Garden birds throughout the year.

I've got goosegogs !! Wonderful ! I wish it was me in September ! :~)))

Absolutely beautiful photo's BB thank you.You are so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful creatures and be able to capture their exploits ! :)

How i Love Your Blogs&Photos Jane/Ray :) Thanx4sharing XXX

wow,love the robin in the hand .

Fantastic photos, so hard to choose a favourite ....maybe the robin in July. What is the bird in the second from last pic and is that a baby one in October?
Brilliant, thanks so much for sharing them with us.

This is a great blog :-)))
You are just 'so' lucky to get all these visiting :-/

Fantastic. Great to be reminded with such beautiful pics.

What a wonderful "gallery"....magic!!

Thank you for all your lovely comments.Just taking the opportunity to look back over the year and have now come full circle.
Lily2...the October bird is a young goldfinch...so late...second clutch,and second from last an adult !
The last pic is a winter visiting brambling..hope to see again this month !
Sue...it really was so special ! x

Superb collection BB.

Wonderful photos! And the birds are very happy. :) Great!

Thanks both...they are better fed than me ! Lol

Absolutely Amazing BB , fantastic photo's , you must have so much patience waiting for just the right moment ... perfect :o)

Ray/Jane - thank you both YET again for this beautiful set of photos. It would make a wonderful calendar. Imagine the photos blown up!

I had a smile on my face for every month. I've just looked again - and I really can't pick a favourite one. :-))))))

Thank you Amy..been lovely to look back and reflect.
Spritz...had not thought of it but ..yes..every picture tells a story ..as they say.Each photo has a special memory,but the most thrilling had to be the baby robin on hand.A never to be forgotten moment.........x

~the Brambling is lovely~Beautiful selection of birds!

Thanks Arlene..wonder what the next year will bring ? x

~ at the moment I have a really handsome pair of Bullfinches and a few Nuthatches as well as four or five Goldfinches but when I go outside everything flies away so difficult to take photos~ I need a hide! Lets hope we can get them all through the winter!

Agree with Spritz would make an excellent bird calendar, as usual wonderful photos.

Great set of photos BB. I wonder what next year will bring ?

Sharp, clear images! Partial to the strutting pheasant in March. Keep shooting pix from your blind! (or do you use a telephoto?)

great pics! =^..^=

What a lovely informative Blog with superb photographs.( No signs of Cyril lurking anywhere....phew.... my heart was racing there for a minute!)
Love and best wishes to you both.
G and A xx

Oh what a lovely reminder of all those gorgeous babies! Wonderful blog and brilliant photos. Keep taking the photos :)

LOL Bb. I thought it looked like a goldfinch but for some reason I had it in my head I was looking at a bigger bird and couldn't think of one like that! What a wally!!
I suspect it's not luck that brings all these lovely visitors to your garden, more like providing the right food, conditions and ambience to attract them and make them so trusting?

That is wonderful BB. What a huge selection of species you get, and you seem to get more than your fair share of long-tailed tits and coal tits. I agree with Dd2 it would make a great calender. The raven had a whole rasher of bacon by the look of it - no wonder they all come to you for banquets like that! Wonderful pictures, congratulations.

WOW. Speechless!

Loved every one I think the Robin on your and the Sparrow hawk are my favourite oh I also love the Goldfinches bathing, Like Dd2 suggests would make i fantastic calendar. I will be first in the queue

fantastic blog BB.love all your bird pics............

Your photos are really amazing - have you got some kind of special camera?

Just loved this blog, BB! Great job & the photos are amazing. I get hawks in the yard too, and although it is sad to see them take prey, especially when it is a favourite, they are doing it for survival and, as you say, don't waste or take more than necessary, not like the likes of us. They too are facinating to watch!
Hope you get lots more visitors this December!

Brilliant blog all those lovely birds you are lucky, especially with the robin and the Sparrow hawk( little and large).

Thanks Grenville ..Cyril not seen since became a dad brief visit from two youngsters then off.

Too kind Spritz and Arlene ..oh Bullfinches lovely colour rarely see them .

Thanks Orgratis and Hw only a compact digital with zoom most taken outside birds will approach quite close if you sit some taken from kitchen window and a few behind my van which most use as a giant perch and toilet !

Thanks Gee Lily and Mad ..was shortly after Christmas last year the Rooks dont get pieces that big too often ..only the rind honest cant afford to hang bacon joints from trees !

Thanks Sid - sorry searched my pics for that lovely painting you did of song thrush think you could re post it for Christmas please ? Think I must have deleted on an email attachment ..duh

Thanks PP and Holly wish could oblige but fear it would cost a fortune ..if anyone knows of a cheap way ..

Its a Panasonic Lumix Bamboo with 10x zoom. Latest models 12x only small but the Leica lens is a gem.

