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Jude, weird hotel that then!!

Ann....we did'nt go in, but we could'nt see a sign that said coffee etc, l was also busting for the loo and it was best to stay put!! lol

Welll.... we think we had a pr of Reed Buntings in back garden this morning. l was on the phone to my cousin and Vic came upstairs all excited, almost dragged me out of bed saying "there's a different bird out back,its by the dish, its by the dish". There l am with phone in one hand binocs in the other trying to converse with my cousin who's telling me a long story about his son, l'm mouthing to Vic to shut up!!!!! and there's this dear little bird the size of a sparrow with very black head and l'm sure black throat.....but of course it flew off before l could get camera!!

Will keep an eye out for it.

jude :o)

I don't know what kind they were Ann, I can't see very well and my binocs were in the dining room next to computer, very handy for looking at all my feeders. I go by the birds voice a lot now, know a lot by their song but these were definitely geese.
Once when we lived near a main road we saw a lot of Mallards flying up the road, as if following it, one after the other and quacking away. They were on the right road for Ogden Reservoir(sp) anyway, I think the geese were heading for there as well.

Caz xx

Morning all,

Have been so busy lately, I've hardly had time to post - but I do read the threads!
Re collective noun for geese: I think I'm correct in saying it's a 'flock' of geese on the ground and a 'skein' of geese if they're flying. Don't quote me though.............:)

Jude - Speech House is well known for all the thrushes that gather on the field next to it - we saw several redwing, mistle thrush and fieldfares last time. Also look out for mandarin duck on a big lake nearby (sorry, don't know the name of it) as they are so exotic looking. Lovely birds to see.
Well done on the reed buntings. If you ever need help with bird identification, the RSPB site has a helpful guide:
www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/
It'll take you through step-by-step, ie what sort of habitat, size, colour, shape of beak, (all the things you notice of course, when you see an unknown bird for just a nano-second). lol

DM....l think we saw fieldfare aswell and definately thrushes. Whist at Fancy view we heard a song thrush, l could see it but not a 100% it was a thrush could have been a blackbird, but beautiful voice:o)
Thanks for the link...l have one on my favourites.
jude :o)

Jude could the bird you saw have been a black cap?

Hello Ann...no not a black cap l know them, l'll get a link on the blog and show you:o)

jude :o)

The link is here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/r/reedbunting/index.asp

Someone has asked to sponsor my blog, why would they ask that??

jude

don't know about sponsoring blogs Jude, be careful though. Put a general query up on the board.

Mmm me thinks l will !!

Hi everyone - hope you will excuse this intrusion. I have read this thread from the beginning, but being more of a reader than a poster, have been rather shy of stepping in. Being a lifelong bird lover I have read all your postings with interest. and have gained some useful tips re feeding.

I am fortunate to live in a rural/coastal area where the mountains come down to the coast. Consequently, I get a variety of bird life here.
The daily visitors to my garden are the usual - sparrows - chaffinches - blackbirds - greenfinches - robin - a lonely wren, and a so far lonely song thrush - blue, coal, great, and long tailed tits. Occassionally goldfinches,less often a blackcap, and a nuthatch.
Have only once spotted a firecrest.
We have a barn owl living at the adjacent farm - I usually see him at twilight, and also just before dawn, (if I'm up)
Buzzards are common here, coming down off the mountain more often in hard weather. One sat forlornly on a post in my garden during the recent bad weather. My wife took pity on it, defrosted stewing steak out of the freezer, placed the steak prominately near the post - this was totally ignored for two days, and was eventually eaten by the jackdaws when the buzzard flew away.
We have a pair of red kites that nest on the mountain, and their numbers seem to be growing, as I spot them more often.
Today I took my dog to the beach - mostly rocks and shingle - the oyster catchers were there in strength, and cormerants just off shore.
The jackdaws are a bit of a menace - they sit in the trees and on my roof waiting for me to appear every morning to fill the feeders, then swoop down like hooligans, causing chaos and scattering seed everywhere.
I don't know how to solve this problem.
I will continue to read your postings with interest

regards to all.........Tec

Hi Tec, good to see you on here. I didn't think jackdaws ate from feeders. Would it keep them off your seed if you put out bread and fat pieces for them in another part of the garden? You have an interesting selection of birds. which part of UK are you in? I have never seen a firecrest, in fact i don't know what they look like so will have to look them up.

Keep posting now you have started.

Ann
Glos

Hi Ann,
I am in North West Wales.
The jackdaws will eat from any feeder the can get their beaks into. They swing on the feeders, causing them them sway about madly, fill their beaks then fly away to a flat surface, ie chimney stack, empty the seed and eat it at their leisure - then come back for more. I have one flat feeder that I use for the collared doves - that's the jackdaws favourite because it's easy access.
The firecrest is a very small wren like bird - very timid - had a bright red/orange stripe on crown of head, with a distinct black and white strip beneath. Very similar to a goldcrest - a little gem of a bird.

Regards Tec

Hi Tec,

Nice to meet you. I dream of seeing a firecrest.................. I see goldcrests fairly often but the firecrest continues to elude me : (

Ooh it sounds beautiful, not likely to see one here I think, we got excited at having a song thrush in the garden.

Ann
Glos

Hello Tec and welcome :o)
lWow how lucky are you?.....so many birds:o))
Great to know you see loads of Oyster Catchers,l think their numbers were dwindling not so long ago??

l told a story on here about our Cormorants.....l thought they had been culled 3 or 4 yrs ago and l was darn shaw my Vic had told ne,well today we were chatting about them and l mentioned the cull...."what cull" says Vic, "the one you told me about", says me....."don't know where you got that from, they would'nt need culling, not enough of them"....so ignore that silly story of mine!! lol

It thanks to Ann that we have this brilliant thread:o))
l wonder how many more people are out there looking in on this thread and thinking about posting??

jude :o)

Hi Dormouse,
Nice to meet you too
That firecrest just visited the once - it stayed only long enough for me to identify it, then was gone.
We have a lot of gorse bushes on the clifftops and hills, I think that might be their habitat - or possibly the conifer plantations?

Regards Tec

Hi Jude,
Like your story about the cormorants. They fly past me every day. There is a huge rock near here - about three miles inland.
The cormorants roost there every night in their hundreds, flying in from their fishing expeditions. It is said locally that the rock was once beneath the sea, and that the cormorants have roosted there for thousands of years - fact or myth? - I don't know

Regards Tec

Hello Tec

Aww l'll take that as fact then:o))

jude:o)

Tec - is that Bird Rock?