Author Topic: The Birds, the birds.  (Read 49508 times)

Dodgylegs

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #165 on: 12:09:37, 04/02/21 »
Yeah Jac, it's been very quiet around here with few wild birds... even the bird feeder isn't getting much use.

Jac

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #166 on: 12:40:29, 04/02/21 »
I've cleaned out the feeder and not refilled it; the uneaten grain was beginning to rot and I can't remember when I last saw bird on it.
The garden is horribly quiet.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

pleb

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #167 on: 13:59:55, 04/02/21 »
About par for winter here. The odd blackbird, tit, pigeon here. Plus a tiddler yesterday that may have been a wren, but didn't seem to have the kinked tail, so maybe something more unusual?
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

ayjay

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #168 on: 12:12:29, 05/02/21 »
Two good pics.
Anyone else noticed a real dearth of birds recently?
Yesterday, in nice weather, a 5 mile amble around Haldon Forest - mixed conifers with beech oak willows etc -  produced 1 buzzard, a little flock of long tailed tits and the odd wood pigeon or two.

Wintertime in woodland is always going to be quiet, the birds don't give themselves away by singing very much at this time of year, mostly just contact calls to be heard, although yesterday my afternoon walk had the constant accompaniment of Song Thrushes singing for the first time this year, (I also saw Robins, [also singing], Wren, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Blackbirds, Buzzard and Raven).

 Another reason for often not seeing many birds in winter is that they will regularly congregate into what are known as "Tit Flocks" and travel around together, if you see the flock you'll see many birds, but if your walk doesn't coincide with the flock you could be forgiven for thinking that there are no birds at all. If you just want to see birds in this situation, it's better achieved by sticking in one place and they may come to you.

Tit flocks are a fairly loose collection of any or all from Blue, Great and Coal tits, (Long tailed tits will sometimes join but are generally too restless to remain with the flock for long), Nuthatches, Goldcrests, Treecreepers and Chaffinch are the other most common species to join, but almost any woodland bird and some not so confined to woodland have been observed in these flocks.

Jac

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #169 on: 12:49:16, 05/02/21 »
Wintertime in woodland is always going to be quiet, the birds don't give themselves away by singing very much at this time of year, mostly just contact calls to be heard, although yesterday my afternoon walk had the constant accompaniment of Song Thrushes singing for the first time this year, (I also saw Robins, [also singing], Wren, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Blackbirds, Buzzard and Raven).

 Another reason for often not seeing many birds in winter is that they will regularly congregate into what are known as "Tit Flocks" and travel around together, if you see the flock you'll see many birds, but if your walk doesn't coincide with the flock you could be forgiven for thinking that there are no birds at all. If you just want to see birds in this situation, it's better achieved by sticking in one place and they may come to you.

Tit flocks are a fairly loose collection of any or all from Blue, Great and Coal tits, (Long tailed tits will sometimes join but are generally too restless to remain with the flock for long), Nuthatches, Goldcrests, Treecreepers and Chaffinch are the other most common species to join, but almost any woodland bird and some not so confined to woodland have been observed in these flocks.
You are right but even allowing for the normal winter conditions there really are fewer birds. I've lived in my house for over 40 years and for most of that time I have had a merry flock of house sparrows, plus song thrushes, blackbirds, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch etc. with winter migrants depending on the weather This area was built in 1927 on the edge of the city  - agricultural/equine pasture within 1/4 mile,  then a mix of arable and pasture and with no large building schemes we have been very lucky that there have been no significant changes in all the time I've been here.   Yet I now have no house sparrows at all, occasional blackbirds, just the odd finch and no winter pied wagtails for the last three years.  There used to be two Pied wagtail roosts in Exeter city centre - no longer. 
In all the years I have birdwatched/ twitched in Devon the numbers have definitely reduced and particularly in the last 3-4 years.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

GnP

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #170 on: 15:04:28, 06/02/21 »

