On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:42:48 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
Sue da Nimm27/2/04 4:59
snip

We've got three pairs sharing our plot which is about 320ft long by
120ft
wide, with a hedge border and a copse beyond.
They have clearly defined territories, with one pair regularly coming to
the
kitchen windowsill for tidbits.
The male in the "copse-end" pair is very distinctive because he is
mottled
white. (Melanistic?)
We have seen three together on occasions - probably offspring rather
than
pairs mingling.


We have several in different parts of the Nursery and garden - you can see
them together but apart, as it were. But the blackbirds! They're as bad
or
worse than robins. One gets inside a glasshouse and one is outside and
they
go at each other hammer and tongs against the glass. The other day, I saw
two trying to kill each other, I swear and I clapped my hands so that both
flew off, overturning a 1l. pot of Euphorbia as they went. Those critters
are vicious and we have a lot of them!

My male blackbird follows me into the garage (where I keep my birdseed)
every time I open the door. He now eats sunflower seeds from my hand.

If your blackbird becomes too tame, watch out for cats!

Jackdaws are probably our most intelligent birds, they always feed in
pairs, one keeps a look out, whilst the other eats.
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:189555


"martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:38:04 +0000, klara King
wrote:

In message , martin
writes
Well, unless they look *exactly* like a robin ... They've been around
and under the bird table all day, though never two on the table at the
same time. Maybe a cock and his harem?
Must be my delicious fat/ground peanut/seed mix!

I think you have more than your fair share and I am jealous :-)

I'll trade you a couple for a few sparrows - the sparrowhawk must have
caught all of them

but we only have two sparrows left :-((

We've got sparrows, wagtails, starlings in the garden at home, and
robins:-)) blackbirds :-)) and
woodpigeons :-(( at the allotment.

I don't know why they're called woodpigeons, they don't eat wood, they
should be called brassica pigeons.

Steve.

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:34:05 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

My bird book says the adults are alike, though amounts of red can vary
between individuals, so no help there.

However, it does say that the female sits on the eggs and is fed by the
male, so your guess seems to be correct.

My bird book says that there is another bird that looks a bit like a
robin, so that might explain the garden with six robins in it.

Well, anyone who's once seen a robin couldn't mistake any other bird for one.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:38:04 +0000, klara King
wrote:
In message , martin
writes

Well, unless they look *exactly* like a robin ... They've been around
and under the bird table all day, though never two on the table at the
same time. Maybe a cock and his harem?
Must be my delicious fat/ground peanut/seed mix!

I think you have more than your fair share and I am jealous :-)

I'll trade you a couple for a few sparrows - the sparrowhawk must have
caught all of them

but we only have two sparrows left :-((

I've got plenty, 'cos they've got plenty of cover. The local sparrowhawk
is quite skinny, and the sparrows know where the ivy is....

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:38:04 +0000, klara King
wrote:
In message , martin
writes

Well, unless they look *exactly* like a robin ... They've been around
and under the bird table all day, though never two on the table at the
same time. Maybe a cock and his harem?
Must be my delicious fat/ground peanut/seed mix!

I think you have more than your fair share and I am jealous :-)

I'll trade you a couple for a few sparrows - the sparrowhawk must have
caught all of them

but we only have two sparrows left :-((

I've got plenty, 'cos they've got plenty of cover. The local sparrowhawk
is quite skinny, and the sparrows know where the ivy is....

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

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"martin" wrote in message
...
Jackdaws are probably our most intelligent birds, they always feed in
pairs, one keeps a look out, whilst the other eats.
--
Round here the Jackdaws fly in flocks - often over a hundred birds or more.
When they descend on the garden they are always mob-handed and will strip
the bird feeders in minutes.

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...

I've got plenty, 'cos they've got plenty of cover. The local sparrowhawk
is quite skinny, and the sparrows know where the ivy is....

I'm none too fond of the sparrow-hawk. One took a Greenfinch from one of the
birdtables. It was carried off, screaching, right in front of me. I love
nature in all its glory, but hate to be reminded how harsh it can be.
Stupid really - take a walk through some of the farms round here and you are
reminded that it's not the wild animals we should be worried about...

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"martin" wrote in message
...
Jackdaws are probably our most intelligent birds, they always feed in
pairs, one keeps a look out, whilst the other eats.
--
Round here the Jackdaws fly in flocks - often over a hundred birds or more.
When they descend on the garden they are always mob-handed and will strip
the bird feeders in minutes.

