Where have all our garden birds gone?

[10800]

Do they sleep on the wing sometimes?  Swifts fly high to sleep.

[chaz]

Thanks. This lot weren't on any particular course but were wheeling around as a flock about half way between Alresford and Bishops Waltham. It is very unusual to see any birds more than 500 ft above the ground, apparently it makes them more vulnerable to predators (not that gulls have too many of those) and it requires a lot of energy. Migrating birds do fly much higher - between 5 and 20 000 ft - so I wonder if this flock was about to fly some distance and had taken advantage of a thermal.

I rather like gulls as they are superb flyers and seem often to fly for the sheer joy of it.

 

I believe there are records of peregrines killing gulls, they are certainly powerful enough to do it. And we do have peregrines in Hampshire. I have seen them in the New Forest and they are pretty regular on Pennington marsh (nr. Lymington).

On the subject of thermals I was lucky enough to be at Arne reserve in Dorset a few years ago and saw three ospreys making use of a thermal to climb really high. A warden I spoke to said that he thought that they were starting their migration south and would gain as much height as possible.

 

Chaz

[Flying Pig]

We have peregrines in Wiltshire too.  Here's one attacking our local starling roost yesterday evening (taken out of my window so it almost counts as a garden bird ):

 

Edited March 9, 2014 by Flying Pig

[melmerby]

As well as plenty of bird activity brought on by the fine weather, we now have several species of butterflies and bees around.

 

In the garden today were Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells, Brimstones and A.N.other which wouldn't let me close enough for a good look!

 

Keith

[EddieB]

It might seem rather ironic to be talking about the local crow population at this time, but a pair are actively building a nest in a tall tree several gardens up from us.  I counted a gathering of forty in the local park on Saturday - I didn't think crows were a sociable species (and no, they weren't rooks which are in something of a decline round this way). 

 

The nesting pair have frequently raided the pear tree on the periphery of our garden, breaking off twigs of various sizes - dropping many - taking the best for their structure. 

 

Meanwhile the GSW has polished off the last of the fat mixture in the hanging feeder - time to send out for more supplies.

[PhilJ W]

I have had 3 bumble bees in my house recently, two very much alive and one dead. The third one seemed to appear out of nowhere then I noticed a small hole in the ceiling where a cable used to run, perhaps they had overwintered there? The two live ones I was able to release hoping they will not succumb to the cold. I don't know what variety of bumble bee they were but they had little if any yellow markings and were about two inches long.

[Mallard60022]

That sounds a bit like Solitary Bees. There have been quite a few appearing over the last days of warm weather. The next cold snap will probably get them sadly.

P

[rodshaw]

A couple of blue tits have been giving the bird box on our shed a once-over. I've seen them flying in and out on a couple of days, but generally there's no activity. The same happened last year, and in the end no birds settled there.

 

So I'm waiting to see if they'll give the place another viewing, even put in an offer this time maybe.

[10800]

So I'm waiting to see if they'll give the place another viewing, even put in an offer this time maybe.

 

Maybe they're waiting for news on their government deposit assistance?

[melmerby]

Don't know where the local (several varieties of) tits nest.

They just dart in and out the hedges to the feeders!

 

Keith

[DonB]

Don't know where it is nesting, but just watching a Male Blackbird collecting a huge beak-full of grubs etc. I assume his mate (not seen her) must be sat hatching eggs, seems a bit early to have young yet??

[Killybegs]

Not quite in the garden, but a couple of hundred yards away down on the sea yesterday, I spotted two Black Guillemots. Not unusual, but one was in full winter plumage and one in full summer plumage. I wonder how long the transition period is between the two plumages.

[Downendian]

I've just been out watering the greenhouse, some annoyed blackbirds obviously nesting close by. There's plenty of Chiffchaffs calling around the garden so coupled with yellowhammers up the hill the summer influx has begun in earnest in the South Hams.

Neil

[Mallard60022]

Don't know where it is nesting, but just watching a Male Blackbird collecting a huge beak-full of grubs etc. I assume his mate (not seen her) must be sat hatching eggs, seems a bit early to have young yet??

Already seen a B Bird's egg shell (half) in the leaf litter at work.

P

[Downendian]

Amazing last night, unmistakable call of Barn owl flying around my Hamlet, then it sat in a tree about 50 feet away from the cottage calling. Just too dark to see @2am.

Neil

[Budgie]

Where's the button for "you lucky devil"?

[melmerby]

Don't know where it is nesting, but just watching a Male Blackbird collecting a huge beak-full of grubs etc. I assume his mate (not seen her) must be sat hatching eggs, seems a bit early to have young yet??

I reckon with the mild winter most birds are a few weeks ahead of their normal routines.

 

Keith

[Clive Mortimore]

Saturday.jpg

Yesterday morning.

 

002.JPG

This morning .Gone. Unlike last year's chicks who stayed close to the nest while practising their flying this pair are gone.

Not garden birds but on my daily dog walk. Last year the kestrels nested in a lovely old poplar tree. This was blown down in the winter. Myself and two mates put a nest box in another tree overlooking the same meadow. Since mid-February there has been a pair of kestrels guarding the box a good two and half months earlier than last year.

 

When passing the other day I am sure one was looking at me as to say, "This new accommodation is OK but does not have the character of the old place". 

[John M Upton]

Not exactly a garden bird and a little blurry as I was zooming over two hundred feet up but I can confirm that Chichester Cathedral's resident Peregrine Falcons have returned:

[Clive Mortimore]

 

Taken this morning the female kestrel of the pair using the new nest box.

 

The male kept flying off as soon as I got the camera to my eye.

 

On Friday eveing I watched a fanastic flying display by these kestrels around the tree with the nest box. I believe it is the romance stage of making new chicks.

[andyram]

I know that the Derby Peregrines have now started to lay their eggs.

 

Tonight I have seen a rather sad state of affairs however. My wife, daughter and I are currently living in my late Grandfather's bungalow prior to moving into our new build house in the summer. This evening I sat by the patio doors, with my 2 year old daughter, looking out over the back garden. It brought back many memories of the times my brother and I used to do the same 30 years ago whilst visiting our grandparents. In those days a couple of slices of bread thrown out onto the lawn used to attract a plethora of garden birds with dozens of sparrows, starlings and blackbirds observed along with a few Blue Tits and Great Tits.

 

 This evening, despite the multitude of bird feeders loaded in the garden all we saw was a single thrush with a damaged wing. That was it! How times change!! Very sad.

[melmerby]

 This evening, despite the multitude of bird feeders loaded in the garden all we saw was a single thrush with a damaged wing. That was it! How times change!! Very sad.

You must be unlucky.

 

We have had plenty of the common birds in the garden, Blackbirds, Robins, Tits of various types, Sparrows, Dunnocks etc. plus a Wren or two and plenty of Wood pigeons and the odd Crow.

Haven't seen the Nuthatches for a while though.

(Also the Butterflies are off to a much better start this year with quite a few different species around.)

 

Keith

Edited April 1, 2014 by melmerby

[DonB]

Not so common, although we do get the occasional visitor, this one pottered about for 15 minutes until next-door's cat appeared!

 

picture take through the glass of the patio door

 

 

[Budgie]

Shooting next-door's cat when in your garden should be made legal.

[DonB]

Shooting next-door's cat when in your garden should be made legal.

Guaranteed to upset the (sizable) body of cat-lovers on this forum! (but not me!! a freshly dug vegetable patch or flower border seems to attract cats from far and wide. )

 

A neighbour (now moved away) had a "tombstone" in his front garden, inscribed :-

 

"Beneath this stone all stiff and hard,

is the last damned cat to cr@p in my yard".