Daily Pics Volume 122

Last thread here,

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/870653/#new

This Pied Wagtail has young to feed, it was darting around catching insects.

Funny to watch.

Got one!

Flying off..

But there's more to catch!

Then there were two..

Spied yet another...

Then there were three!

About a week ago I saw a pair of Goldfinches flitting together as if in courtship. I had a pair nesting in the garden, but discovered the nest had completely gone all but a few strands of grassy bits. They are now gone too, no sign of a nest, so I wondered if they had taken the material to build elsewhere.

Here is one on the electricity cable, I think the male, the female was there too.

I think this is the female, with less red on the face.

One of teh Goldfinches flew in to land where the other was, but it flew off. Here it is about to land, it looks to be gauging it's landing by using it's beak.

Landing

Baby Blue Tit was on the cable too, all on it's own!

Hey dad, I can feed myself now!

But I get scared when something big flies over!

One must try to retain one's dignity you know..

Neat pics Wallaby, Pied Wagtail is Fun to look at too. Great start to the new thread.

Got a pic of of few families of Canada Geese today. They were a bit far for a good photo.

And a purple finch.

Female Goldfinch.

Nanny_56 In answer to your question on the other thread................our water comes from a stream, if we don't use it it just flows on by, so I let it trickle into the pond to kep it fresh.

This message was edited Jul 4, 2008 10:25 PM

Great pics wallaby - goldfinches are beautiful - first time for me. As for the distance shot of the Geese, welcome to my world..lol! They sit on a wire, a M I L E away or they duck and run with field-grass as cover. I do appreciate seeing these great pics. With my video it was better, because I could tape it and come home search for the shot, and make a pic....quality was just awfull. With camera, you can do continuous shots, lovely shots of tree stumps so far..haha..but it will get better..so again...thumbs up to you all!

Nice start wallaby! Thank You!

I love those Blue Tits and Wagtails!

I built a little endless stream last fall and the birds love it almost more than me! Here is a collage that is made up of snaps taken during a 20 min period of the gathering yesterday at the new " bathing hole" at around noon. My regular male Rufous-sided Towhee was not among the group yesterday while I was watching. I have yet to have a camera in hand when he is there. Patti

Thanks burn; distance shots are sometimes as good as a close up, it gives a good view of their habitat! Nice Purple Finch with the blue skies, that always helps! Love all those rocks in your Goldfinch pic, they would cost a fortune to buy here.

Thanks Little, Goldfinches are amazing to watch when they feed on insects together, flitting up like peaks of waves then swooping down again in shallow dips in unison. I saw them meet in the air, then twirl in a downwards spiral just before I got those pics, shame I missed that!

Thanks pelle, they do have character!

Nice assortment of birds Patti, so rewarding to know you have provided a place for them.

Talking about character, all birds seem to have plenty of it. A Jackdaw landed in the flowering cherry tree, seemingly hiding. It moved slowly through the branches, dropped to the ground, looked around then disappeared into the flower bed! I had put some bread crust around the area, it went out the farthest end and picked up a piece.

I took these from my kitchen window a few days ago.

Sneaking along the branch

Peeking from under the leaves.. this could be the reason for it's caution, see it's back leg, it's bare.

Looking in the direction of the bread.

It hesitates, you can see the feathers are damaged a little too. It went to the right, which was under the branch it had come from!

Success!

Nice shots, wallaby. How was the air show?

Thanks Margaret. The Red Arrows went straight over my huge Horse Chestnut tree earlier at an angle, very tight formation, banking to circle back over my roof! They were so low, and there is such a small gap between the tree and roof, even though I was stood camera in hand waiting to see what was coming and where from I had no time to focus! The tail end was over the tree, front end over the roof, and they go fast! I stepped away from the house to see them go behind a nearby oak tree on the other side, then as they circled further away I could only spot a couple going between gaps in trees!

The noise must have been deafening (read fantastic from an aviation nut).

Great pics everyone and Wallaby thanks for the new thread!

Here's my friend the goose again, from my local country park. I just love him!

Good grief, this one took off in a hurry! lol

Adel... thanks

wallaby thnks for the great start!

Patti...that looks really cool! I need something like that.

kniphofia... cute goose, and meant to tell you I loved your Rook awhile back. Reminds me of our big silly crows, who I just love!

I finally have gotten some good shots of an Eastern Kingbird!!

and

My little House Wren...I call her Nettie!

Nice collage bbrookrd!

Great shots everyone!

Love the goose knifophia!

My mission of mercy/be careful what you wish for

For years I've hoped to be able to watch a Bullocks Oriole nest from close up, and hopefully see a successful fledge. The first nesting I saw resulted in the loss of the hatchlings the first day. Jays, I supposed.

This year with three nests in the same tree, I thought my chance may have come. I am monitoring the lowest nest almost constantly. I posted on the last thread of the successful return to the nest of a youngster.

A couple days ago, a nestling was again on the ground, as yet unable to fly. (can't post pix now, as my PC is down again) I called upon a neighbor with a full sized pick up to climb on top and replace the bird.

I was too busy yesterday to check on the nest, and then this morning, oh my!

I discovered a babe seemingly stuck on the outside of the nest! Parents chose site unwisely, as there are no branches below, and so unflying babe can only go down if it leaves/falls from the nest.

While I mulled this problem and how to resolve, babe became weaker and weaker. Son finally got up and I asked him to park under the nest with our small pickup. I set the stepladder in the bed, and reaching as high as I could, was able to get the very tip of the nest branch and pull it down. Parents chewed me out royal as babe cried.

Somehow that poor little bird had got nesting material caught on it's little tongue, and the tip had dried out. I had scissors in my pocket, as I had supposed something was holding babe in place. Goodness only knows how long that poor thing had hung there like that, unable to eat! Son and I trimmed as much as we dared, and for the third time (so far!) a nestling was replaced in that nest.

I don't know if babe can survive, but it was quite vocal and active during our attempts to assist it.

I wanted to witness a nesting, but this is way more up close and personal than I had in mind! I'm exhausted!

Noise wasn't as loud as you would expect Margaret, modern technology I guess! I'm not an aviation nut but I did find it thrilling, sort of, lol, right over my head. Still sore I couldn't get any pics!

Cute goose knip, messy eater too!

Congrats nanny! :)

Wow tiger, they are surviving through a lot of miraculous rescues! I hope they make it through to fledging.