Camera Critters #4 - Buzzard

Weekly Six 9th - 15th April 2007

Those of you who visit my blog regularly may have noticed the introduction of a new feature called the Weekly Six? Well it lasted for 3 weeks and has been absent since due to a somewhat hectic social schedule.

However this time has provided me with an opportunity to review the feature and I am happy to say it is being re-introduced, but will have a little more scope. The Weekly Six will be a mixed bag of 6 items that I wish to discuss and I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading them!

So without further ado, here are this weeks pickings.

Item 1:

Bird Food of the Week - Niger Seed, Guizotia abyssinica

I am an avid bird feeder and watcher and have been experimenting with different bird seeds to find the best one for providing high energy food, with least waste. I have found two that are a favourite with a multitude of birds, although the finches and tits prefer the more expensive one, but have recently tried a third, Niger Seed and am amazed by the results.

I have hung the feeder, which has very small holes to allow for seed removal by the smaller birds only, in our tree cotoneaster and we have had two gold finches perched on it almost constantly ever since! I highly recommend it to any bird fans.

If you wish to find out more about the seed itself please follow this link.

Item 2:

Bird of the Week - The Starling, Sturnus vulgaris

Not everybodys' favourite bird, they can be very noisy and tend to overcrowd a garden however, I have recently become guardian to an injured starling and I wanted to share the tale of his (or her) amazing stamina and determination with you.

Four days ago we noticed a starling in the garden with an injured wing that appeared not to be able to fly; a fact later confirmed when it walked up the spout of the watering can to get to the bird bath which stands at a mere 30cm off the ground!

There is a wing feather part plucked which is impeding it's movement. I did consider trying to catch it in order to seek veterinary attention however decided that the shock and fright would probably be too much for the bird and having once looked after a pigeon with a similar looking ailment felt confident that with food, water and shelter the feather would work it's way free and the bird would grow another one!

Whilst going through the above mentioned thought processes I suddenly noticed something pulling itself up the outside of our dwarf conifer by it's beak and to my amazement realised it was the starling! Once he reached the top of the tree (1.75m) he lined himself up with the bird table and glided onto it!

There have been multiple acrobatic feats by the bird since this first occurrence and he is now hiding in various parts of our garden and popping out intermittently to grab food and water from the bird table. His method of getting to the bird table is unchanged!

I am confident that he will make a full recovery and in tribute to this bird would like to share a verse of mine from a poem previously posted on In The Pink.

'Starling siblings land formatively.
Squabble over seed and nut, strung within the plum tree.
Devouring all they strive to satiate, a hunger born of life lived at the fastest pace.
Brave in flight with acrobatic skill; starling always first to try, starling strong of will.'

Item 3:

Bird Hero of the Week - Mac's Niece

Last year my sister had two blackbird chicks in her garden that had made a premature departure from their nest before they were able to fly. The chicks were still looked after by a parent bird but only one who was run ragged! As you will see from the link above the next couple of weeks were a tense time however my sister and nephew not only managed to supplement their diet with fruit, but managed to keep the neighborhood cats at bay until the chicks were able to fly! An amazing commitment that I felt deserved acknowledgment!

There are more blackbirds nesting in Mac's Nieces garden this year, lets hope they don't get adventurous before time!

Item 4:

Charity of the Week - RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)

The RSPB are a fantastic charity that started in the British Isles but that now have international interests and projects. Please take a moment to look at their website.

Item 5:

Bird Tip of the Week - Fat Balls

This may already be a commonly known fact however indulge me! Last year I purchased bird feed holders for the fat balls which allowed me to hang multiple fat balls in the tree without our resident jackdaw ripping the mesh netting with his beak resulting in the fat balls being wasted on the floor.

We have jackdaws nesting regularly in our neighbours chimney and last year helped support a family of 7, affectionately referred to as 'The Boys'.

A few weeks back a neighbour called out to me as I was leaving for work as she had spotted, from the field at the back of our house, a bird caught in the fat ball netting and swinging from the feeder. I rushed round and the bird thankfully freed itself with no injury and minimal fright however I have taken my neighbours advice and now remove the mesh from the fat balls before I put them in the feeders. If you find the fat balls are too crumbly try storing them in a warmer place or even try another supplier as I have found a good brand that hold their shape even when almost entirely eaten.

Item 6:

Saying of the Week - A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush.

Meaning - It's better to have a small actual advantage than the chance of a greater one.

This link will provide greater detail and also take you to yet another fabulous site care of the Internet (all hale Internet!).