General Chat

Ann,
When I looked out of the window yesterday I saw a huge bird in one of the trees and it was flapping its wings frantically so that I thought it had got itself stuck, but no, eventually it flew away - it was a swan. It looked so big in the tree!
I now have a new bird house as the birds picked all the roof off the other one to build their nests.
Love Sylvia xxx

Just very very dark and wet here. And cold, but not many birds, I guess theya re all taking shelter.

We had more birds yesterday and had to refil feeders.
Then today we had snow when I got up.
No wonder they need more food.
They do seem predictors !!

Linda xxx <3 <3 <3 <3

Certainly an influx of birds today, no doubt because of the colder weather. A pair of black caps and the usual robin, sparrows, starlings, blue and great tits, Greenfinch.goldfinch, Chaffinch, blackbirds, collard doves and wood pigeon. Had to fill up the birdfeeders as the pigeons and doves had empied one of them.

Ann,I too have a group of Long TTs.They arrived just a few days ago .It is lovely to see them back again .My Spotted WP visits the Coconut about 4 or 5 times each day,but I haven't seen the Green one for a week or two.
Lots of lovely song from the Robins at the moment.All the birds seem to be feeding more now .Making sure they have full tummies in readiness for cold days ahead.

This morning we had a large flock of long tailed tits on our feeders, a sign the weather is getting colder. :-)

Thanks Jane and a Happy New Year to you too. I envy you your woodpecker. Oh did see some long tailed tits in the garden yesterday but by the time I looked they had gone. Story of my life. But we still have the goldfinches, black cap, sparrows robin and blue and great Titan feeding, oh yes, I did see a coal tit there yesterday too. Too wet for many of them today though.
Anyway, happy bird watching in 2013 everyone, and keep the thread going. :-D :-D

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL I hope 2013 will be a good year for everyone and also hope the birds keep visiting our gardens..Our Gt Spotted Woodpecker had a job working out how to hang on to the Coconut the other day .With the wind blowing and the coconut swinging ,poor thing just couldn't hang on :-(
The Squirrel and Magpies keep me entertained..The Magpies hang around under the Peanut Ball ,then get chased off by the feisty Squirrel.Squirrel then digs hole in the lawn and scarpers.The Magpies watch the dig and then rush to investigate what was in the hole lolol
So my next post will be next year!!!!
Hope everyone has a lovely New Years Eve xx Cheers xx :-D ;-)

The birds are sulking because we were away and they ran out of food, but they are gradually coming back and condescending to eat the food. The goldfinches were back this morning. Mind you we do see more of them if it is sunny.

Thank you for that Shaun, it is lovely.

A Christmas & New Year Wish For You All
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May all the sweet magic of Christmas conspire
to gladden your heart and fill every desire.
May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note
and make way for a fresh and bright New Year.
May the good times and treasures of the present year,
become the golden memories of tomorrow.
May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter and goodwill,
and may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy.
As you relish the goodies, which decorate every nook and corner of your home,
may the joy and festivities continue to radiate in your lives,
long after Christmas is gone and into the new year.
The gift of love.
The gift of peace.
The gift of happiness.
May all these be yours this Christmas time.
May the new year fill your home with joy,your heart with love
and your life with laughter.

With Love From The Folk On The Hill ( ie little mountain )
Our wish for you all <3 <3
Night Night
Shaun

Bird frenzy out there this morning. Woke to a light covering of what we thought was a heavy frost but which is actually snow. Had 6 goldfinches down on the feeders, a robin, greenfinch, Great tit, black cap, 2 chaffinches, sparrows and on the ground about 4 blackbirds and numerous starlings. Good job we bought a huge pack of seed yesterday.

Seen them in the Lake District Rose but not here. Love the little wrens.

Ann, there is always a pied wagtail up in the high street here, popping around. Today I had a grey wagtail in the garden eating seed, I've not seen one before so had to look in the book.

Also a lovely little jenny wren :-D

Just looked out and there is a pied wagtail on the lawn eating some spilled seed and other bits thrown out there. First time I have ever seen one in the back garden. Seen them in the road outside but not in the garden.

They are funny when they bathe aren't they? Don't fancy bathing in our garden at the moment - freezing fog but it doesn't seem to bother them. I was watching some starlings hoovering up the bits I'd put on the lawn this morning, I swear they had left one as lookout on the top branch of the apple tree, he/she was looking first to the left, then the right. When the birds on the ground finished feeding it flew off with them.

Its bath time in my garden,they,re having a great time,sitting in order waiting their turn (Think its called Pecking Order)have to fill the baths at least twice a day and refill seed containers and replenish the Fat Balls, Got a delivery tomm=orrow of Wild Bird Food and Fat balls (Cheaper if you buy in bulk) and its pleasant to watch as I,m on the putor looking through the window.**M**. :-D :-D

We have had a black cap visiting us the past few days and the blue and great tits are busy stocking up, as well as one starling that comes for the coconut and a couple of goldfinches, one chaffinch and one greenfinch. Now, this morning we have had a few blackbirds as well. Not as many sparrows as usual.Just a few. Oh and of course woody and a couple of collard doves and a magpie after the scraps. Just been to stock up on bird seed as it is 10% day for pensioners at the local garden centre.

We had a visit from a flock of long tailed tits this afternoon. Although they didn't stay long, at least we know they are around.

I agree with your OH Jane. I've stopped putting food out for the birds now because -

1. The squirrels get it
2. The wood pigeons get it
3. The mice get it (and probably rats)
4. The birds give up and go elsewhere :-(

Still, there are plenty of seeds for them to feed on in my garden at the moment :-D