Today I Watched

[Stargazer]

A great big "baby" blackbird being fed mealworms by both its parents on my bird table. Their offspring was larger than both of them and its beak was permanently open as it scoffed the mealworms. Is there a time when one should not use bird feeders when the young are being fed?

[barry1010]

The chick isn't bigger than its parents, it has fluffy downy feathers that make it look bigger.
Birds need all the help they can get with finding food to feed chicks at this time of year so don't stop yet

[Stargazer]

I had a great spotted woodpecker feeding on my fatblocks on the birdfeeder yesterday. I am also being visited by a great big black bird with an enormous evil looking beak. I can't decide if it is a rook, crow or jackdaw. Whatever it is, it devours the fat balls and fat blocks. I am loving watching all this activity from both large picture windows in my living room and I have three clear window feeders where mostly robins and blackbirds regularly feed. Because I live alone and in a rural area it is uplifting to watch nature.

[barry1010]

It is indeed a great way to enjoy nature. Today I have been watching the heron eyeing up the fish in my neighbour's pond. I have a wren living in the camellia next to my living room window, always a pleasure to see.
Not quite so happy to see the many magpies this time of year, they love to raid the nests of smaller birds, although for some reason I don't mind the jay so much even though he too is a nest raider.

[Canary42]

The hedge I planted some 15 years ago alongside my back garden is now regularly inhabited by a number of bird nests.

My guests include sparrows, robins, finches, tits, blackbirds and starlings - they strip my bird table every day.

[barry1010]

I can't remember the last time I saw a sparrow in my garden, a good many years ago, sadly.
I think my favourite garden bird is the long tailed tit. I also enjoy seeing the wagtails at my local supermarket - they seem to love the car park.
A barn owl flies past my living room window the same time every night - a creature of habit.

[Prudie]

I am thrilled to hear you have window feeders that get used. I was given one as an Easter present and have to admit I've given it no chance that birds will use it.

[Stargazer]

I never see starlings any more, although they used to be prolific. I also never see sparrows of any sort which is quite shocking. Never see a thrush either. I have four types of tit, several finches, and of course robins and blackbirds. My window feeders are just a few feet from my bird feeders and near to my bird table. So the birds need to get used to feeding nearby to notice it. Mealworms are best in the window feeder.

[Prudie]

My garden is overrun with sparrows and starlings but I do get tits, Robins and blackbirds as well and various less common birds however I think I've only seen one song thrush in the last 5 years or more.

[novalis]

This morning on my usual stroll I saw one of the local herons with a frog in its mouth.

[barry1010]

There is a video on YouTube of a heron swallowing a rabbit. Fascinating if you've got the stomach for it

[Stargazer]

What do I type in if I want to watch it?

[barry1010]

It's not pretty. The heron drowns any bird or mammal it intends to eat for obvious reasons

[barry1010]

Oh, I forgot I can't link two videos in one post - this is the heron and rabbit, it seems it didn't bother to drown it first which is very unusual behaviour