Friday 29 May 2009

Blackie baby sunbathing/cooling off

Saw this baby blackbird in the garden earlier. It's very hot today and it just plonked itself down and started doing this sunbathing/cooling off behaviour...

Laid down and fanned out wings.

Moved a bit and sat down with beak open.

Stood up and just fanned tail, with beak open.

All back to normal now.

Thursday 21 May 2009

Blimey, they're everywhere!

There are so many baby starlings around that it's starting to feel like an invasion! I'm sure there are more coming as well. I've seen adults collecting food and flying off with it so there might be more still in the nest.




They are just adorable and seem to be everywhere, they are getting very close to the kitchen door though and I don't want to encourage that - it's too much for my cat, he's feeling harassed as it is!

My blackie is getting quite bold now, he knows I provide the food.


My lovely, tireless robins. Always ready for their close up!

Starling invasion.

Had a starling invasion yesterday evening with the usual 8-12 adults, plus an extra 5-6 babies all descend at once. What a racket! It was hilarious watching the youngsters all following the adults around and birds flying off in all directions.
This poor sparrow got a right earful.

They all lined up on the telephone wires...

Then they all decided they wanted to perch on the same branch!


Feed us now!

Monday 18 May 2009

A few more baby pics

Young starling again in the treetop.
Adult starlings discover the stash of suet pellets on the wall.


Dad is stuffing so much into his beak to feed the youngsters.

Thought I was photographing a female blackbird but then wasn't so sure when I enlarged it.


Baby starling again, begging for a beakful of fatcake.

Sunday 17 May 2009

Baby birds day.

Haven't been able to photograph much these last few days as the weather has been awful and I went and cut my hand packing up a box on Friday. Managed to grab the camera when I saw the baby starlings for the first time today but had to shoot out of the window so they're not the clearest pictures in the world.

Not a great pic but the sparrows all seem to lurk in the branches waiting for the parents to feed them. A few venture onto the feeders to try for themselves.



Just stood waiting to be fed!

When they're all fluffed up the babies look so much bigger than the adults.

They are so vunerable when they're just out of the nest.

Sunday 10 May 2009

Swifts are back - summer's here!

The swifts are so fast it's virtually impossible to photograph them.

The male blackbird is collecting food every few minutes and flying back to the nest, it's exhausting just to watch.





Ths starlings are eating me out of house and home.

The sparrows are constantly on the feeders, they must have lots of young to feed.

Mr warty-legged chaffinch still going strong.

Such a poser!

This dunnock doesn't have much of a grey head - wonder if it's a youngster? There were no parents around and it doesn't look very fluffy!

Starling on the telephone wire

Woodpigeons on the TV aerial


Just can't resist taking pictures of the goldies! And I still haven't managed to get a photo of that elusive greenfinch outside. He's a bit nervous I think.

Sunday 3 May 2009

Today in the garden.

Spotted the male greenfinch again and grabbed the camera to go outside but couldn't get any pics of him and he didn't come back whilst I was there, even hiding behind the washing!!
This starling is drying off after having a bath.



The goldfinches are so easy to photograph and the light is so lovely under the new leaves on the apple tree, even if they are starting to cover up the feeders!







Plenty of bumblers around, they love the rosemary.