Birds
Update 17.03.23
The robin and the worm
The humble earth worm is a VERY important food source for a wide range of animals like: birds, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs etc.
Don't blink or the Song thrush is gone
Tug of survival
The Blackbird also likes to snack on earthworms.
Bite size bits
Dunnock
The Chaffinches
Will all his hard work be rewarded?
Redwing close up
Great tit looking for its next meal
Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Great tit loving the waterbowls
Update 03.03.23
Wood pigeon patrol is here again
Looks like a thorough ground inspection, what will be the outcome?
Wood pigeon wondering to continue with the inspection
Oh yes apparently they are still continuing the inspection
Wood pigeons spent a lot of time on the woodland floor having a browse in order to get a good feed. That takes a lot of time as all the seeds are hidden between the fallen leaves
Songthrush
Redwing
The Redwings are still here in full force, but soon they will fly back to their breeding grounds, which could be in Iceland, Russia and Scandinavia.
Great tit feeding
Enough food around for this Great tit
Close up Greenfinch
Never too late for a bath
Update 10.02.23
What is on the Redwings menu can you see?
Blackbird looking for food
This water tastes like more
Can you find the long tailed tit?
Bird pool party all are welcome
Robin practising its dance routine
Nuthatch bathing first time this has been seen on the camera
Great tits also must look their best, so it's bath time
These Blue tits have bathed so long the water has run out
Update 03.02.23
Fighting Great tits
Defending territories can end up in fights as you can see here
Great tits looking for food
Very well camouflaged Chaffinch
Chaffinches fighting and Redwings bathing
Different bathing styles
Goldfinches, Great tit and Blue tits
Update 27.01.23
Goldfinch, Green finch and wren, don't blink or you'll miss the wren
Important feather maintenance
To keep your feathers in top conditions, they need a good bath and lots of preening
Icy conditions in the waterbowls
It's hard balancing on the ice if you are trying to take a bath
'Ice' pie
Magpies are very clever, so they know that when you peg on the ice you might get to the water underneath. Depending on the temperature they might get lucky.
Great tit looking for food
Redwings taking over the waterbowls
Song thrush versus Redwing
In the foreground is the Song thrush, it is very different from the Redwing which is further away, but is smaller and has 'eyebrows' and a red spot on its wings
Little Chaffinch
Update 13.01.23
Tensions are high, when food supply is low, especially if you a very territorial bird like a robin
Another way of opening your lunchbox
Crafty song thrush trying to get a snail out its shell, but it's probably frozen solid like the rest
Great tit looking for water, unfortunately its frozen
Please behave, wood pigeon patrol
Wren having a bath, look how small it is
Goldfinches
Great tit looking for food, can you see what it is eating, what do think
Happy little Robin
All that leaf turning pays off with food for our Redwings
Green woodpecker has found the waterbowls, look at its impressive bill
Wood pigeon seems to have lost its patrol buddy
Hidden treasures between the leaves for our Greenfinches
Synchronized bathing of the Blackbird and the Greenfinch
Do you know what other birds are visiting?
Bullfinch, Goldfinches and Great tit
Very little Gold crest flying in
Timid Collared Dove
Update 16.12.22
So much bird activity, all trying to find food. All the movement looks a bit like an ants' nest
Redwing looking for food
Chaffinch
Songthrush deciding on what to do next
Redwing stand off
Finding out who has the right to be near the waterbowls, marking out territory
The blackbird, redwing and the robin
Blackbird having a bath
Cute little wren having a bath
Look at the size difference between the Redwing and the wren
Wood pigeon patrol
Redwing having a clear out
Update 09.12.22
Blackbird
Redwing looking for breakfast
How do you know it is a Redwing, because it has 'eyebrows' , clearly visible as you can see. They also have a red shade on their wings, but in this video you cannot see that.
A very happy blackbird having a whale of time in his bath
Robin bathing
Bath time for birds?
Update 02.12.22
Lots of chaffinches
Great tit
Good catch Mr Robin, lots of protein in that worm
Update 25.11.22
Female chaffinch
Shake, shake, shake
Update 18.11.22
Song thrush thinking about what to do next
Great tits looking for food
What food are they looking for?
You can't eat the camera Great tit
Update 11.11.22
A dule (group) of Collared Doves
Could be parents with juvenile doves
Blackbird looking for food, but what is it looking for?
Update 04.11.22
Why are there leaves in my drink?
