January has started with a glorious sunny but cold day, promise of great weather this year? Nah, it's cold and dank again by the 2nd lol
Goldfinches competing in the sunrise
This feeder hangs in a direct line between my seat in my den and the early morning sun, perfect for silhouette shots.
Goldfinches competing while Chaffinches watch
Goldfinches fighting over a perch
There have been some beautiful sunrise this year so far and I often watch out for opportunities to catch that feeder with birds in the sunrise.
Blue & Long-Tailed Tits
The Long-Tailed Tits pass through daily in the Winter months, such gorgeous wee, sociable birds. They're always on the move and I find it difficult to get good shots of them, especially off the feeders.
Soaking wet Long-Tailed Tits
I never stop being amazed by the variety of birds we get visiting over the year, the farm just along the lane also has feeders out but the hedges and field surrounds are also maintained with wildlife in mind which is fabulous.
Goldfinches and a Greenfinch
I put an unused pot tray on my window sill last year and now get birds feeding from it about three feet away from where I sit and they pop up and down, keeping an eye on me :)
Goldfinches in the window
Great Tit & shy Coal Tit
We now get three or four Coal Tits visiting, possibly because they were reared last year from these feeders? I often wander out to fill the feeders and there are birds, usually Tits in the branches above me, chattering, waiting for me to clear off :)
It was clear when I got here!!!
Even the Long-Tailed Tits have perched above my head chattering at me, they arrive in a flock, like a feeding frenzy but will share with other birds, many won't do that.
Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch
There's a good sized mixed hedge to the East side of the garden and most birds dive in there to hide, three trees on the West side provide cover for the birds coming and going from that side and there are the Ash trees, which I hang the feeders from.
Long-Tails and a Tree Sparrow
The look on the face of that Tree Sparrow! Not all birds can cope with a Long-tail invasion.
I love that the Tits are so sociable, for the most part they crack on without any hassles, it's within the same species that trouble starts , very possessive Blue Tits out there!
Coal Tit and Long-Tailed Tit
I've probably said a few times, we're so lucky to have a family of Great Spotted Woodpeckers coming to the feeders daily, they're so entertaining to watch, playing hide and seek when they see me at the window.
Watching and waiting
The watcher
When the young woodpeckers starting coming over to the feeders, they would either cling to the tree bark and watch the adult or hang onto the fence, I think that's why a couple of them do it all the time now.
I think the Long-tails have been my favourite so far, I try to get shots of them off the feeders but they're so quick!
House Sparrow watching Tree Sparrows
One bird I've loved since we got here are the Tree Sparrows, I'd hoped to see one now and again but, they live in the hedge alongside the house and feed at the feeders quite often. That and the House Sparrows dropping by now and again. makes it all a bit special. I also still think of the Dunnock as a Hedge Sparrow so, all three visit us :)
Being so close to the feeders for a fair amount of the day allows me to capture interactions as well so there are events from time to time that are different, unusual or just amusing.
Tree Sparrows (pun)
That shot above ..... "Did you invite him?"
And, how could I forget the resident Mistle Thrush?
