What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

[cloughie]

It's interesting that when the Jackdaws are in the garden they're not bothered about the Pigeons (Wood and Feral) or Blackbirds being around too but the other day a Magpie turned up and there was a right rumpus with the Magpie being driven away by the Jackdaws.

All the above species seem to happily coexist and will also happily have a go at Magpies - clearly enemy No1. Also the periodic visits by gulls are not appreciated by Jackdaws, who are the ever-present residents of local trees and rooftops.

[gradus]

Well done jackdaws, I am not persuaded by the pro-magpie front's defence of their bird, where magpies flourish songbirds vanish.

[Joseph K]

Spotted another heron further downstream this time which, judging by its size, was somewhat younger than the one I spotted the other week.

Also, later on in my walk, while crossing a narrow bridge I got so close to a pigeon, perched on the rail, without it moving at all...

[ardcarp]

It would be interesting to know how many people (and where) have seen swallows. We saw a couple on Good Friday just before a rehearsal in the clear blue sky over a church roof near Honiton, Devon. Our first this year.

[Serial_Apologist]

It would be interesting to know how many people (and where) have seen swallows. We saw a couple on Good Friday just before a rehearsal in the clear blue sky over a church roof near Honiton, Devon. Our first this year.

Not many are to be seen around these parts - roof soffits on most buildings around here don't cater well to their nest-building needs. One thing I've been noticing, more than previous years, is an exceptional fearlessness of the several robins making their homes in our garden.

[ardcarp]

Robins! We have a new-ish conservation area near us, a mixture of wetlands, scrub, woodland, reeds, etc. The robins have just gone crazy since the public (in small numbers, mainly with kids) have started visiting, usually bearing gifts of breadcrumbs and (better) mealworms. The robins know when a food-parcel is arriving and gather in the hedges. Some extra-brave ones will perch on one's hand to take a quick beakful.

There is a school of thought which suggests not feeding wild birds. I can see the point, but it's difficult to resist a bit of personal pleasure from doing so.

[Serial_Apologist]

Robins! We have a new-ish conservation area near us, a mixture of wetlands, scrub, woodland, reeds, etc. The robins have just gone crazy since the public (in small numbers, mainly with kids) have started visiting, usually bearing gifts of breadcrumbs and (better) mealworms. The robins know when a food-parcel is arriving and gather in the hedges. Some extra-brave ones will perch on one's hand to take a quick beakful.

There is a school of thought which suggests not feeding wild birds. I can see the point, but it's difficult to resist a bit of personal pleasure from doing so.

And of course another suggesting the opposite, to compensate for reducing insect species and numbers.

[oddoneout]

Robins! We have a new-ish conservation area near us, a mixture of wetlands, scrub, woodland, reeds, etc. The robins have just gone crazy since the public (in small numbers, mainly with kids) have started visiting, usually bearing gifts of breadcrumbs and (better) mealworms. The robins know when a food-parcel is arriving and gather in the hedges. Some extra-brave ones will perch on one's hand to take a quick beakful.

There is a school of thought which suggests not feeding wild birds. I can see the point, but it's difficult to resist a bit of personal pleasure from doing so.

Part of the reason is to prevent the feeding of unsuitable items, especially when young are being raised. The need then is for high protein moisture containing items such as small insects - breadcrumbs are not a substitute! I think there is also the problem of items which the adult bird may enjoy and take but which don't work well for nestlings, such as whole mealworms.
It's a bit of a knotty problem I think. Does the provision of supplementary food alter the behaviour of the birds that benefit or alter the carrying capacity of a given area, both of which could be detrimental longer term. Are those acceptable/workable alternatives to maintaining populations where habitat loss is the main cause of decline.

[Serial_Apologist]

Part of the reason is to prevent the feeding of unsuitable items, especially when young are being raised. The need then is for high protein moisture containing items such as small insects - breadcrumbs are not a substitute! I think there is also the problem of items which the adult bird may enjoy and take but which don't work well for nestlings, such as whole mealworms.
It's a bit of a knotty problem I think. Does the provision of supplementary food alter the behaviour of the birds that benefit or alter the carrying capacity of a given area, both of which could be detrimental longer term. Are those acceptable/workable alternatives to maintaining populations where habitat loss is the main cause of decline.

Interesting thoughts.

[ardcarp]

We saw wheatears locally yesterday. Very handsome birds.

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

[ardcarp]

Mrs A (lucky duck) heard cuckoos (plural) and bittrerns (plural) on the Somerset Levels today. Also saw cranes, which I think were introduced there.
When I was courting the above...Mrs A that is....we thought of the Levels as a bit of an uninteresting nowhere land. It is a haven for wildlife, and probably always was. I've seen it flooded very extensively in the past.

[gradus]

Mrs A (lucky duck) heard cuckoos (plural) and bittrerns (plural) on the Somerset Levels today. Also saw cranes, which I think were introduced there.
When I was courting the above...Mrs A that is....we thought of the Levels as a bit of an uninteresting nowhere land. It is a haven for wildlife, and probably always was. I've seen it flooded very extensively in the past.

Not long since the extraordinary flooding and the doomy pronouncements about the Levels never recovering; presumably they've recovered.

[ardcarp]

Yes, I was at a friend house on the outskirts of Ilminster then, looking toward Glastonbury Tor. It was just like a seascape.

[oddoneout]

I was at work today part of which involved delivering a craft activity in a gazebo in a small woodland. Only one family came so plenty of time to watch and listen to the various birds. A pair of great tits was bashing about shouting to each other, and when another two joined them I wondered if they were the family that was raised in one of the metal posts of one of the exhibits close by. However what caught my eye was a small bird travelling up a treetrunk which I realised was a tree creeper. Great fun to watch and even more so when 3 others turned up. They were so well camouflaged that at times it looked as if bits of bark were going up and down the trunk rather than birds.

[Serial_Apologist]

Yet another example of how bold and even familiar some of the local carrion crow population are becoming around these parts. I was on my way to my local Sainsbury's this morning, when a single crow flew down a couple of metres in front of me and began walking in the same direction just ahead of me. I cautiously caught up and then walked alongside the bird, just a couple of feet away. "Hello little one" I addressed the crow. We both stopped, it looking up at me while I looked down, for maybe half a minute. I then continued on my way. Handsome creatures they are, with their sleek shiny black plumage!