European Gardening: BIRDS IN THE GARDEN, 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
Hi Patt, you must think I live at this computer, yes most of the time! I hadn't thought of the film being linked, but it probably is! Groundhog day seems to perpetually breed, I'm sure there are more of them each year!

You must live in a very nice aea, sounds like country. We had an owl on our roof a year or two ago hooting away, and in the trees, I don't always hear them but they are around, it was around in the day time too. I have seen Great Tits around a lot lately, they don't seem to stop long enough to get the camera. On one of our mild days recently there was a bird in our 'beck' on the leaves using it as a landing pad to have a bath, it's just at the front of the house and easy to see from the upstairs window. The Great Tits were also flitting about, then a blackbird scared the other off and had a good bath. It went just to the side and came back when the blackbird went. It looked like a female Goldfinch, and I managed to get a pic before it went. I don't think it was the mystery bird, a bit paler, couldn't see it's head very well, it was facing the other way! I cropped it to bring closer, it is a bit fuzzy, I used the zoom and you can't take a pic quickly with that.

There was also a Robin sitting on the Elderberry just opposite the oak tree, got a pic of him too.

I have lots of flowers open now, Helleborus, Crocus, Cyclamen, Snowdrops, Iris reticulata Pauline now. It is beginning! 10 day forecast only gives us 5-7C, but if we get some sun it can't be bad. You might be a bit cooler, it goes uphill to Sheffield, 3-4C is a good snow temperature. We mostly get a wet snow flurry around Easter. I have posted lots of pics in the bulb forum if you want to see them. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/575352/ there is more on the link of the previous thread.


My propogater is full after a reshuffle, but I got a small one last year and have pots waiting on the floor ready for the seed, just have to put them in! I have to keep it going a bit at a time or won't get them all sown! Arrrrgghh

Here is the Goldfinch(?)