We were worried because the usual winter birds had not appeared. We looked at migratory patterns, which had changed; the reports from others in Texas; and couldn't figure out why we didn't have our birds. Well, they are back! Today we had redwing blackbirds, white crowned sparrows, a redheaded woodpecker, lots of house sparrows, and a yellow rumped warbler. We tried to get a photo of the warbler, but it kept darting into the ashe juniper where it could hide from the camera. this is a photo from a previous year when the "butter butt" wasn't so shy!
MG I am glad to hear of the birds return. I know there have been reports of declining bird populations. It is doubly real when you actually observe it. For some reason this winter gold finches have been among the missing. They were present in the fall, gone until a brief appearance right around Christmas for one week. Since then they have been gone again. ??? Ordinarily they are with us throughout the year.
What a marvellous foto, Jane. My Bride liked it too and found it aptly named. BTW, have you shown this bird before — a long, long time ago? It seems so familiar. Maybe it was Kildale. That little butter butt spot rings a bell. I have also missed the presence of some birds this winter as well. One thing may be the presence of bird flu in this country brought in by the migrators. It has been found in chicken batteries here, resulting in the mass destruction of thousands of chooks and quarantine restrictions for the farms. This bird flu is a serious thing in our country for it kills many songbirds as well as commercial fowl, and our economy is in great part an agricultural-based one.
I have also noticed a lack of some species here. Starlings (that were the bane of my life) have gone completely and, strangely, I now miss their chatter. Tree creepers, nuthatches, and greenfinches have also gone. Other bird numbers have dropped - except for wood pigeons which appear to be on the increase.
Sjoerd, I may have posted that photo before--we were not able to get a good picture of the one visiting now. Cayuga, we have had intermittent visits from gold finches since October. Sometimes they are here, other times not. It is cold and windy today, and the birds are hitting the feeders hard.
Jane—Well maybe I am just imagining it. It wouldn’t be the first time—just ask my Bride. Anyhow, it is a super foto, I can count the feathers.
We only have goldfinches in the winter and they arrived last week. Haven't had green finches for a few years and the starlings. Lovely pic @marlingardener
Ours are late too MG ! Just this week a few of the Chicadees have returned ! Of course this warm weather has not helped ! Poor birds don`t know its winter !
Lovely bird! So glad they are back. Our bird population is dwindling, but we're happy to observe a fine flock of bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla) in our garden this year.
Here in "suburbia" the birds never go far, with so many gardens close together. Sometimes "ours" seem to disappear for a couple of days. This means they've just found a source of food nearer than ours. They disappeared for a few days last week, but they are back with a vengence, "Rocky" robin, "Winnie" wagtail, the four blackbirds, the dunnocks, sparrows, bluetits, a pair of starlings and a pair of jays. But not all at the same time.
We have been discussing this also in the last couple of days. We haven't seen tree creepers, nuthatches, or greenfinches for years, and the lesser spotted woodpecker seems non existent too. The bullfinch has also disappeared as have the firecrests. With the amount of greenfield land now vanishing and being replaced by housing and roads I daresay even more of our precious wildlife will suffer and perish. We have been hearing the ''death team'' out there in the fields today, happily killing anything they can for the love of their ''sport'' I am unable to type the words we use to describe the scene.
Tetters, we don't allow hunting on our land. We do allow some fishing, since the ponds get overcrowded with catfish and perch, and the population needs to be thinned. What the herons, anhingas, and turtles don't take, we allow certain people to fish here. We have had strangers want to hunt our land. We say no, and if they argue, I tell them I'll have open hunting season on trespassers. That seems to shut down the conversation.
