british birds – We are out in the garden …

Redwing – a winter visitor that feasts on the garden berries

Every year we are delighted to see the Redwings (Turdus iliacus) arrive from Scandinavia. Part of the thrush family the Redwing has a striking white supercilium above the eye and a white submoustachial stripe. It is however the bold rusty red patch under the wings that allows you to identify these birds with confidence.

In our garden they tend to come for the berries. This year they seem to have started on the holly berries which they finished off well before Christmas. They are now working their way through the Pyracantha (pictured) but as yet they have not started on the Cotoneaster. In a week or so when all the Pyracantha have gone I suspect we will see them sitting in the tall cotoneaster at the end of the garden picking away at those berries as well.

These birds are rarely on their own and we typically see a small flock visiting together calling each other with a sharp ‘tseep’. Once our berries are finished they will wander off across the fields and hedgerows searching for other berries and worms.

According to the RSPB website Redwings migrate by night in loose flocks. In autumn, redwings gather along the Scandinavian coast at dusk before launching off on their single 500 mile flight across the North Sea to the UK.

Some redwings also come from Iceland to winter in Scotland and Ireland. Others come from Russia and Scandinavia to winter in southern England and further south in Europe.

Redwing call

Audio Credit Patrik Aberg Xeno-canto

Garden Ecology: Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

The Green Woodpecker is supposedly a fairly common bird in the UK (c. 52,000 pairs) but we see it only rarely in the garden. The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a more regular visitor and often comes to feed on the peanuts in the bird feeders.

The Green Woodpecker is the largest of the British Woodpeckers and is the size of a large pigeon. It typically feeds on ants probing ant nests with its strong beak and long tongue.

This individual is an adult male as it has a crimson-centred moustache. The female has a black moustache.

It seems that the Green Woodpecker (unlike the Great Spotted Woodpecker) does not drum. Their song is a very characteristic loud ringing laugh (click to play)

Audio credit: Olivier Grosselet, Xeno-canto

First cuckoo of the year

Out walking the dog this lunchtime (30th April 2020) we heard our first cuckoo of the year (Cuculus canorus) across the Warwickshire fields.

The RSPB website highlights the rapid decline of this bird which is now considered a red list species but its sound is so evocative of early spring and summer. It has a slim hawk- like shape with sharply pointed wingtips. The adults typically arrive in April with the adults leaving again in July with the young leaving in September.

It is well known of course for its remarkable habit of laying eggs in the nests of other birds and subcontracting the care of eggs and young to small songbirds.

Cuckoo song:

Audio credit: David Farrow, Xeno-canto

Photo credit: Vedant Raju Kasambe / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Goldfinch – a colourful winter resident

A decade ago Goldfinches ( Carduelis carduelis ) would have been a very rare visitor to our garden here in Warwickshire. In recent years however these small birds with their almost tropical, bright coloured plumage seem to be regular visitors and seem to stay with us all winter long.

It is reported that in the 19th century Goldfinches were often kept as caged birds with many individuals being taken from the wild. Thankfully the sale of wild birds is now illegal and their numbers have recovered well with an estimated 1.2m breeding pairs across the UK.

We rarely see Goldfinches visit our bird table or feeders but they often sit around in groups in the taller trees. In winter we see them perched together soaking up the last rays of evening sunshine before the sun sets. It is rather nice that the collective noun for a group of Goldfinches is call a Charm.

P1030663 — Goldfinches in the garden soaking up the late afternoon January sunshine

Described as a “colourful bird of weedy, over grown rough ground” they feed mainly on thistle heads and teasles and other small seeds (I take no offence as to the indication this gives to the state of our garden – we garden with biodiversity in mind!),

They are very lively and sociable birds and we nearly always see them flitting around the garden in groups. Their twittering song is charming and easily recognisable:

Goldfinch song:

Audio credit: Ruud van Beusekom, Xeno-canto

I am not sure where in the garden they nest but we do see them flying in and out of some of the larger evergreen conifers. Goldfinches nest later in the year than many other garden birds so that there is a good supply of food (mainly regurgitated seeds) for their young. This late nesting may well be something worth considering when planning your hedge cutting regime for next year.

Goldfinch Nest (Photo credit: South Notts Ringing Group – real-time link)

Further reading

“The Crossley ID Guide – Britain and Ireland” by Richard Crossleyand Dominic Couzens (ISBN: 978-0-691-15194-6)

Robin Red Breast singing in the March sunshine (video)

The garden is full of bird song at the moment and it is a pleasure to simply stop and listen and watch. I never quite seem to have the camera with me at the right time but this little robin was kind enough to sit still long enough whilst I zoomed in and caught its song on video. The robin’s red breast and plumage is certainly at its best at this time of year as they prepare for the new breeding season. The red in particular looks great here against the glossy dark green leaves of the holly (Ilex aquifolium)

The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is resident in the garden throughout the year feeding on insects, invertebrates, worms, seeds and fruit. Although very territorial, during the winter we do see a number in the bushes waiting their turn under the bird table or to visit the seed feeder.

They may be very common throughout the whole of the UK but our garden would not be the same without them.

The Dunnock – singing its little heart out in the February sunshine and inspiring poetry.

I would definitely categorised the Dunnock (Prunella modularis) as a ‘little brown job’, quietly moving about in the garden under growth eating small insects, spiders, worms and seeds.

