A free lunch

My new woodpecker feeder is also proving popular with a variety of other birds.  I now see a pair of nuthatches and a pair of treecreepers outside the window every day.

A few more red squirrels

I could watch these creatures all day.  I think they are at their most handsome in their dark winter coats.

Winter finches

At last my regular daily visits from bullfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch and greenfinch have been joined by redpoll and siskin. It is good to see so many of these last two so early in the winter.  The birds are much easier to see now all the leaves have fallen and all look sparkling in the (rare) winter sunshine.

I haven't quite got the full set as I don't have a female siskin yet and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a visit from a brambling.

Room for a small one?

At this time of year tribes of long-tailed tits move through the garden several times a day, more easily heard than seen. They usually stay up in the trees but sometimes move down to the feeders.  When they do so they prefer the fat balls and stay for only a couple of minutes before moving on.

How many woodpeckers visit the garden?

My new woodpecker feeder is proving very popular, with many visits each day.  Apart from telling males from females, identifying individual birds is not easy.  It is difficult to tell whether there is one woodpecker who keeps coming back all the time, or lots of birds each making one visit, or (most likely) several birds making several visits.  I do see up to three at a time in the garden, chasing each other off the food.

The camera allows a very clear view of the birds and they tend to sit on the feeder in the same position in the same attitude.

These four photos are of birds visiting on the same afternoon but it is difficult to tell how many individuals are here.  I suspect the top right and bottom left may be the same bird but can't be sure.  The other two I think are different.

One difficulty is that the feathers move around a bit as the bird moves, changing the pattern of black and white slightly. Also some of the birds may be related - father and sons or brothers - and they might be expected to resemble each other more than unrelated birds.

I haven't been able to find anything written on which physical features are likely to vary between individual birds.  The pattern of black and white on the shoulder is one possibility.  The shape of the white cheek patch and the pattern around the eye are others.

This bird clearly has black feathers in front of the eye.

This one has white in front of the eye.

Here are two photos of females taken on different days but I think they are the same bird (or closely related).  The first photo is clearer (better light and closer zoom).

A few more photos all taken on the same day (different from above).  First four consecutive males.  How many individuals?

And two females, unfortunately in slightly different poses.  But are they the same bird?  Probably not.

I think the only way to resolve it would be for me to train as a ringer, colour ring the birds, and then photograph them as well.  Maybe I'll just stick to enjoying watching them.  If you have any ideas or suggestions please leave a comment.

My new assistant

Meet my new assistant.  He's planning a career in wildlife photography but whether as a photographer or as a model he didn't say.  He's certainly very enthusiastic.

After he'd had checked out the camera his mate came for a look around as well.  I think we'll make a good team.

More shorties

I hope you don't mind a few more short-eared owl photos.  First a few from St Mary's.

And more from Prestwick Carr.