Garden Birds and wild birds thread.

[smudgedj]

Had one of these in the garden in Bolivia, seemed hungry, so i was feeding it chicken.

Then, like an idiot, I put my finger out for it to perch on. That fucking hurt. Not advised.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

When I lived on the Merseybank estate I used to see green paraqeets who used to fly to and from Chorlton Water Park over my house to Southern Cem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/con.../21/210109_manchester_parakeets_feature.shtml

I've seen them in a couple of London suburbs and they're quite common in certain places.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Our labrador sheds something terrible.
I brush him in the garden and leave the hair, that's more like great balls of wool, out on the lawn, each spring.
The sparrows and tits come down and collect it for their nests.
After a particularly windy night a couple of years back I found a perfectly formed half cup of the dogs hair woven, like half a coconut in shape, on the grass. I reckon it blew out of the ivy on the wall.
All the birds around our area must have the comfiest nests thanks to our mutt.

 

[Blue Mist]

You'd be surprised what you'll find visiting even the most urban gardens if you put feeders out.
As long as there is some kind of greenery/cover/habitat nearby word gets out quickly amongst them that there's a new source of food.

You get a greater variety in Britain than in Ireland. I'm in Dublin but have been surprised by the long list I've seen in the garden over the past ten years.
Resident Robin, all year around.
Sparrows
Dunnocks
Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Gold Finch
Green Finch
Siskin
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Wren (hard to catch sight of, but they are actually one of the most numerously populated)
Sparrow Hawk (Caught a sparrow through the trees and landed on the lawn with it.)
Collared Dove
We had a rare pair of wagtails a few years ago. Can't remember exactly what they were but they were migratory.
I looked them up and the book said they may stop in one area to refuel before heading of to Africa or somewhere.
Sure enough they were gone after about a week or so.

Not particularly welcome but also;
Starlings
Magpies
Wood Pigeons

I clearly need to put out more feeders, I do in winter but felt there was enough food for them in summer time. As I posted earlier, the back part of my garden is 'wild', poppies, 2 apple trees, holly hedge, wild flowers the lot. I get an enormous amount of bees coming for the pollen from various bushes so I am doing something right !

 

[Blue Mist]

When I lived on the Merseybank estate I used to see green paraqeets who used to fly to and from Chorlton Water Park over my house to Southern Cem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/con.../21/210109_manchester_parakeets_feature.shtml

You often see these birds by the bridge crossing the River Mersey (cant think of the pub) between Chorlton and Sale by the water park. I assume someone released them a few years ago and they have bred.

 

[George Hannah]

I've not seen any rare birds in my garden but the woodpecker and thrush I saw today are not as common as they once were.

Just wondering what birds visit your garden?

Our flying visitors - quite a lot over the years and a lot more after we dug a pond and more planted native trees

 

[BlindEyeSeesAll]

When I lived on the Merseybank estate I used to see green paraqeets who used to fly to and from Chorlton Water Park over my house to Southern Cem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/con.../21/210109_manchester_parakeets_feature.shtml

I see them regularly flying around Gatley.

 

[Nellies left peg]

Seen a treecreeper on our apple tree as well as a nut hatch and lesser spotted woodpecker

 

[idahoblues]

had this little Pygmy owl visit a year or two back, that's the remains of a sparrow in it's claws

 

[idahoblues]

a little chickadee