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 18:16:20 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:34:05 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

My bird book says the adults are alike, though amounts of red can vary
between individuals, so no help there.

However, it does say that the female sits on the eggs and is fed by the
male, so your guess seems to be correct.

My bird book says that there is another bird that looks a bit like a
robin, so that might explain the garden with six robins in it.

Well, anyone who's once seen a robin couldn't mistake any other bird for one.

yes but what about six? :-)
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 23:32:53 -0000, "shazzbat"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:38:04 +0000, klara King
wrote:

In message , martin
writes
Well, unless they look *exactly* like a robin ... They've been around
and under the bird table all day, though never two on the table at the
same time. Maybe a cock and his harem?
Must be my delicious fat/ground peanut/seed mix!

I think you have more than your fair share and I am jealous :-)

I'll trade you a couple for a few sparrows - the sparrowhawk must have
caught all of them

but we only have two sparrows left :-((

We've got sparrows, wagtails, starlings in the garden at home, and
robins:-)) blackbirds :-))

plus a large variety of gulls, tits, finches; pairs of jays, doves,
collar doves, redstarts(once), the occasional heron, & megaflocks of
jackdaws.

and
woodpigeons :-(( at the allotment.

There are plans to discuss allotment birds on a separate group :-)


I don't know why they're called woodpigeons, they don't eat wood, they
should be called brassica pigeons.

battery hens don't eat batteries, what should they be called?


--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...

I've got plenty, 'cos they've got plenty of cover. The local sparrowhawk
is quite skinny, and the sparrows know where the ivy is....

I'm none too fond of the sparrow-hawk. One took a Greenfinch from one of the
birdtables. It was carried off, screaching, right in front of me. I love
nature in all its glory, but hate to be reminded how harsh it can be.
Stupid really - take a walk through some of the farms round here and you are
reminded that it's not the wild animals we should be worried about...

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 18:16:20 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:34:05 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

My bird book says the adults are alike, though amounts of red can vary
between individuals, so no help there.

However, it does say that the female sits on the eggs and is fed by the
male, so your guess seems to be correct.

My bird book says that there is another bird that looks a bit like a
robin, so that might explain the garden with six robins in it.

Well, anyone who's once seen a robin couldn't mistake any other bird for one.

yes but what about six? :-)
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 23:32:53 -0000, "shazzbat"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:38:04 +0000, klara King
wrote:

In message , martin
writes
Well, unless they look *exactly* like a robin ... They've been around
and under the bird table all day, though never two on the table at the
same time. Maybe a cock and his harem?
Must be my delicious fat/ground peanut/seed mix!

I think you have more than your fair share and I am jealous :-)

I'll trade you a couple for a few sparrows - the sparrowhawk must have
caught all of them

but we only have two sparrows left :-((

We've got sparrows, wagtails, starlings in the garden at home, and
robins:-)) blackbirds :-))

plus a large variety of gulls, tits, finches; pairs of jays, doves,
collar doves, redstarts(once), the occasional heron, & megaflocks of
jackdaws.

and
woodpigeons :-(( at the allotment.

There are plans to discuss allotment birds on a separate group :-)


I don't know why they're called woodpigeons, they don't eat wood, they
should be called brassica pigeons.

battery hens don't eat batteries, what should they be called?


--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 04:23:16 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 20:38:04 +0000, klara King
wrote:
In message , martin
writes

Well, unless they look *exactly* like a robin ... They've been around
and under the bird table all day, though never two on the table at the
same time. Maybe a cock and his harem?
Must be my delicious fat/ground peanut/seed mix!

I think you have more than your fair share and I am jealous :-)

I'll trade you a couple for a few sparrows - the sparrowhawk must have
caught all of them

but we only have two sparrows left :-((

I've got plenty, 'cos they've got plenty of cover. The local sparrowhawk
is quite skinny, and the sparrows know where the ivy is....

nearly all the sparrows disappeared here at the same time and at least
a year before I saw reports that the same had happened in UK. One year
they were everywhere as normal, the next year they had all gone.
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 08:45:33 -0000, "Sue da Nimm"
. wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
Jackdaws are probably our most intelligent birds, they always feed in
pairs, one keeps a look out, whilst the other eats.
--
Round here the Jackdaws fly in flocks - often over a hundred birds or more.
When they descend on the garden they are always mob-handed and will strip
the bird feeders in minutes.

I have put CDs over the nets of nuts and fat balls this keeps the
bigger birds off.
I did see a jackdaw hanging upside down from a thin branch trying to
do a tarzan act to get at the fat balls.

--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad