Inclement Weather for Garden Birds

I worry about the fate of my garden birds during this period of inclement weather: gale-force winds and torrential rain that has seen many households in Sussex, Surrey and Kent without power since 24th December. Another section of my garden fence has been destroyed and feeders have been ripped from their locations in my garden trees.

I replaced everything this morning and topped up the feeders. The weather had subsided somewhat and to my relief my garden birds were back. Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Blue-tits, Starlings, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, a Robin, Jackdaws, Collared Doves, Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons all availed themselves of the bounty of food available and the water in the two birdbaths. My garden might look a mess but at least the birds are surviving this dreadful weather, although some, I am sure, have perished.

Still have not seen any sight of the Blackcaps though. I keep hoping... 

Late Autumn Garden Birds

Sunrise was at 7:42am today. It will set again at 3:57pm. A daytime of little more than 8 hours. The temperature hovers around 8℃ with a humidity level of 81% and a gentle Northeasterly of 6mph. Not much of a day to be out and about. The garden birds however are very active. Their need for food increases exponentially during these cold, short days.

The local Robin becomes more aggressive, chasing every Dunnock in sight. He is a feisty little so-and-so, determined to keep other birds out of 'his' garden. The Goldfinches devour feeders full of sunflower seeds and drink copiously. Water is just as important for survival. The Starlings are back in force and love the fruit suet pellets. Their antics as they hang onto the feeder is amusing to watch. Last week a small flock of Long-tailed Tits dropped into the lilac tree. These gorgeous humbugs are a joy to see, although an all too infrequent occurrence in my garden.

Over the weekend I dug over some ground at the bottom of the garden which resulted in a considerable number of earthworms coming to the surface. The Blackbirds thought that Christmas had come early.

The bird-table attracts the larger birds including Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, Jackdaws and Feral Pigeons resplendent in iridescent plumage colours. Blue-tits make foraging visits to feeders and the bird-table.

They all brighten up a dull, late Autumn day.

Starling

Jackdaw

Goldfinches

 

October Garden Birds

It is still pleasantly mild in Brighton for early October. The temperature today is 20℃ and the garden is bathed in sunshine with a light breeze.

Since hanging out feeders containing sunflower seeds at the back end of last year the number of Goldfinches Carduelis carduelis has grown from 2 or 3 in January to a squabbling number of 14 or more today, the 'charm' containing first and second brood juveniles. A delight to watch.

Yesterday we had a solitary Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita flitting around in the lilac tree and the Dunnocks Prunella modularis are back after an absence of several months. A pair of Blue-tits Cyanistes caeruleus are daily visitors and a single Great-tit Parus major makes the occasional brief visit. Starlings Sturnus vulgaris have reappeared over the past few days. They certainly enjoy the fruit flavoured red suet pellets. A number of Woodpigeons Columba polumbus raid the feeders every day and since the beginning of the month a Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto has returned. Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and Jackdaws Corvus monedula are always about although they seldom land in the garden. The Jackdaws though do attack the fat-balls with relish.

Noticeable by their absence at the moment are Blackbird Turdus merula and Robin Erithacus rubecula.

Pied Jackdaw

Leucism is an abnormal plumage condition caused by a genetic mutation that prevents pigment, particularly melanin, from being properly deposited on a bird's feathers. As a result the birds do not have the normal, classic plumage colours listed in field guides. The plumage may have several colour changes including:

• White patches where the bird should not have any
• Paler overall plumage that looks faint, diluted or bleached
• Overall white plumage with little or no colour discernible

Birds that show only white patches or sections of leucistic feathers - often in symmetrical patterns - are often called pied or piebald birds.

We have a fair number of Jackdaws Corvus monedula in our locality. They are regular visitors to the bird feeders, particularly the fat balls. Early this morning as I stood at the kitchen window, I suddenly noticed a most unusual 'pied' jackdaw on a platform feeder near the garden fence. I managed to get to a camera with a decent zoom lens - Nikon P510 - and fire off a few shots before the bird flew off. Not brilliant but they do show a degree of leucism in this bird that I have never seen before in a jackdaw.

A nice start to the week....

Woody the Woodpigeon

I have a number of Woodpigeons Columba palumbas that visit my garden every day. They will hoover up the morsels from hanging fat ball feeders that drop to the floor, dispatched there by greedy Jackdaws (these guys can make a real mess of a fat ball  in minutes). Of late however my favourite Woodpigeon, who I have named 'Woody' (original eh) has developed a new talent. I have a hanging feeder that contains a mix of seed that is supposedly attractive to finches. My guy 'Woody' has figured out a way to hang on a nearby branch and access these seeds from one of the feeder ports. This guy is a real contortionist. He can now empty a full seed feeder in two days, which presents the dilemma of how often should I refill it? This feeder was intended for small passerines but I am impressed by 'Woody's' technique of hanging in the lilac tree to get to this food source. But this seed mix is expensive.

But I feel obliged to keep filling the feeder.....