The young collared doves have been growing rapidly this week. We’ve been watching as the parent birds take it in turn to sit on the nest and feed their young. Today, for the first time the young birds have been left on their own in the nest – there’s not much room for them, never mind an adult bird as well. I expect they’ll be leaving the nest soon.
Here is a short video showing the two chicks being fed:
Exciting day today as the first of the Collared Dove chicks hatched. Currently there are two chicks and I think there is a third egg in the nest.
More Saturday Snapshots are on Aylce’s blog.
Last Saturday I posted photos of the nest the Collared Doves had built at the back of our satellite dish.
Earlier this week we had a sight of the two eggs in the collared doves’ nest -
Here is one of the parents sitting on the eggs -
and here is a short video we made of one of the doves settling down on the eggs -
We hoping to video the chicks as they hatch – it’s just like Springwatch here at the moment!
To participate in Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo (new or old) that you (or a friend or family member) have taken, but make sure it’s not one that you found online.
We were away from home last week and on our return we noticed this pile of sticks behind the satellite dish on the back wall of the house.
We thought it was the beginnings of a nest and the birds had abandoned it – it’s just a pile of sticks. Then yesterday evening as we were sitting on the decking having a barbecue we noticed two collared doves on the roof and one flew down and settled on the nest.
This was the best photo I could get, but Dave’s camera can zoom in closer and this is his photo:
I’m very fond of collared doves, even if their coo – COO – coo call can get very repetitive, so I do hope we get some chicks. We had young collared doves in the garden last year but didn’t see where their nest was.
To participate in Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo (new or old) that you (or a friend or family member) have taken, but make sure it’s not one that you found online.
Early yesterday morning I was sitting at the computer when a movement outside caught my eye. My desk faces the window looking out onto the back garden. I thought maybe someone was taking an early morning walk along the footpath just beyond our garden fence, but no – it was a deer. For once my camera was on the desk, with a card in and the battery wasn’t flat. Quickly I zoomed in and took a few photos because normally wildlife doesn’t hang around when I’m taking photos.
He was eating the leaves and blossom off the little apple tree and then walked on,
going behind the trees and out of sight. I thought that was that and he’d left the garden, but not so. For the next 30 minutes or so I could see him wandering around that part of the garden going backwards and forwards eating leaves and generally mooching about. I began to wonder if he couldn’t get out, but presumably as he’d got in he could get out. So I had my breakfast and then saw him again, this time moving towards the house. He jumped over our little stream and ran across the side garden.
This photo of him running is a bit hazy from the reflection from the window and my haste to get a photo! I was able to get a better photo from the side window:
He then went towards the road side fence and we were bothered he’d jump over onto the road. So Dave went out to the front garden to the other side of the fence from the deer and he ran back over the stream and disappeared. Later in the morning I went over to the back garden and found strands of hair caught on the fence where he had jumped over it.
He was in the garden for nearly an hour! He was much bigger than he looks in the photos and I think he’s a Roe Deer.
To participate in Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. All Alyce asks is that you don’t post random photos that you find online.
I looked up from the computer the other morning and spotted a hare in the field behind our house. Then another one ran up and they both bounded off. I grabbed my camera and was only just quick enough to get a photo of this one as it was running out of sight.
We woke up this morning to yet more snow, as in most of Britain.
The birds were flocking to the feeders – which now need replenishing. Today the woodpecker stayed long enough for me to take some photos.
The tits are bolder and come up onto the decking outside the kitchen.
This one landed in the snow and nearly sank.
Lucy, who hasn’t ventured outside since the snow first came at the end of November, sits and watches the birds as they come near the window.
This is what she wished she could catch
The snow is still here, we’re getting a bit fed up with it, but it does make a pretty picture. Everything looks as though it’s covered in royal icing.
The field across the road is sparkling in the sun this morning – click on photo to see the sparkles:
D has been feeding the birds every day, topping up the feeders. We had lots of visitors, including robins, bluetits, great tits, greenfinches, goldfinches chaffinches, sparrows, wood pigeons and a woodpecker too.
We can identify most of the birds but this one has us puzzled. What is it?
It appeared on the decking where D had put a tray of birdseed and ventured very close to the patio doors. I tried several times to get a good photo and this is the best I could do.
Here it is enlarged:
We’ve checked in the RSPB Charts and our bird books – A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe, the Reader’s Digest Field Guide to the Birds of Britain, and Collins Bird Guide, but I’m not sure if I can identify it. Is it a meadow pipit?
Just look at that stare?
It’s a little bit warmer today, the icicles hanging from the gutters are melting, and the sky is blue. This is the view of the back garden where the sun is shining.
The front garden all is in shade. The birds disappeared when I opened the door to take this photo, but the feeders are tremendously popular.
I had to crawl to the window in the front room to take this photo of a lesser spotted woodpecker on the bird feeder as the slightest movement and it flew away.
It’s difficult to see the woodpecker’s beautiful plumage because the tree is in the shade and the woodpecker refused to move round so I could take a photo of it’s lovely colours.
These are photos of the shadows in our garden yesterday, showing the glorious autumn colours.
For more Shadow Shots go to Hey Harriet’s blog.