Bird of the day!

[badgerwatcher]

My bird of the day today is a coal tit! James said he thought he'd spotted one a couple of days ago, and there it is today, bless it, outside on the peanut feeder just outside the window, giving me a good chance to study it!
I think the birds have decided to put me through some sort of intensive course, and are taking it in turns to bring themselves to my attention!
It looks, with its distinctive white stripe down the middle of the back of its head, like a very small feathery badger out there. (That's just me, then, is it?)

[smartie]

Mine is the first goldfinch at my nyger/nyjer/niger feeder this morning, just at the point I'd almost decided to abandon it. Hope he tells his mates. No chance of a photo, of course, as it was streaming down with rain again.

BTW, Badgerwatcher, see you got the buckles undone OK

[Ollie]

Well my bird of the day has to be this little Dunnock that was one of the first to visit the bird table this morning even though it was raining lightly at the time
Roger

[Kymba]

I am getting so jealous of all these amazing photo's you lot are taking.. Think i will have to go and get myself a decent camera......have a small digital camera but all my stuff comes out Blurred and the zoom on it isnt that good
Mined maybe its my eyesight thats the problem!!!!!

[Susie]

Mine has to be the greenfinch. There were about 20+ on the bird feeders today - and then one flew smack into the window! Poor little mite left feathers stuck to the glass but flew off so I hope it was okay.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by smartie

Mine is the first goldfinch at my nyger/nyjer/niger feeder this morning, just at the point I'd almost decided to abandon it. Hope he tells his mates. No chance of a photo, of course, as it was streaming down with rain again.

BTW, Badgerwatcher, see you got the buckles undone OK

That's funny smartie because this morning I was cleaning all the feeders etc and the niger hadn't been touched as usual (have the special feeder with tiny holes)..thought, best fill it up just in case then 30 mins later 3 lovely goldfinches went straight to the feeder! How did they know? I've only seen them twice before when I had no feeder. It made my day, they were there a while.

[badgerwatcher]

I so love the finches. Goldfinches because they are so determined, and green finches because they seem so much scarcer these days, although I'm seeing more lately, and they are such a bright flash of colour.
Conversely, I love dunnocks for their brown and grey-ness! Like water rails, they make the brown and grey, which would make even a top model look drab, into a wonderful colour combination. Nice picture, Ollie.

[Wild-Woman]

A pair of mistle thrushes and a cheeky little dunnock.

[colincurry]

Sorry to be a little late - comes with age.

I managed to get out in the rare sun on Sunday afternoon walking from my village to the next and back again, in a loop following tracks through fields. Had hardly begun when I saw a green woodpecker just too far away for a keeper pic. Later on, crept nearer to a perching kestrel and managed a couple of shots of her in flight. To cap it all, reached the concrete farm road on the way home and was royally entertained by a barn owl for about 15 minutes. Managed some keeper shots - but these are probably cull fodder. He was out early and it was still sunny, but I would have liked to have got a bit nearer - next time - or the time after that - ......

An excellent couple of hours considering the frustrations caused by wind, rain and floods the previous day.

Perhaps this post should be "Birds of the day".

Colin

[colincurry]

PS Despite tree cover and several feeders with a variety of food, our garden is very quiet this winter. Blackbirds are back and feeding off the berries, but very little else apart from a resident wren, starlings, pigeons and collared doves.

Can't rely on taking pics of garden visitors this year.

Colin

[badgerwatcher]

I've haven't seen any mistle thrushes, Wild Woman.
And the barn owl was a lucky one, Colin. they're like huge moths, aren't they?

[colincurry]

We are lucky here in that there are two farms where barn owls can be seen regularly - one of the farms has nesting boxes and the farmer has a web cam inside one. Despite subtle body language, I have not yet been invited to see any footage. The farmer's wife did mention that the sight of owlets trying to swallow a whole mouse is pretty disgusting - just like my table manners.

They are magical birds. Last year, we saw short eared owls, but not for quite a while now.

Colin

[JeffH]

Went to work in the dark; worked through lunch and came home in the dark - haven't seen a bird all day

As for seeing a -

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

a very small feathery badger out there.

- I haven't seen one of those since the 60s

Jeff

[badgerwatcher]

Ah!

[davewalker]

three long tailed tits on the fat feeders.too dark and wet for pics,but great to watch.
davew

[badgerwatcher]

Fantastic, Dave!

[davewalker]

at the moment,

9 Goldfinch
4 Bluetits
10 House Sparrows
3 Greenfinch
2 Great Tit
3, Chaffinch
1 Moorhen
2 Mallards
1 Coal Tit

All on or near the feeders,
Who needs TV??????

Davew

[badgerwatcher]

Hi Dave.
I've got greenfinches, goldfinches, blue tits, great tits, starlings, blackbirds, chaffinches, dunnocks, and collared doves, all feeding determinedly in spite of really severely strong winds. Don't know how they're holding on! (Not the doves, of course, they're on the ground.)
And the valley is being buffeted by the most amazing weather, Van Gogh trees, and drivingwaves of rain!
Indeed, Stephen Speelberg couldn't create better!

[davewalker]

A very bedraggled cock pheasant has just joined the party, sleet,rain and very high winds here in North Suffolk.Just had a e-mail from Vermont to sat 10ins snow and minus 10%.
Aren't we lucky?

davew

[Pete]

must of been the Blackbird crossing my drive at 6:20 this morning. It decided flying in that wind was for the birds and walked!!

[badgerwatcher]

Oh, Bless it!

[davewalker]

The cock Pheasant was back today,burnished feathers aglow in the sunshine.Magnificent!
What a difference a day makes.

davew

[Garden Carpet]

I have yet to see a long tailed tit.. but two days ago I saw a Little Owl.
Today, several geese in flight. Best of all watched two heron fly up the river and settle right beside me as I drove past.

[vinnychameleon]

Mine's gotta be the male Great Spotted Woddpecker that regularly visits my feeder. He is such a character but always bullies the other birds of the feeder. But when his wife comes he doesn't stick around long to be told off by her .

[aeshna5]

Yesterday I was taking a dozen people on Winter Wildfowl tour round London Wetland Centre + I was really pleased that on our second attempt we managed to all see the Bittern- though it was hard work as it was just behind the front reeds, so was only visible as it was moving + we did see it catch a fish.

A pair of Stonechats was much more obliging + a new bird for at least one of the party. Despite their abundance in west London, very close views of Ring-necked Parakeets on feeders next to the hide, enabled a close inspection of these successful invaders.