Maximum temperature today 4C, minimum -7C. Feels like -10C Dry; 15 km/h Easterly winds with up to 35 km/h gusts.
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)....
Great excitement, a first for us in our garden...
Take a look at that massive beak. Its food is mainly seeds and fruit kernels, especially those of cherries, which it cracks with its powerful bill.
You can see here it is quite a lot larger than the Great tit bottom left...
Great tit (Parus major)
Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)....
The water keeps icing up....
Complaining! So I went out for the 4th time in a couple of hours to break the ice.
Female House sparrow (Passer domesticus)...
Icing up again!!!!!
Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto). So much larger than the house sparrows around it.
European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).
European greenfinch, (Chloris chloris).
Love this series! The hawfinch has such a sturdy beak it makes the look of its face quite severe. The beak should be able to crush items for certain.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie, it is so nice to have a new visitor to the garden if only briefly. I have never seen one before either which was even more exciting :-) Cheers Diane
DeleteA great series of shots of all the birds, but the Hawfinch is an incredible species to visit your garden.
ReplyDeleteDavid I was really excited, not only a first in the garden, but a first for me as well. I suspect this very cold spell has it looking further afield for food and we just happened to be lucky it found us :-) I gather they are very shy so even luckier for me. Cheers Diane
DeleteI enjoy your feathered visitors so much Diane, you have your birdbath and feeders in the most perfect spot. It's always exciting to see a new bird. Today I saw a mynah bird for the first time, probably not rare but very unusual looking. How is your cough? Mine still hanging about 😑
ReplyDeleteThanks Grace, very exciting, a first for me as well as a first in the garden :-) The cough is much the same and last night was particularly bad :-((( I just wish it would go away now I have had more than enough! Take care Diane
DeleteYou new guest is a pretty little fellow.
ReplyDeleteProbably a one off but I am glad that I did not miss it :-) Diane
DeleteNice! Ilove it and your photos are so sharp. The last tw I have never seen.
ReplyDeleteThe last two are fairly common here but not the first one. :-) Keep warm Diane
DeleteThat sequence of the first three photos is begging to be captioned. What a character! ;-)
ReplyDeleteUnusual looking bird and I was delighted that I noticed it:-) Cheers Diane
DeleteHi Diane. The Hawfinch is very attractive but looks very haughty as well! I like the colouring of the beautiful European Goldfinch too. Keep warm and stay safe. x
ReplyDeleteWeather here is improving slightly, or getting warmer anyway but it looks like the rain is returning!!!
DeleteWhen I first got to the UK, and then France, I thought the birds were quite plain after Africa, but I have now changed my mind some are really quite pretty. Take care Diane
So wonderful to have these pretty birds in your garden! We are having 32 deg C and its really hot and sweaty!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of 32C what a pleasure :-) Thanks for the comment Nancy. Take care Diane
DeleteThe Hawfinch looks almost angry. You better keep those water bowls broken up of ice. Same problem here in the mornings.
ReplyDeleteNow we have rain every day, at least it means the birds have water!! Keep well Diane
DeleteOh Diane, thanks for sharing such beautiful feathered friends. We don't have several of those here in TN. I love seeing them all.
ReplyDeleteYou have many different birds to us here in France and again I was brought up with an entirely different collection of birds in Africa. Hope all is well Diane
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