Walter 
Most of the birds in the tit family are easily recognised by their vibrant plumage, particularly the blue tit. It’s cousin, the great tit has a similarly striking appearance, including greenish-yellow feathers, white cheeks and a black cap. I see other members of the tit family at my feeders regularly, yet rarely see a great … Read more
One for sorrow, two for joy… this makes me think that solitary magpies are lonely and only become happy when they’re in a pair. To some degree, this is true, magpies are thought to have earned their bad reputation in part due to their willingness to attack when they’re alone. This made me wonder do … Read more
There’s no denying that magpies have a bad reputation. With their scavenging and predatory nature, few people are happy to find them in their garden. If you have ever heard their noisy squawking or seemingly seen them chase off other birds or cats from your garden, you might be interested to know are magpies territorial … Read more
The magpie has a fairly bad reputation often due to it’s bullying nature and propensity to steal from other nests and human homes. This made me wonder how he became shrouded in so much superstition and whether magpies are unlucky. Folklore would have us believe that magpies have always been bad guys, with the Victorians … Read more
Do you have a problem with pigeons eating your plants? You might not even know it and be blaming smaller birds, slugs, or snails. The pigeons are smart and make their move in the early hours, while most of us are still in bed. They have their particular favourites and leave hallmark signs if they’ve … Read more
People of a certain age might have fond memories of their garden teeming with sparrows and the air filled with their pretty chirruping. You might even remember the gregarious little fellows in a parent or grandparent’s garden. They used to be so plentiful. Their numbers have declined incredibly over recent years, if, like me, you … Read more
Most keen bird feeders will have regular garden visits from blackbirds throughout the spring and summer, and then notice that they disappear as the climate changes and the winter draws in. If you think this might be a sign that blackbirds migrate, read on, you might be surprised. Garden blackbirds are territorial and stay close … Read more
My most regular garden visitor of late has been a blackbird, definitely male as he has the instantly recognisable yellow/orange beak. More recently he seems to have brought his mate along with him. Although I feel sure that this is the same pair visiting daily, I decided to do some research and find out if … Read more
We all know that bramblings are really only winter visitors to the UK and that the chances of being lucky enough to see one of them in our gardens outside the winter months are really rather remote. However, in recent years, according to the RSPB’s Great Bird Watch, the number of sightings of bramblings in … Read more
Next time you’re in your garden, have a look in your trees, particularly if they are tall, to see if you have a nuthatch nesting in one of the trunks, as they’re rather partial to living and breeding in them… They’re great entertainment if you fancy whiling away a morning as you can watch them … Read more
