No flowers so we admire the wildlife
Just after Christmas we had an exotic visitor to the garden. (Apologies in advance for all these pictures being a little blurred. The Digger had to take them through a window).
It was a Ring-Necked Parakeet. These birds are escapees from private collections that have established themselves in and around London. Despite looking very tropical they actually originate from the foothills of the Himalayas so cold winters are not a great problem. The bird was a much more vivid green than it looks in this picture.
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Once the snow fell there were lots of birds at the hanging feeders and on the ground.
Blue Tits and a Great Tit
Chaffinch, Robin and Blackbird
We were amazed to see a Blackbird stripping the fruit from our Olive Tree and swallowing them whole.
Black Bird
Later on I sat in the conservatory reading a book. It was so peaceful. Then I sensed movement outside and glanced up……aarrgh!!
3 Squirrels on the ground
While Squirrel number 4 raids the seed feeder
They are back in force. Damn it!
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Oh, darn about the squirrels…they are pesty little pests, and are only charming for about 3.27 seconds. The birds on the other hand, are just great.
I once saw an offering in a book catalog entitled “100 Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeders” — after which the catalog editor had added, “Yeah, right.” -Jean
In and around Brussels, those ring-necked parakeets have established a healthy population too. In my region, on the country side, you don’t find them (yet?).
Last months, I don’t see many squirrels – luckily, the squirrels here still are the native ones, and they don’t do much harm.
Like you, I seem to turn to bird-watching in those weeks that there’s nothing blooming outside…
Pleased to see that your feeding the wildlife. They are having such a hard time across there at the moment. Any signs of a thaw? How unusal to see a paraquet but lovely too.
I gasped at the sight of the parakeet, EG, what a surprise that must have been, to see such a bird at the feeders. Now those squirrels are all too common a sight, however. We have had to resort to all squirrel proof feeders, abandoning many expensive and lovely contraptions because of those thieves.
Frances
Must have been a pleasant surprise to see the birds at the feeders. but the parakeet is lovely. I can just imagine that vivid green!
Quadruple argh!!! Those pesky varmints. Grrr! How to keep them from their rude pilfering? Looks like you fortified the feeders so well, and yet they persist! They are the reason I stopped having feeders here, sadly. Well, them and the rats. Ew. What a fun surprise to see the wild parakeet! Have you seen the documentary about the wild parrots in San Francisco? Pretty cool that these escapees can make it in the wilds of our cities!
What exotic creatures! They have not made it to the north west yet. Our first time visitor this week has been a goldcrest. Camera at the ready but no joy yet. I thought that our squirrels were hibernating but who was I kidding – himself spotted them yesterday up to similar tricks as yours .
That most have been fun to have that exotic visiter in your garden.
This week I have a meme at my garden blog and it is about birds in the garden.
Please feel free and put a link in the meme with this post,
MB
at http://mariaberg-garden.blogspot.com/2010/01/tradgards-tema-nr-19-faglarna-i.html
Your snowy backyard could be right next door to mine – minus the fabulous green parrot. I know that a girlfriend of mine planted a Russian olive here in Ontario just for winter bird food. There’s probably such an abundance of goodies in your yard normally without the snow, the birds probably never needed to even try them. Similar things happen in our yards when it’s really cold and snowy – anything the creatures can see above the snow becomes dinner.
Lovely to see your garden pics of the birds – the squirels are a good source of entertainment… we literally hardly have any squirrels here to my knowledge – in 6 years I’ve seen 3 red squirrels and it’s been in other people’s gardens or whilst out on a walk last December… my parents have a few in the garden in Cornwall so I know what a bunch of monkeys they can be in stealing all the food…. is there such a thing as a Squirrel proof feeder? Enjoy – Miranda
It’s been a hard few weeks for the birds, but it has meant some lovely photos and viewings of birds we otherwise wouldn’t see in the gardens.
Amazing! /Eva Linnea (Sweden)
We have been busy feeding the birds too – never seen so many blackbirds in once place at the same time. This meant blackbird wars.
We only have squirrels occasionally so still think they are lovely – sorry!
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