Garden birds - wotcha got?

HAL9000 · June 2020

artiebear said:

kaypeejay said:

We have all the usual suspects and whilst out on a walk yesterday I saw a Grey Wagtail. I used to see these a lot when younger but haven't seen one for years.

I was just thinking how long it was since I last saw a yellow wagtail. Seems like years, once they were relatively regular sightings. Same goes for Swallows and House Martens these last couple of years. A few swifts around and the odd colony of Sand Martens, but like the aforementioned wagtails there is a sad absence.

With us it’s greenfinches - used to get them all the time. Now I don’t reckon I’ve seen one in at least two years.

artiebear · June 2020

HAL9000 said:

artiebear said:

kaypeejay said:

We have all the usual suspects and whilst out on a walk yesterday I saw a Grey Wagtail. I used to see these a lot when younger but haven't seen one for years.

I was just thinking how long it was since I last saw a yellow wagtail. Seems like years, once they were relatively regular sightings. Same goes for Swallows and House Martens these last couple of years. A few swifts around and the odd colony of Sand Martens, but like the aforementioned wagtails there is a sad absence.

With us it’s greenfinches - used to get them all the time. Now I don’t reckon I’ve seen one in at least two years.

There was a virus which seriously hit Greenfinches a few years ago. It was passed on from bird to bird using feeders. Greenfinches seemed to be noticeably affected. and numbers have never quite recovered in certain areas. (it all sounds a bit familiar)

gordiji · June 2020

I forgot to add Nightingales, which if you've heard especially after dark when everything else is quiet, are utterly enchanting.

lasermonkey · June 2020

artiebear said:

HAL9000 said:

artiebear said:

kaypeejay said:

We have all the usual suspects and whilst out on a walk yesterday I saw a Grey Wagtail. I used to see these a lot when younger but haven't seen one for years.

I was just thinking how long it was since I last saw a yellow wagtail. Seems like years, once they were relatively regular sightings. Same goes for Swallows and House Martens these last couple of years. A few swifts around and the odd colony of Sand Martens, but like the aforementioned wagtails there is a sad absence.

With us it’s greenfinches - used to get them all the time. Now I don’t reckon I’ve seen one in at least two years.

There was a virus which seriously hit Greenfinches a few years ago. It was passed on from bird to bird using feeders. Greenfinches seemed to be noticeably affected. and numbers have never quite recovered in certain areas. (it all sounds a bit familiar)

That's Trichomonosis. It's a parasite that causes lesions on the bird's throat, making it difficult for them to swallow and breathe. Although it affects finches and pigeons mostly, it is spread readily by any bird.

If you see a bird (and it's usually a greenfinch) which looks "puffed up", has food caked around its mouth and looks to be having trouble eating or breathing (if your feeder is close enough, it's pretty obvious) then you need to bring in your feeders and empty your bird bath for at least two weeks to avoid it spreading. That way, any infected birds will die off by the time you put the feeders out again. Good feeder hygiene is important and it is recommended that you disinfect the feeders every two weeks, though it's probably best to do it more often. I wipe the feeders down with anti-bac wipes before each refill. We did have one case late last Summer, but I think we managed to nip it in the bud.

The Trichomonosis parasite desiccates readily, so it tends to be absent or reduced in long, dry seasons but if it's hot and damp, it's best to be on the lookout for it.

Luckily, around our way the greenfinch numbers have risen well over the past few years, though chaffinches have been noticeably absent until very recently.

EricTheWeary · June 2020

gordiji said:

I forgot to add Nightingales, which if you've heard especially after dark when everything else is quiet, are utterly enchanting.

They’re back after being busy building all those hospitals.

artiebear · June 2020

lasermonkey said:

artiebear said:

HAL9000 said:

artiebear said:

kaypeejay said:

We have all the usual suspects and whilst out on a walk yesterday I saw a Grey Wagtail. I used to see these a lot when younger but haven't seen one for years.

I was just thinking how long it was since I last saw a yellow wagtail. Seems like years, once they were relatively regular sightings. Same goes for Swallows and House Martens these last couple of years. A few swifts around and the odd colony of Sand Martens, but like the aforementioned wagtails there is a sad absence.

With us it’s greenfinches - used to get them all the time. Now I don’t reckon I’ve seen one in at least two years.

There was a virus which seriously hit Greenfinches a few years ago. It was passed on from bird to bird using feeders. Greenfinches seemed to be noticeably affected. and numbers have never quite recovered in certain areas. (it all sounds a bit familiar)

That's Trichomonosis. It's a parasite that causes lesions on the bird's throat, making it difficult for them to swallow and breathe. Although it affects finches and pigeons mostly, it is spread readily by any bird.

If you see a bird (and it's usually a greenfinch) which looks "puffed up", has food caked around its mouth and looks to be having trouble eating or breathing (if your feeder is close enough, it's pretty obvious) then you need to bring in your feeders and empty your bird bath for at least two weeks to avoid it spreading. That way, any infected birds will die off by the time you put the feeders out again. Good feeder hygiene is important and it is recommended that you disinfect the feeders every two weeks, though it's probably best to do it more often. I wipe the feeders down with anti-bac wipes before each refill. We did have one case late last Summer, but I think we managed to nip it in the bud.

