Friday 23 December 2011

All change again with the weather, gone was yesterdays springlike sunshine, and back was Wednesdays wind, rain and gloom! I only got halfway round my patch walk, before calling it a day, with just 30 species found in the 2 hours I was out, those being the regular common species, and in small numbers. Normally I can enjoy the walk for it's own sake, even if little is seen, but today was just 'orrible!! Tomorrow looks like it may be all change again - lets hope so!

I thought I'd spend the afternoon watching the garden feeders to see what dropped in, but continued attacks from the SPARROWHAWK, kept all but the fleet winged GREAT and BLUE TITS away, I went out and scared off the Sprawk from it's hiding place 4 or 5 times in the space of 2 hours, eventually I gave up, a decision I felt a bit guilty and annoyed about, because the female BULLFINCH dropped in to the tray of sunflower hearts, and even as I watched it through my bins, whoosh! It was gone, clenched in the talons of the Sprawk  :-(

It's particularly gutting to see a scarce garden bird get predated, in fact they are a scarce bird full stop really, so i'm back debating whats the best thing to do, to stop feeding, and let the birds ( finch's especially) take their chances out on the surrounding impoverished farmland, or continue to feed and watch the finch's get picked off :-(   I suppose it's a problem ive caused really, as it's not natural for so many birds, of so many species to gather in one small place, as they do in my garden, but the fact that they do, means they have too, and thats another debate!


Anyway, here's the photo's of the unfortunate Bullfinch I took yesterday, I suppose it at least didn't die of starvation!!

Ex - Bullfinch
Ex - Bullfinch

Also, a photo of the GREAT TIT, these birds are normally far too quick for the Sprawk!  :-)

Great Tit

10 comments:

Sharon said...

Poor Bullfinch :(
I can understand why you're thinking of stopping feeding Warren, but surely the number of birds that benefit from having your regular, reliable food source outweighs the number killed by the Sprawk?
Tough decision.....

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Time to pay your subs to Songbird Survival???
Hope tomorrow is a better day for you

Cheers

Davo

Alan Pavey said...

That's a real shame Warren, as Sharon says tough decision, I haven't fed the birds for years due to 7 cats next door but I would like try it again sometime.

Jason K said...

It sounds like something from Scooby Do...you can imagine the Sprawk saying to itself "ah, and I would of got away with it if it wasnt for that meddling birder!"

Warren Baker said...

Hi Shaz,
Trouble is the Sprawk gets the same species most of the time - Finch's! In the wild the Sprawk would get all sorts of species, so not putting pressure on any - thats how nature works, garden feeing isn't natural :-(

Davo,
I'll not support that uneducated lot all the time i'm breathing !!

Alan,
7 Cats!! Blimey, if I was a bird I'd take my chances here, with the Sprawk!! :-)

Bob Bushell said...

Lovely done the picture of a female Bullfinch. I cannot get one, well, not really good one.

Marc Heath said...

What a sad end to a fantastic and hard to see species. Many people go through life without even seeing one of these crackers. I suppose thats life!

Ornitocampero.blogspot.com.es said...

A bullfinch on a feeder thats a nice one!
have a nice night tomorrow!
Saludos.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it`s a tough call that, Warren. And only one you can answer.
Unfortunately i don`t have that problem, in that hardly anything`s coming to feed in my garden.

Millhouse Photography said...

Hi Warren.

I think by feeding you do much more good than harm in the long run mate, but it must be tough to see such a rarely-seen species get predated. Our hawks NEVER seem to catch anything, or atleast I've never seen them catch anything - I don't know how they survive!