West Ham Online

"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."

Just had a hummingbird outside my window.

"Saw a cuckoo today, heard it and then located it to top of a dead tree."

Arf! Gen X-ers...

4 days of beautiful weather. I keep thinking there's a trick lying just round the corner.

4 days of beautiful weather. I keep thinking there's a trick lying just round the corner.

Less and less swifts and swallows each year .

"Yay, just seen the first swallows. Yes, it’s their feeding that keeps the blackfly in check, or at least seems to. They follow the insects so tend to fly low when air pressure is falling and it’s about to rain."

"That sounds horrible, but I'm not a gardener so can't give suggestions. Swifts don't feed off plants. They eat insects that are airborne at height. They don't land on plants or hover near them to feed. In fact the only time their feet touch something other than air is when they enter and exit their nests during the breeding season. The rest of their lives (feeding, sleeping, mating) they are flying, usually at a height significantly higher than rooftops, because that's where the insects are that they feed on."

"Oh maybe it’s a coincidence but every year there is a time, just before the swifts and swallow arrive, when the blackfly get especially aggressive. It’s terrible for the cattle and horses; some actually die. So we really do tend to scan the skies for swifts and swallows this time of year."

"Sorry about your blackfly, but I don't think swifts would help with that."

Damnit! None here yet and the blackfly really could do with a proper cull

Swifts!

"Nice one, we had Goldfinches in the garden today eating the seedheads of dandelions, house sparrows were on the roses eating aphids."

I had a Barn Owl fly over the garden this evening. It cheered me up a lot after today's remorseless deluge.

"Reminds me of our neighbour..very much a country yokel-he put in a nice big fishpond and I said ""Don't you have problems with herons"" ""Only once"" he said"

#gank

Herons are big bastards when you see them flying low.

"Have to say, it looked really big. Although was flying quite low so probably a Father Ted moment :-)"

"Have to say, it looked really big. Although was flying quite low so probably a Father Ted moment :-)"

zebthecat 12:55 Cheers fella. Just Googled it and think that's the one.

If it puts you in mind of a Pterodactyl it is a Heron. They fold their necks up when flying.

"Know pretty much fuck all about our avian friends (I can tell the difference between an owl, eagle and pigeon mind). However spotted a BIG fucker flying overhead today. Grey and white, with a large wingspan and graceful as fuck. Looked like a stork, although am fairly certain it wasn't. Any ideas?"

Sounds idyllic zeb.

"Wonderful nature moment just.now. The evening chorus and church bell practice as the soundtrack with added bats and a Tawny Owl flypast. I love it here, it is the small things that make a huge difference."

Hardly expert-level knowledge but thanks all the same.