Where have all our garden birds gone?

[88D]

9 hours ago, 88D said:

I have been working in the garden during this lockdown. I must admit that the constant, incessant, interminable buzzing of bees is getting a bit much. I know this is off topic, but I’m sure I can call on your support for bringing back road noise.

Btw, my favourite bee was female tawny mining bee, very colourful and iridescent in the sun.

[PhilJ W]

The solitary bees were sunning themselves this evening on the west facing wall of next doors extension. Hope to see plenty of bees over the next week as my Califonia Lilac is just coming into flower.

 

[88D]

Read my RSPB newsletter/email this morning, and it said that yesterday was ‘ bat appreciation day’. Haven’t seen one this year, any luck with you?

[Mallard60022]

11 minutes ago, 88D said:

Read my RSPB newsletter/email this morning, and it said that yesterday was ‘ bat appreciation day’. Haven’t seen one this year, any luck with you?

Two locally this week. We usually have them around here (36E) but no idea where they roost.

P

[Kingzance]

A couple fly round our place most warmish evenings now. They weren't around last night!

[Barry Ten]

Saw a bat at 3 in the afternoon last week, just circling endlessly looking for insects. Must have watched for a good half an hour. Because

it was a clear day with blue skies I had a really good view of the ears, colours etc. 

 

As for the bat i took to a rescue centre just before the lockdown, I've phoned a few times and been told he/she's doing well but needs

a bit more strengthening up before release.

 

Had some Goldcrests in this morning but tricky to photo.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Barry Ten

[boxbrownie]

Always see bats circling a lamp down the Lane a bit, obviously nabbing the insects in the light, not noticed less than normal though, got a Tawny Owl occasionally sits on the top of the lamp as well, lives in the small copse opposite which I always thought of as odd as it’s less than 20 metres from the sea......must be a Tawny Gull maybe? 

[Oldddudders]

7 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

 got a Tawny Owl occasionally sits on the top of the lamp as well, lives in the small copse opposite which I always thought of as odd as it’s less than 20 metres from the sea......must be a Tawny Gull maybe? 

Perhaps he thinks it's a Tawny Port? 

[boxbrownie]

4 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Perhaps he thinks it's a Tawny Port? 

Maybe that’s where his nest is? 

[tigerburnie]

I got a Bat detector for my Birthday, I think our bats are still hibernating...………………..not even put the batteries in it yet.

[Barry Ten]

5 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

I got a Bat detector for my Birthday, I think our bats are still hibernating...………………..not even put the batteries in it yet.

 

I've asked for one for mine... any recommendations?

[Kingzance]

29 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

I got a Bat detector for my Birthday, I think our bats are still hibernating...………………..not even put the batteries in it yet.

My silly old bat flies off her handle at the slightest thng these days and makes such a noise that a dtector is completely unnecessary. 

[Reorte]

49 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

I got a Bat detector for my Birthday, I think our bats are still hibernating...………………..not even put the batteries in it yet.

 

Sure it's a bat detectory and not a battery detector? Won't do anything if it's the latter until you put some in

Some bat squeaks are audible, I remember hearing them when I was in my 20s but can't any more.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

I got a Bat detector for my Birthday, I think our bats are still hibernating...………………..not even put the batteries in it yet.

Who are you.....The Joker? 

[PhilJ W]

Bats are quite often around our MRC clubroom but no chance to see them as the club is closed due to the corona virus.

[EddieB]

We've done a few "bat walks" with local wildlife groups, most recently on the back of a study in a local park which was found to have an unexpectedly high number of species (including a few rarities).

 

I keep promising myself a bat detector (and the means to identify the bats from it, of course).

[tigerburnie]

8 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

I've asked for one for mine... any recommendations?

Magenta Bat 5 is the one I have, it came recommended to me

[tigerburnie]

7 hours ago, Reorte said:

 

Sure it's a bat detectory and not a battery detector? Won't do anything if it's the latter until you put some in

Some bat squeaks are audible, I remember hearing them when I was in my 20s but can't any more.

We used to be able to hear Pipistrelles when we were kids, years of working with rock bands means I can't hear a cricket bat these days...……………………….

[tigerburnie]

5 hours ago, EddieB said:

We've done a few "bat walks" with local wildlife groups, most recently on the back of a study in a local park which was found to have an unexpectedly high number of species (including a few rarities).

 

I keep promising myself a bat detector (and the means to identify the bats from it, of course).

You get a sheet with the detector listing the species and the range to set your detector, but SWMBO got me "A guide to British Bats" produced by the Mammal Society with the Field Studies Council. www.field-studies-council.org 

[Reorte]

14 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

We used to be able to hear Pipistrelles when we were kids, years of working with rock bands means I can't hear a cricket bat these days...……………………….

 

I was curious about hearing limits once and did a few simple tests on people at work with the computer, generating various tones (so they probably won't be that accurate because the computer's sound system and speakers aren't likely to be brilliantly calibrated). I was pretty much on par for my age. One guy just past his mid thirties, who liked loud music and used to do shooting, somehow managed to hear frequencies people in their mid 20s should be starting to lose.

[Reorte]

Is this a blackcap (not seen one before) or a juvenile of something else? Thought it might be a bit early for fledged chicks, and it flew off that branch well enough but it does look a bit downy.

 

 

[Hal Nail]

3 hours ago, Reorte said:

Is this a blackcap

Yes it's a blackcap. Nice photo. Did you hear it sing?

Edited April 20, 2020 by Hal Nail

[monkeysarefun]

We often  get huge clouds of fruit bats  -  also called flying foxes  - flying  North-South across here in the evenings as they travel from their roosts around the Nepean River to the orchards of the Southern Highlands. They are very large - wing spans of a  couple of feet, I'll have to get a picture when the conditions are suitable enough that the camera will pick them up - a moonlight night with light cloud makes the best back drop.

 

Its an amazing sight seeing all these hundreds of silent dark creatures all heading in the same direction. It can last for an hour or more and  looks like those old films of waves of RAF night bombers flying over England on their way to bomb Germany.

 

The young are often orphaned and there are bat carers who raise them - although there is a small  risk of bat viruses such as the Lyssavirus or the Henda virus which can get transferred to humans from bats via horses.

But when you see pics of the young, you can see why many people take the risk!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by monkeysarefun

[Reorte]

38 minutes ago, Hal Nail said:

Yes it's a blackcap. Nice photo. Did you hear it sing?

Thanks. Unfortunately I didn't hear it, I just saw it out of the window where I'm supposed to be working from home and grabbed the camera.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Reorte

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Our Mrs Blue Tit in occupation of our camera equipped box has a different approach to reproduction from last year's resident. Last year, clutch of ten eggs produced over eight days. Current occupant has produced eight today, wham, bam,bam,bam,bam,bam,bam,bam,bam. And rest.

 

And now this morning three more at least (difficult to be sure as the disturbed down as she enters and exits and 'restyles' the nest, varies the degree of concealment). Whatever, she is up to the typical clutch size of 10 to 12, so I imagine its brooding time..

Edited April 22, 2020 by 34theletterbetweenB&D
Update on egg count watch