Female blackbird trying to get a drink
Finally alone to enjoy a bath
What has gotten into this bird
When one bird thinks he's boss of the waterbowls
The songthrush and the blackbird (click on the link)
Long tailed tits, Great tits, Blue tits and more (click the link below)
Winter migrant has returned, the Redwing. First one of this season
Squabbling greenfinches and two more bird, but do you know their names? (click the link)
Update 21.10.22
Scruffi looking Woodpigeon
Not yet looking like a proper Woodpigeon
Is the water any good today?
Goldcrest, the lightest bird in the UK
Adult weight is around just 5 g, same as a 20p coin. They are really tiny, but have a colourful yellow crest on their head
Magpie drinking
Better look around you before you take a sip Mr Greenfinch
Little Wren, slightly bigger than the Goldcrest
Nuthatch looking for some insects in tree bark
Black bird competing with Great Tit for the waterbowls
Seeing double
Or maybe not, the Blackbird closest to the camera is an adult and the one further away is a juvenil, it hasn't got the yellow beak yet.
Dunnock
Robin having a wash
Update 14.10.22
All birds great and small
Left to right: Gold finch, Robin, Wren, latecomer Green finch
Little dunnock
Some rough looking blackbirds having a bath
Early morning Black cap having a drink
Tit birds everywhere, but do you know which one is which
Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits to name but a few, which one is which?
Chiffchaff and Great Tit
Young woodpigeon
The Great Spotted Woodpeckers is back
It is looking for grubs in the treebark, but decides to have a drink instead
The Robin and the young Woodpigeon
Goldfinches
The one on the right is a juvenile Goldfinch not yet in its adult plummage
Update 30.09.22
Special visitor, the Great Spotted Woodpecker
Looking for some insects in the tree bark
Thirsty Bullfinch
Black cap being scared away by Great Tit and Blue Tit
Blue Tit having a super great time in the bath, happily splashing away
You think off having a nice and quiet drink then this happens
Magpie bothered by fighting Woodpigeons
Can you spot the Nuthatch amongst all the other Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long tailed Tits?
Clue: look at the tree
Update 23.09.22
Hi
What bird am I?
Yes, I'm a black bird
What is our Great tit eating?
Intruder?
Oops caught me again, I just need more sticks
Not again
Little wren
Update 22.07.22
Little wren paid us a visit
Water supply is terrible today
A hot and bothered blue tit
Long tailed tits and blue tits, quenching their thirst
Some serious Long Tailed Tit fighting going on, wood pigeons has given up
Some one stepped out of the bed with the wrong foot
Tempers are running high
Update 15.07.22
Robin at the bath
Juvenile wood pigeon
It hasn't got the distinct markings the adults have
Woodpigeons fighting for dominance
Still fighting
Enough is enough
What a poser
Bath time!
Great tit making the most of the water that is left
I don't get it, there is always water here.
I like to put in a complaint about the lack of water
Update 01.07.22
We are kind and gentle here, please stop
Oopsie, only taking a stick to build my nest
Free shower for the great tits
Collecting nesting material
Update 24.06.22
The wren and the blackbird
What a size difference between the two
A very unusual visitor the Chiffchaff
You normally hear them but never see them
Chiffchaff call
One of the only birds that is still singing very loudly in woodlands at the moment
Are all my feathers still there?
Little robin
Just enjoying a relaxing birdbath, this family of Great tits turn up
Some great parenting skills of the Great Tits, still lots of the chicks have made it
Juvenile robins having a bath
Update 17.06.22
Nobody looking, then I can have a quick wash
First time a magpie has been having a wash here.
Oh no, Mr Robin the water has evaporated
Baby robin joining parent at the waterbowl
Good catch
Female blackcap
Female blackcap has cinnamon coloured head, instead of a black one. That way she is better camouflaged when sitting on the nest.
Update 27.05.22
Mr Blackbirds says hi
Making the most of the water
Synchronised drinking
Goldfinch
A very splashy blackbird
Mr Blackbird showing who's boss
Update 06.05.22
Time for a late night snack for the blackbird
I saw that, you taking the stick woodpigeon
Male blackbird catching food
Good catch, a protein filled earthworm
New water first one to 'dive' in is the Bue tit
Great tit making a splash
Can it get even splashier?
Oh yes, the cute little splashes of the Robin
The woodpigeon and the magical hovering leaf
Don't worry we have no magical hovering leaves in the school, just a leave hanging on a piece of spider silk
Woodpigeon tolerating the mapgie and vice versa
Wood pigeon and magpie protest
Magpies are having a meeting about the lack of water, service is not up to standard today.
Blue tit having a bath
Almost no water left for the Great Tit
Can you see the size difference between the Blue Tit and Great Tit
Squabling wood pigeons
Rare visit of a longtailed tit
How much nesting material can you hold in your beak?
