jackson 301 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Ashley, that first photo of yours really caught us out - kept us guessing - is that what you wanted? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 It's alright for you Ms Jackson Mi Duk, I sent the first one to a vet friend to identify Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 HI Compo mi duck, what did your vet friend suggest? :smile: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 He hasn't got back to me - he probably thinks it's a practical joke! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Wise Guy! I'm pretty sure Ashley was out to flummox us! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted March 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 As I mentioned he keeps flying up to the window, sometimes actually touches it, must have took about 30 snaps of him, most either missed him or just a blur but couldn't believe that hawk like one, had I been shown that I'd have said kestrel not that I know much re birds, As regards Dunnock v Hedge Sparrow no idea, for about 3 years those 2 (or others thus) mentioned have nested in that hedge and bred, a further clue is they have red legs!!! Jackson, what year was that photo took? and (I know I shouldn't ask) what was your age? have feeling I know you Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 IT's a Dunnock. The beak is to narrow for a Sparrow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Here's another picture of a Dunnock: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sparrow and Dunnock not related at all, House Sparrow (passer domesticus) Tree Sparrow (passer montanus) Dunnock (prunella modularis) cracking little fellows all of them Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 No they're not related...but us kids called 'em Hedge Sparrows.We never called them Dunnocks or the other fancy name Hedge Accentor. They make a cracking nest low down with pale blue eggs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 And sing nicely too (Fer a sparrer) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 he's still with us! has now progressed to touching the window regularly in flight, also sits on the sill and taps glass with his beak Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Ashley: Here'a trick I thought up when I lived in Ethiopia. Birds often used to fly into the window because the sun reflected the garden on the window. I drilled a hole in the woodwork and inserted a length of dowelling. The birds then landed on the dowel and the males would see a reflected "Rival". This caused them to preen, strut and sing along the dowel in display mode. I had hours of pleasure watching these performances and in the end no harm was done. It was like having a private aviary. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 I'm sure some of the resident ornithologists will come up with the make/model of this particular bird Last week two of these whatever-they-are took a strong liking to my car for a couple of days, especially sitting on the door mirror and near the side windows. They were there for literally several hours a day, fluttering around and generally using the car as a place to hang out. After their couple of days they disappeared and I haven't seen them again since. I know they aren't exotic, but what are they? (and these were taken on a cheap pocket camera, shooting from inside the house, through the window) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 They're Chaffinches Cliff Ton. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 And the reason they're on your car?.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Haven't a clue, anything to do with birds having narcissistic tendencies? The bird in the top photo -absolutely gorgeous colour - what is it poohbear? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Chaffinch, lovely birds, the one/ones in the picture are cock birds (males) and perhaps they can see their own reflections on the windows or mirrors, they think that another male is in the area and he has to worn him off "this is my territory and your not welcome" Cliff ton, dont say he is not exotic, all bird are, over here at the moment we have some little Egrets, flocks of Widgeon and Teal on the lagoons and a breeding colony of Black Headed Gulls, a few weeks ago a pair of common Cranes visited us for a couple of days along with a Great White Egret, I will be off to Bempton cliffs (near Bridlington) in a couple of weeks to see the Gannets, Puffins, Razorbills, Guillimots and my fave sea bird The Kittiwakes, love em all Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Plantfit, thanks for reminding me of the wonderful bird sights to be seen at Bempton Cliffs - made a note of them. I'll make time and look up the other birds you mention - I like to learn about birds. :smile: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Chaffinch, lovely birds, the one/ones in the picture are cock birds (males) and perhaps they can see their own reflections on the windows or mirrors, they think that another male is in the area and he has to worn him off "this is my territory and your not welcome" Cliff ton, dont say he is not exotic, all bird are, When I said "not exotic" I was meaning they are a breed relatively common to these parts, and not some obscure foreign visitor who had drifted off course. Wrong word on my part I guessed it was the reflection in the mirror and door window which was fascinating them. I've seen birds attack their own reflections before but in this case they didn't seem to be too aggressive towards what they were seeing; almost as though they regarded it as a new friend to hang around with Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 That reminds me of another seriea of coincidences !! (Which thread to post it in I wonder??!!) I have only ever been to Bempton Cliffes once. It was just after I bought my 'Zenit Photo Sniper' and we went (Me, Mum and Dad) for a drive up there one Spring, I got a few great shots of the Puffins and my Mum (A budding amature artist at the time) used one of my photos to do a painting of them . This painting was entered in a competition and it came 1st in the 'Wildlife' catagory, it was then bid for in a 'charity auction' , and sold for the princely sum of 50 quid (The only picture she ever sold (Not that she tried to sell any) ) A good few years later I was helping to remove a load of 'goods and chattles' from a house in Lowdham, as the owner was moving back to the 'States'; on the wall (And thus staying behind) was a very familiar painting. Yup it was my mums ! The home owner was recently a widower and his wife had bought it at the auction as a memory of one of their many sojouns to Bempton. He didn't want it as it bought back a few sad memories I told the owner that I knew the artist and of course I had to go through the whole story, in the end the owner at first offered it to me for free, then changed his mind and we opened one of the crates as he decided to keep the memories ! Great feeling that ! The other coincidence that day was that as I was driving us back down the A1 we saw a car pulled into the side broken down. My mum said "That looks like Lesley" (her cousin) so I turned round and went back to help, sure enough it was Lesley, she had a flat tyre and didn't have the correct wheel brace, I happened to have the right one, fixed her up and she was on her way within 20 minutes of starting to panic (As she wasn't a member of any organisation (No mobile phones in those days either) and it was a sunday so no garages would be open either!!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Perhaps they are after the spider that lives in your door mirror? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Can't seem to be able to put any pics on the site anymore, what am I doing wrong Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 I think I might have managed to get a picture on, if so It's a Gannet gliding on the wind at Bempton Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Another one for good measure, Gannet found a site for a nest Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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