Birds Galore 7 January 2011

Bird Watching

We seem to have more birds feeding in the garden than we have for ages. Both Jim and I love watching them. We can open our bedroom curtains in the morning and enjoy their little squabbles and fights to get the best place on the feeders. Recently we have had a pair of redpolls. We did have one last year but this is the first time it's reappeared - and with a mate. I did take some photos but mostly through the window, so they're not wonderful.


This is the best shot of the redpoll - you can see his red cap and red chin and chest. In shape he's like a siskin but not the same colour.


Now this one made me laugh. The redpoll is in the middle of these 2 wonderful goldfinch! How cute their red faces look. They are probably our most plentiful bird at the moment.


Here you can see 3 goldfinch, the redpoll and a great tit. He's the one on the right hand side of the left hand feeder! I like the goldfinch holding onto the top of the feeder. Maybe he's on watch duty.


Although very blurred, I love this photo of the redpoll chasing off the poor little blue tit below!


Here we have 4 goldfinch and 2 siskin. The siskin are the one on the top of the right hand feeder and the one below. As you can see, they are bright green and yellow, although the female is less colourful. They often feed upside down then lift their heads up either to swallow or check for trouble.


Finally, on the right hand feeder we have 2 Greenfinch. The one on the right is the male and on the left is the female, much more dull of course. 3 Goldfinch are there too. I'll list the birds that we have visiting most often:

Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Blue tit
Great tit
Coal tit
We have long tailed tits fly about but they don't come to the feeding table.
Siskin
Redpoll
Pied wagtail
Hooded crow
Robin
Magpie
House Sparrows (not often)
Hedge sparrow (dunnock)
Blackbird
Thrush of various descriptions. Of course other birds fly around but don't come near the house and then we have the summer visitors such as the swallows and house martins.

I must set my Canon rebel camera up on a tripod and try and get some better shots when it's warmer.

A River of Stones

I have joined this group and each day of January you are invited to write a 'stone'.

About a river of stones

A river of stones is an international project started by Fiona & Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing a short observational piece every day during January.

Join us!

So I did! I'm not sure whether the links in the above paragraph will work. Please click on the 'badge' on the right entitled 'A River of Stones' and you will learn a lot more detail about the project.


Day one, Jan 2nd 2011 My first 'Stone'

A great tit rides the merry go round half coconut to get the fatty seeds.

Day two, Jan 3rd 2011

The sun hides his face behind a cloud - but lights up the hillside with its glorious beams.

Day Three, Jan 4th 2011

A photo smiles at me - my heart leaps with joy - for Jack - a special boy.

Day Four, Jan 5th 2011

Melted cellophane, vegetable nets, scraps of cotton and paper - reborn as a usable postcard. Recycling rocks.

Day Five, Jan 6th 2011

Golden Christmas coins spill onto my desk - would that they were real - in either guise they make my mouth water.

It's an interesting little discipline to do each day. I have a 'notes' section of Facebook and am posting my stones on a note each day. If you'd like to follow them, this is the link:

I will post the next few I have written on each of my blog posts too.


Jim and I went to Limerick today to do a little shopping. Oh the excitement of it! Apart from that, life goes on. All the Christmas decorations are down and packed away. I am making cushions for our bedroom out of the useless bit of 'throw' that went across the end of the bed. It just used to fall off each night so cushions will be much more useful. I will take a photo when all 3 are done. The first one is already on the bed.

Have a super Friday and good weekend everyone.