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John W
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« Reply #150 on: 12:38:26, 26-05-2008 » |
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I've been trawling thought the RSPB's bird identifier pages, trying to identify a hawk that was perched on our garden furniture again this week. Could be a sparrowhawk, kestrel or merlin but not sure, only seen it from the front, speckled, big yellow feet. I'll just have to try and get a photo. The RSPB site has good photos and short videos. Also paintings/drawings but they always seem to exaggerate colour. Is a sparrowhawk really BLUE? Well, I suppose, in some photos it's blue-grey http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/index.asp |
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #151 on: 12:42:44, 26-05-2008 » |
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I think that's a kestrel John. They're bluey-grey with a flash of colour on their tails. Vicious buglers too.
I have a sparrowhawk called Sydney, who is unfortunately a regular annihilistic visitor. He is a soft brown colour with dark brown spots on his tail and wings when they're spread out. Beautiful bird.
Oh! On looking at your picture again - it says "male". Perhaps my Sydney is really Sheila?
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« Last Edit: 12:44:21, 26-05-2008 by Milly Jones »
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #152 on: 12:47:55, 26-05-2008 » |
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Sounds more like a sparrowhawk to me.
Lots of magpies here, far too many. I saw a jay this morning, a very handsome bird.
Interesting that there are parakeets near you, Milly - the green ring-necked ones? I had no idea there were any in the north.
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #153 on: 12:50:52, 26-05-2008 » |
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Yes Mary. Don't know how they got there but they seem to be thriving. Next time I go I'll take pictures.
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #154 on: 12:57:07, 26-05-2008 » |
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 This is just like mine.  (Except she looks a bit browner). |
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John W
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« Reply #155 on: 12:59:39, 26-05-2008 » |
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Thanks for mentioning male and female MJ, just looked back on RSPB page and there are actually 4 drawn illustrations of a sparrowhawk, with male and female http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/index.asp#So the bird we see in our garden may be a female sparrowhawk, though I need a photo of it to check out the speckles properly, are they in lines or not etc. Years ago saw a hawk one killing a sparrow caught bathing/drinking at our pond. |
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A
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« Reply #156 on: 13:36:23, 26-05-2008 » |
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Sparrow hawks seem to go in pairs quite often whereas kestrels are loners I think. We had sparrowhawks that used to circle rather like buzzards ( but a bit smaller  ) They make a wonderful mewing noise too. Interested in the parokeets in Lytham Millie, I hadn't heard of them being around until I came down here. As Jan says... simple things! isn't it such a lovely feeling to see a bird , especially one that you can recognise , and smile . I miss the longtailed tits that used to come and peck along the leaded windows , (I presume it was insects that they found there,) every day!! A |
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John W
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« Reply #157 on: 14:18:00, 26-05-2008 » |
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We used to put fat-balls (£2 for 6) in a long bird-feeder but after watching a TV prog a few weeks ago we've begun making our own from old bread and a bit of margarine, birds love that as much as fat-balls and certainly love it better than plain bread. At the moment there's a few small wrinkly apples in the feeder and they are going, slowly  |
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #158 on: 14:21:55, 26-05-2008 » |
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I used to put out suet blocks (like fatballs, but square), but they went in less than a day, and I didn't think I could afford it! The starlings monopolised them.
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Jonathan
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« Reply #159 on: 14:28:26, 26-05-2008 » |
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We get those peanut loaf things and put them in a holder hanging on the garage - the Blue Tits seem to love them!
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Best regards,
Jonathan
*********************************************
"as the housefly of destiny collides with the windscreen of fate..."
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A
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« Reply #160 on: 14:48:26, 26-05-2008 » |
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I used to spend a fortune on sunflower seeds, the inside bits, they attracted goldinches,siskins and gold crests, nuthatches sometimes... it was worth every penny!!
A
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #161 on: 14:57:11, 26-05-2008 » |
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I spend a fortune on sunflower hearts, but the feral pigeons and collared doves monopolise them. I just put them on the bird table because I found that in feeders, the smaller birds ignored them.
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A
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« Reply #162 on: 15:10:07, 26-05-2008 » |
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I used a solid feeder with holes and little bars with a sort of saucer at the bottom... that worked ! something like this one  |
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #163 on: 15:15:35, 26-05-2008 » |
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Thanks A, but the little birds didn't want to know. They guzzle budgie seed by the pound from the feeders but that's about all. Sparrows love millet. The birds here have very definite tastes and preferences. The ducks and all the corvids, including Malcolm, love the peanuts. As for the squirrel, I put a few squares of fruit and nut chocolate out once as an experiment and the squirrel hogged the lot. The pigeons and doves go for the sunflower hearts and every other sort love the wild bird mix. Bread isn't good for any of them but they all love it. The robins like grated cheese and the blackbirds and starlings adore the mealworms. Aren't they expensive? The last bag I bought was £25.00!!!! I've put niger seed out for the finches and black mixed seeds also, but that disappears last - when everything else has run out. Oh and seagulls love chips.  |
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« Reply #164 on: 15:18:52, 26-05-2008 » |
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Isn't it great to see sparrows again Millie? they used to be so common 'when I were young' , but became scarce for quite a while didn't they?
A
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