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."

[Nurse Ratched]

Anybody else seeing lots of flying insects? Maybe they're on a bit of a bounce back.

Meanwhile, Merlin just spazzed out and told me I have a tawny owl in my urban garden in broad daylight. To be fair there were a couple of sharp "kew-it!" but there were starlings in the garden, so I presume one was doing his Mike Yarwood bit.

[BillyJenningsBoots]

I'm no expert on our feathered friends, but am reasonably certain I just spotted a red kite circling my garden.
Absolutely majestic creature.

We get 2 or 3  circling overhead daily up here in the Rose of the Shires. We also have peregrine falcons regularly nesting in the local church spire and have had a sparrow hawk visit our garden on at least 2 occasions.

Nature is wonderful!

[Iron Duke]

I’ve got one of those nut feeders with a cage around it to stop squirrels from getting at them. The other day I saw that what I think was a bank vole who managed to climb up and squeeze inside it, enjoying a feast.

[zebthecat]

I love it this time of year as the owls are really noisy.
It is very reassuring.

[MaryMillingtonsGhost]

I'm no expert on our feathered friends, but am reasonably certain I just spotted a red kite circling my garden.
Absolutely majestic creature.

[Nurse Ratched]

This ptarmigan would like a quick word.

[zebthecat]

All they have to do is scarf the nuts down and the gizzard does the rest.
Dinosaur biology,

[Nurse Ratched]

It's not worry, as such. It's more that I underestimated them. I laughed and then thought 'how on earth can they digest that?'

[Trilby55]

They swallow large acorns whole Nurse . What worries you ? Is it that you would prefer smaller birds nibbling them as opposed to those greedy bastards ? 

[Nurse Ratched]

There is a wood pigeon in my garden swallowing monkey nuts whole. I don't know how to feel about this. 

[Mr Anon]

Here in the UK??

yes, south east coast

[Nurse Ratched]

Here in the UK??

[Mr Anon]

Saw a Bohemian Waxwing in local park around the corner yesterday. Luckily one of the people I was with is knowledgeable on birds and identified it, all I know is it looked very striking. Looked it up since and it was definitely it 

[Gibson]

[Nurse Ratched]

Oh, and monkey nuts. The birds and squirrels prefer them in their shells. When I put out shelled raw peanuts, they weren't that keen. 

[Nurse Ratched]

In case you were looking for inspiration, I buy large sacks of sunflower hearts off Amazon. The sacks are about 15kg. Cheaper to buy in bulk, of course. The suet balls I buy are called 'Extra Select Insect Suet Balls'. They have little bits of insects in them. They come in a big, tough plastic box. The empty tubs are really useful when repurposed around the house. Storage, whatever. I even use one for cold/fridge fermentation of bread dough. I also buy the RSPB's 'Buggy Nibbles' for the ground feeding birds and dried mealworms. I buy live mealworms during the spring and early summer to help the robins and tits feed their chicks.

[Nurse Ratched]

And today, for the first time, two flittery chiffchaffs.
I presume they followed the blackcap: 'warbler see, warbler do'. Can't stop grinning. Truly fantastic birding lately.

Also watched a red kite flying after a pigeon in the air with great determination. I don't know whether it was hunting it on the wing, or just got fed up of being harried and turned the tables. Do they hunt pigeons on the wing?? Also saw my great spotted woodpecker bully a parakeet off a feeder. The woody never behaves like that towards other birds, so I suspect there is aggro between them. Maybe competition for resources, nesting sites, etc. 

 

What food do the Woodpecker and parakeets go for?

Both of them eat suet balls and sunflower hearts from the vertical hanging feeders.

[stubbo]

And today, for the first time, two flittery chiffchaffs.
I presume they followed the blackcap: 'warbler see, warbler do'. Can't stop grinning. Truly fantastic birding lately.

Also watched a red kite flying after a pigeon in the air with great determination. I don't know whether it was hunting it on the wing, or just got fed up of being harried and turned the tables. Do they hunt pigeons on the wing?? Also saw my great spotted woodpecker bully a parakeet off a feeder. The woody never behaves like that towards other birds, so I suspect there is aggro between them. Maybe competition for resources, nesting sites, etc. 

 

What food do the Woodpecker and parakeets go for?

[Nurse Ratched]

Yes, song thrushes were really common in the 1970s, even in urban areas. 

[One Sunny Day]

See red kites, daily, above my house. Shame I've only ever had one land once though they do hover really low over my garden. Huge fuckers! 
I did have a song thrush in my garden, the other day, for the first time since I lived here. Used to be really common when I was a kid but hardly ever see them anymore. 

[Nurse Ratched]

And today, for the first time, two flittery chiffchaffs.
I presume they followed the blackcap: 'warbler see, warbler do'. Can't stop grinning. Truly fantastic birding lately.

Also watched a red kite flying after a pigeon in the air with great determination. I don't know whether it was hunting it on the wing, or just got fed up of being harried and turned the tables. Do they hunt pigeons on the wing?? Also saw my great spotted woodpecker bully a parakeet off a feeder. The woody never behaves like that towards other birds, so I suspect there is aggro between them. Maybe competition for resources, nesting sites, etc. 

Get a lot of kites up here in The Chilterns near High Wycombe. From what I've heard to call them birds of prey is a bit of a misnomer.  They're mostly scavengers and picnic raiders. Easily bullied by crows etc.

Indeed. Scavengers, roadkill, small mammals, etc. But also baby birds, which is why red kites get mobbed and driven away by other species. Pigeons breed all year round, so I imagine their nests get targeted a lot by kites. I've seen small groups of pigeons, gulls, etc harrying red kites, but I have never seen a kite chasing down an adult pigeon before. I don't know if he caught it, they flew beyond view. Believe it or not, red kites are now very common in London. 

[Splodder]

And today, for the first time, two flittery chiffchaffs.
I presume they followed the blackcap: 'warbler see, warbler do'. Can't stop grinning. Truly fantastic birding lately.

Also watched a red kite flying after a pigeon in the air with great determination. I don't know whether it was hunting it on the wing, or just got fed up of being harried and turned the tables. Do they hunt pigeons on the wing?? Also saw my great spotted woodpecker bully a parakeet off a feeder. The woody never behaves like that towards other birds, so I suspect there is aggro between them. Maybe competition for resources, nesting sites, etc. 

Get a lot of kites up here in The Chilterns near High Wycombe. From what I've heard to call them birds of prey is a bit of a misnomer.  They're mostly scavengers and picnic raiders. Easily bullied by crows etc.

[Nurse Ratched]

And today, for the first time, two flittery chiffchaffs.
I presume they followed the blackcap: 'warbler see, warbler do'. Can't stop grinning. Truly fantastic birding lately.

Also watched a red kite flying after a pigeon in the air with great determination. I don't know whether it was hunting it on the wing, or just got fed up of being harried and turned the tables. Do they hunt pigeons on the wing?? Also saw my great spotted woodpecker bully a parakeet off a feeder. The woody never behaves like that towards other birds, so I suspect there is aggro between them. Maybe competition for resources, nesting sites, etc. 

[Nurse Ratched]

I just weighed a monkey nut: 3 grams. 

A bluetit weighs 11 grams.

So that money nut was about a quarter of the bluetit's bodyweight. 

That's nothing, African swallows have been observed carrying coconuts

[Mr Anon]

I just weighed a monkey nut: 3 grams. 

A bluetit weighs 11 grams.

So that money nut was about a quarter of the bluetit's bodyweight. 

That's nothing, African swallows have been observed carrying coconuts