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."

[Fo the Communist]

"Nurse Dried mealworms aren't that expensive and I usually mix them with other food to make them go a bit further. I don't often buy live to be fair but when I do its from a pet shop (reptile food) and, yes, that is a more more expensive - about £2.50 a punnet. Breeding sounds proper hard core. Respect."

[Crassus]

"Nurse Not sure what you pay for your meal worms but I bought some dried versions recently and they were notably pricey for the amount I have a solution, go to your local tackle shop and buy a pint of maggots, stand on me, when I have been fishing and feed the birds they love them You will pay about £2.50 a pint If live maggots are not to your taste, you can also by 'deads' which are frozen Finally, if you explain to the lads what you want them for you may be able to get a regular supply of 'olds', they are what it suggests, end of a batch that are beyond saleable and the odds and sods off a riddle with casters (chrysalis) that have turned too far for fishing Oh and worms, real easy to make a wormery, I have one, get some dendrobaena worms from the tackle shop and tip them in a plastic box, with lid, non treated compost, toss in tea bags and especially cucumber and before long the buggers are breeding and producing a constant trickle of treats, cut them into little 1cm sections and the birds will be all over it"

[gph]

"First one I found. Not only is the frogmouth very owlish, it looks like I imagine Hugh Montieth does after you've owled him."

[gph]

"First one I found. Not only is the frogmouth very owlish, it looks like I imagine Hugh Montieth does after you've owled him."

[Nurse Ratched]

"Geep, given the subject, you would think they would have chosen a much better photo of the bird to illustrate the article."

[Nurse Ratched]

* en masse Turns out the Korean chap who programmed my phone's autocorrect knows as little French as he does English.

[Nurse Ratched]

"Ted, spot on about the hard-working bluetit parents. Last year was a good breeding year with a beautiful mild, long spring and all the tit species in my garden bred at least two, sometimes three clutches before the end of summer. The state of the adult bluetits in particular in July/August was pitiful. They had what looked like bald patches and the rest of their plumage was dull and shaggy. They looked completely worn out. I must say a highlight of last spring was every time the great tits and greenfinches brought their young offspring en masses to my garden to show them where to find food. What a ruckus! The cheeky little buggers would still shimmy and squeak, begging for their parents to feed them, despite being capable of feeding themselves. After a while the parents would ignore them and make them feed themselves. Anyone who's raised teenagers will relate ?üòÅ"

[gph]

Research has revealed (it hasn't really) that the tawny frogmouth is the most instagrammable bird in the world. https://asia.granthshala.com/chicken-pictures-that-researchers-say-are-most-instagramable/

[ted fenton]

Checked our garden and we have two family's of Blue Tits nesting one Blackbird and bloody Wood Pigeons ! Not yet confirmed the Robins or Hedge Sparrow. Those parents work bloody hard feeding their young especially the Tits (No pun intended) As soon as I see a Magpie I'm out there.

[Nurse Ratched]

Fo Do you buy yours or do you breed them? I'm currently buying mine online but it's so expensive. I'm thinking about breeding them.

[Fo the Communist]

"What a discourse that would be. In fairness, they go pretty mad for dead ones too."

[Nurse Ratched]

"Fo, at some point let's talk mealworm husbandry."

[Fo the Communist]

"Nurse Ratched 8:13 Wed Apr 21 Exactly the same here, Nurse. Never - or very rarely - have had starlings in the garden but had at least ten in the garden on Sunday going mad for the live mealworms. Hardly a murmuration but it kept me happy."

[Hammer and Pickle]

"It's been a cool, wettish spring and now it's warming up, the place is literally buzzing. Bees in their hordes, bumblebees, every species of butterfly, ladybirds and yesterday something I haven't seen in years: a little green caterpillar just hanging there suspended by an invisible thread lighter than air. These used to be very common in the oak woods around Frensham Ponds when I was growing up though somehow my boys did not share in my enthusiasm when whooped for joy. How spring is wasted on the youth..."

[Nurse Ratched]

"My garden, and the gustatory delights therein, has been discovered by starlings. The advance reconnoitering parties found much to intrigue and delight. I am braced for invasion and anticipating defeat. I'm no better than Poland. The shame..."

[ted fenton]

Tomshardware 12:25 Fri Apr 16 Re: For WHO's birders Saw a pair of robins scrapping like mad the other day. Pwopper hard little feckers are Robins they will defend their territory to the death. Nice to hear all the birds singing as in keep the feck out of my garden ! The only bird that drives me crazy is the wood Pigeon what a boring sound they make just wish they would stay in the woods.

[lab]

Heard and saw my first Cuckoo of the year yesterday.

[Tomshardware]

Saw a pair of robins scrapping like mad the other day.

[arsegrapes]

In Devon btw Devonhammer?

[arsegrapes]

Ok own up.....In 1996 an avid bird watcher spent the whole year hooting at owls and recording their responses unaware that it was one of his neighbours pretending to be an owl and hooting back.

[the exile]

HMJ - where are you?

[Crassus]

"Bees are active, and pleasingly still so after the sharp frost And noticed a pair of woodies have taken up nest building in ivy on a fence under a large eucalyptus, which whilst lovely to see has put paid to the aggressive pruning plans of both Oh well such as it is, I hope they evade the attention of the magpies"

[Nurse Ratched]

"What a striking bird, HMJ."

[Hello Mrs. Jones]

My hooded orioles are back as they are every year at this time...

[Hello Mrs. Jones]

My hooded orioles are back as they are every year at this time...