Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker

We had a surprise visit from a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker this afternoon. This is only the third time we've seen a GSW in the garden since we moved in a year ago. We've had a lone male, lone female and now a lone juvenile. Each bird has always landed on the same peanut feeder so I refuse to move it anywhere else! It must be visible from the near-by wood.

Unfortunately this feeder is around fifteen metres away from the kitchen window, so a decent photo is out of the question. Maybe they will venture to a closer feeder one day. The background to this feeder will be green and bushy one day, too!

Sick Greenfinch

I found this sick female Greenfinch in the garden this morning. Most likely a case of salmonella- the first one I've seen since the end of winter. We managed to catch her and place her among the shrubs where she was away from the feeding stations and had a bit of cover, but she didn't stay there long; she flew out and landed on next door's shed roof where she promptly put her head under her wing. She stayed there for about half an hour.
She is currently sat directly below one of the hanging feeders near the kitchen door. I never know what to do when this happens ... Do I hope she flies away so I can abdicate all responsibility? Do I leave it to nature or do 'we' end her life (which clearly isn't going to last much longer)? The last one isn't something I can do, personally, so I'd have to hand that one over to Birdman.

BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Survey 18-24 June

We have had a good number of Blackbirds this week - 3 male, 3 female and 2 juveniles all fighting over some muesli on and around the ground feeder. Two are instantly recognisible: Maddie, a young female who follows me around the garden waiting for me to throw her any worms I find, and also Scrap, a scruffy adult male.

The Sparrowhawk visited whilst Birdboy and I were playing in the sand pit - he made a swift manoeuvre as soon he saw us and left straight away - empty-clawed as usual.

We currently have a bold Dunnock who lets me get to within a couple of feet of him before he beats a retreat!

No Pheasant recorded this week, but maybe he visited whilst I wasn't looking.

Despite the huge reduction in numbers visiting, we are still going through 50lb of sunflower hearts in a month - I may have stretched it out by an extra week this time as I have had more nuts in the garden than usual.

1. Chaffinch (8)
2. Greenfinch (5)
3. Blackbird (8)
4. Siskin (2)
5. House Sparrow (5)
6. Jackdaw (2)
7. Goldfinch (2)
8. Starling (8)
9. Sparrowhawk (1)
10. Woodpigeon (4)
11. Dunnock (1)
12. Blue Tit (4)
13. Collared Dove (2)

For more info on the BTOs Garden BirdWatch click here

For our complete garden bird list click here

Baby Blue Tit

I decided it was time to get the washing line out and put it in it's rightful place (the bird table has been over the hole the line fits in). So, up goes the washing line ... and I hang a bird feeder on it, rather than clothes. As you do.

Anyway, this little chap soon visited. Hopefully he'll come again soon and land on the side closest to the window! Mum and Dad were close by - they were feeding on peanuts at the bottom of the garden. There were other young Blue Tits present but I couldn't see them.

Garden Flora

I always pick the worst of days to try some macro photography. Light was bad today and there was an almost constant medium wind.

Anyway, here are a few more images from the garden:

Campanula persicifolia

Geranium versicolour

Allium 'Globemaster'

Pyracantha 'Orange Glow'

Kolkwitzia amabalis 'Beauty Bush'

Diascia

Young Swallows at the Nest

Sometimes, taking every camera lens isn't really necessary, or at least that's the way it seems at the time! This morning we set off on the short journey to the Teviot Smokery and Water Gardens near Kelso in the Borders and as it's basically just a garden centre I only took the standard lens and a macro lens ... and which one did I need? The telephoto lens, of course!

High up, and safe from the elements in a covered area, I spotted a tiny nest holding a family of Swallows ... and it looks like they're just about ready to fledge. Birdman took these (6ft 5") but still had to hold the camera at arms length!

One of the babies is taking his turn out of the nest.

BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Survey 11-17 June

Last Monday I noted on my survey results that our Sparrowhawk had been absent for two weeks - and what happens? He turns up the very next day and leaves empty handed as per usual!

Fledglings/juveniles noted in the garden so far this season: Blackbirds, Starlings, Collared Dove, House Sparrows, Greenfinches, Pheasants and ... Blue Tit! It was a very fleeting glimpse (actually the call that alerted me) so I hope s/he'll be back with siblings sometime soon!

There hasn't been much garden watching going on (or anything else for that matter) due to serious World Cup and Big Brother commitments, but normal service will resume shortly!

1. Blackbird (4)
2. Greenfinch (8)
3. House Sparrow (5)
4. Starling (18)
5. Woodpigeon (4)
6. Chaffinch (7)
7. Collared Dove (1)
8. Goldfinch (2)
9. Blue Tit (1)
10. Sparrowhawk (1)
11. Jackdaw (2)
12. Siskin (1)
13. Robin (1)
14. Pied Wagtail (1)
15. Pheasant (1)
16. Coal Tit (1)

Ducks, Ducks, Ducks

Four young Mallards with their Mum this evening on the River Tweed. I couldn't decide which ones to Blog - so I'm uploading them all!

BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Survey 4-10 June

Last week was possibly the quietest week we've seen in the garden so far. We had blazing sunshine all week with no rain but the occasional wind. The exceptionally good weather kept the birds right down to a minimum. The most regular visitors at the moment are baby Blackbirds - we seem to have three in the garden at any one time.

The Swallows and Housemartins are still increasing in numbers - and a few more nests are appearing on neighbouring houses - not ours though, typically!

