I love reading all your comments but I am SO excited today - I just saw my FIRST bullfinch. It was a male. My husband saw it first and we were not sure what is was as we had not seen one before so looked it up on the website. What beautiful birds they are. It didn't linger long so I do hope it comes back. Does anyone have one as a visitor often? I seem to have gone days with not many visitors and then this excitement. Happy days to you all PP

Oh PP you lucky thing, it's years since I last saw a bullfinch. I do hope you get it back again, and have many happy times watching it.

Jan

I put lots of food out for the birds when the snow arrived and didn't seem to have many - now, still putting food out and we have a regular visit from a moorhen, and four bullfinches, plus a jay. Gorgeous.

Living in the countryside with nearby woodlands, heaths, marsh and (some !!) undisturbed ancient headgerows, we are just soooo lucky with the wildlife. However, song birds have been in great decline and not many are heard nowadays. This winter sees me in wellies and dressing gown at 8.00am in the garden throwing whatever I have to the larger visitors - several Jackdaws, five Rooks, and even one Carrion Crow. Then the bird table fare for the bluetits, two robins, pied wag tails, house sparrows and tree sparrows, four chaffinch, three male and two female blackbirds - and numerous greedy starlings. Recently two song thrush have visited, and four collared doves.

Somehow, they all know to wait - lining up in the trees, rooftops and on telephone wire, until my labrador has visited the lawn for morning ablutions and returned inside, the Jays then set up a loud telegraph alert, they barely wait for me to throw the food into the very middle of the lawns - where they can swoop, scoop and fly off more easily, before they descend. I'm always surprised by how nervous the larger birds are compared to the little ones. Also, that one male blackbird ignores starlings etc and chases away the other blackbirds and stops them from eating - even though they are probably his mate and offspring from last season.

Evidently, Lapwings are down the lane, tree creepers are by the canal and later this year nightingales will be back in the woods, along with woodpeckers, cuckoos (only three heard last year).

Ninalou, how lucky you are to have so many birds around.

Not surprised to see snow here (SW London) this morning, as yesterday I had see redwings again less than a mile from the town centre. They only seem to "hit" the town when snow is around and I have never seen so many redwings in an urban area in my life as I have seen this winter. The goldfinches and tits were also busy on the feeders.

I have been feeding my birds all winter and have a very varied selection. When the snow was on the ground the robins took control of the feeders and worked as a team to ward off other species until they had finished their breakfast. Curious, as normally Robins are very territorial. The spotted woodpecker usually arrived whilst I was having mine, then took over as alpha bird on the fat balls. Blue tits, Great tits, Long tailed tits have now taken charge. We have a flock of 10 Long tailed Tits, and they are charming little birds, but tend to roam to pastures new when well fed. On the seed feeder, we have 4 Gold Crests, Green finches and chaffinches. A green woodpecker pecked holes in the snow on our lawn to feed. I don't think he could have found much to eat as the ground was frozen solid. But he disdained the feeders and made no attempt to join the multitudes at the feeders. It was the moor hens that provided the most enjoyment for me. They are poor flyer's, but learnt to fly up to the fat balls hanging from the trees. Two of them learnt to hover long enough to snatch a beak full of food, before they fell out of the sky. I took pity on them later and gave them a fat ball on the ground, for which they appeared to be grateful.

Wow Safari Girl - I am impressed! I thought we had a lot of goldfinches today when I counted 15 but you have obviously beaten that! I bet it was a wonderful sight, I am pleased for you.
However, I am delighted that after a long break (following the hard cutting back of a neighbours ash tree) we now hear a pair of tawny owls in the evening calling to each other. I am really glad that they have come back as I thought they had gone for good.
Best wishes
PP

Hello everyone out there! Very cold but sunny on and off today. My dear hubby put some fresh sunflower hearts out today but I think the only thing I have seen is a lone blackbird! Can sometimes hear some chirping -maybe goldfinches- but very quiet! May be better luck tomorrow. I, too am envious of any woodpeckers. A few years ago a woodpecker used to visit an old apple tree in the garden for a while ( I can't just remember what sort it was) and I was VERY excited when I heard the tap, tap tap, that heralded it's visit. However, I have not seen one for a long time.
Best wishes to you all
PP

Hi Historygirl and welcome. I've only seen the starling flocks on TV and would love to see them properly. You're very lucky. I now have 2 squirrels taking the nuts but the rest of the birds seem to get a look in too. I haven't been able to watch for a few days as I work but always spend a few minutes at the weekend watching out of the window and hoping for something rare to appear.

saw a wagtail this morning it comes to the greengrocer on the corner & feeds.THE SHOPKEEPER POINTED it out to me & then it flew away Pat