Goldfinch

I was wondering why the garden had been extra, extra quite these last few days. This morning I found Smelly Cat hiding under one the hebes at the top of the garden. As a temporary measure I have chopped up an onion and some dried chilli and thrown it under the hebe to try and keep the cat away.

Labels

I've added some labels to my posts. If you click on 'Chaffinch', for example, you should be presented with a pile of posts which contain, well, Chaffinches! I'll start adding labels to all my new posts. 'Nest cam' might come in handy next year if we get some occupants!

This morning, while picking up the pieces from last night's very high winds, I spotted a little dark thing scurrying along the bottom border. Had to check what it was - I thought it was a rat at first but it turned out to be a first-winter male Blackbird! That's the first Blackbird recorded in a really long time. Hopefully they are coming back soon!

I noticed a cat in the garden this afternoon pissing on one of our shrubs. Nearly got the flea-ridden bag o' shite wi' me pink welly. Next time. Next time

Chaffinch

Time for a bit of Chaffinch overkill!

The weather has been terribly dull and windy recently with a mixture of rain and a tiny bit of sun, - we even found some snow at the weekend while on a drive down to Newcastle: A light covering of snow in Powburn - a small village in north Northumberland.

The garden has been quite quiet, with the majority of activity coming just before dusk. It has been so dull lately that I haven't even been able to take any photographs - the above Chaffinch shots are the best I've been able to get. I took them this morning during a short burst of sun.

The male Sparrowhawk has been at least twice this week. To the best of my knowledge he is still yet to catch anything in the garden.

Our hedgehog is still out and about. The last lot of bedding I left for him ended up all over the garden because of the wind but I've put some more out tonight - he must have enough soon, surely?!

BTO Garden BirdWatch 12-18 November

The figure in brackets shows the highest number of that species recorded in garden at any one time this week.

Greenfinch (16)
Robin (1)
Chaffinch (10)
Dunnock (1)
House Sparrow (7)
Collared Dove (1)
Sparrowhawk (1)
Blue Tit (1)
Starling (3)
Goldfinch (2)
Black-headed Gull (3)

We had Black-headed Gulls in the garden on Sunday - the first recording since last February. A sign, maybe, that winter is almost here? They were daily visitors last winter.

Our little part-time lodger of the nest box (Blue Tit) put in a very brief appearance on Saturday morning at 8:15am. The image is really bad quality, unfortunately, so I won't bother uploading it. Since having something to look at in the box - and generally paying more attention to it - we have realised the camera is total crap and cannot cope with changes in natural light (the box is an Eshwood box). Birdman is hoping to make a few adjustments: He's hoping to be able to change the camera completely and he also wants to add some lights (LEDs, or something similar) to give the box a constant level of light. I now know the importance of buying a nest cam box with LEDs! Tsk! Wouldn't recommend the one we have unless you are willing to rip the box apart and do some modding!

A Collared Dove had a close encounter with a male Sparrowhawk on Monday - the dove won!

Our hedgehog is still around and still taking leaves and straw into the hog house.

Ruddick

Our Robin seems to be an almost permanent fixture in the garden at the moment. I leave 'him' chopped peanuts, sunflower hearts and raisins under the buddleia at the top of the garden.

('Ruddick' is the old Anglo Saxon name for the Robin)

Collared Dove

BTO Garden BirdWatch 29 October - 4 November

The figure in brackets shows the highest number of that species recorded in the garden at any one time this week:

Starling (16)
Woodpigeon (2)
House Sparrow (5)
Chaffinch (12)
Dunnock (1)
Greenfinch (18)
Goldfinch (1)
Robin (1)
Coal Tit (1)
Blue Tit (1)

The roosting Blue Tit last used the nest box overnight on Monday.

We've had one or two sick birds in the garden most days this week; I am unable to tell if they're the same ones each day. Affected birds have been Greenfinches and Chaffinches.

Our hedgehog is still busy taking the straw I leave near-by into his winter residence! I will keep leaving bedding outside until he decides he's got enough. He knows better than me!

I am hoping the colder weather will bring back our Siskins and Blackbirds - all of whom seem to have be absent for a very long time!

There won't be many updates next week as Birdboy and I are away from Wednesday to Sunday. I will be leaving instructions for Birdman to fill the bird feeders and leave bedding for the hog!

On a Cold and Frosty Morning

The last two mornings have seen the first frosts of the autumn. I hate being out in the cold weather but I do enjoy the increased bird activity in the garden - so I'm looking forward to winter in that way. The frosts have quickly killed off the last few remaining annuals in the garden.

We are still 'seeing' some hedgehog activity at the hog box. I have been placing extra bedding (straw) and dried leaves just outside the box entrance - which has duly found its way inside the box sometime overnight. So it looks like we've got a friend stopping for the winter! I have so far resisted the urge to look inside.

I didn't get chance to take any decent frosty photos this morning as I was busy getting birdboy ready for nursery, so it's just a snap from the kitchen window:

Male House Sparrow
Woodpigeon

Male ChaffinchStarlings. Tsk.

It's Not All Doom & Gloom!

A couple more sick Greenfinches appeared in the garden on Tuesday.
Head tucked under wing, he goes to sleep

I'm doing all I can in keeping the feeders clean - and I'm following the BTOs advice of still feeding them. The BTO have said it's better that the birds come and feed at a clean feeding station than being forced to go and look somewhere else and ending up at a dirty one!

It's not all doom and gloom, however, (apart from the weather!) - our little Blue Tit lodger returned to the nest box on Monday and roosted overnight. I have no pictures though as he returned after dark and left too early for the camera to pick him up! I know he's been in the box, though, because of the, erm, poo :o)

Also, I'm pretty sure we have a hedgehog (or hedgehogs, maybe?) in Hog House today as I placed some more straw in the entrance and it's gone. I'm not risking peeking at the moment - it's getting close to hibernation time and I don't want to put them off. I'll probably use the straw technique to monitor things for now!