Babies
This isn't one of them (it's an image I grabbed from YouTube), but yesterday in the garden I was thrilled to see three baby goldfinches being taught the ways of the bird feeder by their dad. They were little more than balls of fluff, but the yellow and black markings on their stubby little wings were unmistakable. I wonder if perhaps it was their first trip out as a family? (I have never really been able to take a decent picture of any of the birds that have visited my feeders down the years. I expect you need to have a camera set up, ready, and bags of patience. Or just be incredibly lucky. But taking photos through glass never works, and you can hardly open a window or patio door and expect your feathered brethren to hang around to pose. Anyway, as ever with birds, it was a privilege enough just to see them.) If you want to see the YouTube film of a lady hand-feeding and stroking this baby goldfinch, presumably in America, it's here.
I may not be able to blog quite so much for the next couple of weeks as I am writing an episode of Not Going Out, for series three, which is in itself pretty exciting. Bear with me.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 11:54 AM
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it's not ideal and you get circle round the pic, but I've taken pics by sticking my digi camera lens in the eyepiece of my bins, useful for reference if nothing else.
Boids (I'm originally from NY's Lower Eastside*) are great to watch. There are two finches who regularly visit my garden. Their routine for the bird feeder involves one perching in the nearby tree as lookout while the other feeds. They swap places when he's had his fill. Marvelous, life affirming stuff (sad, I know).
* Actually, I'm not, but I've been watching a lot of Looney Tunes from my sickbed for the past couple of days, and laughing like a madman at the vocal genius of Mel Blanc.
Hope you still get a chance to do your Apprentice reviews...... Like the programme itself, I'll miss your reviews when it's finished.
Nothing will stop me doing my Apprentice reviews, Richard. I'm sure I was writing Not Going Out last year and the year before when The Apprentice was on.
Can anyone of you twitcher-types identify a bird I keep seeing in my back garden.
It's a little bit bigger than a robin with a black beak and head and a bright yellow chest and has a really beautiful song. Gorgeous wee thing. And when he comes and sits near me the air goes still and peace seems to descend.
All we ever get in our backyard are bloody pigeons so I spend more time sitting in my parents' garden.
Sounds like a siskin, Paul. Check this RSPB link and report back!
Awww, baby birds are always a very cheering sight. For the last few weeks I've been waiting for the swan lurking on a nest on the island in the middle of my local park's large pond/mini-lake to emerge with her cygnets, and today she did - they're the cutest little fluffy things since, well, their big siblings from last year. Their parents both look very proud and hissed madly at any human who dared approach the tiny cygs.
On the weekend I looked inside a bird box that a pair of blue tits had started setting up home in a couple of weeks ago. They've since moved on and out of curiosity I opened the front, expecting to find mostly empty space and a few straggly twigs and bits of fluff. It was stuffed halfway to the top with a perfect mattress of soft, dark green moss that they'd prized from nearby paving stones. I loved that.
I don't think it's a siskin, as the markings look different. This one is almost completely black with just the bright yellow chest, although it could be thick yellow stripes - He's quite small so hard to see closely and I don't want to scare him off. this is in Edinburgh, Cramond, which is a few feet from the river and only about a mile from the sea. Don't know if that makes any difference.
Will take a look at the RSPB site though.
It could of course be a juvenile, which throws instant identification off a bit. The yellow wagtail isn't exactly black, but its body and head are grey, with a yellow breast. (The wagging tail is the giveaway. I love wagtails.) The chiffchaff has a dark body and pale yellow stripes on its breast. Or it could be a willow warbler - bit early for the wood warbler (check out these links - see what you think. This is a good game.) The great thing about the RSPB pages is that they have samples of the song of each bird, just in case that helps.
I don't think it's any of those, although it maybe sounds a little like the Willow Warbler. I feel I'm dragging you away from important comedy business, so will report back if I have any more info. That's a great site though. I always forget the internet can be used for good as well as evil.
if you live near waste land could be a black redstart it's unlikely because they aren't good singer
Paul, have you thought of great tit? Striking features are bright yellow breast, black cap and beak. You can see some good picks of it on Andrew's RSPB link. There are a couple of good photos on the top panel of the great tit page. There should also be a recording of its song - although beware, as the song can vary a lot.
My birdwatching guru and Norfolk field trip companion Dave Keech there. He never lets you down.
Hurrah for Not Going Out! It's such a gem; do you know when series three will be on air yet? I have zero idea about how telly-land works in this respect so apologise if that's an extrordinarily dumb question...
How many episodes of this series of 'Not Going Out' are you writing?
I've had a wonderful experience today. The baby blackbirds in my back garden have been out being taught how to fly. The parents were watching as the kids were flapping about.
I first spotted it as a baby slammed into my study window. It was okay. It stood on the ledge for a moment or two. Moved it's head around, looked right at me for a second and then flapped off back to it's tree. About thirty seconds later it was back but this time it judged it properly and landed on the window ledge.
This time it was back for only a second. He (or She) and her sibling were doing lengths of the garden for the next few minutes before a cat showed up and everyone scarpered!
Hello Dave. This one really was very dark black allover with a bright yellow chest, although I could be remembering it wrong.
That RSPB 'Bird Identifier' thing is good though. Thanks for pointing me towards that, Andrew.
Not sure about "air dates" for NGO3, as I'm calling it, Rachel. Presumably the same time as last year - October November time - but that's unconfirmed. I'm currently contracted to write three episodes. I think that's all I can say at this stage. There'll be a press release at some point!
Not a birder myself but there seems to be a huge increase in bird's of prey this year.
Apparently next week's Apprentice is being broadcast a day early because of and England vs USA friendly.
Hopefully you'll find time for the podcast.
Paul, could it perhaps be a grey wagtail, which has not been mentioned above I think. Despite what the name suggests it has a yellow chest and is otherwise dark. You don't hear them singing very often though.
Update: four baby goldfinches at the feeders this morning, with two adults. Beautiful sight.
Hello Rebecca. Well, that's almost right. I have to say, I never thought it would be so hard to identify a wee birdie.
I don't really know the name of birds, just like looking at them and listening to them. From the great RSPB site, it doesn't look the same. But as Andrew said, it could be a young 'un.
Thanks for your help anyway. If I see it again, I'll try and get more details.
Mr Collins - I hope you're managing to get some good twitcher-based plotlines out of all this. Although that seems more 'last of the summer wine' than 'not going out'.
Having said that, have you considered an episode where Lee rides down the hill in a bath?
I'm told, t'Northerners love all that sort of thing.
Oh good, something to cheer up the autumnal/wintry nights!
I live in a city centre and so have no lovely bird news. There were some pigeons on my window ledge the other night, watching 'Mad Men' through the window, though...
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