More garden birds

[Pete Collins]

After the excitement of a Lesser Whitethroat in the garden yesterday, there were more garden visitors this morning (most inconsiderate, I was trying to eat my breakfast and read the paper! ).

First of all, there was not one but two Yellowhammers! Eat your heart out, Ollie! Of course, by the time I got my camera and focused on one of them, they flew off, but as they did so I noticed a starnge bird on the feeder holding the fat balls. Looking through my binoculars, it was clearly a male Blackcap! It soon flew off, but returned two or three times, either to the fat balls or to one of the peanut feeders.

I have seen both male and female blackcaps in the garden in previous years, but don't remember seeing them on the feeders (they usually skulk in the shrubs). Is this normal behaviour, do other people see them on feeders?

Most of the regular visitors also put in an appearance - Pheasant, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Collared Dove, Jackdaw. Not a bad bit of bird watching from the comfort of indoors on a wet and miserable morning!

Oh, and this cheeky chappie put in another appearance (I first posted this photo on the Mammals forum just over a month ago):

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

After the excitement of a Lesser Whitethroat in the garden yesterday, there were more garden visitors this morning (most inconsiderate, I was trying to eat my breakfast and read the paper! ).

First of all, there was not one but two Yellowhammers! Eat your heart out, Ollie! Of course, by the time I got my camera and focused on one of them, they flew off, but as they did so I noticed a starnge bird on the feeder holding the fat balls. Looking through my binoculars, it was clearly a male Blackcap! It soon flew off, but returned two or three times, either to the fat balls or to one of the peanut feeders.

What a treat to get a couple of Yellowhammers Pete you lucky man And Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat. You don't need to go out you are getting a great variety in the garden.

Hope the Yellowhammers return and you get some photos for us.
Roger

[Pete Collins]

Having seen a male Blackcap this morning, I was dead chuffed to be able to photograph this female Blackcap in the garden this afternoon! I don't see them very often at all, so I'd expected to have to wait for most of the summer to get a photograph of one.

It was one of the very few birds I did see this afternoon - in about two hours of bird watching from the summerhouse, not a single bird visited the feeders! I did see a Red Kite fly past the end of the garden though, the third time I've seen one from the house or garden.

[GME]

Excellent stuff Pete. How lucky you are to get such a variety. And that squirrel is scary! I'm getting more and more varieties coming on to my feeders (similar to your regulars) but have not had Yellowhammers, Blackcaps or Whitethroats! I had a Goldcrest make a (very) brief visit but I didn't see it take anything before heading back to the comfort of my blossom tree! Keep us updated