Songthrush checking out what is going on
The Black cap and the Robin
Fresh water who gets there first
Robin with a worm
Sparrow having a drink
Update 29.04.22
Is this our first Robin young of 2022
Wood pigeon collecting the right sized twigs for its nest
Where has all the water gone
Today's prize for the best feathered bird goes to....
Female blackbird collecting nesting material
The blackbird nest is built up from e.g. mud, leaves, twigs, moss, feathers. It has a bowl shape on the inside.
Great catch
Blackbird dealing with possibly a snail
Blue tit
Collared doves
Robin looking for food
Update 01.04.22
How am I going to take this stick with me?
Great tit feeding
If you look closely your can not see two Great Tits, but four
Greenfinches on the waterbowl
After the washing comes the preening
Have a look at how securely this blackbird is tending to those feathers
Robin at its favourite feeding spot
Robin in a flurry of snow
Update 25.03.22
Just get rid of that itch
Time to find some food
Very early robin in the limelight
Did you know that robin is the first bird to sing early in the morning to let everybody know what is their territory
Robin struggling with its meal
Redwing not sure what to do
Look where this Great Tit finds its food
Hello Robin, what are you looking for?
Redwing looking for food
Update 18.03.22
Songthrush eating a well earned earthworm
Woodpigeons relaxing after a busy day in the woodpigeon 'office'
Blackbird got lucky
Mr Sparrow also fancies a bite from Mrs Blackbird's food
What excellent waterproofing on the blackbirds feathers
Another feather going in a sparrow's nest, must be very cosy
Redwings also love earthworms for breakfast
Must be a good area for earthworms
What a poser
Unsure Dunnock
Drinks taste better with a friend
Greenfinches
Right I'm out of here
Update 11.03.22
Little Robin
Mapgie drinking and keeping the waterbowl free of leaves
Magpie looking the part
Sparrow collecting nesting material
Rain or no rain you need your food
Mrs Blackbird looking for food
Look at my speckled chest
Don't blink or might miss the Great Tit
Chaffinch looking for seeds
Look who decided to join the Redwings?
Greefinch
Update 04.03.22
Soooo many birds
Pheasant casually walking the school grounds
Redwing not sure about the camera
Redwings flinging leaves around to find food
Goldfinch
Fluffy Great tit
Little robin
Woodpigeons circling the waterbowl, drink or no drink
Blackbird close up
Great tit searching for food
Brambling nearly so well camouflaged you can't see it
Hello, little dunnock
What goes in needs to come out
Need to keep the feathers clean
Chaffinch landing in the background
Tummy of gold, with the sun shining on it
Greenfinch owning the waterbowl, sorry Mr Chaffinch
Update 25.02.22
Magpie having a drink
Blackbirds squabling
Woodpigeon - blackbird stand off
No cameras please
Woodpigeons in no rush
Are they guiding the blackbird out?
All those woodpigeons
Is there any food here?
Beautiful chaffinch looking for food
Sound up redwing chirping
Elegant collared dove gets its feathers ruffled by the storm
Update 11.02.22
Redwing enthousiatically looking for food
First you see me, then you don't
Very well camouflaged
Greenfinches enjoying a drink
Some bird thinks it owns the waterbowl
Update 04.02.22
Wood pigeons looking for food, one even managed to get a worm
Blackbird's food search
Magpie, doing a tail flick
Update 28.01.22
A leisurely bath and a search for food
Who’s boss?
Finally the waterbowl is mine, look at me splatter
Greenfinch on the hidden waterbowl
Wood pigeon having a nose around
Update 21.01.22
First time we have seen this special visitor at our waterbowl, a green woodpecker
Find out more about the Green woodpecker, click link below.
Close up of a greenfinch
Greenfinch drinking
Greenfinches, chaffinches and bramblings our ground get them all, how lucky are we?
Blackbird doing the bathing dance
Robin also in need of a wash
Update 14.01.22
Female pheasant having a stroll
Aren't I a handsome chap?
Male pheasant showing of his very beautiful feathers, he probably has seen his reflection in the camera and is quite intrigued by it
Greenfinches and bramblings
The bramblings are the ones with the orange feathers
Greenfinches and brambling
Good close up of a greenfinch
Chaffinches looking for food
Sound up, song thrush singing whilst feeding
Redwing is really going for it to find its food
No leave is to be left unturned for the Redwing
Redwings looking for food
Treecreepers
Is there any food and water here?
