Long Tailed Tits

[barry1010]

Had a lovely treat this afternoon - a family of long-tailed tits flitting between my camelia and apple trees.  We don't very often see them in the garden, they are a favourite of ours.  Certainly cheeered us up.

What birds do you particularly enjoy seeing in your garden or locality?

 

[Toorak]

I like long tailed tits also. Plus bull finches when the fruit trees are in blossom and goldfinches for their beautiful colouring and sweet song.

[barry1010]

We had lots of bullfinches on our fruit trees this year, they seem to like the may blossom too on the hawthorn trees behind our fence.

[Toorak]

I have seen very few bullfinches this year - I think it has been too cold (for them and for me to be out in the garden).

[barry1010]

I'm always surprised to see the wren enjoying our camelia even in cold weather. I don't know how these tiny birds survive winter

[Toorak]

We rarely see wrens in our back garden but often see them around the beech hedge in the front garden. They do look fragile because they are so small but must be pretty hardy.

[barry1010]

I hope our very recently arrived parrots don't have an adverse affect on my garden birds.  Time will tell

[sandyRoe]

I like the Blackbirds coming for a dip in the birdbath.

[Toorak]

Yes, love that too. We have a few pairs of blackbirds who regularly bathe in the birdbath. They do so much splashing about we are constantly topping it up.

[Ellipsis]

Bullfinches, chaffinches, blue tits and blackbirds. My wife loves to feed the crows, which I'm not happy about, but they're so smart and have so much character they're hard to resist ...

[Toorak]

We also have jackdaws which are vociferous eaters but we have to accept that they are also birds worthy of supporting. this year we have also had a pair of collared doves and a few feral pigeons, one of which is an albino and very striking.  Lots of blue tits, great tits, sparrows, tree sparrows, robins, starlings and wood pigeons. I just hope the weather improves so we can spend more time in the garden (I have an online order of more food arriving in the next couple of days)

[Captain2]

We were adopted early in the year by two nuthatches and I'm pleased to say they brought one of their babies to visit our feeders last week. Always love to see the cheeky faced long tails who seem to enjoy feeding as a family, once had seven of them on a fat ball coconut.

I downloaded a bird identifier app, Merlin, about three months ago and so far it has detected (if it's accurate) 30 different birds; this weekend it says it's heard a Treecreeper and a flycatcher - haven't seen them yet, but hopefully will.

[ladybirder]

Has anyone had any Jays?  Used to call them Blue Jays which is wrong apparently but they do have a blue stripe.  Had a couple recently new to my garden.

Oh and I adore LTTs they are gorgeous.

[Ellipsis]

Had jays and green woodpeckers in my previous house. No chance of them where I live now.

[Captain2]

We've had a Jay but not seen it this year, thankfully - one of the worst predators of eggs/fledglings.

[Toorak]

That is lovely captain. I also have Merlin but haven't used it yet (stuck in house - it has been raining incessantly for days)

we have also in the past a tree creeper when the weather has been very hot - no chance at the moment 🙁

[Toorak]

LB - no jays here. The only woodpecker we had was found dead in the garden. Natural causes i suspect- our cats were completely freaked by it and wouldn't go near it. 

[ladybirder]

I sympathise Toorak.  Next door's cat spends it's life watching what's going on in my garden and has killed a Robin which had spent all the prevous. day building a nest.  

Captain I will let my dog out to chase the Jays off after reading your post.  Thank you for the awrning.

[Chipchopper]

Great, I get long tailed tits occasionally, always a privilege to see them around here.

I felt lucky to have a wren come to land on my foot for a few seconds, the other day, it then went in the shed looking for spiders presumably.

[barry1010]

We did have jays trying to raid the nests in my ivy for a few years but not lately, thankfully.

We do get buzzards and sparrowhawks on our fence. Often see herons fishing for koi in the neighbour's pond and hunting toads in the grass.

Haven't seen a nuthatch for a long time, nor a sparrow in our garden.  Hear the woodpeckers often, see them a few times a year

[MargoTester]

Our garden backs onto woods so we generally have a lot of birds in the garden, my favourites being the nuthatch and greater spotted woodpecker and once a green woodpecker. Lots of great tits this year but no blue tits or long tailed tits