Observations and notes of bird behaviour in the garden

I have been regularly feeding the birds in my garden for over a year now and I do enjoy watching the birds visit - they bring a splash of colour throughout the year, though this has the greatest impact during the winter months.  This is partly because the number of birds visiting is greater, partly because the lack of leaves on the tree makes observation easier and partly because there is precious variety in colour elsewhere in my (very) small garden.

The feeders provide niger seed, black sunflower seed (sometimes also add pellets to this feeder), fat balls and peanuts - four feeders in all, which have been strategically hung from the branches of the acer growing in the small patch of grass that passes for my lawn.

Chaffinches will go to the sunflower seed feeder but appear to prefer the ground, picking up seed that has fallen from the feeders.  They may then be joined by the two species of pigeon I regularly see - wood pigeons and collared doves, the latter often arriving in pairs. When chaffinches go to the sunflower seed feeder, a seed is taken and dealt with higher up the tree.  Blue tits vary behaviour depending on the food. If going to the fat balls or peanuts, they will cling to the side and eat what they want before flying off.  When taking sunflower seeds, they take one and quickly fly up the tree to peck their way into it, in much the same way as chaffinches.  I have never seen great tits on the fat balls or peanuts. I have only seen them take sunflower seeds, in which case they deal with them in the same way as blue tits.  Greenfinches go to the sunflower seed feeder and perch while taking seeds. This can be for several minutes.  I have sometimes seen them in pairs doing this.  Goldfinches have similar behaviour to greenfinches except they invariably go for the niger seed and I have often seen them in pairs more often than greenfinches.  If undisturbed, goldfinches can stay there for quite some time.  I have never seen any other birds go to the niger seed.

I do get other species in the garden, most can be seen listed here.  I had intended to keep up this record of sightings, but, like many things, this has slipped by the wayside, though I hope to resume shortly.  I haven't, for example, recorded the pied wagtail I saw beneath the feeders a few days ago - this was the first time I had seen this bird in the garden.  I have put some video clips of the birds on my YouTube channel.  I shot these by setting the camera up on a tripod and just letting it run - I then edited out the bits with little or no action before putting onto YouTube.  Interestingly, on one occasion, long-tailed tits appeared in the video, though I didn't see then "in the flesh", so to speak!

If you don't feed the birds, I would thoroughly recommend starting, if you can, not only will it support the visiting birds, but you will gain a lot of enjoyment from observing them.  There is a lot of information to help you, such as that on the RSPB's and BTO's websites.  I have used various suppliers, but usually go to my local wildlife trust for food - this will also help their work, of course.

Support your local wildlife, enjoy your local wildlife, share your local wildlife.