Birds

Posted by: Mike-B on 22 January 2010

Hi all bird watchers - including twitchers.
Just for fun & as its not good going out weather, what winter visitors or hard weather sightings have you seen this year IN YOUR GARDEN or close neighbourhood.
Lets know your location & if coastal, river, lake/marsh etc., as I guess a Crossbill south of the Wash is rare
We can assume you have all the usual's - but lets hear about some variations, I have about 20 Blackbirds chasing each other around food & territory, far more than previous years, I guess the resident two pairs of summer birds have moved south.

Today
Siskin & Redpoll - constant occupation, but less than last year when I counted 20-plus of each waiting for the feeders
Chaffinch - a big increase in numbers
Brambling - one or two since the snow has gone
Goldfinch - constant
Greenfinch - daily
Blackcap - daily
Bullfinch - daily

Last weekend
Red Kite perched in a tree (first time) in the field next to my house 20m away
Thrush - Song, Mistle, Fieldfare & Redwing all at the same time in one tree
Two Sparrowhawks (M+F) perched on a garden fence for 2 minutes - looks like they are pairing already

Buzzards - seem to have gained another family group, we had a family of 5, now we seem to have another group of 3.

ATB from the Chilterns/Berk Downs/Cotswold's & Red Kite Country
Posted on: 20 February 2010 by DelR
The other day saw a Red Kite over Sutton Scotney services on the A34.

Mainly just get House Sparrows in our garden.
Posted on: 20 February 2010 by Mike-B
DelR, Red Kites are moving out of the Chilterns, the area is now over populated and they are spreading out naturally. In the last few years they have been in the area just north of Newbury. I saw one last year around Highclere during spring/summer, so it was not a nomad as normally seen in Autumn/Winter.

The area south of Newbury is perfect country for them; big rolling hills makes good air lift & soaring conditions, plus lowdza rabbit carcasses to feed on. February is the month for establishing territory, so with luck over the next 2 or 3 years you should get a few resident pairs.

ATB from the Red Kite capital.
Posted on: 21 February 2010 by Manni
Hi Mike,

the population of the Red Kite has recovered in the UK, that`s wonderful news. I remember this beautiful bird was nearly extinct in your country about twenty years ago.

Best wishes

Manfred
Posted on: 21 February 2010 by Howlinhounddog
quote:
Are you sure they were crows ?? Only a question, a crow is an all blackbird with a black slightly down turned beak, a rook is a similar sized black bird with a straight grey/yellow beak.

Correct Mike, an easy mistake to make on the juvenile bird but these were most deffinately crows. Incidentally this is an isolated tree filled park which has a decent size population of both, also a couple of buzzards that engage in arial combat on a daily basis with said groups!
I too have observed the singular aggression many times but have never before seen three separate and distinct fights going on at once. Just looking for clarification of this.
I have a very good friend who is much published in the ornithological world but the sod's off netting in the far east for three months so no help there !
Charlie
Posted on: 21 February 2010 by Mike-B
Interesting, I looked around various www & find little on crows killing crows compared to rooks
But the collective noun for crows is a "Murder", so I guess something in their nature earned that name.
Whereas rooks who are well known for killing other rooks have the collective noun of "Parliament, also owls.
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by mrflange
quote:
Originally posted by Mike-B:
Hi all bird watchers - including twitchers.
Just for fun & as its not good going out weather, what winter visitors or hard weather sightings have you seen this year IN YOUR GARDEN or close neighbourhood.
Lets know your location & if coastal, river, lake/marsh etc., as I guess a Crossbill south of the Wash is rare
We can assume you have all the usual's - but lets hear about some variations, I have about 20 Blackbirds chasing each other around food & territory, far more than previous years, I guess the resident two pairs of summer birds have moved south.

Today
Siskin & Redpoll - constant occupation, but less than last year when I counted 20-plus of each waiting for the feeders
Chaffinch - a big increase in numbers
Brambling - one or two since the snow has gone
Goldfinch - constant
Greenfinch - daily
Blackcap - daily
Bullfinch - daily

Last weekend
Red Kite perched in a tree (first time) in the field next to my house 20m away
Thrush - Song, Mistle, Fieldfare & Redwing all at the same time in one tree
Two Sparrowhawks (M+F) perched on a garden fence for 2 minutes - looks like they are pairing already

Buzzards - seem to have gained another family group, we had a family of 5, now we seem to have another group of 3.

