Coals Cache and Carry

Coal Tits are great competitors: the smallest of the tit family, they have to wait their turn when Great and Blue Tits are about, for food and for nesting space.  Traditionally they are associated with conifer plantations and this is still true, and has enhanced their distribution, though mixed woodland and large gardens are also to their liking.  They are doing well right now, rising through the ranks in the Garden Bird Survey, up three places last winter to 7th position, as Blue and Great Tits remain static at third and fifth position, respectively. ( see the latest results in Wings magazine, delivered to BirdWatch Ireland members over the next week or so.)

Given their small stature, its not surprising that given an opportunity, they will put away or hide a food store for the near future.  Right now they are cashing in and caching, autumn bounty.  This includes the offering on peanut and seed feeders.  I recently deployed a window feeder on the patio door, a great amusement for us all at breakfast time, and a chance to get real close up looks at our common garden bird visitors.  Birds fly to the feeder from 30 or 40 feet away, landing directly on the mesh feeder, thankfully, there's no evidence of any mis-timed flights or landings..

Coal Tit (c. O.O'Sullivan)

There have been some big migratory movements of Coal Tits recorded  in late September and early October this year, at the migration watch points around our south and west coasts: 70 at Cape Clear Island, Co Cork, 29th September; 100 at Dunquin, west Kerry, 5th October and 70 at Inishmore, Aran Islands, Co Galway, 6th October.( see www.irishbirding.com) 

Coal Tits have a number of relatively distinct races, including an Irish race, hibernicus, a British race and a Continental race, so interest and speculation as to the precise racial identity of these island 'fall' birds is high.. They could reflect an autumn movement or dispersal of relatively local birds, known to be in high numbers, or perhaps an arrival of Continental birds.. Our hibernicus birds have olive tones to the back and an off white or yellowish tinge to the cheeks , and ruddy underparts.  The British race is whiter in the cheeks and plainer on the underparts, though the back has some olive tones.  The continental race is more cold grey on the back and has white cheeks and plain underparts.. All fairly subtle and a bird in the hand is the best way to racially identify birds.  However, the window feeders afford such wonderful, close up views, you may well be able to racially identify your Coal Tits. 

Coal & Great Tit share a feeder (c. OOS)

A bird was observed and photographed at the end of March 2011, on a window feeder in Clane, Co Kildare, by Stephen Lawlor that showed the characteristics of the Continental race.. the pix show a fairly cold, grey backed bird with plain underparts and white cheeks.. he invited bird ringers to come and confirm his identification in the hand by trapping the visitor to his window feeder: (see the pix on www.irishbirding.com  and enter Coal Tit in the search option) 

Keep on checking your Coal Tits, the best way to observe them is by deploying a window feeder adaptor, and hanging a mesh feeder laden with peanuts.. a great incentive to keep the windows clean and polished!

Coal Tit (c. OOS)

'Fare and 'Wing

October is a great month in the garden: the grass growth is finally slowing down and there's time to admire autumn colour: especially the reds and yellows of autumn leaves, as the lack of chlorophyll production withdraws green pigments from leaves.  The passage of birds in this month is legend: replace warblers with wildfowl and Swallows with Scandinavian thrushes. 

Japenese Anemones and Dogwood (c. OOS)

 It's quite subtle at first, but confirmation, for me, of the change from summer to autumn and winter seasons is the lovely soft call 'tseep - tseep' of migrating Redwings. This occurs typically in mid October, with birds arriving from Scandinavia or Iceland, usually under cover of darkness in misty, still weather, lifted from distant northern parts by high pressure and a following wind. You are as likely to witness this chorus of 'contact calls' from migrating Redwings in urban and suburban locations as in the countryside. Fieldfares are usually in the second round of migrants, their harsh 'chack-chack' calls are first heard a week or two behind the Redwings.

Redwing on Pyracantha ( c. Shay Connolly)

We don't quite celebrate this arrival as we would the first Swallows, Cuckoo or Chiff Chaff: maybe we feel that the glass is half empty as distinct from half full, in spring. Never mind, for the 'winter thrushes' Ireland and western Europe is a safe haven.. Generally unfrozen ground, all the better to chase down insect prey, and the welcome aperitif of a medley of ripe red berries
on arrival, are among the delights on offer for these hardy migrants.  

 Fieldfares and Redwings don't really appear in gardens until conditions get really foul: they prefer to forage our fields and hedgerows as long as conditions allow for successful feeding in farmland.. A mid winter series of extended frosts and snow will see further immigration from mainland Europe and a sudden influx to our gardens: ornamental garden berries may well be available and less than edible class Apples (for humans) are a real treat for a hungry migrating thrush.. but that's all a few months away yet, hopefully!

Fieldfare (c. Shay Connolly)

Small and beautiful

We got a surprise on our door step a few mornings back: no, not some unfortunate field mouse, laid out and displayed for our approval by the hunting cats: it was a Goldcrest, a tiny ball of feathers that had stunned itself  by flying into the kitchen window, in all likelihood.

After recovering in the warmth of the kitchen, subjected to the obligatory i Phone pic, the bird recovered sufficiently to be put back out in a safe place where it did in fact attract the attentions of a territorial Robin.

Goldcrest in care (c. M Wynne)

Goldcrests are our smallest bird: weighing in at just 6 grams: you would need 75 Goldcrests to make up the body mass of a single Woodpigeon, or 4 Goldcrests to make up an ounce ! 