The Trichomonosis parasite desiccates readily, so it tends to be absent or reduced in long, dry seasons but if it's hot and damp, it's best to be on the lookout for it.

Luckily, around our way the greenfinch numbers have risen well over the past few years, though chaffinches have been noticeably absent until very recently.

That’s the one. I do exactly that with feeders and tables, I also tend replace with brand new on a regular basis. Keeping their water clean can seem like a full time job but it’s well worth it.

yocky · June 2020

Peckham Parakeet innit

(utterly failing to upload picture of one of the beautiful but chaotic parakeets that wake me up by arguing with each other outside my bedroom every morning)

RandallFlagg · June 2020

westford said:

One of our neighbours has been feeding the red kites recently.

That's amazing. I wish there were Kites round our way, I would chuck bacon out for them.

Keiko · June 2020

strumjoughlamps said:

Off hand I can think of

Robin
goldfinch
greenfinch
songthrush
blue tit
coal tit
pied wagtail

certain times of the year

owl
lesser spotted woodpecker

Lesser spotted woodpecker??? Very rare birds, more likely a greater spotted?

There seems to have been a lot more bird activity in the garden this year. I think maybe people have been keeping their cats indoors this spring and the birds have been less afraid to come into the garden. Lots of blackbird and dunnock action. Had a juvenile robin at the pond today which is the first time I have ever seen one. Also had a pair of juvenile song thrush last week which is unusual for our garden.

My garden rarities are a grey wagtail a couple of years back walking around the pond. Also had a flock of waxwings visit a few years ago when I lived at a different address that had a big berry tree in the garden.

jimkehoe · June 2020

https://i.imgur.com/J8suXjq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CyoL16C.jpg

Keiko · June 2020

jimkehoe said:
https://i.imgur.com/CyoL16C.jpg

Those are both greater spotted. Adult male on left, juvenile on right.

Lesser spotted does not have the red under the tail.

HAL9000 · June 2020

Sadly didn’t manage to get a photo but had a yellow wagtail in the garden this morning. Had no idea what it was until I googled it. Apparently fairly rare.

merlin · June 2020

RandallFlagg said:

westford said:

One of our neighbours has been feeding the red kites recently.

That's amazing. I wish there were Kites round our way, I would chuck bacon out for them.

Pervert.

Keiko · June 2020

HAL9000 said:

Sadly didn’t manage to get a photo but had a yellow wagtail in the garden this morning. Had no idea what it was until I googled it. Apparently fairly rare.

More likely a grey wagtail. Yellow wagtails are not the type of bird to usually visit gardens, they are farmland birds, see them in corn fields. Grey wagtails might be attracted to your pond though if you have one.

FarleyUK · June 2020

We've got sh*tloads of Red Kites round here (High Wycombe). They were re-introduced to the Chilterns several years ago and are all over the place now.

Also saw a green woodpecker on our walk this morning, which was pretty awesome; never seen one before.

HAL9000 · June 2020

Keiko said:

HAL9000 said:

Sadly didn’t manage to get a photo but had a yellow wagtail in the garden this morning. Had no idea what it was until I googled it. Apparently fairly rare.

More likely a grey wagtail. Yellow wagtails are not the type of bird to usually visit gardens, they are farmland birds, see them in corn fields. Grey wagtails might be attracted to your pond though if you have one.

Certainly everything I can find says that a yellow wagtail is a very unlikely visitor in an urban garden. However, what we saw was very definitely not a grey wagtail - unless their plumage is quite variable. What we saw definitely had the shape and colours of this image...

Keiko · June 2020

What was it doing?

HAL9000 · June 2020

Paused briefly on a feeder (sunflower seeds) then flew off as soon as I tried to get a picture. Didn't land on the ground at all. I'd guess it was a similar size to a swallow. Def black head, yellow underneath, and greenish wings (possibly with flecks of yellow). The yellow wagtail picture is so far the only thing I've found that looks like it.

artiebear · June 2020

Saw something new for me today. This morning the squirrels were having a hissy fit, lot's of aggressive warning calls and tale flicking. I heard the same thing coming from behind me near the house, looked round and saw two adult starlings, one was doing a perfect impression of the squirrel call. We don't usual get resident Starlings ( apart from the year we had a multi thousand flock murmuration and roost in the trees with our house at the eye of the, literal , shit storm, as it were ). These starlings seem to have found the ideal way to wind up the local squirrels by raising the alarm, then getting at the food. Amazing to witness.

Keiko · June 2020

There are a lot of juveniles around this time of year so that might be why you can't identify it. Maybe juvenile great tit? or male siskin? Wagtails are not the kind of birds that visit feeders. They tend to walk around on the floor a lot and wag their tails a lot. Siskin:

Image: https://www.saga.co.uk/contentlibrary/saga/publishing/verticals/home-and-garden/gardening/garden-wildlife/siskin_469936876_1280x960.jpg

Young great tit:

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Garden birds - wotcha got?

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