For WHO's birders

[Nurse Ratched]

"I thought you might like this video.



It's a compilation of different birds singing. Beautiful photography. If you expand the 'title' under the video it gives a list of species and the times they pop up in the video. Most of the species are familiar to us in the UK, but there are some 'exotics' (the cranes - wow, what a noise!) It was filmed in Belarus. The guy has a channel you can subscribe to. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and maybe it'll take your mind off you-know-what for a few blessed minutes."

[Mike Oxsaw]

We’ve had a Robin head butting the kitchen door coz it can see its reflection I guess. He was sitting on the handle and taking several shits too . He’s now started on the wing mirrors of both cars , several shits are getting wiped off daily . Bird in a bird in a bird may be on the menu for Xmas

Modern day Boy Wonder impersonators are rubbish.

[Trilby55]

We’ve had a Robin head butting the kitchen door coz it can see its reflection I guess. He was sitting on the handle and taking several shits too . He’s now started on the wing mirrors of both cars , several shits are getting wiped off daily . Bird in a bird in a bird may be on the menu for Xmas

[Hammer and Pickle]

Have done pretty much the opposite on the cats front.

Have had a cat visit the garden for around 6 or 7 months, sweet little cat, but skinny as hell, as really scared around people. Over the weeks I’ve no doubt now it’s a stray and I think possibly was mistreated, hence his really nervous behaviour. I did think of phoning a cat protection place, but them wondered what would happen if he never found owners, or he’s gone past the point of adapting to living around people again?

have fed him once a day as I think it’s unfair on the cat to make yourself the sole source of food, especially if going away for a couple of weeks etc

cant let Jim in the house, as an older cat has visited for over 10 years, since they were a kitten, and upsetting the apple cart wouldn’t be right.

taken me the last 4 months for it to come up for strokes now, and at first it seemed like it was a really alien concept to the little fella. Got him one of those little cat houses now, as he used to just sit there in the rain, not even attempting to seek shelter. Think it’s the best 20 quid I’ve ever spent.

What a pleasant post!

[WHU(Exeter)]

Have done pretty much the opposite on the cats front.

Have had a cat visit the garden for around 6 or 7 months, sweet little cat, but skinny as hell, as really scared around people. Over the weeks I’ve no doubt now it’s a stray and I think possibly was mistreated, hence his really nervous behaviour. I did think of phoning a cat protection place, but them wondered what would happen if he never found owners, or he’s gone past the point of adapting to living around people again?

have fed him once a day as I think it’s unfair on the cat to make yourself the sole source of food, especially if going away for a couple of weeks etc

cant let Jim in the house, as an older cat has visited for over 10 years, since they were a kitten, and upsetting the apple cart wouldn’t be right.

taken me the last 4 months for it to come up for strokes now, and at first it seemed like it was a really alien concept to the little fella. Got him one of those little cat houses now, as he used to just sit there in the rain, not even attempting to seek shelter. Think it’s the best 20 quid I’ve ever spent.

[Swiss.]

There's a couple of monk parakeets that come on to my terrace in Brussels. I've seen loads also in the main parc here. 

[Tomshardware]

Been planting a rosemary shrub near the bird feeders, this morning. Recently a neighbour's bastard cat has just been hanging around there all day and been a very noticeable decline in the wild birds coming to feed. Apparently cats hate the smell of rosemary so I'll see how this works.

Further to this, from word go it stopped one cat. Another one wasn't put off by it though. However, I found its little den under the bush and filled it with a load of jagged, broken bricks and that seems to have kept it away.

Another tip is if you have any rose prunings or any other spiky cuttings to leave them around where the cats go and they don't like that either.  

[One Sunny Day]

Been planting a rosemary shrub near the bird feeders, this morning. Recently a neighbour's bastard cat has just been hanging around there all day and been a very noticeable decline in the wild birds coming to feed. Apparently cats hate the smell of rosemary so I'll see how this works.

Further to this, from word go it stopped one cat. Another one wasn't put off by it though. However, I found its little den under the bush and filled it with a load of jagged, broken bricks and that seems to have kept it away.

[Mex Martillo]

Someone lost their pet!
Amazed how close you got to that woodpecker, Hammer.

It's a wild bird. I know a few on here enjoy a cockatoo.

That made me chuckle !

[Perry Nium]

Someone lost their pet!
Amazed how close you got to that woodpecker, Hammer.

It's a wild bird. I know a few on here enjoy a cockatoo.

[Mex Martillo]

Someone lost their pet!
Amazed how close you got to that woodpecker, Hammer.

[Perry Nium]

https://postimg.cc/0M9XHZLY
From my walk to work today.

[Tomshardware]

Hate the bastards, shitting in everyones elses gardens too probably.  

[One Sunny Day]

Been planting a rosemary shrub near the bird feeders, this morning. Recently a neighbour's bastard cat has just been hanging around there all day and been a very noticeable decline in the wild birds coming to feed. Apparently cats hate the smell of rosemary so I'll see how this works.

[Hammer and Pickle]

Just filmed a green woodpecker feeding on the lawn 

[Tomshardware]

Pied wagtail love open space, fields and car parks are favourite haunts, I once saw dozens of them at a retail park at dusk gathering to roost.  Have seen the odd grey wagtail, both times on rocks in a fast flowing stream, also seen a dipper a couple of time.

And agree that it is more of a flick than a wag.

[Hammer and Pickle]

Problem I have is they’re sorely misnamed. Wagging is definitely a lateral movement and here we have an undeniable flick. So we have an opportunity to rename a species - I give you the pied flicktail.

[Nurse Ratched]

A quick Google search returns an answer that they can be seen in other habitats especially in winter.

[Nurse Ratched]

Regarding the grey wagtail, I can't think of a bird that is similar enough visually or behaviourally to make it an accidentally false sighting, and it seems you know your birds. It must not be cast in stone that they only live near fast-flowing water without exception. 

[Nurse Ratched]

Pied wagtails have a bit of a cult following on here. 

It's very strange, I get plenty of them in the front garden but never in the back. Also very strange is I get a grey wagtail in my garden in the winter, despite living half a mile away from the nearest river. For context, that's like living nowhere near a river habitat and getting a kingfisher rocking up in your garden.

I agree, your grey wagtail spot is bloody strange.

[One Sunny Day]

Pied wagtails have a bit of a cult following on here. 

It's very strange, I get plenty of them in the front garden but never in the back. Also very strange is I get a grey wagtail in my garden in the winter, despite living half a mile away from the nearest river. For context, that's like living nowhere near a river habitat and getting a kingfisher rocking up in your garden.

[Mike Oxsaw]

The semi-resident village crows are back this month, along with a single noisy offspring who they seem to be trying to teach to hunt for him/her/their self.

Also glanced up the other day to see 8 or 9 birds of prey circling on a thermal - they looked like Kestrels, but I don't thing that specie is native here - never noticed such beasts before, but their presence certainly cleared the air below them for a while.

[Hammer and Pickle]

Yes. Pied wagtails are CHARISMATIC

[Nurse Ratched]

Pied wagtails have a bit of a cult following on here. 

[Hammer and Pickle]

How nice but watch out if you find you’re getting the urge to put an apron on and make yourself some scrambled eggs.

[SurfaceAgentX2Zero]

Just seen a pair of pied wagtails on my roof. Lovely birds.