"Sacha" wrote
Having said that the peanut feeder was being ignored I now have to say
that
the last three days have seen coal tits (four at a time) green finches and
blue tits going at it like gangbusters. The seed feeders are still being
used but not to the same extent as just a few days ago. I do wish I knew
what triggers the desire/need for different foods at different times. The
jackdaws are our current comedians, picking up seed dropped by other
birds,
and learning to forage on their favourite lawn, teetering precariously on
the rope of the pergolas and squabbling noisily with each other while
doing
all these things. About two days ago we heard and saw at a distance, a
bird
with a roseate breast and a repetitive but changeable song. It might be a
linnet which I have to check up on but it was a gorgeous noise and if it
is
a linnet, it's a first round here.
The rooks are quieter now and must be dispersing for their summer
holiday -
heaven only knows where they go - but we hope they'll be back as they are,
usually. Collared doves are down in numbers, as are wood pigeons but
blackbirds are very much with us and come into the biggest greenhouse to
feed boldly from a shallow cardboard box we keep filled with crumbs and
seed. They're almost entirely indifferent to people walking within inches
of them and presumably know they're safe with us.
We seem to be seeing less chaffinches, which were very numerous here until
this year but OTOH we've seen far more coal tits and for the first time,
have seen long tailed tits. Sparrows are all over the place and there is
one thrush family living on the other side of the garden.
The tawny owls are still around but not every day so when we hear them
we're
reassured. Sadly, a young barn owl was found dead in the garden a couple
of
weeks ago. We have no idea what killed it as there wasn't a mark on it so
can only wonder if it was really a youngster or a starved adult.
Two long-eared bats have now been rescued from lying carelessly in
pathways
and have been put into a safer habitat so we hope they will reward us with
their startling acrobatics if we get evenings warm enough to tempt them
out.

We get Coal, Blue and Great Tits daily with Long Tailed passing through on
occasion as a family group. Chaffinches are usually always to be seen as are
Dunnocks creeping about the plants for leftovers, Goldfinches come for the
Niger seed, always in twos. Some weeks we get lots of Greenfinches but other
weeks they don't appear.
Our usual solitary winter Blackcap didn't arrive last winter.
Last week a Yellow Wagtail had a long look around our pond margins
especially the filter outfall.
Seldom do we get Jays but Magpies are always around locally. Collared Doves,
Wood pigeons and feral pigeons are usually about too unless there is a
raptor around the area.
Haven't seen/heard a Thrush locally for some years although Blackbirds are
common.
Ring Necked Parakeets are seen daily and some come to feed or just look see
what's about, they do appear rather more intelligent than the average bird
and are quite stunning, especially when seen close up.
The Sparrows seem to have disappeared again, last year we had up to 15 at
any one time taking turns at the feeders this year they have become a rare
sight again.
Occasional visitors to the garden are Wrens and Goldcrests.
I believe it's a Barn Owl that occasionally wakes us up during the night
with it's blood curdling call. We have seen a Heron land on the wall next to
our pond but it's straight sided and a metre deep min so not to their
liking.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden