Our Feeding Stations :):)

Your lucky to get one on the tray PPH. They dont usually feed on trays enjoy it. Its lovely to see the Birds feeding
WS

I'm very lucky that the blackbirds feed on my tray instead of on the ground. I had a beautiful male blackbird feeding yesterday, the yellow on his beak and around the eye was so bright. he is obviously in very good health

Lovely to see your Woodpecker and the Greenfinches WS, hopefully the Greenfinches will keep coming back for more.

Wonder if your Blackbirds are Mr & Mrs PPH?

littlewid-x-

I noticed a bird on the fatballs earlier and was trying to figure out what this medium sized bird was. Went through the bird book and it turned out to be a common sparrow. Is it me or do sparrow seem to be getting a lot bigger lately?

SM

I hope they are a pair as I'd love to see some baby blackbirds. I definately get a Mr and Mrs Blackbird as they have 'textbook' plumage and are very very healthy looking.

Ive also been getting a visitor which is the same size as a blackbird and to me looks like one but isnt the jet black with yellow beak and eye like a male or the brown with mottling like the female. Its more of a grey black colour with no yellow beak or eye ring.

I looked in a new book I got given by my mum's partner who is an avid bird watcher and apparently its a 'first winter male where a male blackbird has shed his juvenile plumage and is showing its first sign of adulthood' so really a teenage blackbird described as a dull grey black colour

So I've got at least 3 distinct individuals visiting

Thats good PPH, but I think the Male may see it off, if it decides its a threat to its territory. They are very territorial, but as its a Juvanile it may be OK. Sound like a good book
WS

That's so exciting PPH and great that you've been able to ID the teenager.

I hope you have some baby blackbirds that would be fantastic.

Lai

my handsome male blackbird has been making a visit to my feeder about every 5 mins and picking out the meal worms.

Maybe he has babies to feed!!!!

let's hope so

Lai

Fingers X PPH keep us informed
WS

I'm excited for you PPH, it would be wonderful if he had babies to feed and how lovely to have 3 blackbirds feeding and being a male, female and Juvenille, lets hope the older male doesn't scare him off. You will have to keep us informed on them all and especially if there are babies around as well

littlewid-x-

I think the blackbirds are nesting around the front of my block of flats in the rain gutter as I saw a blackbird building a nest and bringing moss in to line the nest there two weeks ago. I hope its the same pair and its a shame I won't be able to check but I'll keep my eyes and ears open for chicks

Even though they may be nesting round the front PPH, when they are big enough I am sure they will be coming to your lovely feeder. Fingers crossed you will be able to see them though and keep an eye on them.

littlewid-x-

I had to take my water bowl off my feeder as due to all the ice we had over the winter the platic has become really brittle and a piece of the rim breaks everytime I take it off to clean it.

Although I don't think I will replace it as the birds don't use it and it gets dirty really quickly with the messy feeding of the birds. I've noticed though that since I've removed the bowl the birds have been using the empty metal ring that held it as a way of moving from the top trays to the bottom trays of my feeder. I've also had a look at the feeder in the garden of the house next to the block of flats where I live and they have some water so they have some nearby

I find that also PPH - I have to clean out the bowl at least once a day as it becomes full of seeds with the birds being somewhat over enthusiastic with their feeding. I would really like a birdbath in the garden instead so I could do away with the bowl. It's great your birds are able to utilise the ring to help themselves feed.

Lai

thanks to my new bird song book and cd I now know the lovely bird song I have been hearing is a Wren. All I need now is it to visit my feeder

Whats the bird book and CD that you have PPH? I love birds but am not very good at recognising them or their sounds.

littlewid-x-

Ours is exactly the same PPH, apart from the seed it gets lots of bits from the fat balls, and fat cake I think I'll take ours off, as we do have a bowl on the wall, and there's a pond nearby so they do have plenty of water near.
If you want Birdsongs LW. All you have to do is tweet it
WS

the book is called Garden Birds and Calls by Geoff Sample. Ive attached a picture below. Before each call they are described and the difference explained. They are grouped by similar type of birds/calls so you can distinguish the differences. I bought it from a National Trust shop for £3.99 but the original price is £14.99 but I don't think itll be that expensive anywhere

PPH you are a , fantastic idea to post a pic of the book, I definiately wont get the wrong book. I can look in the shops or try my local Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust as they may have it as well Thanks a lot.

You are such a WS

littlewid-x-

I definatly think that the blackbird and also rodney the robin as babies as they are both visiting me nearly all the time and taking several mealworms at a time. The seeds and sunflower hearts are being left behind

my blackbird couple resting in the hedge outside my window

Thanks for that PPH, verry interested in getting that. Did you get it online?

SM

I got the book from a National Trust property but I'm sure you could get it online somewhere

I've been hearing and seen over the last few days both male and female blackbird making a noise I've never heard before.

I thought originally that it was maybe a baby bird when I heard it until I saw the male blackbird make the noise. It sounds like a high pitch wheeze, very similar to when people have a bad chest and they make a whistle sound everytime they breathe (I hope this makes sense) Ive tried to google it but I can't find anything similar as their normal alarm call is a 'chook' sound and there is no other behaviour like tail flapping to say that it is an alarm call

They have been making the sound when they have been feeding and also the male has been standing on the pillar at the end of the wall doing it too. Does anyone else know what this or have heard this before