Although they occur in gardens: they prefer the cover of trees and nest in tall conifers, strapping a soft nest over an outer branch, the nest is constructed with fairy like materials: spider's web, moss, feathers and lichen.

Goldcrest wrestles with a spider's web (c. John Fox)

Goldcrests have a fairly unique expression or style that seems to suit their diminutive stature:  This is very well described by Anthony Mc Geehan, writing in the just published, Birds through Irish Eyes ( Collins Press): 

'Tiny and compact with a near invisible short slender bill, the mite is endearing and often indifferent to human observation, especially when examining foliage and flitting from twig to twig....Both sexes have peppercorn eyes on a bland face and a drooping Fu Manchu wispy moustache.'

I see and hear them mostly in October and November: their thin 'si-si-si-si' calls usually lead to a view of one hovering under a sycamore leaf, picking up tiny insects: they need to feed constantly in winter, up to a fifth of that tiny body weight may be burnt overnight, to stave off the cold.

A Goldcrest in the hand  (c. R. Coombes)

Autumn Bounty

Starling ( c. Shay Connolly)

The Elderberry trees are showing off their black clusters of fruit to the sky: an invitation that has been taken up by a selection of birds that rumage in the canopy: Blackcaps alert me to their presence by their repeated alarm call: like two stones chipping off each other: repeated frequently and faster than the similar sound made by Stonechats.  The feeding technique is to lean forward into the fruit from a perch: Starlings are particularly good at this, having noticably strong legs to support the balancing act.. Not surprisingly the birds are nervous when feeding like this, and don't generally give a good enough view to allow a photo ( so far!).

Elder berries (c. C Mac Lochlainn)

At the rate of activity and feeding in the Elders, the berry crop will be exhausted by the end of September, the October arrival of Fieldfares and Redwings will have to look elsewhere for sustenance, most likely the Hawthorns which have yet to ripen.  

Female Blackcap ( c. D Dillon)

The Blackcaps, en route to Africa very soon, are joined in the September sun by berry hunting Robins, Blue Tits, Starling, with Wood Pigeons joining in: 
(berries and juice are a nice complement to the intake of grain: what a feast, for now).

Starling in Blackberry thicket (c. R Martin)

Butterflies in a rush

Talk of winter bird song on this blog, (previous post), is a little melancholy and perhaps premature for some. Indeed, it is said that the Robins song gets more melancholy as winter progresses.. but that's just our mood!

 Well, the butterflies have made up for lost time and are appearing in great numbers right now: I counted 30 Small Tortoiseshells on the ripening Sedums, together with handfuls of Bumble bees.

Bumblebee and Small Tortoiseshell get close up on a Sedum

A Silver Y, shows off its lettering!

We also  noticed a day flying moth: a Silver Y, a common migrant, sometimes in big numbers to migration watch points, but a good enough sighting for this location.

A fine Peacock butterfly joined the party: If you don't already have a few plants like Sedum spectible and Verbena bonariensis, get down to your local Garden Centre, get planting and share in a great autumn show!

Peacock butterfly

Autumn song

Robin in song (c. John Fox)

Autumn bird song is very unusual amongst our garden birds, with a notable exception.. Most birds sing from late winter / early spring, in order to establish a territory, attract a mate and then nest and raise young in the territory.

Robins sing in autumn, once the moult is completed.   Their sweet, controlled song is all the better to listen to with no competing song from Thrushes and Blackbirds to distract the listener. 

 The function of autumn song is presumably to establish an autumn or feeding territory.  However, the feisty defence of the feeding territory occurs at a time of plenty for food resources.  Ironically, Robins will suspend their aggression in hard weather when other birds will share what food is available before starting up singing in early spring, in advance of the breeding season. 

David Lack, a pioneer of Robin studies, writing in the classic, Life of the Robin,(1943), offered the idea that the occurrence of autumn song was a signal of the birds intention to stay the winter rather than migrate, as many other birds do at this time.  Robins do of course undertake movements: from high to low ground in winter.  The continental race of our Robin does migrate on a more regular basis and influxes of continental Robins have been noted on islands such as Cape Clear in October, leading to much territoriality from the population of indignant residents!

Robin (c. R. Martin)

Butterflies: at last!

You wait a month.. then 3 come together! ( C.OO'S)

A plant such as Verbena bonariensis, is worthy in its own right: nearly 2 meters tall, fine and wispy , so welcome in a mixed border with various lead positions to be shared with Sedums and other performers.

Its fine delicate flowers, soft lilac and borne on the end of the long stems, sometimes in groups of three or four bracts, are further enhanced by their attractiveness to butterflies.

We went through the month of August with little or no butterfly activity, though bees and hoverflies were present in numbers (see earlier August post.) 

With Septembers coming we have at last a week of high pressure and some settled weather to enjoy. Swallows and Martins seem to be flying for fun, feeding up now in advance of the great push south.

Sedum Purple Emperor with Small Tortoiseshell & Bumble Bee (c. OO'S)

 I am delighted to report that Small Tortoiseshells were out in numbers yesterday evening:  I counted  8 in a small area of Verbena and  Sedum telephium (Purple Emperor) in a sunny part of the garden.    The bed is west facing and bathed in sunlight from mid day til late evening; drainage here is excellent and the soil light and stony..  Just as well, other plants doing well here include  Perovskia blue spire, or Russian Sage and Daisies such as Anthemis, EC Buxton.  The Perovskia is native to Afghanistan and suited to dry, arid conditions, available in this location of our garden, despite the record wet summer!