In fact just yesterday morning we had a Blackcap hopping around the bushes (in the pouring rain) - this is not a bird we see in the garden very often. We even had 3 Redwing land in the Laburnum one morning.
With the shorter days the birds are out as soon as it gets daylight and the garden seems busy all day long. Though the shorter days do mean I only see the garden briefly in daylight during the week! The Hedgehogs are still out and about feeding on everything they can find, especially the smaller ones, which are out until after dawn and then back again before sunset. Surprisingly the Squirrels aren't visiting as frequently as they used to though when they do they bury nuts all over the gardens and one has a habit of just throwing one of the sunflower heart feeders on the floor!
The larger birds can be quite flappy - especially the Feral Pigeons which have finally found our garden after all these years and they often spook all the birds. This usually means they all fly about madly for a bit and end up sat on any nearby bush/tree/fence/stick......! These are a few i've caught through the window.
Robin
Wren
Great Tit
Collared Dove
Starling - it point blank refused to turn around....
Early October and I spotted this Shield Bug on a pair of (really old, cat scratched) flip flops!
The Sparrowhawk is around often and finally caught one of my Starlings
One of the Feral Pigeons, we have up to 7 sometimes but they're pretty flighty so they don't take all the food
Greenfinch & Goldfinch
House Sparrow waiting for it's turn at the window feeder
Autumn seemed to come really quick, I took these photos a couple of weeks ago but now lots of the trees are bare already.
Finally we've had a mouse in our window feeder again, it takes it's turn with the Sparrows, who queue up on the branches waiting till it's done!
Have to laugh at your window mouse he is cute! Great yard birds, I would drool over all of them. I too have not been getting away much just staying close to home and finding a few exciting birds anyways. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe mouse is a cutie and now known as Window Mouse!
DeleteSometimes I think we overlook the productivity of our own backyard. It is perhaps a good thing that you have been forced into paying a little more attention to it. One of these days I have to check on the number of species we have had here, but I am sure it is around forty now. Quite remarkable really for a suburban house. I have little doubt that your own experience would rival this.
ReplyDeleteYes I think sometimes you do. We are pushing 50 species for the garden (but this does include about 10 flyovers seen from the garden too!).
DeleteLots to see in your garden. Starlings have such beautiful feather patterns on their backs and are quite beautiful even though a nuisance sometimes when they all try and sit on the window feeder at the same time and knock it to the floor. Great to have a black cap and redwings visit. The feral pigeons have found us too, we used to get two regular ones along with the wood pigeons but for a couple of days now we've been visited by a larger group of about a dozen:)
ReplyDeleteThey do and beautiful colours too and yes they can get a bit giddy over the food!
DeleteLove the mouse Pam! We sometimes forget the variety of wildlife on our own doorstep so it's nice when we just stop and appreciate what we have in our gardens. Great that you had a Blackcap and the Redwings. I can hear the Redwings fly over here but am yet to see them this year. Have a lovely weekend :)
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely just sitting and watching the goings on in the garden :) That's when you see the rarer visitors too, like the Blackcap and Redwings!
DeleteSuper selection of garden birds Pam - very envious of the blackcap - would love one here especially as my callicarpa bought especially for blackcaps is full of berries :) We don't get feral pigeons these days although we did go through a phase of them a few winters ago. Love the mouse - so cute :) Great news about the Redwings - we had a flock fly over the garden a week or so back but sadly they didn't hang around!
ReplyDeleteOh i've not heard of that plant, I may try and get one for the garden, the odd Blackcap we do get never stays around! We had a few big flocks of Redwings fly over since late October but they're only now starting to settle around town.
DeleteThats a good selection of visitors you have. You've created the right habitat for them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave :)
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