pittsburgh phil Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 as the goldcrest is the smallest British bird you're luck to have seen the bugger at all! Good pic. Are firecrests not smaller? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 15 minutes ago, pittsburgh phil said: 10 hours ago, tamthebam said: as the goldcrest is the smallest British bird you're luck to have seen the bugger at all! Good pic. Are firecrests not smaller? They're a bawhair bigger - firecrests average out about 10cm as opposed to 9cm. There's actually been a lone firecrest hanging about Hillhead in the West End most of the winter this year - goldcrests are ten a penny, but firecrests are a local rarity. Here's the wee guy in question: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pittsburgh phil Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 They're a bawhair bigger - firecrests average out about 10cm as opposed to 9cm. There's actually been a lone firecrest hanging about Hillhead in the West End most of the winter this year - goldcrests are ten a penny, but firecrests are a local rarity. Here's the wee guy in question: Yeah I've seen many a goldcrest but never the elusive firecrest. Lovely wee birds they both are. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Hillonearth said: There's actually been a lone firecrest hanging about Hillhead in the West End most of the winter this year. In the Botanics, by any chance? First time I saw a goldcrest it was in the Botanics in Edinburgh. Flew towards me at a good rate, around knee-height, then turned mid-air and retreated from whence it came, right along the same straight line as if it were on a piece of elastic. A great bit o' flying, but I was surprised how confident it had been on its approach before thinking better of it. Seen goldcrest 5 times, twice in our garden of which one was an extended bit of insect collection from a window box 3 feet from where I was standing at the kitchen sink . Never seen firecrest. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 13 minutes ago, sugna said: In the Botanics, by any chance? First time I saw a goldcrest it was in the Botanics in Edinburgh. Flew towards me at a good rate, around knee-height, then turned mid-air and retreated from whence it came, right along the same straight line as if it were on a piece of elastic. A great bit o' flying, but I was surprised how confident it had been on its approach before thinking better of it. Seen goldcrest 5 times, twice in our garden of which one was an extended bit of insect collection from a window box 3 feet from where I was standing at the kitchen sink . Never seen firecrest. It's spent most of its time in the Oakfield Avenue/Glasgow St area - seems to have got through what's been a hard winter without moving too far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Fife Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Mandarin Ducks (female is the less colourful one) Loch Lomond. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Good to hear there's a pair. The lone drake ("Gerry") in Figgate Park a couple of years ago had no duck of his own kind. He dealt with that by making some aggressive (against the drakes) moves on the mallard ducks. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Not the most exciting, but a wee Robin was trying to take shelter outside the back door just now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 My feeders were busy today with all the snow although Mr bullfinch was more interested in the buds on my wee tree. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8MileBU Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 My feeders were busy today with all the snow although Mr bullfinch was more interested in the buds on my wee tree. Ours fell off the bloody shed window. Guessing the sucker pads contracted in the cold. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 1 minute ago, 8MileBU said: Ours fell off the bloody shed window. Guessing the sucker pads contracted in the cold. I think we have every type of bird feeder in our garden, covers all the bases. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Also had a goldcrest in recently but in my haste to snap a photo I ended up with a shot of what looks like some kind of pokemon, 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 I’ve just been for a wander down the River Tay along the moncrieffe island (so still in Perth) and I was very very surprised to see - bobbing about in the water - a Guillemot. I’ll post photos when I get home. Why there is a guillemot this far from the sea I do not know. Maybe blown in by all the recent bad weather? It looked like it didn’t know what to do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, jamamafegan said: I’ve just been for a wander down the River Tay along the moncrieffe island (so still in Perth) and I was very very surprised to see - bobbing about in the water - a Guillemot. I’ll post photos when I get home. Why there is a guillemot this far from the sea I do not know. Maybe blown in by all the recent bad weather? It looked like it didn’t know what to do. They can sometimes get blown inland but certainly we do get cormorants in the winter when the seas are rough but I've never seen a gullemot far inland. I once came across a juvenile gannet in a park in Larbert and the bloody SSPCA refused to believe me and suggested I take it in to work with me if I was able to catch it. Edited March 19, 2018 by Rizzo 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 16 hours ago, jamamafegan said: I’ve just been for a wander down the River Tay along the moncrieffe island (so still in Perth) and I was very very surprised to see - bobbing about in the water - a Guillemot. I’ll post photos when I get home. Why there is a guillemot this far from the sea I do not know. Maybe blown in by all the recent bad weather? It looked like it didn’t know what to do. There have been some strong winds from the east that could have blown it inland, but sadly there's a fair likelihood it might be starving. Due to warming waters there apparently has been a drop in the number of sand eels which are a staple food of guillemots as well as some other seabirds, which has resulted in birds attempting to forage for food far from the coast. Last year there were several instances of guillemots on the Clyde as far up as Glasgow city centre - one was even hanging about the river as far inland as Dalmarnock. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 3 hours ago, Hillonearth said: There have been some strong winds from the east that could have blown it inland, but sadly there's a fair likelihood it might be starving. Due to warming waters there apparently has been a drop in the number of sand eels which are a staple food of guillemots as well as some other seabirds, which has resulted in birds attempting to forage for food far from the coast. Last year there were several instances of guillemots on the Clyde as far up as Glasgow city centre - one was even hanging about the river as far inland as Dalmarnock. Oh dear. I have to say, the wee chap looked utterly clueless as to what to do. He didn't move once, just bobbed about. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronish Baxter Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 (edited) I have this beautiful porch in front of my house and every morning I get a lot of winged visitors which includes a Robin, wood pigeons, doves, crows and sparrows. I love to feed them and I think they have developed a liking for me. Now, they are not even afraid to feed off my hands. Its quite a great feeling. Edited March 20, 2018 by Ronish Baxter 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 On 3/19/2018 at 14:22, jamamafegan said: I’ve just been for a wander down the River Tay along the moncrieffe island (so still in Perth) and I was very very surprised to see - bobbing about in the water - a Guillemot. I’ll post photos when I get home. Why there is a guillemot this far from the sea I do not know. Maybe blown in by all the recent bad weather? It looked like it didn’t know what to do. I've often felt the same in Perth. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 This hawk is a regular visitor 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Fife Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 2 hours ago, capybara said: This hawk is a regular visitor Female Sparrowhawk. Will be on the lookout for small birds for lunch 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.