DAILY PICS VOL. 101

Closer

And closer...

beautiful birds rockminer!

Thank you nanny. I am about overwhelmed by the numbers. I usually have one or two breeding pairs. They must like the grub here and invited the whole extended family this year!

Bill

Thank you, and what a great follow up from you all!

Yesterdya both the female and male pheasant appeared, she was a little more nervous than usual unless it's a different bird! The male did his usual territorial rounds, not taking any notice of me at all.

Off down the garden path, he seemed to be tired, I noticed he has some loose wing feathers. Must be tough being top cock.

I have so many Blackbirds which roam the garden, often as it's getting dark. I saw seven at once and most were males, must be last year's offspring as they are territorial. Lately I have seen one chasing another, not too seriously as yet but they come face to face then rise into the air beak to beak. I was lucky enough to see them about to do it and had camera ready, a shame about the washing on the line, lol.

The rise high into the air was sudden, I got some of it!

On their way down.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker which looked bigger is returning several times a day now, I haven't seen the other one and I'm sure it's different. It's very chubby looking and has a huge red patch of feathers on it's lower abdomen.

Clouds came over so the pic was dull, but you can see all the red.

I got a couple of pics later when it was very dark and raining, not a good pic but it shows the spots under the tail feathers.

Something had made the bottom of the nut silo come off while I was doing my rounds, so I had to pick up most of the nuts. The plastic tabs which slot under the wire are tiny and get worn.

Later I saw a magpie flying off, then another on the ground, must have been picking up the nuts left on the ground.

I was stood near my compost bins where a female Blackbird was only about 3 feet from me, she came closer and grabbed a piece of bread which had been dropped by another bird. She took it a short distance and ate it, I have seen the female not being very successful at getting worms and felt sorry for her!

Nice pics rock.........Did you give that Green-tailed Towhee my address?

I saw her later in the day making several attempts to get a worm, each time coming up with grass. Here she is listening intently.

Looking a little annoyed!

I was here first.

(Black-headed Grosbeak)

One down.

This message was edited Apr 29, 2008 12:47 PM

One to go.

That's better.

And where did he go after the fight?...........................................The sock of course.

Wow you guys have been busy today! Great pics everyone!

rockminer and adel, Love those Black-headed Grosbeaks!

Nice pics wallaby; love the Magpie!

Sunshine, I love the Parrots and the Ibis!

nanny, Nice pics of the confrontation!

Just been out in the front yard and that Bullock's Oriole popped in.

He stuck around for quite awhile today.

wow! lucky you Adel.

He really goes for the oranges.

Right on Mrs- Ed. I tried all last year to lure one in with no success.

Very cool adel; you are lucky!

Good Gosh, so pretty!

And to think how excited I've been getting over the bright white on my White-Crowned Sparrow, LOL!

A nice rarity today . . . Red-rumped Swallow.

Normally if I wanted to see one of these, I'd have to travel down to the Mediterranean. This one was just 5km from my home, and attracted quite a crowd of birders to see it.

Resin

Red-rumped Swallow again, front view

Resin

Thats great Resin! I'll bet everyone was excited!

That's s trange Resin, their normal breeding range is coastal Mediterranean and below, passage North Africa so winter must be below that. I wonder if they have been brought up by the warm winds we have had lately.

http://www.birdguides.com/html/vidlib/species/hirundo_daurica.htm#

They've been here before,

http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.com/gallery/NuttallS/RedRumpedSwallow20040430.htm

Noticed how colorful this thread is becoming? Gorgeous, vibrant birds. This is a new one for me, identified on the ID thread as a Common Yellowthroat.

Grackle.

Blue Jay.

Blue Jay again.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker.