Garden visitors

[DIANE]

Hi to everyone - am from west london, near heathrow airport! Our garden visitors include blue tits,great tits,blackbirds,robins dunnocks,pidgeons,magpies,starlings and loads and loads of goldfinches (usually about 9 at a time). We used to have a lot of green finches visit but haven t seen any for a long time. Also the starling population appears to have diminished - has anybody else noticed this?

[Pine Marten]

Cant say about greenfinches as they dont come to my garden. I have a steady starling population thats comes to feed. On average around thirty. Have had as many as fifty before.

Pine Marten.

[Jandy]

Starlings have started to return to us in number, now the recent bad weather is upon us, and are gobbling up the peanut cake and fat balls almost as quick as I put them out. We have loads of goldfinches, quite a few greenfinches (no sign of any sickness yet) and the usual crowd of blue and great tits. The other day a greater spotted woodie appeared, rather oddly on the sunflower hearts rather than the peanut cake, but he wouldn't wait to be snapped. In the local park today, a large flock of magpies all together in a tree, and another tree just full of crows - the noise was terrific. The usual gulls and woodpigeons, a lone robin and a female blackbird, but no other members of the thrush family. Three of the resident ring-necked parakeets were spotted flying over twice, but last week I saw six. Their calls and outlines against the sky are unmistakeable.

[DIANE]

Thanks for your replies! Have noticed a change in the eating habits of "my" birds - They all appear to love sunflower hearts. Even the robins are flying up to the feeder and settling to feed from it. The goldfinches seem to prefer them to the nyger seeds. Really strange.

[Jandy]

I don't have nyger seeds, as all the finches here love the sunflower hearts, so it saves having to buy special nyger feeders.

[Taleisin]

Hi im new to this birdwatching having recently moved to a house with a garden .My visitors are very frequent since ive put up several feeders.So far I have a pair of robins several blue tits ,dunnock ,goldfinches ,chaffinch, a green woodpecker and long tailed tits.

[Pine Marten]

Sounds to me you are off to a flying start. Well done, hope you get many more. The woodpecker is a delight to have come in.

Pine Marten.

[Taleisin]

The green woodpecker I spotted in the trees behind my garde I havent enticed into the garde yet .I will post a pic soon.

[Pine Marten]

will look forward to seeing a pic of the woodpecker. I do see them now and again while out walking. Never had one in the garden though.

Pine Marten.

[DIANE]

Hi Taleisin, Happy bird watching! Its really addictive.

[chilternbirder]

I am not that far to the north west in the Chilterns and greenfinches have vanished from my garden too. I haven't seen any goldfinches this autumn/winter and think you must have some of mine. Can I have them back please?

[Alastair]

I live in the suburbs of Leeds and we have goldfiches by the squadron, greenfinches, bluetits, coaltits sparrows(now getting scarce) dunocks, Great tits , and really exciting recently blackcaps which I cannot get a photo of at present as they perch on the feeders opposite where my camera is.The usual blackbirds are now around in plenty especially the females
A Happy New Year to everyone
Alastair :)