Show your Bird Portraits

[gruhl28]

The birds I see most frequently in my garden are Blue Tits, Great Tits, Longtailed Tits and now Coal Tits. Several finches; Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch being the most common and now to my delight Bullfinches. Blackcaps occasionally, and Chiffchaffs will come in the spring. Two species of woodpeckers, the Great Spotted and Green, visit regularly, as does a Jay, and there is an abundance of Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Robins, and unfortunately, Magpies and Crows. Rare visitors like a Sparrowhawk and Little Egrets are welcome, and Buzzards circle overhead. Starlings and Woodpigeons are usually around. I don't like the pigeons because they are so skittish they scare the other birds into flying off when they see me.

Interesting, I'd never realized there was such a difference between the UK and the northeastern US in which birds are common or exist at all until seeing your posts, Alan. And I had lived in the UK for nine months, but in an urban area. I'd assumed we had mostly similar birds, but it seems that there are more differences than similarities. Quite interesting to see the birds you have. I'm in Connecticut, and our feeder attracts mostly black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, American goldfinches, housefinches, white- and red-breasted nuthatches, sparrows (much less common than when I was young), red-winged blackbirds (we back up on a wetland), downy, red-bellied, and hairy woodpeckers, blue-jays, juncos in the winter. Also, not at the feeder, American robins from spring through autumn, and occasional pileated woodpeckers and northern flickers. Crows, starlings, and grackles also. And some raptors (red-tailed hawks, etc.) and turkey vultures (those mostly circle above, but they do land in our trees sometimes).

Edit: And how could I forget, northern cardinals, usually in pairs. And for the last 3 or 4 years a couple of barred owls from spring through autumn (they're not supposed to be migratory, but we never see them in winter). I'm sure I've forgotten some, and the list above is probably biased towards more interesting birds - we hadn't ever seen a northern flicker until just a few years ago, but now we see them quite a few times each summer. Same with the owls.

 

[AlanF]

Interesting, I'd never realized there was such a difference between the UK and the northeastern US in which birds are common or exist at all until seeing your posts, Alan. And I had lived in the UK for nine months, but in an urban area. I'd assumed we had mostly similar birds, but it seems that there are more differences than similarities. Quite interesting to see the birds you have. I'm in Connecticut, and our feeder attracts mostly black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, American goldfinches, housefinches, white- and red-breasted nuthatches, sparrows (much less common than when I was young), red-winged blackbirds (we back up on a wetland), downy, red-bellied, and hairy woodpeckers, blue-jays, juncos in the winter. Also, not at the feeder, American robins from spring through autumn, and occasional pileated woodpeckers and northern flickers. Crows, starlings, and grackles also. And some raptors (red-tailed hawks, etc.) and turkey vultures (those mostly circle above, but they do land in our trees sometimes).

Edit: And how could I forget, northern cardinals, usually in pairs. And for the last 3 or 4 years a couple of barred owls from spring through autumn (they're not supposed to be migratory, but we never see them in winter). I'm sure I've forgotten some, and the list above is probably biased towards more interesting birds - we hadn't ever seen a northern flicker until just a few years ago, but now we see them quite a few times each summer. Same with the owls.

I am envious, really envious. What a nice selection.

 

[tron]

Both of you have access to nice selections. I have access to pigeons and in rare cases to house sparrows with a touch of blackbirds

And this is the first time that a common chiffchaff visits me almost every day for a few seconds up to a minute.

I am so glad to see it. I think of it as my new little friend!