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Spring birds out and about

wildlife, gardening, environment, Rural living, Pets and Vets
zico
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Spring birds out and about

#399406

Postby zico » March 27th, 2021, 12:25 am

Have noticed quite a change in birds this last week or so, general extra chirpiness and some new arrivals.

Annual blackbird wars are kicking off in our garden.
Two long-tailed tits appeared around our feeder. Normally they're very sociable birds and hang about in big groups, so I'm guessing these two have paired up. Have seen them on two occasions, both times one bird had a feather in its beak, so presumably a nest somewhere.
A sparrow-hawk has also recently appeared, perching briefly on our fence and garage roof. Also spotted it flying around the gardens of nearby houses.
Yellowhammers now appearing on tops of nearby trees and bushes.

On the borders of the moors, north of Sheffield, saw first curlews of the year. Definitely birds that you hear first. Saw a group of around 8 curlews, the biggest grouping I've seen, because normally they are fairly solitary birds. On the same walk, what looked like two red kites in the distance, which is again unusual, as they normally live north of Leeds.

bungeejumper
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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399435

Postby bungeejumper » March 27th, 2021, 10:06 am

Yes, it's all kicking off quite nicely down here in West Wilts. Although "nicely" doesn't quite fit the three pairs of rooks that have nested for the first time ever in next door's sycamore trees. And they're a protected species these days. :| Can't wait for all the crap on the cars, and the noise from all that arguing.

Usual woodpeckers (green and greater spotted), one or two sparrowhawks around, but a magnificent group of eight or nine buzzards riding the thermals on Wednesday. We get ravens ij the fields these days (the crows don't like 'em much :lol: ), and a red kite now and then. We've had a barn owl among the fruit trees, and there seem to be more of them in the fields as well.

Top prize for effort this spring has gone to a robin which has mastered the art of hovering like a hummingbird. It can't access the hanging fat feeders, because its feet aren't suitable for gripping, but it's figured out how to get its beak into the fat by flying up, hovering for a second or two(which isn't easy when you're fat), and grabbing a morsel, then disappearing with the goodies.

I suppose it won't be long now until the first swallows and swifts arrive? For their sake, I hope they leave it another ten days, because there's more cold weather arriving in time for Easter. Can't wait to see them again, though.

BJ

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399438

Postby Dod101 » March 27th, 2021, 10:12 am

bungeejumper wrote:Yes, it's all kicking off quite nicely down here in West Wilts. Although "nicely" doesn't quite fit the three pairs of rooks that have nested for the first time ever in next door's sycamore trees. And they're a protected species these days. :| Can't wait for all the crap on the cars, and the noise from all that arguing.

Usual woodpeckers (green and greater spotted), one or two sparrowhawks around, but a magnificent group of eight or nine buzzards riding the thermals on Wednesday. We get ravens ij the fields these days (the crows don't like 'em much :lol: ), and a red kite now and then. We've had a barn owl among the fruit trees, and there seem to be more of them in the fields as well.

Top prize for effort this spring has gone to a robin which has mastered the art of hovering like a hummingbird. It can't access the hanging fat feeders, because its feet aren't suitable for gripping, but it's figured out how to get its beak into the fat by flying up, hovering for a second or two(which isn't easy when you're fat), and grabbing a morsel, then disappearing with the goodies.

I suppose it won't be long now until the first swallows and swifts arrive? For their sake, I hope they leave it another ten days, because there's more cold weather arriving in time for Easter. Can't wait to see them again, though.

BJ


Swallows and Martins don't arrive in my part of the world until around mid/end of April and Swifts not until around 10 May. In my old place I could virtually set my calendar around their arrival and departure dates. (South Perthshire)

Dod

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399456

Postby tjh290633 » March 27th, 2021, 11:24 am

The vegetation seems to be about 2 weeks later this year. Birds can be seen with nest material in their beaks, and pairs of robins are usually an indicator. The woodpigeons seem to have gone sex mad. But when were they ever different?

Magnolia in flower usually means frosts and strong winds to come, to blow off some of the buds, but I think they have survived that. I am watching for the blackthorn to flower, which is usually out by now.

TJH

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399596

Postby jackdaww » March 27th, 2021, 6:12 pm

.

heard first rather incoherent chiff chaff today - it takes them a week or so to get the hang of it again.

no sign yet of swallows etc .

yellow hammers were common here in west wales 40 years ago , now non existent .

but loads of red kites to make up for it .

:)

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399656

Postby scotia » March 27th, 2021, 10:44 pm

There was a half-eggshell lying in our (central Scotland) garden last week - size and colouration (white) as for a woodpigeon. I don't know if it was the result of a successful hatch - or was due to depredation ( by magpie, crow or grey squirrel?).
And the blackbird wars have also broken out up here.

zico
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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399941

Postby zico » March 28th, 2021, 11:21 pm

jackdaww wrote:.

heard first rather incoherent chiff chaff today - it takes them a week or so to get the hang of it again.

no sign yet of swallows etc .

yellow hammers were common here in west wales 40 years ago , now non existent .

but loads of red kites to make up for it .

