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Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: tim on December 25, 2008, 11:55:05

Title: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: tim on December 25, 2008, 11:55:05
For weeks now, it has been fluttering up to the top of various windows & thumping, annoyingly.

Not insects - windows just cleaned. Not reflection - at night as well.

SO??
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: Carol on December 26, 2008, 14:15:59
How odd Tim.  No, I don't have any strange chaffinches about here.  wonder what he/she is looking for? 
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: honeybee on December 26, 2008, 15:54:52
Nope mine are all perfectly well behaved Tim, I wonder what the problem is?

Its rather worrying isn't it especially as they are ground feeders so nothing related there.
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: shirlton on January 04, 2009, 18:15:13
Perhaps he wants to come in for a warm eh!. Tony said perhaps he has been a captive bird and has got out. Try opening the window and see what happens. I know that it's against the law to keep them captive but some folks still do it. Goldfinches are the favourite though.
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: tim on January 04, 2009, 18:40:47
It's still doing it.

Just look at it & it flies off.

Would love to help it!!
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: shirlton on January 09, 2009, 09:42:31
Hi Tim, I've been thinking about your little chaffinch and I have noticed that the pair in our garden are rather active. I wondered if perhaps your one could see its own reflection in the window and thought it was a bit of opposition.
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: tim on January 09, 2009, 10:40:49
Nice theory, but it can do that while sitting at the bottom of a window.

It always flutters up to the top. This was 20 yards away - hence the shake!
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: hopalong on January 09, 2009, 11:51:21
Interesting. Sounds psychologically disturbed.  I've seen chaffinches get aggressive when food is in short supply, but never anything like this. Isn't it a bit unusual for them to be loners too? I thought they tended to flock together or with other finches?
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: Kea on January 09, 2009, 12:01:28
We had a sparrow last year that was a bit odd....kept looking in the window.
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: tim on March 02, 2009, 09:49:22
Still on offer to the highest bidder!!

All through the day - dawn to dusk - sessions of a few minutes - bashes the window every few seconds.

In league with the window cleaner - see photo?

Tried pictures of Hawks etc but it falls in love with them!
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: thifasmom on March 02, 2009, 10:18:46
i think i'm blind i can't see it Tim ???.
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: betula on March 02, 2009, 11:50:37
I think Tim is on about the state of the window.Mucky birdie :)

Would love to know why he does it. :)
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: pippy on March 02, 2009, 12:05:36
Tim - we had a female blackbird which did a similar thing a couple of years ago!  It used to sit on the pots outside the window and tap on it all the time - very strange. 

I think eventually it got itself a mate and stopped.  We assumed it was attracted to it's own reflection or simply couldn't accept that it couldn't get into the house although it could see in!  Maybe it's not part of a flock (rejected?) and it's just lonely?
Title: Re: Does anyone else have a mad Chaffinch?
Post by: thifasmom on March 02, 2009, 20:32:19
Quote from: betula on March 02, 2009, 11:50:37
I think Tim is on about the state of the window.Mucky birdie :)

Would love to know why he does it. :)

oh :-[