Monday 15 November 2010

S.A.D.?

I suppose I will have to reconcile myself to the fact that the autumn is now over and winter is really already here. For some reason there haven't been many birds in the garden for quite a while.

Over the last two days there has been something of a resurgence. There have always been a few Chaffinches around but now they are dropping down on the feeders, something that hasn't been happening before this autumn. They new last long clinging on to the feeders, but the return for frequent visits.

On the other hand, it they are not disturbed Goldfinches, once they find an available seat at the dining table, will stay for quite a long time. At the moment they do seem to be fairly squabbly, but as the need to feed gets stronger I suspect they'll get more tolerant of close neighbours.

Blue Tits and Great Tits have more or less forsaken the traditional peanuts and dash onto a sunflower feeder, take a seed and fly off a short distance to eat it before returning for the next one. They obviously feel safer in cover than out, exposed on a feeder.

Judging by the empty snail shells on a stone at the end of the garden there's a busy Song Thrush around. I don't know if it is this one, but it was enjoying a good bath. The pale tips to the wing coverts show that it is a bird in its first year.

I don't know what this Great Tit is up to. This box a it's own camera. and in the spring I was hopeful that it would be used as a Blue Tit roosted in it quite a few times. In the end this bird moved of to the nest box I moved from here to the end of the garden and the box remained empty. It may be that the Great Tit is looking for a good roosting hole, and one near to food for an convenient early breakfast.

One of the birds that has been most noticeable by their absence has been the Greenfinch. There have hardly been any around the garden for weeks. Today there were a few coming down to the feeders, which I hope is a good sign and that if the disease that was publicised was the cause of their disappearance from the garden it is over.

I noticed this Curlew wandering about near the Ancient Highway, Worth Marshes today. I love the precise pattern that the contrasting feather edges and barring make.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Tony, A really nice report on yesterday; as you said it was well behaved and it was really good to talk to the locals about what was going on. I wonder if any of them had watched the infamous program - or was it only watched by the birding fraternity.

Steve Ray