Peace broken by visit from 'ghost' dove
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ANOTHER potpourri of wildlife incidents in the garden this week started with those remarkable "sail" feathers of the drake mandarin ducks.
The drake, as far as plumage is concerned, is one of the most spectacular of birds, in direct contrast with the subdued colours of the female. The two sail feathers project upwards from the back of both sides of the body and are innerwing feathers.
Interestingly, these large orange feathers, around 12x8cms, are one of the very first feathers to moult and this year I saw the first male without them at the end of April. Surprisingly none of the other males, up to eight at a time in the garden, have not moulted theirs, which is very unusual.
These sail feathers have become a challenge for me to collect as many as I can each year, although one or two are the norm, despite how conspicuous they are.
Only once have I ever seen one actually moult and I was idly watching a male swimming on the pond below my study when it suddenly took off. The bird flew over the dam on the far side of the pond and an orange feather drifted to the ground. It was a case of indecent haste as I ran down to the pond, as if for some inexplicable reason the feather would just vanish.
I now have about 12 of these feathers with four in a frame around a photograph of a male on my study wall.
In contrast I have been trying out a new feeder in the garden and using sunflower hearts in it, although it could just as easily take mixed grain. It’s make is a "peckish" and it has proved to be the most popular feeder I have in the garden. On one occasion I had a family party of greenfinches on there and on another a family of siskins.
The range of birds visiting it includes even collared doves and the list must cover nearly all the small birds I get in the garden from coal tits to goldfinches and great tits to chaffinches.
I did have to modify the feeder by fixing a spillage tray underneath to stop feed falling to the ground, but perhaps there are such trays specifically for the feeder. I have sent for more information of the makers, so watch this space.
One unusual record this spring and early summer has been the pied wagtails in the garden.
At first just one arrived and spent its time picking up food under the various feeders hanging from the fruit trees. These contain peanuts, nyger, mixed grain and hearts and the bird did not seem to choose any particular feed.
Then another pied wagtail appeared and the pair visit for periods everyday, although one is more persistent than the other. I suspect that what happened was that to start with the female was on eggs in a nest in a wall along the lane and the male used to go off and feed her. Then the eggs hatched so both birds come in now and take it in turns to take food back to the chicks. Let us just hope they are successful.
Another bird that has been a complete surprise was amongst the feral doves that have been around the garden, and breeding, for the early part of this year and the bird was almost eerie.
The feral doves at first confined their feeding to the large bird table on the fence, but lately they have been going to the three bird tables on the ground under the fruit trees. They freely take the mixed grain and do not seem to be choosy.
They vary in colour with some looking exactly like their original source, rock doves, whilst other are very dark almost black. I just love to see them when they are flight as the white rumps are very conspicuous.
Then one day as I was watching them I was amazed to see a pure white dove with them. As you can see in the photograph it looks almost as if it is a white ghost that has suddenly appeared – just uncanny.
When it first appeared I wondered if it was a true albino with pink eyes, but they were not there and when the bird turned I saw that its face, on the other side from where I had been photographing there was a patch of black feathers.
There always seems to be something unusual in the garden which makes it that more exciting and rewarding, so keep watching.