Aye Gz couldnt post a pic of small birds being taken and there are special feeders TT has one to protect from attack .. but has taken birds from pond too and at least they seem to breed here faster than he can take them ..

Thanks Mavis.

Ah, that's the one my son wanted me to buy, but I went for the Sony with a Carl Zeiss lens, 12.1 megapixel, but less zoom - it has 4 x optical and 4 times auto zoom. Might have made the wrong decision, though generally am happy with it except for the zoom.

This is great news for me regarding the camera Bb, as this is what my new one is. I haven't progressed much beyond macro yet but am now itching to try out the zoom on some birds.....not many around at 9.30pm though! LOL

Great quality lens on yours too Bamboo and perfect for garden shots .. larger zooms only really necessary for shots I like to take .

I try to avoid using the digital zoom option which magnifies more but looses clarity. Our location and seeing birds habits and routines allows me to prepare for them if i walked round the garden they d fly off like they do for anyone else ..

You wont regret it Lily. Janes had me trying to get pics of Tawny Owls and bats in the dark ..

I have yet to work out which zoom I'm using! But i don't think I'd get such good shots as yours when it comes to birds.

If you take a sharp pic Bamboo it will tolerate cropping much better than trying to zoom in fully on camera. Just stick with optical zoom auto zoom the same just returns to previous setting as you turn camera on.Doesnt change unless you ve switched to another setting .. this make sense ?

I've just got one of those sort of rocker switch type things to increase and reduce zoom - its not clear to me what type of zoom is being used when you use that button, even though I've read the instruction book from cover to cover.

The rocker will only zoom Bamboo .. auto zoom returns to where you last zoomed and you can still use the rocker to zoom in and out from this.

Auto zoom does not change settings but merely how you zoom in and out .

Fantastic Ray & Jane.I agree it would make a beautiful calendar,don`t think I could choose a favourite as they are all special in their own way......

Superb pictures Bonkers... great to see a house sparrow with chicks, we don't see them in London anymore.

wonderfull pictures jane/ray, really cheered me up to see them all :o))

Thanks Lincslass ..nice idea but wouldnt know where to start lol

Thanks Rk although still many millions of them numbers have dropped from 15 to 5 million over last 30 years.Many theories for this the one I favour is new housing developments with open plan gardens no hedges plastic sofits with no exposed guttering ..they are not the most nimble of birds and the feeder they prefer here is in a hedge where they can sit on small branches and eat.

Thats kind of you to say Sandra ..I think the most interesting are the Rooks as we live under a large Rookery you d expect very little else to get a look in.

Their social heirachy is really interesting and there are clearly boss birds the others wait for .. they dont raid everything to the exclusion of others and smaller birds dont see them as a threat like they do Jackdaws Magpies etc.

Sad they ve been so heavily persecuted .. yes they feed in fields but this often after harvesting when stubble left.Stories still persist of them taking young lambs think the eye pecking is to ensure the animal is in fact dead as no living thing would tolerate this.This to me would explain why they peck and jump back from food as will eat carrion but not live food.

i enjoy watching the rooks across from work on the park, there are lots of them there, my favourite pic is the dove nesting with her young ones, its so sweet :o))

Isn't that a Tree Sparrow at the nestbox (pic10) ? Here in Southport we have very few House Sparrows despite the housing stock being predominantly Victorian - gaps around sofits, exposed guttering etc. Even where they have previously nested, sites are deserted. Although a seed eater, the young are fed on insects and there are certainly fewer of those in gardens these days. Worrying, whatever the cause. It's not only House Sparrows missing from my garden, it's Starlings too. I'd say my most numerous bird is the Goldfinch, with good numbers of Greenfinch, Blackbird and Dunnock not far behind.
It's good to see the variety of birds in your garden BB, we appreciate you sharing them with us - keep posting the photos.

Oh Ray/Jane and wonderful blog with wonderful photos - as ever.
Loved it. Is that a baby goldfinch in October - all fluffy?

Absolutely brill blog and photos as always. :o)))

Yes Mw you quite right a tree sparrow all numbers have declined significantly and red listed by BTO . Perhaps spoilt here as all sparrows and dunnocks here in good numbers.Must be some sort of enviromental factor affecting them perhaps you nearer the mark with loss of food supply.Esp as seed eaters seem to be doing well.

See your in Southport not too far from Clarice if you wonder where your starlings are ..

Yes Dawn that lovely sunshine in October - seems a while ago now - produced a late flush .

Thanks Clarice .

Your welcome BB :o)))

Thanks BB. Yes I see now, my Starlings must be taking a holiday ! Lol

MW do you wont me to send you some.

Oh Clarice, if only you could !

