Garden Wildlife UK

I was visited briefly by a male Blackcap today.

Jacksparrow wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 31, 2019 8:37 pm

I was visited briefly by a male Blackcap today.

Niiice , my male Blackcap is a regular on the feeders in my garden, comes for food every day, which is really lovely
Never seen a female though .

Good spot Jacksparrow. Not seen my female for a couple of days now.

Very sensible too.

While I was walking in the town centre, a commotion on one balcony caught my eye. I looked up and saw 2 pigeons flapping their wings like when they are asking to be fed, but they looked quite grown up . Then I saw a third pigeon, about the same size, started to feed them, and I realised they are 2 fledglings with a parent ! At this time of the year! Its so cold and covered with snow . Pigeons are so resilient . I did feel sorry for them though, its really cold

I have lost my blackcap ,but have very busy feeders .

I saw a young wood pigeon for the first time today in my garden (didn't have a white patch on its neck) who had a big growth on its beak, top and bottom . It didn't look sick, it went on the ground and fed on some seeds that fell out of the feeder tray, with no problems. But that growth is really big, at first I thought it has something in its beak. I tried googling the pictures and the ones that look similar to what I've seen say its avian pox

that sounds nae fine Butterfly.

Indeed greenfinch2, I didn't like the look of it one bit. I just hope it recovers (I read its not deadly?) and that's the end of it.

On a different note ... I'm not sure what's going on but the number of birds on the feeders have dropped drastically, specially starlings
I see them around (hear them too ) but they are hardly here, they land for literally a minute and off they go
Maybe they are busy looking for nests and wooing each other

I was away from home this afternoon but when I returned about 4.30 Mrs.JS had the binoculars out watching a young Sparrowhawk devouring a Blackbird it had just caught in the garden. I raced for the camera and managed a few photos before it disappeared clutching the bloody remains of it's unfortunate prey. I will put a couple of them in photos but some might find them unpleasant