European Gardening: BIRDS IN THE GARDEN, 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
Patt you have a good range of birds there. The Redpoll is a rare bird isn't it? I remember years ago that it was, I had a husband who knew all the birds and their sounds, and there was one nesting at the top of a railway bank in a bush.

I haven't seen some of these, but if I fed them I might. Do you have open country around you? The long tailed tits, chaffinch, siskins I haven't seen either. Some might be difficult to spot unless close.

Talking about cheeky blackbirds, and cats, there was a male blackbird trying to elbow in on the cat food today as our straypuss was eating. It always notices when the food is out and hangs around, but today it was funny to watch as it went from one side to the other, up on a pot, behind the cat, trying to work out how to pinch some.

I have seen a pair of birds lately that I don't know. The size of a sparrow, the male has broad white bands on its breast and wings. The female has the colouring of a Dunnock, but the size of a sparrow. They were out the back on a rhododendron, the male went on the coal bunker so I got a pic from upstairs through the window. The female sat on top of the rhodo with a feather in her mouth and I snapped her too.