Back yard birding thread... (Corona virus restrictions)

[Caracal]

Great photos @Bush dog and I'm wondering about the Greenfinch and Hawfinch - how common are they nowadays ?

[Bush dog]

@Caracal

 

Thank you for your comments.

I can only give an opinion based on observations made within the limits of my garden for more than 20 years now.  I've seen more greenfinches and hawfinches those last 10 years than before.  In the winter time, feeder helping, they are quite common as well as the great an blue tits and the chaffinches.  The number of house sparrows increased.  And goldfinches and bramblings appeared the last 3 years.

[Bush dog]

Pictures of yesterday

 

Hawfinch again

 

 

 

Brambling

 

[africawild]

Hi all,

 

Here in Spain the pandemic is hitting terribly with almost 50,000 confirmed cases and unfortunately we have not reached the peak so we have a heartbreaking situation.
We are in the tenth of fifteen days of confinement and today the authorities have approved 15 more days,  30 in total.

 

After the bad news, let me show you ten of the 20 some species that I saw last Sunday in the tiny garden we have at home.

 

While Stork

 

 

Griffon Vuture

 

 

Common Woodpidgeon

 

 

European Robin

 

 

Common Linnet

 

 

Greenfinch

 

 

House Sparrow

 

 

Blackcup

 

 

Common Blackbird

 

 

Sardinian Warbler

 

 

Let's hope this nightmare will pass soon, stay well!

 

Paco

 

 

 

[xelas]

On 3/24/2020 at 9:42 AM, Game Warden said:

That last shot is at a great angle and great study of the hawfinch @Bush dog.

 

To me it looks like the Hawfinch has taken a great study of @Bush dog !

[xelas]

It was spring till Saturday when the winter came back with a vengeance . This one was taken on the last sunny day; quarantine is so less fun when also the balcony is off-limit .

 

Eye-to-eye with a Serin.

 

[xelas]

Two more from previous week when access to the balcony was still permitted (by the weather).

 

 

Great Tit

 

Collared Doves in Love

[Game Warden]

Ok: who was it?

 

[Soukous]

21 hours ago, xelas said:

This one was taken on the last sunny day;

 

So you get to play with the camera when you are back at home. 

[xelas]

6 hours ago, Soukous said:

So you get to play with the camera when you are back at home. 

 

Yes ! 

[Kitsafari]

Not a photo, but a video of the oriental magpie robin, who usually is found on low trees, bushes or on the ground foraging in wooded areas or parks. There's a resident at place, who sometimes appear and sometimes disappear for days. Just a couple of days ago, it appeared in early  morning hours, sat at the top of a rooftop and sang to the rising sun. Just a short snippet of its melodious voice.

 

 

 

[SSF556]

Thought you guys would enjoy an update on the 2 squirrels we found 10 days ago....this was a photo from the rehab center today...the brothers are kicking butt.

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by SSF556

[JohnR]

I haven't seen reed buntings in my garden for a year before this morning. Taken through a very grimy window and dehazed in Camera Raw (1DX2 with 100-400 ii handheld).

 

[TonyQ]

@JohnR

lovely photo. Would CameraRaw clean my windows?

[JohnR]

@TonyQ I don't know, I'm a macOS user. 

[Caracal]

Had some favourite garden visitors this morning. These photos were taken through the bedroom window.

 

Eastern Rosella

 

 

 

Crested Pigeon

 

 

Crimson Rosella aka @AndMic 's Avatar

[marg]

well they are not birds, but they fly......the Painted ladys are making the trip north.  We are seeing many of them flying by mid day.

[Bush dog]

This morning

 

Green woodpecker

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

A great catch Mike - would love to have this bird around my house!

[xelas]

Me too! But I need to be happy with a European Starling, building a nest.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful Alex! I cannot contribute any photos from home right now, I don´t think taking photos outside would fall under "essential needs", the only reason we are allowed to leave the house. Well, it is a very essential need for me actually but I´m afraid the police would not agree. But I saw a juvenile Dipper today with its parents - just 200 metres from the house. Since they all knew I did not have my camera with me they were provoking me from 5 metres away, hopping up and down on their stone in the creek, singing "Nanananananah, Michael, you can´t get us".

[Bush dog]

@michael-ibk

 

Thanks Michael!

I don't see it often but I hear it regularly "laughing".  But when I see it I see it better than the great spotted woodpecker for the simple reason that the green woodpecker likes to look for its food on the ground sometimes very close to the house.

[Bush dog]

@xelas

 

Thanks Alex!

I also have a starling building its nest close to my house but did not manage yet to get a decent picture of it.

 

[xelas]

We are still entitled to move around our perimeter (municipality) is we keep social distancing. However, as the title is suggesting, my photo(s) is (are) from the backyard, in this case from the balcony.

As the traffic is much quieter these days, wildlife is more relaxed. This afternoon a pheasant came to neighbour's lawn. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by xelas

[pomkiwi]

Well Covidsomnia has me in its grip and on waking before dawn I dragged myself out. I'd hoped, but not expected, to find our local barn owl. He was around close to the house and I then got to follow him as he hunted on the way back to his barn. He made 3 kills in the 15 minutes or so it took and judging by his screech as he entered the barn he has company and hopefully some owlets soon. Apologies for the picture quality but it was fairly dark and has been cropped:

 

 

Nikon D500, PF500, F5.6, 1/320sec ISO 4000 (eek!)