Rspb Garden Bird Watch

[smallblueplanet]

Morrisons/Tesco are good value for raisins/sultanas.

Our Blackbird(s) actually come up to the patio windows if there aren't any raisins on the plate!

[Alice]

Some birds are very easy to tame - Robins, chaffinches and blackbirds especially, oh! and the pigeons.If you want the birds to eat from your hand just put food out the same time everyday and be there. Put the food a bit closer everyday.and sit there. Eventually the birds will be happy to come right to your hand - and even right in the kitchen door.
But is this for any benefit to the birds, or just for our own megolamania ? We do it just because we can. ( In recognition of that, I don't do it.)
Squirrels can be trained to eat from your hand in a few days - but don't do it. They'll be prize pests.

[smallblueplanet]

Yeah, but in the case of the blackbirds its them who have trained us!!!

[wellie]

Firecrests and Goldcrests are tiny little birds like a little Jenny Wrens. Would it be that small? They are incredibly shy.
The only other bird that normally appears at this time of year, but is Sparrow-size with a very definite yellow tummy is the Siskin, but as yet they haven't made their annual appearance in my garden.
I'm sure this won't be of help, but you never know.....!

[Piper]

My Nan used to feed the sparrows everyday and even once she'd fed them they would come and look in at her through the patio window or the back door step. Shame you don't see many of them anymore.

[SueA]

Mandy, could it be a Mealy Redpoll or Lesser Redpoll?
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/m...poll/index.asp
They have red heads & greyish wings & pale chests, but not bright yellow as you say. Failing that as the others say it could be some kind of escapee or bird which has got blown off it's migration course. Of course it could always be a blue tit with a sore head!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Sue,

Nope but thanks for trying, the red on the head is right and looks about the right size. I have not seen it at all today, so I am hoping that if it has escaped it is ok.

Pleanty of food and water left out for them all just in case I acn tempt it back.

Mandy

[Alice]

I've had a good look for you Mandy, and checked through all the ornamental finches and other cage birds I can find, but nothing fits the description. Sorry. I think you'll just have to call it a UFO.

[mandyballantyne]

Thanks Alice, sorry to cause such a fuss.

I think I will have to go on a stake out and try to capture this little one on camera....

If I do I will let you and Sue know, Mandy

[Alice]

No fuss at all Mandy. Interested to know.

We used to have very unusual bird visitors. Many years ago I walked into the dining room just in time to see and enormous blue and yellow bird go past the window. I felt quite startled and seriosly thought I must be having a visual hallucination. I went to the window and looked all around and there in the trees were 4 Amazonian parrots. 2 blue and yellow and 2 blue and red. A fellow near here kept them free flying.
For about 10 years they were regular visitors here, they liked the beach nuts. They could be very noisy and one year they ripped the rowan tree apart, pulling whole branchlets of berries off and throwing them about the place. They were the most magnificent fliers - 2 flaps of their wings and they were 1/2 mile away.
I haven't seen them for about 5 years. Must ask locally what happened to them.

[madderbat]

Hi everyone
It just occured to me to comment that sometimes colours in the book and colours that we see in nature can vary a lot, expecially if the sun is low as at this time of year, it really can give a different perspective on things.

I've got several bird books and the pictures look very different, not only to each other, but (more often) to what I've seen through the window. Can't think of a 'for instance' at the moment, but maybe you know what I'm trying to get at.
Just a thought.

[smallblueplanet]

Also Mandy could be colourblind or on drugs?





I agree about the bird handbook comment though, we have two faves the Collins Bird Guide & the Larousse Field Guide (probably cos it was the 1st one we bought).

[madderbat]

Wouldn't dream of impugning Mandy for one minute!

I don't doubt that she has reported what she's seen, I just suggest that colours can vary with refractive light.

Of course, we could all be part of someone else's vivid imagination....

[smallblueplanet]

...

Of course, we could all be part of someone else's vivid imagination....

Scary - I think I'll stick with the drugs! Red wine nowadays of course.

[smallblueplanet]

I remembered this coupon for us birdwatchers - two for the price of one entrance at WWT reserves.

WWT offer