Normally if we hear colourful and melodic birdsong it is typically a robin or wren and to date we have not really associated the Dunnock (or Hedge Sparrow) as a significant part of the spring chorus.

Over the last few days of February this year (2019) the temperature has been unseasonably warm in our garden in Warwickshire and it has brought everything to life. Not only have we enjoyed the sunshine and blue skies but clearly the birds have as well.

I was lucky enough to capture this little Dunnock on camera in the afternoon sunshine. It stayed put long enough to capture its song, clearly communicating with another Dunnock that you can hear in the background responding between the phrases.

We have written in the past about how the garden has inspired a couple of artists (Jenny Lucey and Petra Rich-Alexandre) but for the first time we have inspired a poet. My friend Paul Waring on seeing this clip on Facebook was moved to verse and I am delighted that he has agreed to allow me to publish it here alongside this clip.

Hedge Sparrow sings this Spring like day,
Before the first of March,
No Willow quite yet out in leaf,
Or Oak, Elm, Birch or Larch,
Another is but a field away,
No time to waste or wait,
With food to gather,
Nests to build,
A place to rest and mate,
We’re fools to think the Winter’s gone,
While Sun hangs long and low,
This time last year the snows had come,
Before the cold could go,
But harken at the sweet bird song,
In hope of longer days,
Then marvel at the Dunnock’s voice,
With sunshine that’s ablaze.

More of Paul’s creativity can be found on his Facebook poetry page .

Six birds in a bush on Saturday

The Pyracantha bush just behind the house is in its full glory, covered in bright scarlet berries and looking wonderful in the autumn sunshine. At this time of year it attracts a wide range of birds, some come to feast on the berries each day, others like to simply sit and soak up the morning sunshine on a cold morning whilst for others it is a safe place to rest on route from A to B.

This week I have tried to capture some of the visitors to this one bush on camera. Here are six:

One: Redwing – an autumn and winter visitor to the garden enjoying a meal after flying in from Scandinavia

Redwing audio:

Audio credit: Patrik Aberg , Xeno-canto

Two: Pied wagtail – although not an uncommon bird we don’t often get these in the garden so I was delighted to be able to catch this one on camera.

Pied wagtail audio:

Audio credit: Tomas Belka , Xeno-canto

Three: Blackbird – a very common bird in many gardens but lovely to have them nesting here and singing their hearts out all the same.

Blackbird audio:

Audio credit: Niels Krabbe , Xeno-canto

Four: A family of sparrows just sitting and enjoying the sun and chatting amongst themselves (now a very much rarer sight than they used to be)

House sparrow audio:

Audio credit: Jarek Matusiak , Xeno-canto

Five: Greenfinch – the numbers of greenfinchs have declined in recent years partly because of Trichomonosis, the name given to a disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae. It is nice to have them as an increasingly regular visitor to the garden now.

Greenfinch audio:

Audio credit: Sander Bot , Xeno-canto

Six: Bullfinch – this stunning male bullfinch has been a regular visitor this week and has been joined towards the end of the week by two female bullfinches as well.

Bullfinch audio:

Audio credit: Niels Krabbe , Xeno-canto

To complete the record I have also seen Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Robins on this Pyracantha during the week but have not managed to capture them on camera.

The Six on Saturday meme is hosted by The Propagator. Click on the link to see what other plant lovers are chatting about.

Autumn and winter residents – our feathered friends

Our garden here at Waverley is home for a wide range of birds, many of whom stay with us throughout the winter weather. Some, like the fieldfares and redwings, are migratory and visit to feast on the berries.

Over the last few months we have been trying to catch as many of these on camera as we can. Not an easy task as some of them move so very quickly and many are very shy creatures.

Here is a selection of the residents for 2017/18.

Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)

Food: Small insects, larvae and other invertebrates plus seeds, fruit and buds

Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)

Food: Seeds, grain, fruits, vegetables, berries and some insects and worms

Ketrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Food: Small mammals and birds, worms and insects

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

Food: Worms, snails and fruit

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Food: Worms, insects, berries and seeds

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Food: Berries, fruits, worms and insects

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Food: Insects and seeds

Great Tit (Parus major)

Food: Mainly insects, spider and small invertebrates but also fond of nuts

Coal Tit (Periparus ater)

Food: Insects, seeds and nuts

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Food: Some insects but mainly weed seeds

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Food: Seeds and insects

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Food: Insects, seeds, nuts and other fruits

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Food: Mainly insects and larvae but will also rob nests for young birds. Will visit feeders for nuts in winter.

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Food: Mainly insects and spiders but also seeds.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Food: Mainly insects and spiders plus some fruit, seeds and berries

Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

Food: Berries, fruits, insects and worms

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

Food: Seeds, berries and fruit

Dunnock (Prunella modularis)

Food: Insects and small invertebrates with seeds in winter

In addition there are some I have not managed to catch on camera yet. These include wrens, collared doves, sparrow hawks, magpies, buzzards, jackdaws, jays, carrion crows, sparrows and more.

By trying to provide garden habitats that offer seeds and attract insects our aim is to encourage as many of these beautiful birds as possible. They all add interest to the garden and keep us occupied with the binoculars for hours!

All photographs and videos are the property and copyright of Dr Stephen Lucey, 2018