Birds….🦜

Hi there sister Nut! I love the little birds so it's good to hear they are back. We have a lot of wood pigeons who seem to love nesting in fir trees and who can blame them? Plenty of cover especially in Leylandii. You just see them going in and out but the thickness hides everything. Still, they are harmless.

It's the birds of prey I dislike. We had a nest of sparrow hawks in the tall trees and they decimated the smaller birds of course. We had a family or blackbirds in the bushes in our garden, but the mother sparrow hawk taught her children how to go right into the bushes and find them. The whole blackbird family was wiped out. I hate sparrow hawks and all birds of prey to be honest. My only exception is barn owls, unfair of me maybe but I love them. 🦉

Oh Chestnut I once stayed in a holiday flat that belonged to someone with the surname Sparrowhawk. I guess you wouldn’t even entertain the idea.

We have been watching the web cam of Chichester cathedral peregrines. From the first egg to now where the two chicks are growing by the minute and big white fluffy balls, but I see their pin tails are beginning to show. Their mother has now begun to leave them and hunting with the male.

They are the fastest animals on earth - so I think any prey must be instantly killed.

We have few birds these days, whereas ten years ago we had loads. The whole of the Chilterns area has Red Kites that were reintroduced and now they are everywhere. One is always wheeling and squeaking above us, I am sure they are the cause of the diminishing bird population ( next door’s two cats do not help).

Gin I think that Red Kites eat carrion and sometimes injured birds. I’m told by DH anyway.
We have sparrowhawks, buzzards and merlins over here. I stopped feeding the birds years ago, I felt I was just presenting a running buffet for the birds of prey.
They do come down low but are beautiful to watch. I suppose they all have a place in the order of things.

The RSPB will tell you that birds of prey are a good sign because it means there are plenty of smaller birds and mammals for them to eat! So I suppose they will be the last to die out and that will be when their food supply is gone. 😢

I feel your joy.
I was feeling something similar earlier today when i noticed a blue tit leaving the nesting box. It's only taken 12 years for a blue tit to use one of 2 nesting boxes in my garden!

I thought i'd seen it once a week or so ago too but despite keeping an eye on it never saw it again till today. Thank goodness i went to do some weeding.

I've installed the free Merlin Bird ID app on my phone. It identifies birds by their songs and is a relaxing way to pass time in the garden. Our robin has been warbling away for ages.

I've installed the free Merlin Bird ID app on my phone. It identifies birds by their songs and is a relaxing way to pass time in the garden. Our robin has been warbling away for ages.

I was just about to say the same thing Nell82! I’ve just had the app for a few days and I’m really enjoying it. I’m currently sitting in my son’s garden enjoying the lovely birdsong from the wooded area across the fence. So far this afternoon the app has identified blackbirds, wren, robin and house martin.

Im like a child with a new toy 😄

I have mixed feelings about sparrowhawks. I hate the “nature red in tooth and claw” thing, but it’s a thrill to have them I my garden. I was in my conservatory one day minding my own business when I looked up and there as a young male not long in his full plumage by the look of it, giving his full attention to something that once had a beak and feathers! Until a couple of days before, I had had a camera set up on a tripod, but had taken it down. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled into the dining room to get it! Crawled back and got some of the best photos I’ve ever taken of a bird of prey. He was too intent on what he was doing to bother much about me, or the magpie that appeared out of nowhere. There was a stand off! The hawk ‘mantled’ its prey, which they do to make themselves look bigger, but he wasn’t very experienced and the magpie took over his supper. After a lot of hopping about showing his disgust, he flew off. I felt sorry for him. They don’t always manage a kill and he probably had to work hard for it.

And yes, Pamela red kites feed almost exclusively on carrion.

Thanks for putting me right. They do fight the crows in the air and in the big old oak tree next door. We quite often watch the attacks in the sky.

I love that app.

Tonight it picked up
Blackcap
Song Thrush
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Magpie and
Wood Pigeon

I have stopped feeding the birds - which has saddened me on the advise of the RSPB.

Apparently there is a virus being passed around which is widespread and deadly.

I can start again in October.