Wildlife February 2011

[Anthony Darby]

Saw my first tuis this morning. An adult and juvenile. The former disturbed a large cicada which flew off with the tui in hot pursuit. A few aerobatic loops and the tui caught it. The juvenile was still watching from a magnolia tree as the adult bashed the insect on the branch of a nearby puriri tree. They both then flew off.

[Olga Bondareva]

Ann, what a pretty red squirrel! 

Nick, I like very much you feeding cylinder design! Think it is very comfortable for birds.

[Nick_the_grief]

Hi Olga,

These are pretty standard over here.  That type is plastic tube and metal perches/feeder holes (heavy duty) but you can get smaller ones as well that are all plastic.  THey have a screw fitting in the bottom as well so you can attach a tray to catch seed or mount them on a pole.

I've got one the same as the one in the picture and about 3 or 4 smaller all plastic ones they all seem to get well used

See attached link (http://www.birdfood.co.uk/products.php?area_id=2&nav_id=32

[mark smyth]

I gave two talks on swift conservation last week in Devon. 75 people attended including biodiversity officers, local RSPB, local wildlife trust, wildlife enthusiasts, planners amd pupils from a school.

They have asked me to go back in May

[Olga Bondareva]

Thank you Nick! I can only dream about such thing! And I need something much bigger because I can not fill it every day.

[Olga Bondareva]

Yesterday I met a bullfinch



and a... camel. 

[Maggi Young]

Yesterday I met a bullfinch



and a... camel. 

Must be a true sign of global warming, Olga.

That Bullfinch must just have returned from the Tailors'... his suit looks brand new. 
 

[Paddy Tobin]

Olga,

We see bullfinches along the road near our house but they have never come into the garden or to the bird feeders.

Camels - they are everywhere!

Paddy

[Olga Bondareva]

Must be a true sign of global warming, Olga.

I expect a hybrid camel x elk. 

We see bullfinches along the road near our house but they have never come into the garden or to the bird feeders

Paddy
The same here! I dream to shoot the bird all winter and never see them low at the shrubs or at feeders. Only at the top of trees. They like berries as I know not dry seeds.

[Maggi Young]

We hardly ever have Bullfinches in the garden but the last time Olga posted pictures Ian saw  a pair that day as he walked to the swimming pool. He was hoping for more when Peter posted his but that didn't happen!


Olga, for an elk/camel hybrid your photos would sell around the world!

[Nick_the_grief]

We used to get them on our Honeysuckle in winter eating the "dried" seeds but since I had to move it they don't come into the garden anymore

I've been out photographing with a few donkeys in my time Olga but never a Camel

[Lesley Cox]

Do camels really mate with elk? And a camel on the loose in Russia? My concept of the world is turning upsidedown. wonderful pictures though Olga, as always and I love the bullfinch. I wish the early settlers in NZ had brought more of their European species with them.

[ranunculus]

Do camels really mate with elk?

Yes Lesley ... it results in one 'el of a kamel ... !   

[jomowi]

Lesley - be thankful you don't have bullfinches.  They may be beautiful but are very destructive.  In the Spring when their natural food of seeds has run out they turn their attention to your soft fruit bushes and will strip the buds in no time. 

[Gail]

My father in Sutton Coldfield puts out a mixed bird seed and regularly has a family of six bullfinches on the feeders.  We occasionally get them in the garden here - they are so beautiful I don't begrudge them some fruit blossom.