Saturday 28 November 2015

Unusual behaviour from a bog standard blackbird

The Safari has been doing the BTO's Goldfinch Feeding Survey every Saturday since it started at the beginning of the month. If you haven't got involved yet why not? It's sooooo simple taking all of 2 minutes a week - yes that's it just two minutes of your time each week.
Anyway today we set a random time to start the two minutes watch and watched the feeders while we waited for the allotted time to arrive. It was quite busy with Blue and Great Tits and a couple of Greenfinches. Then a female Blackbird rocked up in the tree with the feeders and promptly got itself balanced and started to peck out the sunny seeds. We've been watching these feeders for long periods over the last three weeks while we've been off work and hardly seen a Blackbird in the garden never mind in the tree doing this. Is this a new arrival that learnt this trick elsewhere or is it a resident that comes to our suet blocks and has adapted its technique and taste buds as we haven't put any suet out yet? Anyone else out there seen this from a Blackbird?
Poor pic but it was dark wet n windy out there
Unusual indeed but then a miracle happened a Goldfinch appeared on the feeder minutes before the survey started - would it stay a few more minutes? Yes it did! One on the tally sheet - at last! It stayed a while having a good old feast. We missed it leaving but an hour or so later it was back with a friend, the first we've seen for far too long - exactly where have they been? 
Where to next? Weather tomorrow looks even more rank than it's been today but we have a bit of a sneaky plan and a possibly a couple of very elusive targets.
In meantime let us know who's back in town in your outback.


3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Davyman,
the Goldies here are permanently stuck to the sunflowers heart feeder, that is of course until the sprawk arrives!

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Goldies were glued to the sunnies here too until early autumn thrn they they just vanished Warren

Cheers

D