Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons

For those of you who love Barn Owls - the Len Pick Trust Owl Project is up and running again this year.
You can watch the parenting skills of this year's pair - they are in the box as I write - and the hope is we will see a first egg soon.
There are useful notes to explain what is going on as the story develops. I find it hypnotic and keep it running on my backup pc.
http://www.lenpicktrust.org.uk/owl-project/4593449091

Why not become an addict?
Roger

Egg number 2 seen last night, 30th. Roger

Originally Posted by: Northern Sky

Not sure if anyone else has noticed this but near me there seems to be an extraordinary number of Blackbirds about at the moment? I wonder if this is the result of the warm early Spring? 

Unfortunately it's in sharp contrast to the number of Thrushes which are now a very rare sight (and sound) for me.

Not sure NS, seems normal blackbird numbers here but I'll keep an eye on it. We have mistle thrushes nesting in a field out the back. There are 6 sheep there, resting tups, that have invented their own game of "football" - chasing a hunting thrush as a team. Very entertaining to watch. It is clearly a game. Never seen that before, tho they do have a laddish game where they all pick on one of their number for a chase - and that usually ends in a butting match.

Roger

Edited by user 03 May 2019 07:13:48(UTC)  | Reason: typo

Originally Posted by: Devonian

Odd things, sheep...

Anyway, what's your feeling about swallow numbers where you are/or this year in general? I think, with some migration time still to go, numbers are lower, the same with house martins. I read of bad weather in Iberia and that dust storm as being, perhaps, involved.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swallow/population-trends/

I've noticed very few hirundines this year, Dev, but I intend spending next week having a good look on a selection of reserves and rivers.

Roger

p.s. the oddest thing I have noticed about these tups is that they like to use anthills as pillows. Once these have been grazed short I often note individual sheep reclining on them and chewing the cud, like the Emperor Nero at a feast. First noticed it last year, but they are at it again. R.

Edited by user 03 May 2019 07:10:50(UTC)  | Reason: addition + typo

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons

 

Not sure NS, seems normal blackbird numbers here but I'll keep an eye on it. We have mistle thrushes nesting in a field out the back. There are 6 sheep there, resting tups, that have invented their own game of "football" - chasing a hunting thrush as a team. Very entertaining to watch. It is clearly a game. Never seen that before, tho they do have a laddish game where they all pick on one of their number for a chase - and that usually ends in a butting match.

Roger

Much better than watching the telly Roger! Good to hear you have nesting Thrushes, I really miss seeing and hearing them. Maybe we've just had a localised Blackbird surge! There does seem to be a large number of youngsters zooming in and out of the hedges and of course they are filling the trees with song, even last night when it was almost dark and I was on torchlit slug patrol. 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons

 

3rd egg laid last night.

http://www.lenpicktrust.org.uk/owl-project/4593449091

Roger

 

 

This is just brilliant to watch- even if the barnie is just breathing, up and down, up and down; I've instructions from no.4 (the birdwatcher of the offspring) to leave it on screen and call him when it gets duskier. So-see you.

Over the past few days my garden has been swamped by rooks. They’re very common in the area but usually never visit the garden. All it took was one rook to land and now they’re all doing it. The word must have got around!

Speaking of swallows and swifts, not seen or heard a single one this year which isn’t good.  We had our first in April last year. 

We have starlings and house sparrows nesting under our tiles and in brick vents. Locally they seem to be doing really well thanks to plenty of nesting sites.

Edited by user 04 May 2019 13:43:59(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Still a lot of snow cover in the high Arctic, only now showing signs of melting  https://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_asiaeurope.gif

Is this getting a bit late for the geese and swans that migrate there?

Being predominantly a townie I know next to nothing about identifying birds (except for robins, blackbirds, thrushes and pigeons etc.)

When I was out in Richmond Park last week I saw a bird I just didn't recognise at all but I made a note of its beak colour, leg colour and plumage description

When at home I came across this site

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/identify-a-bird/

and typed in my observations

Really good - came up with what I think was the right answer straight away

It was a Spotted Crake

(not even heard of that one before !)

Originally Posted by: Saint Snow

Seen my first swallows of the year today - although I've not really been looking. 

Pretty sure 'my' blackbird chicks successfully fledged. Seen a couple of young blackbirds in the vicinity round the garden.

 

Lots of "hirundines" about today, Saint - sitting on phone/electricity lines and holding territory. A lot of starlings have fledged and we had a magpie attack and predate a fledged chick here yesterday. I've not seen any young blackbirds but I feel sure you are right - it's time.

Roger

Originally Posted by: Caz

Blackbirds are gathering nesting material from our garden again for the second time this year.  Thankfully they’re building the nest in a conifer next door, rather than in sight of our cat, so I won’t be having kittens when the babies fledge!  

Most of us have done the following, myself included, so this is NOT criticising you, Caz.

1. Feed the garden birds


2. Allow them somewhere to nest


3. Feel bad when a predator eats them


4. Blame the predator for doing what comes naturally

Where the predator is a domestic pet like a cat, some folks rant about there being too many cats and the harm they do by killing "our" birds.

On the other hand it is a truism that a predator is its prey's best friend and ally, as it is the means to weed out the weak and keep the population fit and in proportion. Populations of wild predators often follow the fluctuations of their prey populations.

Not so pets, but then we have inflated garden populations of birds being stuffed with extra food, so they do need some additional control. Trouble is cats don't know when to stop.

On a positive note, cats also control the numbers of small mammals that scoff your surplus birdfood on the ground. There are more of these than you might expect because you are feeding them so well!

As the nonsense verse goes:

"Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs the bite 'em.

Little fleas have smaller fleas, so on ad infinitum."

Has anyone found a good strategy for deterring cats from murdering birds in the garden?

Roger