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."

[Massive Attack]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

"SEND THEM BACK, SEND THEM BACK"

Reported you to the BTO, bird racism.

Listen, I love all colours and plumage. It's just they take all my bird feed without giving anything back in return before tweeting about it after how easy the system is over here. Well they can all FLOCK OFF! 

#STOPBIRDMIGRATION

[Nurse Ratched]

Swiss - are you referring to the video in the OP? If so, that's a chaffinch. Male 

[Swiss.]

Is that first one a Jay? I got one that visits my terrace quire regularly. 

[Tomshardware]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

"SEND THEM BACK, SEND THEM BACK"

Reported you to the BTO, bird racism.

[Massive Attack]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

"SEND THEM BACK, SEND THEM BACK"

[Tomshardware]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

[zebthecat]

Only the odd ladybird here but loads of butterflies. Whites, Commas, loads of Gatekeepers and the odd Brown Speckled Wood.
The highlght has been Hummingbird Hawk moth that loves drinking from night scented stocks.

[WHU(Exeter)]

I went from one to dozens of them, so hope you get the same.

ditto with the white butterflies.

[Nurse Ratched]

I've seen the grand total of ONE ladybird so far this year, but it's possible the 'plaque' is occurring in waves, regionally, so I live in hope.

What I have seen is zillions of butterflies. Many more than usual. 

[MaryMillingtonsGhost]

Dead, was it?

 

 

 

 

Of course not.
It was obviously 'tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.'

[WHU(Exeter)]

From not seeing one for years, the amount of ladybirds in the area I live in has become the most I've ever seen.

Anyone experiencing the same?

Haven't seen a yellow one yet though 

[Tomshardware]

I prefer the male plumage of many common birds. 

[Massive Attack]

I had a Norwegian Blue Parrot in my pear tree yesterday, but it was chased away by the cassowaries that had made a nest there.

Dead, was it?

[Tomshardware]

The other day I was pruning a tree and came a cross a Goldfinch nest, thought it was an old nest until a bird bolted from it. She came back after a short while and I could see her sitting on the nest.  Only after looking it up did I read Goldfinches and seed eating birds often will nest in July and August as there's more seeds to eat and feed their young.

[zebthecat]

Yes I know they are not birds but I am having a bat-fest at dusk every evening.
Have also heard Jays but not seen them yet; they are beautiful.

[WHU(Exeter)]

Nurse and Aalborg

Thanks very much for the chilli tips. I used oil as suggested and every plant and flower has remained in tact since. 

Was a bit of an unexpected twist with the Himalayan blue poppies. Two years for the fuckers to finally flower and when they do, they are a beautiful sight. Not reading the small print though, turns out they flower for just over a week. Cheers Mother Nature.

[F 129 Row66]

I had a Norwegian Blue Parrot in my pear tree yesterday, but it was chased away by the cassowaries that had made a nest there.

[zebthecat]

One thing I have noticed over the past few days is that the swifts are back. I have not seem them hear for years and it not just the odd or two it is LOTS of them. I love watching them do their their thing; they are stunt birds. Only the bats are more manouverable - they can change direction so violently they are difficult to follow. 

[Mike Oxsaw]

Where you live Mike? How could you turn your back on European birds?

I'm currently in NE Thailand (Issan), which borders Cambodia.

I was away, working in the Middle East, from 2014 until 2021, and things have seemingly changed since before Covid.

Sparrows & pigeons mainly, which I don't recall noticing before.

That being said, the village I live in is being developed at a remarkable pace and maybe these 2, apparently new, species can better adapt to the buildings replacing the trees, grassland and farmland.

Couple of crows seem to have taken up permanent residency with noisy offspring chasing them from tree to tree, demanding food.

The main thoroughfare offers them ample road-kill when the street-hounds come into season: the dogs inevitably attempt to cross the highway over the newly installed 3-feet high concrete crash barrier in order to reach the bitches, almost always straight into the path of a large truck steaming through the village at 80km/h.

[Tomshardware]

Downloaded the Merlin bird app, the other day. It identifies birds in the immediate area by their song. Great for finding out what birds are hidden around if you're not some sort of expert at identifying their songs and they rarely show themselves/ are tiny little green or brown birds that all look the same from a distance. Get plenty of different types at the feeders but never knew what ones just hang around in the wood at the end of my garden and don't use feeders. Apparently I have a load of wrens, chiffchaffs and blackcaps down there.

That's a nice few varieties of birds you have.  Wrens are incredible little birds,  can belt out a song considering their size.

[One Sunny Day]

Downloaded the Merlin bird app, the other day. It identifies birds in the immediate area by their song. Great for finding out what birds are hidden around if you're not some sort of expert at identifying their songs and they rarely show themselves/ are tiny little green or brown birds that all look the same from a distance. Get plenty of different types at the feeders but never knew what ones just hang around in the wood at the end of my garden and don't use feeders. Apparently I have a load of wrens, chiffchaffs and blackcaps down there.

[WHU(Exeter)]

Have had a Himalayan blue poppy flower yesterday. Taken it two years!....well chuffed

[Tomshardware]

Where you live Mike? How could you turn your back on European birds?

[Mike Oxsaw]

A pair of mynah birds have rammed a nest in behind one of my a/c units and fuck are they messy builders.

Got my washing machine outside below the a/c and every morning it is covered in grass and twigs that have fallen from the nest.

Do they swoop down and gather all their shit up and put it back? Do they fuck! They simply bring more shit in from the mynah's version of a local builder's merchants.

Bastards!

[Tomshardware]

Found 2 birds nests this week.

First one was a wrens nest in a climbing rose, she shot out of the nest as I was nearby, she did return as she's  got eggs to sit on. 

Second nest was a blackbirds, the male had been gathering food and I chucked it a couple of leatherback grubs.  Saw it fly off to a yew hedge, managed to find the nest and see a brood of hungry chick's.