Sunday 15 July 2012

Very busy in the garden today.........................................................................

I topped up the feeders first thing this morning... then just sat back with my camera and chilled.

Young House Sparrows galore... up to twenty birds at a time.


I have added a short video clip (only 40 seconds) to show some of the action....the bird with yellow in it's wings is a juvenile goldfinch.





 Blackbirds were ground feeding below the feeders... 

...so I put some seed out onto the path...

...which also made it easier for the young sparrows.

And?...

 ...someone who always gatecrashes my parties!!!

Linking to I'd-Rather-B-Birding's new meme: The Bird D'Pot

32 comments:

Unknown said...

Great series, and I like your gate crasher. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

TexWisGirl said...

ahh! thanks for explaining the young goldfinch as i wondered what that flash was! :)

ashok said...

Enjoyed this post...lovely snaps!

Roan said...

Some people don't appreaciate sparrows, but I do. They are as much fun to watch as any bird, they're just not as unusual. Nice post. Love the squirrel.

The Herald said...

Nice to see that you have a healthy population of House Sparrows Andrew.

And the gatecrasher looks well fed too!!...[;o)

Maude Lynn said...

Gorgeous shots!

Phil Slade said...

20 House Sparrows? That's a wow nowadays Andrew. Good to see your sharp shooting of them.

NatureFootstep said...

lol, the squirrels also wants to eat obviously. Nice garden you have. :)

barbara l. hale said...

Terrific photos of the birds and that pesky gatecrasher!

eileeninmd said...

It is nice to sit back and watch your yard birds. I see you also have squirrels eating your bird food. I have given up trying to keep them away from the bird food. Great birds and photos.

grammie g said...

Hi Andrew..Love seeing your birds in action,and stills..the ones with the rose buds in the background are gorgeous!!
Your sure have some mouths to
feed ; }}
Can't chill and watch the birds here it is so hot 106 degrees and I don't have air condition whew!! I get out and keep the birdbaths in fresh water
though!!
Grace

FAB said...

Super series Andrew. The fat-balls are certainly a delicacy here as well.

HansHB said...

Lovely post. So many great photos!
Have a nice evening!

Bob Bushell said...

Lovely images and squirrel to make your day.

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

Hours of entertainment for you. Get a sling shot for the gate crashers and have even more entertainment for yourself.

holdingmoments said...

Good to see so many sparrows Andrew.

Sondra said...

Really great shots of your yard visitors Andrew. I wish we had Fat Balls here they make then FLAT...suet cakes!!I like the round better...:0)

Carole M. said...

Isn't it kind of nice to wake up to a new day and know that no demands on your time; that you can choose to chill-out. The weather was good for it by the looks of it and the sparrows having a great time. Doesn't take them long to find the latest food offering I bet. Loved the video clip; no squabbling and not just one feeder, so they can shift along. Really like those goldfinches. The finale photo made me laugh; looking oh-so-innocent!

Anonymous said...

I had to start "poppin" my gatecrashers in their butt with my Red Ryder BB gun! Doesn't hurt them, but it definitly reminds them they are not wanted around the bird feeders!

Debbie said...

oh i just love the chirping/singing sounds of the birds. you really have a lot of birds in a small space.

the ending, no surprise....if there's seed anywhere, they make an appearence!!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Nice set of feeder pics- that squirrel is making out like a bandit.

Brian King said...

Your garden was quite busy, Andrew! Very nice set of photos! I like your blackbirds...the yellow bill really stands out. Had to laugh at the squirrel! They're persistent.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Your gatecrasher is adorable, even if he doesn't fit into the winged society! And love your little video capturing all the action!

mick said...

Great photos of all the birds coming to take advantage of the good supply of food you put out for them. I like the squirrel as well but am glad I don't have them out here!

Michelle said...

I love the crisp, clear photos of these beauties!

Rohrerbot said...

Nice shots from your feeders! I like that video as well. And those suet balls are really neat. I've never seen those before. The dominant bird at my place is the House Finch. I love all the birds around....makes the garden feel alive:)

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I reckon everybody who runs a bird cafe' has at least one of those gate crashers! As always your bird photos are spectacular Andrew -- thanks for sharing.

Pantherka said...

Beautiful series of photos Andrew, great photos.
Greetings.

Anni said...

Sweet....wow. Stupendous images. And even the party crasher....it's adorable. But, of course, LOVE the birds. I like how you captured the sparrows....for me, they're very difficult to get a good photo 'cause they're always so busy flitting around. Wonderful share.

Vores have said...

Beautiful picture series you run. Wishing you a good day :)

Pat said...

What a great series of pictures here. I like your blackbirds!

Susan said...

Wow, you really do get action around there! Awesome photo and video!