I liked colourful March it made me see red. April to June produced some blooming great new shoots appropriate for the season. August was the most entertaining. September was magical. October 1 looks as though it wouldn't fit in October 2. November was too wet. I think this December was the most pleasing present for you to get? There are a few in my area but I have never seen one in my garden. I do hope this December doesn't mean we will have fewer lovely bird photos from you in 2010. What I want to know are your new year ornithological photo aspirations? Thanks for sharing your most enjoyable presentation.

yes sparrows and dunocks good here to muddy... i have quite a few in my garden im pleased to say

Thank you Gardeningfr for your poetical and moving thoughts on this blog Your comments are spot on,especially regarding September ! Thaks again for taking the time....

yes im in awe of jane with little robin in hand ;o)) that would make my day , my life if that was to happen to me

Stand still long enough outside in the winter, especially holding food, and it will Sanbaz! There's been times where they've perched on my digging fork while I'm still holding it, as I'm reaching down with the other hand to pick out a weed root, not to mention jumping into the hole while I'm still digging it...

lol bamboo, cant just imagin little robin jumping in the hole, i need to get out and start some work around them stumps, might take my mind of things :o)

Lol,true Bamboo.They really are nosey little birds arent they...into everything ! San...cold crisp days are probably the best times,but do wrap up warm ! x

As soon as you start turning the soil in autumn and winter, a robin will appear. When it sat in the hole, I actually told it off for not waiting till I'd finished - he took not a whit of notice, fixed his beady eye on me momentarily and then proceeded to rootle around in the hole, while I waited till he'd finished.

Lol ! See he showed you who was boss then ! Lol

yes its a bit wet and damp here at the moment jane/ray, so hoping for better dry days next weekend when joe can help, i have my new wellies and baz`z old padded jacket i wear in winter for gardening :o)

Funnily enough been dry with sunshine here today San,but had a lot of rain overnight! Good luck with your new project x

Well, BB, I figured his need was greater than mine - he needed food, I didn't , and it was a delight to the eye anyway;-)

i would have done like you bamboo and just enjoyed watching little robin helping himself ;o)
thanx jane/ray, cant wait to do it as ive so much in my head lol

Couldnt agree more Bamboo !
San...understand...x

This is fantastic, absolutely lovely! :o)

Sandra x

Thank you Sandra x

So beautiful BB..what a joy for you to have all of these birds visiting...I do not know the names of them...but the little fluffy August birds have won my heart..so dear...
Perhaps one day when you have some time..you would edit this delightful blog and tell us of your memories and maybe a name or two here and there even..lol..I know I am just awful and never satisfied that you went to the trouble of sharing such a lovely Blog...xx :) ~Cat

So sorry Cat .. many here so keen on birds they will identify immediately of course should have thought that they not so commom to others outside UK .

I will edit and try wherever possible to make it relevant to you ..some related to your American robin the August pics of young blackbirds which members of the Thrush family so more related to your robin than our own is .. if that makes sense .

Oh ..goodness..I would have never thought ...lol..little fatties..and what were they doing there...? They certainly look a bit off kilter..drunkards are they? lol

I didn't know what they all were either, BB, so I'd like some names too!

Only just found your blog Bonkers, but what beautiful photos A well recorded year I should say...Well done..........

Just out of pond Cat and literally sunbathing ..

Will do Bamboo ..

Thanks Milky nice to look back ..certainly dont miss February ..

Lovely, thank you - Siskins, never seen them before, nor did I recognise the fledgling anything.

Often winter visitors here ..some stay in conifer forests have become partial to nyger seed very small finch but so hardy come to escape the worst of Scandinavian winters.

Our stone walls covered in ivy and the little Wrens roost together in it at night in really severe winters 20 or more have been found huddled together in one nest .. bless them.

Wrens I do get, noisy little things, but I think recognising fledglings is an art form I haven't acquired!

OH my BB..lovely...thank you for the names..I still love the Fledgling blackbirds the best..what clowns..I love them all..thank you so much for naming them..xx ~Cat

Suppose a bit easier for us when nest here Bamboo and see mum and dad feeding them ..sorry Cat should really have done it in the first place shouldnt I ?

Some are real cheeky and have come into our kitchen looking for food ..

lol..now I would just love that..lol..little sparrows used to come into my store to see if customers had dropped muffin crumbs..I encouraged them of course after I first saw them up to it..and at my campround store the squirrels came in and stole m&m's right off the candy shelf and ran off out the door with them..lol
thieves and pirates the lot of them..

LOL x

Just revisiting these stunning pictures Ray/Jane.....why do the starlings remind me of Morecomb & Wise? ;-)

They are doing their 'Bring me sunshine' song and dance routine lol :)

Its all in the leg movements Sid Lol !

Aster LOL...took the words right out of my mouth !

x-D Yup, that's it!!!