It is survival of the fittest out there in our gardens .  :knuppel2:




This sparrow is now squeeky clean.... :coolsmiley:

« Last Edit: 15:07:59, 06/02/21 by GinAndPlatonic »
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Dodgylegs

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #171 on: 16:00:08, 06/02/21 »
It is survival of the fittest out there in our gardens .  :knuppel2:


Fabulous O0

Birdman

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #172 on: 19:43:57, 06/02/21 »
Fantastic action photos GinAndPlatonic! Grin Afro
My travel and walking reports: https://www.hikingbirdman.com/

GnP

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #173 on: 19:56:20, 06/02/21 »

Fabulous O0

Fantastic action photos GinAndPlatonic! Grin Afro

I reckon the wonderful thing about photos , especially those of wildlife is how they freeze moments in time that can then be savoured over and over ..  O0
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

ayjay

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #174 on: 22:40:26, 06/02/21 »
You are right but even allowing for the normal winter conditions there really are fewer birds. I've lived in my house for over 40 years and for most of that time I have had a merry flock of house sparrows, plus song thrushes, blackbirds, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch etc. with winter migrants depending on the weather

Sorry, I'd thought you were just talking about on your walk. We lost about half of our House Sparrow flock when my neighbour removed the hedge between them and us, the Sparrows moved to the front garden instead.

Anyone ready for Summer yet?




GnP

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #175 on: 10:08:47, 07/02/21 »
Sorry, I'd thought you were just talking about on your walk. We lost about half of our House Sparrow flock when my neighbour removed the hedge between them and us, the Sparrows moved to the front garden instead.

Anyone ready for Summer yet?


Looking forward to the summer , and I see a pair of Robins doing what they do , along with occasional visits from long tailed tits sweeping through all the gardens in small flocks . .

We too had a colony of Sparrows that would roost in huge conifers near by , but the owner had those cut down two months ago , and this appeared to disrupt their behaviour also , and only just recently seem to be returning to the feeders . It just feels like there are less in numbers now though .
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Jac

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #176 on: 12:13:29, 07/02/21 »
Beautiful Grey Wagtail, Ajay.
Apologies if I got a bit carried away but I do so miss having a garden full of birds.
Yesterday a female Sparrow Hawk visited the garden as they have done before in harsh weather, even hunting out the small fry and frogs around the plant pots by the back door. I used to feel guilty that the busy feeders and bird table offered them an easy dinner but nothing here for her yesterday.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

GnP

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #177 on: 13:19:27, 07/02/21 »
I agree with you Jac .
I think bird numbers have dropped dramatically and continue to do so .


When I was a child I remember my Father blocking up gaps along the corrugated shed roof to stop dozens of starlings roosting & nesting in the shed roof right next to our house . They nested literally anywhere and everywhere .

Now we are lucky to see any small flocks of young starlings at nesting time , especially April to August . :-\


I have made the mistake though of thinking to myself there are just no birds left...the garden is so quiet.. then that evening when the birds become active it feels different again , and they start to feed before roosting .  :)
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Dodgylegs

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #178 on: 13:30:17, 07/02/21 »
Have had a few more arrivals in the garden, some entertainment provided by Blackbirds... two males running, as only blackbirds do, around the lawn then having a bit of a squabble. Then one flies into a shrub, comes back out onto the feeder, the other one goes underneath to collect the bits that fall off. Then it starts all over! Later on a female blackbird turned up attempting to use feeder, just could not seem to get it right, always falling off! It tried numerous times, but had some determination! A Magpie is back in the trees so guess the Tits wont be too far away.

Dodgylegs

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Re: The Birds, the birds.
« Reply #179 on: 16:41:54, 19/02/21 »
Crossing footbridge, heard an unusual sound, looked right and saw these two flapping along.
Grabbed camera out of pocket quickly snapped!



This is what they thought of my attempt..



Further along spotted am unusual Duck, a Merganser I was told... too far away to photo.

 

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