Where have all our garden birds gone?

[The Lurker]

The magpies' fledglings are in our back garden - I have seen one begging regularly while on the ground for a few days and it seemed to have been joined by one or two others this morning. They jump repeatedly through the netting in one of the goals we have.

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by The Lurker

[Bernard Lamb]

5 hours ago, melmerby said:

Swifts are back.

Summer must be on the way.

Always a good sign.

My first sighting of members of our local flock was 4-5 of them  this morning.

They usually arrive just after a storm around May 10th so I have been keeping watch for a few days.

They had  good breeding season last year after a few years of decline so I hope a good number make it back this year.

Bernard

 

[lightengine]

At last, my first swift has been sighted.  Flying in the clear airspace viewable from my lounge. 

Edited May 15, 2019 by lightengine

[Porkscratching]

No swifts ...but the swallows up at the yard are virtually crashing into you as you walk around now, hundreds of the little buggas!

Edited May 15, 2019 by Porkscratching

[Mallard60022]

On ‎13‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 12:53, The Lurker said:

The magpies' fledglings are in our back garden - I have seen one begging regularly while on the ground for a few days and it seemed to have been joined by one or two others this morning. They jump repeatedly through the netting in one of the goals we have.

 

 

That has reminded me that the Magpies are not here in numbers this year (yet?) as they were last year and being horrible to all the other locals. Lovely looking but not my favourite garden bird by any means.

P

[The Lurker]

Not the back garden but as I was approaching the pub last night I heard and then saw a large falcon/buzzard flying into top floors of the tallest building in Sidcup. I am not good at recognising birds of prey so I will have to do some research

[Porkscratching]

Ha! Marlowe House... I've watched those perched on the top thru binoculars on occasions...

The top is festooned with various antennae these days..

[Barry Ten]

Saw a sedge warbler yesterday; very nice bird.

[Mallard60022]

4 hours ago, The Lurker said:

Not the back garden but as I was approaching the pub last night I heard and then saw a large falcon/buzzard flying into top floors of the tallest building in Sidcup. I am not good at recognising birds of prey so I will have to do some research

Sounds like Peregrine to me...….?

P

[jonny777]

7 hours ago, lightengine said:

At last, my first swift has been sighted.  Flying in the clear airspace viewable from my lounge. 

 

 

Yes, I have seen a couple of swifts here in Somerset over the last few days. I think my sightings are of the same local ones - but only two so far when normally there are around a dozen nesting in the older buildings at this end of town. I am keeping an optimistic view that others will arrive now the winds have become more Southeasterly. 

 

A few juvenile starlings are now appearing squawking at their parents to be fed. I don't know how the adults put up with this non-stop racket for 17 or 18 hours of daylight, and for days on end. 

[melmerby]

So far just 3 swifts have appeared, flying in formation whilst feeding.

Hope more arrive as they seem to be getting a few less each year.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Got starlings nesting in our roof soffits, sparrows in our nesting box by the summer house and blackbirds in our buddleia bush. Plus robins are around somewhere too.

[Mallard60022]

37 minutes ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Got starlings nesting in our roof soffits, sparrows in our nesting box by the summer house and blackbirds in our buddleia bush. Plus robins are around somewhere too.

Had Starlings nesting in our soffit before we had the dreaded plastic replacements a couple of years back. Every year, quite some time after they had b#####ed off, some rather big and nasty looking beetles would appear out of our loft hole. First time I saw them I almost wet myself thinking they were Death Watch or something hideous. However, through the mighty internet, I identified them as ones that came from the larvae that the Starlings were feeding their evil looking young.  Yuch.

Phil

[PhilJ W]

This evening at dusk several bats were to be seen in the vicinity of our clubroom.

[melmerby]

8 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

This evening at dusk several bats were to be seen in the vicinity of our clubroom.

We get a few bats around the house at dusk.

No idea where they roost (not our roof!)

No idea where they go to feed either, they just fly past.

[PhilJ W]

Our clubroom is adjacent to a cricket ground, plenty of midges for them. Not sure where they roost though unless its in the mature trees around the cricket ground.

[Porkscratching]

Used to see the odd bat, but not in the last few years unfortunately,  I was quite often seeing badgers down the lanes too, but they seem to have disappeared..

 

[Kingzance]

9 hours ago, Porkscratching said:

  I was quite often seeing badgers down the lanes too, but they seem to have disappeared..

As a child, we had to find a very rare location and remain very quiet and still after dark to see a badger. Drive down many country roads these days and there will be a dead badger on the roadside. A mature animal would do a lot of damage to a small vehicle which hit it!

[Bernard Lamb]

Seeing we are on to creatures other than birds.

As I was on the way to get a paper on Saturday morning I turned the corner of my road and was almost run into by a deer.

Not seen one that close to home for several years.

No sign of the bats yet but it is a bit too chilly to sit in the garden watching for them late in the evening.

On the local canal SWMBO has been keeping watch on this family since Easter The first cygnet emerged on Tuesday.

All is calm this morning.

Bernard

[The Lurker]

20 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Sounds like Peregrine to me...….?

P

yes, having found the British Birdsongs UK site, it sounds very like a peregrine call.

 

If previous years are anything o go by, I should hear them regularly on my way to the station

[The Lurker]

13 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Our clubroom is adjacent to a cricket ground, plenty of midges for them. Not sure where they roost though unless its in the mature trees around the cricket ground.

not in the pavilion, in an old kit bag?

[Mallard60022]

I read today that there is 700KM of netting along the coast of Africa specifically to trap migrating birds. This is an absolute disgrace and is possibly whey almost all of our Martins, Swifts and Swallows have not appeared this year. I am sickened by this.

Phil

 

[Porkscratching]

They do many sickening things in that part of the world no doubt, I'm sure the pc thought police will be after us for even daring to criticize....

[jonny777]

On 16/05/2019 at 09:53, Bernard Lamb said:

Seeing we are on to creatures other than birds.

 

 

I have just been to check the back door was locked, and as I passed the kitchen window I became aware of something moving on the lawn outside. Thinking at first it was a rat, my heart sank with the thought that I might have to take drastic action. 

 

Imagine my surprise when as it waddled closer to the house I realised it was a hedgehog, something I have not seen in the garden for about 15 years.   There may still be hope for wildlife around here. 

[Porkscratching]

Haven't seen hedgehogs for donkeys years either....you should put a bit of cat food out for him each evening....