Another new garden visitor

This morning we saw this bird in our garden for the first time...

It is a Ring Ouzel (Turdus Torquatus) it is closely related to the common blackbird, The name Ouzel is the name for the common blackbird in Old English.

To learn more about this bird see HERE and HERE,

We look forward to seeing it again.

Oh what big eyes you have...

Oscar has been posing for Elizabeth again...

Who's a pretty owl then!!

Pellet producer solved!!

Elizabeth disturbed him last night by flashing her camera in the tree and managed this shot. He flew off and she could not make out what it was but we suspected an owl with long ears...

Today after finishing cutting the grass I noticed he was back... Quick grab the camera,,,

What a big boy he is...

We did not disturb him so he will be out feeding tonight...

One thought is that the bird food I have been putting on the ground under the bird table may well be attracting his prey... Tonight the wildlife camera will be out focused on that area...

Well done Tim a correct ID again!

Jenny Wren

We have had wrens in the garden since we came in 2010 and they are incredibly agile and very difficult to casually photograph.

However, this one appeared to want its photograph taking, posing in our little Christmas tree.

It is such a cute little thing and a delight to watch flitting around the garden.

I was going to give you some information as to the name Jenny Wren BUT there is a great deal about it on the web... It goes back years and years, if you are interested Google it!

Collared Doves

Last winter we had a pair of Collared Doves regularly feeding underneath the bird table.

A few days ago we noticed they had built their nest in the Christmas tree adjacent to the bird table and within a couple metres of our rear terrace.

Interestingly in the Wikipedia page on collared doves it makes note that they always nest close to human habitation. It also says that the male incubates during the day and the female at night and last night I was lucky enough to see a changeover. The female bird arrived with a coo coo coo and perched adjacent, the male left and she took over. Great to see.

We think they have been incubating for about a week so a few more days to go before we hopefully see the chicks. You have to give them credit as the nest is towards the top of the tree and they have sat there through all the wind and rain of the past few days.

We hope they are successful...

Tim; Do you think we should put some bird food out for them?

Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla)

We last noticed an influx of Bramblings in February 2011 (See here). Last year we saw perhaps an odd one. This week they are back in force.

Last time we saw them they simply cleaned up on the ground what had been pecked out of the feeders by the other picky eaters! This year is a different matter, all be it for the males only.

"What's going on up there then?" "Ah I will try some of that"

"Not bad but what's that over there?"  The Brambling had spotted the nut feeder!

Only one small problem and I mean small... The female Siskin!

"Get off! These are MINE"

Not to be beaten the Brambling resorted to acrobatics... along with the Great Tit.

Our peanuts have been in great demand this year, they will be missed when we run out next week. 

Interestingly we bought a cheap coconut (50 cents) drained the juice, split it in two and hung the two halves adjacent to the feeders... Not one taker after two weeks...However when we removed the flesh from one half and placed it in two places we know the mice and voles hang out, it is being eaten bit by bit... 

French or Red-Legged Partridge

This morning as we were leaving to do a spot of restocking, the eagle eyed Elizabeth photographed these two specimens of Red-Legged Partridge at the rear of our garden. That small Ixus camera of hers really does well with the optical zoom!

This is the second time we have had Partridge in the garden however last time it was the rarer Grey variety and in October when the hunting season was in full swing. See Here. We thought they had probably come our way to escape the hunters!

These two Red-Legged ones do not have to worry about that until next October... Hopefully.

When we returned later in the morning they were gone but it was nice to have another species to add to our list.

Siskins

It's turned very cold today and don't we know it! It has not got above 0ºC all day, whereas yesterday I was outside in warm spring weather. I am not the only one to notice this change; our bird feeders have been swarming, yes swarming with birds squabbling over ever morsel.

Over the weekend we noticed some new visitors that we have not seen this year. First a lone female Siskin looking quite cute.

Then a male turned up.

Followed by more males looking somewhat brighter.

At first they appeared to be ground feeders, the feisty petite female mixing in with the much larger birds.

However they soon discovered the fat balls.

and that feisty female decided they were all hers... Even the male was seen off.

I feel sorry for the blue and great tits.

Normally they have the monopoly with the nut and fat ball feeders... Not any more!!! They can only sit and wait until the Goldfinches and the Siskins have finished... Such is life!

Goldtit...

We blogged about this small bird in January last year (See Here).

Yesterday Elizabeth noticed it on the peanut feeder. We have christened it a Goldtit!

We have many Goldfinches visiting our feeders, predominantly for the Niger and Sunflower seeds. But when this one, with a liking for peanuts, is on the peanut feeder it is hers...

But not all the time...

And sometimes its a case of  'What you can do, I can do better!'

The $64,000 question is is it the same Goldtit we had last year? Looking at the photographs the bird this year looks older... Tim any answers?

Camouflage Artist

Looking at the trunk of this cherry tree you would hardly know anything was there..

until it moves, of course!
Then the little flash of cream/buff feathers on its breast announces the presence of the little Tree Creeper...

Of course the dead give away is when you catch sight of one in profile..

But that's not very often! Wise little creature!