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Any cuckoos out there? ... and other BirdWatch/NatureWatch news


taxi4ballet

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Thank you for your posts LinMM and please do let us know about the blue tits.  Saw baby starlings with parents working overtime on the seed feeder yesterday for the first time this Spring.  Still waiting for the baby woodpeckers who'll sit on the fence whilst the parents have a good go at the peanuts for them.  I'm afraid I saw a magpie take a baby blue tit a couple of years ago so would prefer if they'll keep away.  Do hope you see a baby jackdaw: they seem completely oblivious to risk and look quite happy scurrying around on the ground rather than flying.  Sadly no osprey eggs this year at Dodd Wood, Bassenthwaite Lake just a few minutes away.  The old male is back but there's a new, much younger female who's not yet ready to breed - hopefully there'll be some chicks next year.  It's rather taken away the attraction for the many visitors.  The Forestry Commission have also been doing a great deal of work so the red squirrels are not so readily visible.  The wood will of course regenerate and it will be good to see how things settle and the new views from the cleared trees.

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The blue tits in our box have been working tirelessly for a couple of weeks, so I guess it won't be too long before they fledge the nest. I'm always a little concerned after they hatch, and just hope a cat doesn't kill the parents, leaving the babies to starve. That has happened before, and it's just horrible to find eight fully feathered little birds, lying there motionless.

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One of the downsides of putting up boxes etc and then getting involved in the outcome ( probably too much) is when something goes wrong.

a couple of years ago a blackbird nested in one of our hedges and a magpie destroyed the nest....very upsetting ....but I don't hold it against the magpies....just felt so sorry for the blackbirds who are such brave and fearsome parents. 

Bluetits are still working very hard!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

At last I've seen some swifts this year...about 8 of them flying over the allotment this evening but difficult to count because of the different height levels they fly at ....some go really high ...so may have been more ...so pleased they've turned up at last though they are usually most vociferous mid July to mid August. 

The baby starling count in the garden has gone up to twelve!! 

They are at that stage where the adults are no longer feeding them so the babies hang around in large groups....they do spend quite a bit of time in my garden probably just because we feed the birds. Some of the earlier fledgers have already got some dark spots developing on the breast area. 

Also a rare thing for us here in the heights of Saltdean....a jay appeared in the garden....I think a first ( though I often see them in Islington in London where I stay sometimes) I think it has followed the jackdaws ....we did put out some monkey nuts last week. So plenty of noise around 5.30 ish in the morning at the moment!!! 

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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Shade said:

Thanks Quintus for the lovely picture- I don't see many partridges now sadly. Do they have a family?

 

We haven't seen any so far - just the pair of them appearing morning and evening.  Fingers crossed for The Partridge Family revival though!

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Not really bird watch but my mad dog Chip loves swimming in the local Marine Lake.

 

This evening a couple of terns must have thought he looked like supper at dove at him before they realised he was a dog and flew off smartly!

 

 

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Most of the partridges are breed and released for the season. Those that have naturalised, because they are ground nesters,  are at increased risk during incremental weather from predators. Probably explains the low numbers this year. Same with the dizzy pheasants. 

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Oops, inclement weather. We never had a spring going from harsh winter weather to very hot, dry days. 

 

I alwats think pheasants are dizzy. They stand on the verge waiting for vehicles to approach then dash out into the road, rush backwards and forwards then suddenly remember they can fly so with a lot of fuss take off to land feet away on opposite verge.    

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Ha ha Jane a  very apt description of some of the pheasants I see!! 😀😀 Sometimes when in the car we have to slow down and are sort of following them down the road tentatively hoping they don't do anything too crazy!!🙃🙃

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  • 4 weeks later...

This chap flew into our window and is currently recovering in a dark box, I'm hoping there's no damage other than a headache.. He's 'got up' and is sitting on his feet now, so fingers crossed.

 

Update:  after a half hour rest, he flew off looking perfectly healthy. Glad my son got to him before the cat.

 

FjuyGsH.jpg

 

 

Edited by Quintus
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We've had a few stunned starlings in our time....all recovered...well as far as I know! 

This happens often when magpies come into a group and they all fly off in different directions including the window unfortunately.

 

Thanks for the info ...there are some finches because we never see them around here who I never get sorted out! 

Is it the Haw Finch who is very pink in colour?

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24 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Is it the Haw Finch who is very pink in colour

 

I'm not sure I'd say hawfinches were pink - biggest finch, huge bill, tan head, grey nape, buff/grey underside.  Perhaps the pink you have in mind might be a female bullfinch?

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I think like John that it's a male bullfinch.  We get a few chaffinches but this was the first bullfinch we've had in the garden. He was laying on the mat just inside the glass door with his legs in the air, and just twenty feet or so from our sleeping cat, so it was his lucky day!  Said cat is not in my good books as he killed a stoat a few days ago; a beautiful creature and one that was keeping the rabbits down.

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Oh naughty pussy cat Quintus but I suppose they can't help it.

About two years ago I was driving along a very narrow lane near Ditchling in Sussex when suddenly a weasel ran into,the lane with a dead mouse /vole in its mouth!! The only time I've ever seen a weasel. 

I think stoats are bigger than weasels so am surprised a cat would go for one!

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  • 7 months later...

What a gorgeous little Robin....and a fab piccie!

This looks a bit like the bolder Robin in our garden who perches on a branch really close to the bedroom window and glares  in with that "where's the food then" look! 

Edited by LinMM
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