:)


I know birds literally have birdbrains, but chiff chaffs not being able to remember their song?? It's chiff, then chaff. Really not difficult!

Yellowhammers' song is very distinctive "a little bit of bread and no cheese" - a phrase created by someone like Enid Blyton or Beatrix Potter.

I love watching Red Kites, very graceful and distinctive flyers, lots round Harrogate, Aberystwyth, and in the Black Forest area of Germany.

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399955

Postby kempiejon » March 29th, 2021, 12:05 am

jackdaww wrote:yellow hammers were common here in west wales 40 years ago , now non existent .

but loads of red kites to make up for it .

:)


connected? I read a paper and heard a lecture recently about red kites feeding from bird tables and fast food left overs around Reading town.

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#399996

Postby bungeejumper » March 29th, 2021, 9:54 am

kempiejon wrote:I read a paper and heard a lecture recently about red kites feeding from bird tables and fast food left overs around Reading town.

Red kites are everywhere along the southern Chilterns, and all points immediately west. There are thousands of them! Around High Wycombe, they've long been accused of nest raiding, to the detriment of hedge birds. Alas, so much for the rumour that they only eat carrion. :|

These days, I reckon the biggest problem is how people speeding along on the M40 and A404 will sometimes slam on their brakes without warning, to get a better look at these exciting great hawks that hover right over their heads. Talk about roadkill. :(

BJ

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#400230

Postby madhatter » March 30th, 2021, 12:12 am

Heard a few hesitant Chiffchaffs yesterday and more today. Also heard and then saw my first Blackcap today since last summer.

jackdaww
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Re: Spring birds out and about

#400252

Postby jackdaww » March 30th, 2021, 8:32 am

kempiejon wrote:
jackdaww wrote:yellow hammers were common here in west wales 40 years ago , now non existent .

but loads of red kites to make up for it .

:)


connected? I read a paper and heard a lecture recently about red kites feeding from bird tables and fast food left overs around Reading town.


===================================

it seems their decline is mainly down to farming practice changes , hedgerow management etc .

no connection with red kites , which will certainly kill and eat anything it can , but not hedgerow birds , they dont have the agility of a sparrowhawk .

i last saw them on the mull of galloway .

:(

bungeejumper
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Re: Spring birds out and about

#400253

Postby bungeejumper » March 30th, 2021, 8:59 am

jackdaww wrote:it seems their [hedge birds'] decline is mainly down to farming practice changes , hedgerow management etc .

no connection with red kites , which will certainly kill and eat anything it can , but not hedgerow birds , they dont have the agility of a sparrowhawk

I think it was the eggs that the kites were said to be raiding. They don't fly so fast, you see? :lol: As our local magpies will also tell you.....

BJ

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#400258

Postby 88V8 » March 30th, 2021, 9:40 am

madhatter wrote:Heard a few hesitant Chiffchaffs yesterday ....

More problems with the vaccine programme, eh?

Here in Gloucestershire the blackbird wars have come and gone. There is presumably a clear victor.

Oddly enough, less activity around the bird feeders, fewer blue tits great tits coal tits long-tailed tits (my favourite bird) goldfinches robins etc, but I take this as a sign that there is more food to be had elsewhere.
As I write, I see a greenfinch, not so common here.

The woodpecker has been drumming on the oaks across the lane, but has now ceased so presumably this version of the dating app has done the trick.

A pair of pigeons has arrived, seem to be scouting unsuitable nest locations.

For the first time ever, last week, a wagtail on the lawn. Just the one. He/she was here again this morning on the oak balustrade outside the sitting room window.

And for the first time in a few years I seem to have foiled the unknown avian thief who has taken the frog spawn from our pond. A piece of wire netting over the clump, or whatever the terms is for a ... clump... of frog spawn.
That has reminded me why I stopped netting it... the water marigold has suddenly sprouted and grown up through the net which I cannot now remove. Oh well.

V8

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#400272

Postby jackdaww » March 30th, 2021, 10:21 am

bungeejumper wrote:
jackdaww wrote:it seems their [hedge birds'] decline is mainly down to farming practice changes , hedgerow management etc .

no connection with red kites , which will certainly kill and eat anything it can , but not hedgerow birds , they dont have the agility of a sparrowhawk

I think it was the eggs that the kites were said to be raiding. They don't fly so fast, you see? :lol: As our local magpies will also tell you.....

BJ


==========================

i very much doubt that kites would scramble through dense hedgerow to get to nests.

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#401347

Postby oldapple » April 3rd, 2021, 11:26 am

I saw my first swallow yesterday (2nd April) here in N Ireland. Normally see them arrive between 4th and 10th April. Lifted my spirits on a lovely day here.

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Re: Spring birds out and about

#401371

Postby madhatter » April 3rd, 2021, 1:33 pm

This last week I saw my first Blackcaps since last year, my second ever Treecreeper (and it was the first I actually saw without someone else pointing to it and saying "Oh look, a Treecreeper"), my first Goldcrests for years, and yesterday, my first Common Whitethroat this year.


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