Song thrush and bullfinch
Update 17.12.21
Goldfinches, with their amazing coloured feathers
Great tit trying to bathe
A closer look at the chaffinch
Update 10.12.21
Just give yourself a good wash
A pair of bullfinches having a drink
The male bullfinch has a pink feathered body, the female is less colourful
Sparrows & great tit
Unsure wood pigeon
To drink or not to drink
I spy with my little eye a pheasant, do you as well?
Magpie tasting the water
Two male blackbird, two different coloured beaks
A blackbird but with a black beak, your eyes may not be deceiving you. There have been a growing number of reports in recent years, especially in winter of blackbirds that do not appear to have the usual orange-yellow beaks and ring around the eye.
The resident UK Blackbird get the distinctive orange-yellow beak and eye-ring around the first year of their life. On the otherhand, Blackbirds from other parts of Europe are believed not to develop their orange-yellow beak and eye-ring until the second year of their lives. Seeing a blackbird in your garden with a black beak and eye-ring is therefore likely to be a first-year male blackbird, perhaps a winter visitor from Europe.
The resident UK Blackbird get the distinctive orange-yellow beak and eye-ring around the first year of their life. On the otherhand, Blackbirds from other parts of Europe are believed not to develop their orange-yellow beak and eye-ring until the second year of their lives. Seeing a blackbird in your garden with a black beak and eye-ring is therefore likely to be a first-year male blackbird, perhaps a winter visitor from Europe.
Chaffinches looking for food
Greenfinches looking for food
I'm looking lovely, don't you think?
Little wren and a robin having a wash
Wren is on the right, it is much smaller than the robin
Update 03.12.21
Long tailed tit and blue tit
Long tailed tits have a long tail, usually they are coming in groups of 6.
Silly dove, did you forget about your wings?
Seeing double
Mapgies and squirrel
Lovely robin
Update 26.11.21
Our first migrant visitors of the year: Redwing
Why is it called a Redwing, because of the red colour on it's wing. Redwing also have 'eyebrows' just have a look at their head.
Great tit and robin having a wash
Fluffy Robin
Magpie trying to get a drink in an almost empty waterbowl
Is the water any good here? Magpie bringing a friend
Update 19.11.21
Black bird being protective again
Snack time
The blackbird on the right is enjoying it's lovely juicy worm
Song thrush trying to get a drink
Just checking out the grounds
Aha that's how you leave
Robin going funny
Update 05.11.21
Songtrush looking for food
Pheasant looking beautiful
Casual strolling pheasant
The waterbowl all to yourself, but where is the water?
Update 22.10.21
Female Great Spotted Woodpecker, isn't is stunning?
It already look powerful, look at its beak that is pointy and very strong in order to make hole in trees.
Female pheasant wondering where she has landed into and how to get out
As you can see the female pheasant has feather colours made for camouflage. Imaging this bird sitting on her nest in some grassland, you wouldn't be able to spot it. Master of camouflage.
Robin showing off to a very unimpressed great tit
The robin and the song thrush
Robin catching a very juicy worm
Where did all the water go?
Blackbird juggling to eat a worm
If you're having a wash you might want to do it well
Songthrush claiming the waterbowl
Update 14.10.21
Great tit using both feet to hold it's food, but what is it eating?
Songthrush using a stone to open its food
Close up Songthrush
Blackbirds gathering food
Update 08.10.21
So many birds
Black cap (juvenile), Great Tit, Blue Tit (juvenile) and Black bird all enjoying the waterbowl
The blue tit and the empty water bowl
An earthworm makes a great afternoon snack
Young blackbird
Scruffy blackbird
Update 01.10.21
Doves exploring the woods
Wood pigeon refining the art of stick juggling
Bit late but the woodpigeon is still collecting nesting material, they can breed from April till October, but sometimes the whole year round.
Black bird chick getting fed
Update 24.09.21
Watch the videos about the Magpies taking over the drinking bowl during the hot weather
After hours blackbird meetup
A very territorial Mr Blackbird
Very handsome song thrush
Update 16.07.21
Great tits bathing and having a browse
A very wet great tit having a great time
Great tit trying to get to food
Juvenile woodpigeon, it has none of distinctive markings and colouring its parents have
The wood pigeon is a bit unsure at what it is doing
Magpie seems to have become a regular at our drinking bowl
Magpie has a very special way of drinking and testing out the water bowl, it seems not to like bits in it though
Do you see the colours on it's tail no only black, but blue and green as well.
Not enough water, Im off
Three is too many
Hero our unjured blackbird seems to be getting stronger
Yes, everything seems to working very well
Robin feeding its young
Young robin
Update 09.07.21
Who said sparrows look dull, look at the brown patterns on it's back, just lovely
The sparrow brought its whole family with him
Blackbird just splattering away
Don't even think about, it's my bath
Blackbird doing the swiping motion, still don't know what it's caught though.
