Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Lovely pics Mucks, your sister should feel very proud of those. :thumb: It is a good one of that little wren who was pretending to be part of the undergrowth too. Martin Mere must be a great place to visit. :)
 
Very nice Mucks! :thumb:

You've just reminded me about getting a bird feeder too, which I've been meaning to do for a while :nod:
 
thanks ...

Yep, can get very crowded on a Sunday afternoon, but we know where to go and Hide. :D


Martin Mere is, I believe, around 150 hectors of 'wetlands' though they, WWT, manage it exceedingly well.

I can't remember what camera my sister actually has, it is a digital Instamatic but, has 6x optical zoom & is 6 mega-pixel :thumb: ... all my pics I deleted, they were, err, crap. :rolleyes:

I need a new 'toy' ... you should see some of the 'kit' some people lunk around. :lol:


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Ian Cunningham said:
Very nice Mucks! :thumb:

You've just reminded me about getting a bird feeder too, which I've been meaning to do for a while
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Great!! ... everybody should have at least one. :nod:

I too am looking, but I do not even have a window box, may actually be impractical for me, I really don't see that many birds would like to visit my, exposed, window. :(

However, I'm lucky enough to be on the doorstep of some great places to visit ... even on Southport's prom there is an RSPB 'Hide', and another one comming soon, especially to see the wading birds we get here, not to mention guees, swans and a few hundred other birds I've never even heard of. ;)

"I have the twitchers bug" ... and a load of books, plus a few hundred bookmarks. :lol:


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itsme said:
#Don`t forget the Robin#:thumb: Nice pics mucks;)
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... and the Chaffinch. :D

There are an abundance of Robin on the reserve ... we had the pleasure of watching three at that particular Hide ... quite a show they put on for us ... one was obviously a last years offspring, but he wasn't about to give any ground to a more dominant Robin, the third guy just seem to ignore them until they both got a wee bit close to him. They ain't a timid bird, and you'll see loads of 'em at Martin Mere ... fact is, you'll see loads of 'common garden' birds there. :nod: Not seen a Thrush yet. :(

We also seen, our first time in 'spotting' these birds at MM, a 'party' of Longtail Tits ... not a very colourful bird, but very socialable, about 20-25 in the party ... yep, they are called a party, not a flock. I learn something new every day. :D

:wave:
 
muckshifter said:
...

We also seen, our first time in 'spotting' these birds at MM, a 'party' of Longtail Tits ... not a very colourful bird, but very socialable, about 20-25 in the party ... yep, they are called a party, not a flock. I learn something new every day. :D

:wave:
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Oooh Mucks, I really must take issue there (but in a nice way ;) ) We are lucky enough to be visited by little flocks of Long Tailed Tits who like to "party" at our nut-feeders, etc. Just wait until you get a closer look at one, they are awfully pretty. They have a beautiful dusky pink-ish hue and are prettily marked.

At one time, we also had a window-feeder, attached to our kitchen window (by suction pads) and so we had the good fortune to get a very, very close view indeed of both the LTTs and many other species who became quie brave about coming in close. In fact, it was sometimes difficult to decide who was watching whom!! :lol: The only reason for not having the window feeder now, is that the squirrels also liked to use it - which we didn't mind at all, but they insisted upon getting right into the feeder; wood pidgeons also liked to perch on it, so eventually, it was dislodged and was damaged on the path below which didn't do it much good ... as you can imagine. :D
 
Thanks TC ... you are right, they do have pinkie-ish feathers, just checked one of me books
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... it's just we didn't get all that good a look-see at them ... 'noculars were a bit of a waste of time, them little bugger were flitting from branch to branch, no time to get one in focus before it moved off, only got to use the naked eye ... still, we did 'spot' em, and, knew the name. We did see 'em three times that day. :D

Now then, interesting about that 'sucker' feeder ... wasn't sure if they would work as advertised ... it's a long way down from my flat window, and I wouldn't be able to retrieve it off the roof below if it decided to part company from me window.

Also, my window opens upwards, I can't really access the outside, I'm 3rd floor here. I don't like heights. :o

Was thinking on just attaching, somehow, a 'bird-table' on to the windowsill ... 2'x1' should/may work. I do spend a lot of time cooped up in here. :D


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Yes, having a feeder that could be more "permanently" affixed to your window-ledge would probably be best for your situation Mucks, good idea :thumb: and shouldn't be too difficult to make from scratch so that you can have the exact size to suit your window.

If you make one, remember to put a bit of wooden profiling around the edge to stop the seeds from falling off too quickly, but leave a wee gap at one corner to provide some drainage for when it rains.

The sucker-type lasted for a long time here, and was surprisingly resilient to the heavier visitors (aforementioned squirrels, etc.,) but they do loosen sometimes so suckers need to be cleaned off and re-attached, best for easily accessible windows. :D
 
Nice pix Mucks :thumb:

I think I saw a woodpecker for the first time ever only recently. I was waiting on the train station platform and wondered what this knocking noise was.

I eventually noticed, on a steep slope raising from the opposite platform, a woodpecker at the top of a tree peck peck pecking away. Fascinating.

Also on that slope there's a couple of foxes, I often see them strutting about, cocky as anything, they just stare at me sometimes.

While we be on the subject, I've only ever once seen an owl in the wild. It was in 1981 when I was working on a pipeline and we were going past Shoreham village in Kent. I wandered into the woods for a Gypsy's, found a clearing and whilst I was tending to things I became aware of a sensation of being watched.

When I turned round, there, not twelve feet from me sitting on a branch, was an owl. Huge eyes, head moving slowly from side to side, looking at me. I must have stayed still and looked at it for a full five minutes. Great stuff.

But, as I said, only time I've ever seen an owl in the wild.

I suppose that's nothing to country folk but to this City Boy it was quite novel :)
 
muckshifter said:
... and the Chaffinch. :D

There are an abundance of Robin on the reserve ... we had the pleasure of watching three at that particular Hide ... quite a show they put on for us ... one was obviously a last years offspring, but he wasn't about to give any ground to a more dominant Robin, the third guy just seem to ignore them until they both got a wee bit close to him. They ain't a timid bird, and you'll see loads of 'em at Martin Mere ... fact is, you'll see loads of 'common garden' birds there.
nod.gif
Not seen a Thrush yet. :(

We also seen, our first time in 'spotting' these birds at MM, a 'party' of Longtail Tits ... not a very colourful bird, but very socialable, about 20-25 in the party ... yep, they are called a party, not a flock. I learn something new every day. :D

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I have one that visits the rear garden at least 4 times a day getting very friendly he/she comes closer to me each day feed it with seeds it loves the attention it receives. I will try and get a photo for you to see.:D
 
Nice pictures lovely birds.

Strange but true I have seen Parrots and a wood pecker in my garden.

I hope to one day see a RED Squirrel.

I did take a few pictures of the parrots they are cool.
 
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