ATB from the Chilterns/Berk Downs/Cotswold's & Red Kite Country
if you live blewbury way near didcot,you may see a pair of merlins which i have seen there.
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Mike-B
mrflange, nice little bird merlins. We used to have a nesting pair close to my village, they stayed about 4 or 5 years 2000 to 2005(ish) haven't seen them since. I watched one day when the smaller male took down a blackbird in mid flight. Then later I watched in amazement as the female attacked a jackdoor, without luck. The merlin is the same size as the jackdoor. The jackdoor & his mob were not impressed tho', lots of noise for 15 minutes

Watch out for hobby's this summer, we have them nesting at the RSPB Otmoor Reserve (Beckley) for 5 years & new pairs come in every year. I get a regular sighting from my garden. The lakes east of the city is a good place for them hunting dragonflies. I saw one chasing swifts around Headington Old Town last year.
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Manni
quote:
Originally posted by Mike-B:
mrflange, nice little bird merlins. We used to have a nesting pair close to my village, they stayed about 4 or 5 years 2000 to 2005(ish) haven't seen them since. I watched one day when the smaller male took down a blackbird in mid flight. Then later I watched in amazement as the female attacked a jackdoor, without luck. The merlin is the same size as the jackdoor. The jackdoor & his mob were not impressed tho', lots of noise for 15 minutes

Watch out for hobby's this summer, we have them nesting at the RSPB Otmoor Reserve (Beckley) for 5 years & new pairs come in every year. I get a regular sighting from my garden. The lakes east of the city is a good place for them hunting dragonflies. I saw one chasing swifts around Headington Old Town last year.


jackdoor = jackdaw = new language Confused
Posted on: 22 February 2010 by Mike-B
F### sh## bol######x jackdaw jackdaw
Sorry no new language - shame on me as it takes a foreigner to korekt mi Ingrish
Posted on: 23 February 2010 by Manni
quote:
Originally posted by Mike-B:
F### sh## bol######x jackdaw jackdaw
Sorry no new language - shame on me as it takes a foreigner to korekt mi Ingrish


Looking for "jackdoor" I did not find it neither in my dictionary nor in the "Collins Bird Guide 2nd Edition", so I dared to ask.

Take it easy Winker .

Manfred
Posted on: 23 February 2010 by Howlinhounddog
quote:
Looking for "jackdoor" I did not find it neither in my dictionary nor in the "Collins Bird Guide 2nd Edition", so I dared to ask.

I always assumed this was just the southern English pronunciation Winker
Posted on: 23 February 2010 by BigH47
To jackdoor- nick a pair of patio doors?
Posted on: 23 February 2010 by Mike-B
quote:
southern English pronunciation

Yer ain't 'af wrong Howlinpooch. We call's em Jack's or Coo's roun' 'er.
Posted on: 24 February 2010 by Howlinhounddog
quote:
We call's em Jack's or Coo's roun' 'er.

No no no, a Coo goes Moo and is a mammal with a milk receptical slung down udder under. I believe they do nest in trees though.
Posted on: 25 February 2010 by northernlad
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
quote:
Originally posted by Mick Parry:
Chaps

I have a bloody heron that keeps flying into my garden eyeing up my pond.

I would dearly love to blast it with a 12 bore.

Had the same problem but used a decoy in difficult times


Most birds are nice, herons are plain bloody horrid.

Regards

Mick
Mick,
Just buy a plastic one and put it near your pond. it wont come back.
Posted on: 25 February 2010 by northernlad
quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:


I actually shot this last year, but a big bunch of these guys hang out in Squamish every year over winter, eating salmon. It is about an hour up the road from where I live. Quite a few of them around Vancouver itself as well.


Nice picture you have there do you have more you could send me.north55deg@aol.com
Thanks
Paul
Posted on: 25 February 2010 by winkyincanada

Thanks, Paul.

You can download the files at my Flickr Site