The Sparrowhawk has been absent for a couple of weeks now but I'm not complaining - I like my baby Blackbirds!

We drove over to Lilliesleaf Nursery and Ford Nursery on Saturday morning (before the match!) and bought some bedding plants (for instant colour!) and perennials (mainly tall late flowering).

1. Blackbird (5)
2. Woodpigeon (2)
3. Chaffinch (1)
4. Greenfinch (1)
5. House Sparrow (5)
6. Starling (21)
7. Goldfinch (1)
8. Siskin (2)
9. Robin (1)
10. Great Tit (1)
11. Blue Tit (1)
12. Pheasant (3, male with two babies)
    

Over:

Swallow
Housemartin
Oystercatcher

Our complete and up-to-date garden bird list can been viewed here

Hand Rearing Baby Birds

I am getting an amazing number of hits from people searching for information on how to hand rear, raise and look after baby birds, nestlings and fledglings. Blackbirds and Jackdaws seem to be the most common query.

If you have come here looking for information on how to look after an abandoned nestling, or if you are looking for info on hand rearing a baby bird please go to the following bird rescue site:

http://www.birdrescue.org/main.html

The above site should give you all the information you are looking for.

If you have found a young bird in your garden which appears to be abandoned by it's parents, the RSPB and BTO recommend that you leave the bird alone. The parents will probably be close-by watching. Also, it's not unusual for baby birds to spend the first day or two on the ground. If you feel the bird is in danger from a predator (a cat, for example) you could move it a short distance into some cover (a shrub border). You mustn't move the young bird too far as it needs to be within calling distance of it's parents - remember, the parent bird may well know where the baby bird is and if you move it too far the parent may not be able to relocate it.

More Garden Flora

Mountain Ash 'Sorbus Eastern Promise'
Clematis 'Nelly Moser'
Ceanothus 'Blue Sapphire'
Ceanothus 'Italian Skies'
Pink Thingimajigum
Rock Rose
Acer

Baby Starlings

The past couple of days have seen a major jump in the number of fledgling Starlings in and around the garden. We've had, I think, twenty one in the garden at once - a mixture of babies and adults - and they make an incredible racket. We have upto 65 Starlings in the winter but this lot today made ten times the amount of noise!

Garden Images

Work continues on the borders! This border is almost complete now - we just need to fill in the gaps. We're driving out to Lilliesleaf Nursery on Saturday to get some more bedding plants. They have a reasonable selection of bedding plants but not as vast as you'd find in a garden centre. Lilliesleaf, though, charge a reasonable price! Last weekend I picked up 40 lobelia for £5. At Berwick Garden Centre (our local) it's just about half the amount at double the price - so they can keep them!

My Nelly Moser clematis burst into bloom a couple of days after I said I didn't think it was going to. I didn't think the buds were ready!

We'll tidy the scruffy edges at the weekend - the lawn will probably need cutting again by then!







Latest addition to the garden:Syringa vulgaris 'Andenken an Ludwig Spath' common lilac

Geranium

Funny Thing

Aster

Aster

Campanula - just passed it's best



Next job is the bottom border and then coming back up the opposite side of the garden!

Juvenile Pheasants

One of our Pheasants brought the kids along today - and what little cuties they were! They didn't venture off the bottom border (perhaps they'd been on the lawn before I saw them) so the photos are rubbish - but they serve as a nice record!

The male Pheasant was with them but he was spooked off by next door's dog. The babies stayed behind in a mild state of panic after being separated from their dad. They were constantly calling for him and running up and down the border. One of the babies eventually found his way on to a house roof before flying back towards dad. I don't know where the other one went, but as the constant calling had stopped I guess the family was reunited. I didn't want to go outside and spook them further, so I'll have to hope they come back again soon for some better photos!

The pair of them on the log pile
Just the female

Camera shy female
I guess this one is male

Close Encounters

I took Birdboy for a walk through our local patch this afternoon to see if they had removed the fence blocking the pathway (closed for tree felling) . At last we have access again!

I think this was the first time I've ever been there without a camera (I've been with the wrong lens before, and no memory card, low battery, etc.) and what happens? We have an extremely close encounter with a gorgeous stoat! I don't know if he was a youngster, or ill (didn't seem to be) but he wasn't shy and there was no fear from him at all. I could have picked him up he was that close but I had visions of Richard Whiteley in a TV studio with a ferret attached to his finger, so I thought it best not to! He eventually settled under some bark and weeds, so we left him to get on with it.

First time I've seen one so close and he was amazingly cute!

What a missed photo opportunity that was! I just knew going down there without a camera would be a mistake. Ho-hum.

Feed Me!

A baby Blackbird was being fed right under the kitchen window this morning. Excuse the bad background - this part of the garden hasn't been done yet - it'll be decking sooner or later, but at the moment it's a row of pallets (one has just been lifted - that's where the Blackbirds are)

C'mon, Dad! I'm hungry!

BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Survey 28 May - 3 June

Really low numbers recorded this week due to very limited garden watching!

1. Siskin (2)
2. Greenfinch (5)
3. Chaffinch (3)
4. Goldfinch (2)
5. Woodpigeon (4)
6. Blackbird (4)
7. House Sparrow (2)
8. Pheasant (1)
9. Starling (4)
10. Robin (1)
11. Blue Tit (1)
12. Pied Wagtail (1)