Hero the blackbird preening himself
That deserves a rest
After the rest Hero needs food
Update 01.07.21
Juvenile blackbird
It has lots of speckles and a shorter tail, different to the adults
A very territorial male blackbird not happy with the juvenile's presence
It's still not happy.
Crow having dinner
Magpie in all its colour having a drink
Juvenile robin having a bath
Update 24.06.21
Our Hero blackbird is still alive and well, despite its injury
Blackbird swiping. Apparently it needs to get rid of something or maybe open something up
Swiping seems to be the thing, here's another blackbird doing it. What's on the menu that required swiping?
You look at me, I look at you!
Wood pigeon captivated by its own reflection in the camera lens. If you turn up the volume you can hear a song thrush singing in the background.
Yep, I found it, the right stick for my nest
Two song thrushes foraging
Two robins having a bath
Look at the blackbird splattering
Update 18.06.21
Tensions are running high with this heat, black bird females having a squabble
Robin bathing, you have to cool down with this heat
A pair of great tits having a bath
They seem to do everything together
Sorry guys, you have used all the water, none left
A pair of great tits looking for food
Juvenile Black bird
Blackcaps
Update 11.06.2021
Hero Black bird, what a character even when he's limping, still collecting food for it's chicks
See how the blackbird compensates with it's wings to balance staying upright, because of its wounded leg.
Get them early, blackbird sorting breakfast for its chicks
Songthrush
Wood pigeon juggling a stick
Master of disguise the Dunnock having a forage
Update 21.05.2021
Hurry, hurry, where is it, were are missing it!
Turn up the volume and just listen to the birdsong, just close your eyes
Update 14.05.2021
Magpie tasting the water, hope it's from a good year
Black bird sunbathing
Blackbird testing it vocalcords
Update 07.05.2021
Blackbirds squabbling over drink bowl
New birds visiting: Black caps
Obvious why they got their name. Male on the right has a darker cap (black) than the female on the left.
Sparrowhawk female catching dinner
Sparrow hawk mantling her prey to protect it from being stolen by other birds
Female sparrow hawk dealing with its catch
Blackbird eating a grub
Do you see how he uses his beak to open the grub up?
Blackbird foraging
One thirsty wood pigeon
Update 23.04.2021
Black bird male eating an apple
Woodpigeon
Early birds catches the worm
Look at them go, better hide
Songthrush
Sparrow collecting nesting material
Collared dove
Update 16.04.2021
Rook or crow
This bird is collecting nesting material, unfortunately it has found a piece of plastic to line it's nest with, not very good.
Long tailed tit
Another bird collecting nesting material, hopefully they are bird feathers. Did you know that long tailed tits use spiderweb to strengthen their nest with? How clever.
Black bird collecting earthworms for its young
Mapgie
Who said magpies are black and white, look closer and you will see some blue are well.
Magpie
Update 25.03.21
Pheasant (male)
Look how beautiful I am
Song thrush
Red wings are still here, although they are winter migrants
Red Wing
The song thrush and the red wing belong to the Thrush family, but look at this Red wing he can't look any different, especially his face as if it has eyebrows
Great Tit
Robin
Update 12.03.2021
This is a surprise, who would have thought to see this bird here
Have you got any idea what type of bird this is? Have a closer look.
Well it is a bird of prey having lunch
But what bird of prey is it?
Have you noticed it is eating it's prey on the ground and not flying off with it. It looks quite protective over it, have a look around to see it doesn't get stolen.
It's a Sparrow Hawk
Survival of the fittest
Any weak or old birds make easy prey
Lunch over time to go
Trying to blend in, what great camouflage
This is a Song Thrush
The early bird catches the .....
Although it is already quite late, this one got lucky there were still some worms left.
Update 05.03.21
Those birds keep coming we can keep adding to our list of bird species,
Green finch
Chaffinch munching away
Dunnock
Well our cameras also spotted some birds recently. Especially after the snow some birds were thirsty and needed a wash, what joy they had in all the puddles that were everywhere. At least 9 different bird species have visited, even a winter migrant (bird that comes to a warmer climate to over-winter) the Redwing (see photo). Where do you think a Redwing normally lives?
The birds that we have seen on the cameras are: Great Tit, Redwing, Blackbird, Magpie, Wren, Chaffinch, Wood pigeon, Robin and even a Tree Creeper, can you spot them? Do you know what some of these birds eat?
Great tit
Red wing
Black bird (male)
Magpie
Wren
Chaffinch
Wood pigeon
Tree creeper
Robin
