Very heartened in recent weeks to go past several thick hedges (mostly conifer but one mixed, with a high holly content) in local gardens and hear the loud busy chatter of sparrows - or spadgers as I know them. They are becoming more frequent visitors to my garden, and periodically settled in my neighbour's conifer hedge at the bottom of the garden last year so perhaps they'll form a colony this year.
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Are you a West-Country person odders? My wife's Somerset family always talked of 'spadgers'...and there were many other local and dialect words in the village vocab back in h 1960s. Alas many dying out now.
An example: 'Ther be a gurt cror on thic branch'Comment
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Very busy on the dispensers right now - and once again admiring the smart, dapper Blackcaps, male and female, visiting each day, and holding their own against the locals. Goldfinches glowing on the Nyger seed....
I've had to go in a little harder on the Squirrel defences, obtaining more of the RSPB "Ultimate Guardian" models as the Grey Squirrels (who I like, enjoy and try to accommodate to, to some extent) had begun to stay far too long on the munch, keeping the birds away. But when I saw how cross and upset they became, unable to eat there, I felt sorry for them and put up an old dispenser with no defences, just for them. The food doesn't last long, but the birds are happy again...
And I'm worn out having to lift those Guardians off to refill each day or two. Heavy Metal!Comment
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No, unless Gloucestershire, where I grew up, counts. However it was my mother who used to call them spadgers, and she was Thames Valley.Originally posted by ardcarp View PostComment
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Regular as clockwork, this 75-strong gaggle of snow geese arrived at the local reservoir last week on their annual vacation to more temperate regions, this time accompanied by 25 barnacle geese.
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I had a pleasant and surprisingly long look at a bird of prey on my walk today, 20 seconds if not more! It was brown and on the small side for a bird of prey. Wish I had had my phone with me to take a picture, though something tells me that that might have spooked it...Comment
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Sparrowhawk? Possibly female or juvenile if mostly brown.Originally posted by Joseph K View PostComment
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I saw a small white heron-like bird last week. After a little research, I think it was almost certainly a Little Egret: https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org...arning-to-heedComment
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They're everywhere now. They were a rarity in France a few decades ago, but now they breed very successfully in the UYK. In some places you can spot a cattle egret or a Great White. All signs of global warming. Oh yes, and even spoonbills are seen here and there in the UK.Comment
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First Skylark of the year out there this morning, flying and tweeting away high in the sky - set me up for the day...the week even.
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In an otherwise empty street this afternoon, my attention was caught by a scraping sound behind me. A jackdaw had found an empty sardine tin in the road, and was carrying it across in its bill. A car approached. The bird looked in its direction for a few seconds before calmly depositing said tin and, as the car slowed, strolled in a stately manner to the other side. I watched as the bird then spent a good minute staring longingly at the tin in the once more traffic-free street. "Go on then fella, it's safe now!" I said. It looked up and down the street, and then, scrupulously observing mum's advice, hopped down off the kerb, and retrieved the tin.
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Nice anecdote.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View PostIn an otherwise empty street this afternoon, my attention was caught by a scraping sound behind me. A jackdaw had found an empty sardine tin in the road, and was carrying it across in its bill. A car approached. The bird looked in its direction for a few seconds before calmly depositing said tin and, as the car slowed, strolled in a stately manner to the other side. I watched as the bird then spent a good minute staring longingly at the tin in the once more traffic-free street. "Go on then fella, it's safe now!" I said. It looked up and down the street, scrupulously observing the red cross code, hopped down off the kerb, and retrieved the tin.Comment
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I am very find of jackdaws, following a story my mother told me about how as a child she and her mum had discovered an injured specimen in their back yard in Saltburn, taken it in - strapping up the broken wing - and give it the freedom of the premises. The bird would follow them around the house and garden and got on fine with their pet Scottie. Jackdaws are among the most intelligent of the crow family, and being natural imitators can be taught to speak, though "Jack" (as they obviously named him (? - they weren't sure about the gender)) didn't go beyond copying Granddad's idiosyncratic laugh! One he was well enough to fly, he would nevertheless come back on frequent visits. I never thought to ask what they fed "him" on.Originally posted by Joseph K View PostComment
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There's a lovely and startlingly insightful chapter on Jackdaws in Lorenz' famous behavioural studies.... Chapter 11 here...Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
Wonderful read!Comment
Thanks.
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