.
T

[Country Eye]

Wow, some of those lists put mine to shame but here goes. In no particular order

blackbirds
starlings
robins (on the feeder)
dunnock
chaffinch
goldfinch
house sparrows
greenfinch
song thrush
my wife
collared doves
wood pigeons
a racing pigeon from Belgium! (last year, stayed for 3 days)
spotted woodpecker
sparrow hawk (and one less pigeon)
bats
grey squirrels (until somebody culled them)
2 Badgers (they visit together)
vixen

[Country Eye]

oops, I forgot the pretty little great tits, coal tits and blue tits.