With a brief respite in the wet weather of the last week, I took the opportunity to get out in the garden. I have been wanting to re-arrange my feeders to provide better opportunities for photography. The numbers of birds in my garden have been increasing greatly in the last few weeks as the weather has got colder and natural sources have started to diminish. My main feeding station is at a patio area just outside my conservatory. This area is easy to clean, close to the house plus I can sit in the conservatory and enjoy the view… and photograph from there too!
I have some feeders mounted on a post and I used this post to support a horizontal branch which I also supported on the trellis. This gave not only the perfect place to hang the feeders, but an attractive perch on which to photograph visitors. I also added a lower perch. The birds in my garden are so used to me moving things around that whilst I was building this, they were still visiting the feeders that were actually on the garden table!
I also had an amazing ‘encounter’ this morning! I was just putting the branch across when a sudden movement, only a couple of metres from me, caught my eye. I looked up, straight into the piercing yellow eyes of a female sparrowhawk perched on the fence, just above my squirrel feeder. For a moment, we were both frozen, staring at each other… then she was off – a sudden blur of barred wings and yellow legs. These birds are so stunning and it is always an honour to have any brief encounter with such a spectacular hunter. I am sure she will be back… may be next time I will have my camera in my hand!
As I hung the feeders, the birds were gathering in the trees… they were almost on the feeders before I got inside! To show the kind of activity I can get around the feeders, I have installed another camera down in this area. I have mounted it on a post, so I can move it around onto different feeders. At the moment it is giving an overview of the whole area. To protect the camera, I found this plastic vent … it made a perfect little housing!
I have put up a range of feeders, offering a range of foodstuff and I’m looking forward to sharing all my visitors with you!
Nature's Feast Sunflower Heart Feeder
Nature's Feast Fat Ball Feeder
Ark Wildlife Onyx Premium Feeder
Nature's Feast Peanut Feeder
Nature's Feast Twister Feeder
Bill Oddie Fat Bar (From Wilkinsons)
Nature's Feast Niger Feeder
Today’s visitors in the garden have included:
Blue tit
Great tit
Coal tit
Long tailed tit
Nuthatch
Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Robin
Dunnock
House Sparrow
Blackbird
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Sparrowhawk
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Redwing
Starling
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
I have also been watching the redwings visiting the holly tree just behind this feeder set up. I want to capture some footage on the Bushnell Trophy Cam. They have all but stripped this bush now, so I went up the bridle path and collected some more berries. I have placed them on top of the fence, hoping I can lure the redwings in for a spot of photography!
