Dunnock and sparrow

[Pops]

[Ian]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

Thanks for these - this clears up what the differences are between the two. I don't even think I had heard of a Dunnock until recently. Pretty sure we have one that visits our garden, in fact.

Ian

[mike_j]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

We always knew them as hedge sparrows. I only came aware of the name dunnock in the last couple of years though no doubt it is the proper name.

[Pops]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

Thanks for these - this clears up what the differences are between the two. I don't even think I had heard of a Dunnock until recently. Pretty sure we have one that visits our garden, in fact.

Ian

They mostly feed at ground level Ian, under shrubs etc.

[David M]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

We always knew them as hedge sparrows. I only came aware of the name dunnock in the last couple of years though no doubt it is the proper name.

A decade or so ago there was a push to start calling them Hedge Accentor due to them being closely related to the Alpine Accentor and to stop the confusion of calling them Hedge Sparrow as they're not related to Sparrows.

[Pops]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

A decade or so ago there was a push to start calling them Hedge Accentor due to them being closely related to the Alpine Accentor and to stop the confusion of calling them Hedge Sparrow as they're not related to Sparrows.

Interesting info, thanks David

[Barr1e]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

Two super shots, I'm keeping my fingers crossed to try and match some of your work as spring approaches.

Regards. Barr1e

[Ian]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

I'm pleased to say that I have a pair of Dunnock's in the garden. At lunch time my E-5 returned from its trip to Kenya (hired out for a safari), so I popped home with a 300* 2.8 (as you do! ) and after a kitchen table stake-out (through patio door windows well over due for a clean) over a late lunch, and 96 shots later, here are some keepers:

*300mm on Olympus Four Thirds is equivalent to 600mm on full frame.

All ISO 800, processed from RAW in Lightroom 3.4RC, with added post crop vignette:


1/1000th, f/3.5


1/1600th, f/3.2


1/2500, f/3.2


1/2000th, f/3.5

As you can see there were two of them, one rather larger than the other and the smaller one seemed to be fussing over the larger one.

All these shots were hand-held.

Ian

PS These are all severe crops; I was probably 50 feet from the subjects. Here is the un-cropped frame for the first shot (that's the clothes dryer pole in the middle by the way):

[Pol]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

I'm pleased to say that I have a pair of Dunnocks in the garden.

Ooo you have too! Looks like yer feeders (and whatever the chooks leave lying around) are finally attracting more and more visitors.

I see a contented and relaxed Collared Dove in the backround too.

Pol

[Ian]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

Indeed - the Dunnocks and dove seem to be around at the same time. The pigeons, doves, robin blackbirds and Dunnocks also accept (i.e. ignore!) the hens when they are allowed out of the run.

Last Thursday morning at 6AM, though, we were woken by a lot of clucking from the hens and through the bedroom window we saw a fox on its hind legs stretched upwards with its front paws against the side of the run. It then jumped on top of the run, which is partially roofed with corrugated plastic. Julia and I then raced downstairs to chase it away, although it came back for another look half an hour later.

We lock the hens into the coop at night, although it has its own mini-run, so they were perfectly secure. Even in the main run they would have been safe, although they do sometimes stick their heads through the chicken wire!

That's the first time we've seen a fox in the garden, and the hens' free-ranging has been limited as a result. Which they don't seem to appreciate!

Ian

[Pol]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

That's the first time we've seen a fox in the garden, and the hens free-ranging has been limited as a result. Which they don't seem to appreciate!

Ian

Oh dear. I'm surprised you haven't had foxes before now actually. They know the hens are there now so they'll probably become very regular visitors.

Although we enjoy watching the foxes coming into our own garden I'd be very upset if they managed to get at your chooks. It's a shame the they've had their free ranging limited too.

Hard work for you but maybe you could increase the size of their run?

Pol

[Ian]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

Oh dear. I'm surprised you haven't had foxes before now actually. They know the hens are there now so they'll probably become very regular visitors.

Although we enjoy watching the foxes coming into our own garden I'd be very upset if they managed to get at your chooks. It's a shame the they've had their free ranging limited too.

Hard work for you but maybe you could increase the size of their run?

Pol

In practically two years of keeping hens I'm pretty sure the foxes know where ours are and have done for some time. But if there has been recent interest we do need to be a bit more on the guard. The hens have been allowed out this week as the children or on their school holidays and they have been told to be in the garden with them if they let them out. In the past we tended to keep an eye on them through the window.

Co-incidentally there was an interesting programme on BBC4 about the history of garden birds. I didn't realise that collared doves arrived in the UK from the continent only in the 1950s, and originated from India. I'm also a bit worried about my peanut feeder as apparently when the peanuts go mouldy they can poison and kill the birds

And there was some footage of an enraged robin pulling a stuffed robin to bits...

Ian

[Jimindenver]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

Pops

Very nice images of the two birds. Honestly, I wouldn't have know there was a difference and assumed one was the female to the other.

Ian

The ability to crop the E 5/ 300 f 2.8 is amazing.

Jim

[Garry]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

These are both very well detailed photos, Pops.

[Pops]

Re: Dunnock and sparrow

I especially like the first one.
Nice to hear that you are getting more of a variety now