spuggies and jackdaws and hedgehogs and frogs

[DavidM]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

 

Wow , I want one ! That’s brilliant , literally 

[Futtocks]

17 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Wow , I want one ! That’s brilliant , literally 

Just challenge your local British kingfisher to a paintball match...

[Padge]

 

 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

I have now been lucky enough to hear a cuckoo on three days running in the New Forest, and to have seen a few swallows.  Maybe summer really is on the way.

[Padge]

We have a regular Magpie dropping in to the garden to feed at the pond, seems to be partial to tadpoles.

[Padge]

More magpies have found our pond has tadpoles, our tadpole numbers are going down fast.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Padge

[DavidM]

Grey headed lapwing spotted in uk for first time ever 

Edited May 3, 2023 by DavidM

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

I have just read the first seasonal record of nighjars in Hampshire.

This got me thinking about their north of England locations.  I know they occur in Dalby Forest on the North York Moors, Skipwith Common near York (if they still do), Thorne Waste and, in Durham, in places in Hamsterley Forest.

Do they routinely return in spring to anywhere west of the Pennines (or, indeed, elsewhere to the east of them)?

[Wolford6]

Deadman's Island in Kent is a bird sanctuary that does what it says on the tin. Many prisoners were buried there but coastal erosion has exposed many skeletons and coffins. No one is allowed to visit there.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/horror-film-uk-island-littered-26869607

[Padge]

Prent starling come on to our feeder and starts throwing food everywhere, comes back with a young un and starts picking food up of the floor and feeding it.

Parent flies off, young un squawking like hell, wants more food is the joined by a pigeon. Pigeon starts picking up food off the floor, young starling starts begging to pigeon for food, ignored obviously.

Next thing, because it doesn't like being ignored, starling jumps on pigeon's back.

No camera, distraught, could have had another birdy back packing pic.  

[DavidM]

My pheasant pal Fran who turns up nearly every day brought a very tiny chic in tow today . In less good news the starling babies have turned up .

 

 

[Leeds Wire]

Sat in my kitchen watching the cricket on my laptop, the bi-fold doors are wide open and the blackbirds are singing their hearts out. I can't think of a nicer sound.

I refill 4 bird baths/bowls every day, which they really seem to need at the moment. 

If you only put out food, please put out water too, even if it's just in a bucket or a plant pot. 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Leeds Wire

[DavidM]

The bird food pellets I get in asda have gone up from 5.35 to 6 pound ! Prices across the board are just ridiculous 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

Looks like I have a Robin nesting in one of my sheds at the allotment - came out from under the bench to see who was visiting when I walked in today. Not one I (have to) go in very often so it should be able to get on with things pretty much undisturbed, by me at least. A much more welcome tenant than the rats who've lived in there in the past!

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

2 Goldfinches on the garden feeder Not normally a particularly exciting sighting but first ones spotted since last July/August!

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

2 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

2 Goldfinches on the garden feeder Not normally a particularly exciting sighting but first ones spotted since last July/August!

I used to get loads in the garden, going back 15-20 years, I once counted 30 on the feeders, though there was probably more, we still get them in the garden regularly but only about 4-5 at most and not every day, not every week, but the last 2 months we've had 2-3 virtually every day.

Greenfinch's, we used to get in the garden all year round, 8-10 through the winter, last year we had 2 in the garden and that was the first for about 10 years, I've since had a sighting about a month ago so hopefully they are making a come back.

Chaffinch's, we used to get 5-6 regular through the winter, I haven't seen any for about 10 years, although you can hear them singing nearby in the spring.

On a brighter note, about 5 years ago I woke up and saw 2 Siskin and a Redpoll on the feeder, then last year I saw a pair of Linnets in the garden, all these were first and only ever sightings in the garden.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

19 minutes ago, Sidi Fidi Gold said:

I used to get loads in the garden, going back 15-20 years, I once counted 30 on the feeders, though there was probably more, we still get them in the garden regularly but only about 4-5 at most and not every day, not every week, but the last 2 months we've had 2-3 virtually every day.

Greenfinch's, we used to get in the garden all year round, 8-10 through the winter, last year we had 2 in the garden and that was the first for about 10 years, I've since had a sighting about a month ago so hopefully they are making a come back.

Chaffinch's, we used to get 5-6 regular through the winter, I haven't seen any for about 10 years, although you can hear them singing nearby in the spring.

On a brighter note, about 5 years ago I woke up and saw 2 Siskin and a Redpoll on the feeder, then last year I saw a pair of Linnets in the garden, all these were first and only ever sightings in the garden.

Until they stopped coming we regularly had 20+ goldfinches queuing up for their turn on ours and next door's feeders - hopefully they're back and will be bringing their young soon. Not seen a greenfinch in the garden for about 5 years and it's just dawned on me that I've not seen our regular coal or occasional blue t it visitors for a while now. Still plenty of house sparrows and pigeons though! Chaffinches have always been a rare sighting since we moved in.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

Mrs WWD and I have been getting a bit fed up and worried about how conventional bird feeders result in a mess below which attracts rats.  So we have bought a couple of these:

Bird Feeder Davos (swissinno.com)

Not cheap, at about £35 each, but if they do the trick, they will be worth it.

The issue is how will the birds react to them.  It's too soon (ie about five days into use) for a full answer, but the answer so far is that the robins were straight on to them, but nothing else was.  Then, in the last 24 hours, whether by their own powers of deduction or by watching the robins, the great titmice have started coming to them as well (but not yet the blue ones)

The blackbirds are yet to test them, as far as we know, and likewise the finch species.  We get chaffinches frequently and also are lucky enough to get regular bullfinch visits.  We have goldfinches coming quite often and a few greenfinches.  Also no sign yet of less frequent visitors to the old feeders - nuthatches, and coal titmice.

I hope some of these start to try them out too, or else the experiment will have backfired somewhat, I think.

At least we haven't seen any rats, so I think the manufacturers' claims on that point have some validity.

[ivans82]

Do the walks of the woods around the lakes in West Cumbria , apart from the Chiffchaffs ,numbers down on most birds , a lot fewer garden warblers , blackcaps , redstarts , even Willow Warblers and Wood Warblers have completely disappeared .Most of our resident birds are plentiful such as Blackbird , Robin , Song Thrush and Chaffinch but away from farmyards not so many pied wagtails and hardly any Grey Wagtails .Global warming is definitely taking effect and most people i talk to have noticed a huge drop in butterflies . 

[Leeds Wire]

On 07/06/2023 at 12:18, ivans82 said:

Do the walks of the woods around the lakes in West Cumbria , apart from the Chiffchaffs ,numbers down on most birds , a lot fewer garden warblers , blackcaps , redstarts , even Willow Warblers and Wood Warblers have completely disappeared .Most of our resident birds are plentiful such as Blackbird , Robin , Song Thrush and Chaffinch but away from farmyards not so many pied wagtails and hardly any Grey Wagtails .Global warming is definitely taking effect and most people i talk to have noticed a huge drop in butterflies . 

Pied wagtails and mistle thrush are common on our cricket club outfield (Alwoodley CC), maybe because there's a beck running along one side and we are surrounded by trees. 

I regularly see grey wagtails in the beck and never fail to be utterly delighted by them.

I have noticed a drop in lapwings further up towards Harewood but they do tend to come and go.

Not seen a blackcap for a long time, they used to be an ever-present on my garden feeders.

[ivans82]

I suppose i notice birds more than most as i do nest recording for the BTO as a hobby , and so have noticed birds missing in a lot of areas where they would nest a few years back .