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

[Sir Velo]

Bit of a bloodbath in the garden today. At first it appeared that a lady and gentleman blackbird were having a lovers' tiff: lots of squawking and flapping of wings. However, it soon became apparent that the subject of their ire was not themselves but anguish at the fact that a murderous magpie had plundered their nest and was in the very act of devouring their carefiully nurtured newborn in front of our very eyes. Most distressing. Yours truly was left with the unenviable task of disposing of the remains of the ravaged corpse while Mr & Mrs Blackbird looked on, flapping their wings, clearly overwhelmed by events.

[gradus]

Bit of a bloodbath in the garden today. At first it appeared that a lady and gentleman blackbird were having a lovers' tiff: lots of squawking and flapping of wings. However, it soon became apparent that the subject of their ire was not themselves but anguish at the fact that a murderous magpie had plundered their nest and was in the very act of devouring their carefiully nurtured newborn in front of our very eyes. Most distressing. Yours truly was left with the unenviable task of disposing of the remains of the ravaged corpse while Mr & Mrs Blackbird looked on, flapping their wings, clearly overwhelmed by events.

Afraid I remain a paid up member of the Enemies of the Magpie, no matter what may be claimed in their defence the local evidence here of their depredations is overwhelming.

[eighthobstruction]

....first Swallow spotted in Crosshills Nork Yorks....

[anorak]

A few years ago I introduced a stone bird bath to my garden. I had always supposed that birds took an occasional bath, but to my surprise and delight many of the regular visitors are in there splashing about most days. Crows, in particular, are extravagant bathers. I have an established breeding pair nesting high up in a tree in an adjacent garden and they occupy the bird bath several times every day. Last year's crow youngsters also made regular use of the bath.

[johncorrigan]

One of the most surprising things about the Merlin app is that Mrs C and I became acutely aware of how many willow warblers there are in our area. Before last year I don't think we even knew of their existence, but their song is one of the most common sounds around during this spring. To add to this, earlier this week we were on the Isle of Iona and heard the familiar song in various parts of the Island. Then on our way home, travelling through west Perthshire, with the car window open, there again was the sound of the willow warbler - a small bird with a very loud song - it's been a bit of a revelation.

[vinteuil]

One of the most surprising things about the Merlin app is that Mrs C and I became acutely aware of how many willow warblers there are in our area. Before last year I don't think we even knew of their existence, but their song is one of the most common sounds around during this spring. /.../ the sound of the willow warbler - a small bird with a very loud song - it's been a bit of a revelation.

... likewise! We were walking round Hampstead Heath and Kenwood last weekend - and our Merlin kept on indicating willow warblers : and once you lock on to them, you really hear them. I suddenly remembered my father telling me when I was little that it was Gilbert White of Selborne in 1789 who first distinguished between the chiff-chaff, the willow-warbler, and the wood-warbler - mainly from their songs...

[gradus]

On Orford Ness today, a pair of Cuckoos, Sedge Warbler, Barn Owl, Little Egrets, Kestrel, possible Marsh Harrier but not so many gulls and ducks. After a rainy start ... it turned out nice again.

[mikealdren]

A few years ago I introduced a stone bird bath to my garden. I had always supposed that birds took an occasional bath, but to my surprise and delight many of the regular visitors are in there splashing about most days. Crows, in particular, are extravagant bathers. I have an established breeding pair nesting high up in a tree in an adjacent garden and they occupy the bird bath several times every day. Last year's crow youngsters also made regular use of the bath.

The crows use our bird bath to dunk their pieces of bread (not sure where that comes from).

[Dave2002]

On Orford Ness today, a pair of Cuckoos, Sedge Warbler, Barn Owl, Little Egrets, Kestrel, possible Marsh Harrier but not so many gulls and ducks. After a rainy start ... it turned out nice again.

DId you actually see the cuckoos? I hear they are difficult to see.

However up here in the far north I definitely heard a cuckoo a couple of days back - so they do get pretty much to the north of Scotland.

[Dave2002]

The crows use our bird bath to dunk their pieces of bread (not sure where that comes from).

Probably peered in at your kitchen window, and watched you dunking toast at breakfast!

[oddoneout]

DId you actually see the cuckoos? I hear they are difficult to see.

However up here in the far north I definitely heard a cuckoo a couple of days back - so they do get pretty much to the north of Scotland.

They're doing better in Scotland than England. Family in Scotland not only hear several but also often see them. I have on occasion had telephone calls where the cuckoo come through loud and clear and makes it a bit difficult to concentrate on the conversation.
It seems the migration route plays a part.

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms12296

[gradus]

DId you actually see the cuckoos? I hear they are difficult to see.

However up here in the far north I definitely heard a cuckoo a couple of days back - so they do get pretty much to the north of Scotland.

I didn't but I heard them. A visitor reported them and the sighting was later corroborated by someone else. As you might expect the 'official' sightings board is very long indeed with many species that I didn't see or hear

[Padraig]

Red kites: Protected bird of prey dies after being shot - BBC News

Sorry for the bad news, but the photos are good. Shame.

[Jonathan]

Up until last week, just outside my office window, there were a pair of Oystercatchers and their 3 eggs. Work cordoned off the nesting area to avoid people disturbing them. The eggs hatched last weekend and I managed to get a couple of photographs of the chicks. However, this week they have disappeared so sadly, it appears the local crow population found them. The parents are gone too.

[oddoneout]

Up until last week, just outside my office window, there were a pair of Oystercatchers and their 3 eggs. Work cordoned off the nesting area to avoid people disturbing them. The eggs hatched last weekend and I managed to get a couple of photographs of the chicks. However, this week they have disappeared so sadly, it appears the local crow population found them. The parents are gone too.

It was always a puzzle that the oystercatcher pair that bred each year on the flat roof of a nearby school building never seemed to be subject to predation, despite being to all intents and purposes "dinner on a plate". The chicks also managed to get from their lofty nursery without mishap(that anyone could see), which would have been different behaviour from the usual for a ground nesting bird such as that. How they managed for water was another puzzle - there was a pond nearby, but the chicks couldn't get to it themselves.