BS: 2019 bird watch

Subject: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: keberoxu
Date: 24 May 19 - 09:48 PM

Although Senoufou/Eliza no longer posts as a member,
some of us hear from her,
and she has assured me that
the 'house martins,' guess that's the UK term,
have returned from their migrations
and are busy nesting around her area.

Where I was raised we said 'purple martins',
I presume it's the same bug-eating bird.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 25 May 19 - 01:20 AM

They are both swallows but they are different birds. House Martin

Nothing beyond the usual mix of blue tits, great tits, robins, etc. to report from here.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 26 May 19 - 11:48 AM

I am beginning to notice a disturbing lack of swifts this year. Only seen them here on one day, and anywhere on three. The number of swallows seems less as well.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Charmion
Date: 27 May 19 - 08:50 AM

Our garden is full of the cardinals' slide-whistle call, the nagging of blue jays, and the trilling of the American robin, which is actually a thrush. We're too far from the river to hear the red-wing blackbirds, but we see them everywhere in the countryside; the land is still very wet, and they like to hang out by roadside ditches.

At choir practice the other day, half the Alto section was discussing the appearance of a pair of indigo buntings at somebody's bird table. Not normal for Stratford at all.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 10:00 AM

At the beach I go to in North Carolina almost all the birds are missing. Could it be the heat wave? There are hardly any pelicans, none of the spoonbills nor little egret-types (2 types) nor the raggedy crows nor the soft grey gulls nor the other gulls I thought might be the females of the blackheaded gulls but the blackheaded gulls- and only they- are still here.8

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Jul 19 - 10:01 AM

8 means Got any ideas? Sorry.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: beachcomber
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 06:57 AM

There is a particular seaside Cliff near my home that, for all my life until about five or six years ago, was a favoured nesting site for seabirds of various types. Anyone approaching this spot in those older times would be subjected to the most raucous choir of squawking birds, many of whom would resort to diving at intruders in order to prevent them from coming too close to eggs or nestlings.
Over this short period their numbers have diminished to the extent that there are now no more than a few dozen nesters where once the cliffside was white with droppings, feathers and nests.
Meanwhile we read reports of the pests that such seabirds have become in some of the larger seaside towns and cities ??

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 25 Jul 19 - 07:21 AM

Still not much sign of swifts around, but the swallow numbers picked up a bit.
What we do have is a lot of butterflies this year including some species that I have not noticed before, probably because I didn't look, but the large numbers have made me more interested.
The curlews stayed around longer this spring before going wherever they go from here, and there were more lapwings around in early spring. The wheatears passed through quickly but in normal numbers.

We have mainly common gulls and a colony of lesser black backed that seem to frequent the reservoir about a mile away.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Nov 19 - 04:33 PM

What a bit of unexpected entertainment.

I'm at the filling station with my parked car by the pump. One of the busiest intersections of my town, thoroughly developed, cars and poles and wires everywhere. Well, yes, there are a few trees, shrubs, and bushes on little islands of landscaping. And nobody is surprised to see the sparrows and grackles and all.

At one decorative shrub off to the side --
all the leaves gone, naturally, bare see-through branches --
the sparrows are going bananas, shrieking, fluttering, feathers flying.

What's up with the sparrows?
I see it now: some sort of raptor, a bird of prey.
Wish I knew what kind; not used to seeing them at the filling station!
This bird is not making a kill;
it's just enjoying scaring the shit out of the sparrows.
It kind of walks around IN the branches, under the branches, of the shrub...
sits on the top, like, King Of The Shrub ...
just relaxes and lets the sparrows get all excited and flustered.

Too small to be a hawk, it seems to me.
But it flies back and forth between the
shrub, a nearby tree, and the traffic signal lights.
And when it spreads its wings and tailfeathers,
with their barred plumage,
you think, Yup, that's some kind of hunting bird.
Are there small hawks?
Impressive white breast, dark head.
BIG stout talon-legs, looks like Foghorn Leghorn when
it struts past the shrieking sparrows.
What a sight.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Nov 19 - 05:37 AM

We had a spoonbill on Maer Lake nature reserve a few weeks ago. Pretty unusual. We've had a bit of an explosion of the jay population this year. I like 'em. A lot more sparrowhawk visits to the bird feeders this year. The littler dinosaurs scarper in mortal dread, but the sparrowhawks are just being sparrowhawks. Sadly, hardly a greenfinch all year and sparrows are now rarely seen round our garden. Good shows of balletic flocks of starlings right now and the fieldfares are back eating up the windfalls. The long-tailed tits will soon be back, hopefully. We now have overwintering blackcaps and even the odd chiffchaff. Climate change I guess.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Mr Red
Date: 24 Nov 19 - 06:03 AM

I spotted a snipe or two...................

On Mudcat

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 24 Nov 19 - 11:08 AM

Here in the UK the last couple of years we've had redpolls in the winter, none yet this year. When we get colder weather the feral ring-neck parakeets will come to the feeders. 14 species today so far on our 3 feeding stations & trees.
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Nov 19 - 02:12 PM

Anybody in NC? I worry about my little guys.

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Nov 19 - 05:08 PM

sadly, it's too late for Amos,
but what about Janie --
North Carolina, I mean?

Subject: RE: BS: 2019 bird watch
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 27 Nov 19 - 02:59 PM

There's nothing like deciding to do the RSPB's annual Birdwatch for scaring the buggers away! (For those not in the RSPB or UK, it's the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - they ask us to spend just one hour over a particular weekend in January counting and noting the bird species that visit our gardens.) In our garden last time I did it, we got one robin in an hour! Not at all representative of the usual flow of bluetits, coaltits, great tits, sparrows, etc!