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

[Bryn]

The puffins are doing badly worldwide except in Pembrokeshire.

A lot of experts on the case.

I've only been on Skomer once. Wonderful island. No wonder they thrive there, along with many other species of seabird. Each year the puffins have to turf the rabbits out of their (the puffns') burrows.

[Richard Tarleton]

I've only been on Skomer once. Wonderful island. No wonder they thrive there, along with many other species of seabird. Each year the puffins have to turf the rabbits out of their (the puffns') burrows.

Tho' the key to their success or otherwise lies out to sea, not on the island itself.....tracking devices fitted to puffins to see where they're feeding, adults flying up to 90 miles a day to come back with food (and run the gauntlet of herring and lesser black backed gulls).....Skomer (and nearby Skokholm) also noted for their manx shearwaters, numbers even more spectacular. Fingers crossed for the weather on 1 August (my next scheduled boat trip out that way ).

[Vox Humana]

Tho' the key to their success or otherwise lies out to sea, not on the island itself

Skomer is lucky. This is not entirely true elsewhere, where introduced predators have had an immense impact on breeding success. With the removal of rats on Lundy and Annet, Puffin numbers on both islands are beginning to increase again. Nevertheless, the state of our fish stocks (which currently isn't great) is the main factor affecting the productivity and health of all our seabirds.

[gurnemanz]

At least some good news which I read about the other day.

[Sir Velo]

Given the interest in cuckoos above, I thought this might be of interest. They've been and gone without my hearing a single one this year. Sad!, as Donald Trump would tweet.

Well in July away they fly so there won't be any more now until next year but see my post #1309 above - cuckoos singing merrily from every vantage point throughout the upper Twyi valley, from above Llyn Brianne down to Llanymddyfri.

[doversoul1]

The answer is probably No but I’ll ask all the same; how can I feed robins and blackbirds (and other worm eaters) without letting magpies eating it all up? The blackbirds are now picking up peanuts and carrying them away, presumably to feed the young which doesn’t look good.

[Bryn]

Well in July away they fly so there won't be any more now until next year but see my post #1309 above - cuckoos singing merrily from every vantage point throughout the upper Twyi valley, from above Llyn Brianne down to Llanymddyfri.

You been up at Twm Siôn Cati's cave again? Back in the late '70s and early '80s, I was a frequent visitor to those parts. These days Red Kites are common as much round here in east Berkshire.

[Sir Velo]

You been up at Twm Siôn Cati's cave again? Back in the late '70s and early '80s, I was a frequent visitor to those parts. These days Red Kites are common as much round here in east Berkshire.

Yes indeed, and nearly broke a leg trying to get there, clambering over the rocks!

Marvellous part of the world, strangely neglected by the casual tourist who heads for the more obvious pleasures of the Beacons .

[Richard Tarleton]

The answer is probably No but I’ll ask all the same; how can I feed robins and blackbirds (and other worm eaters) without letting magpies eating it all up? The blackbirds are now picking up peanuts and carrying them away, presumably to feed the young which doesn’t look good.

Dover, I've stopped feeding the birds on seeds and nuts for now, not least for the reason you mention re feeding young - tho' breeding season just about over. Insectivorous birds doing OK as far as I can tell....there is a stream for water. We have an apple tree which produces poor quality cookers: if you're familiar with apple trees (I worked on a couple of commercial apple farms in a past life) you'll know about the "June drop" (which normally happens in July ), and I notice the blackbirds are feeding on the small apples which have fallen to the ground. So in the absence of an apple tree - cheap supermarket apples scattered about? Robins - mealworms in a feeder that squirrels and large birds can't access, ideas here?

[Bryn]

Delighted, this morning, to hear the downward portamento of a goldfinch in the branches of the hornbeam I transplanted from a road-building site to my garden a decade or so ago. Looking up, there it was. Then the call was echoed. Two of the blighters. A good start to the day.

[Richard Tarleton]

Excellent, Bryn. Hornbeam....hawfinches....there was an influx of them last autumn.

[Vox Humana]

...hawfinches....there was an influx of them last autumn.

Do we know whether there has been an increase in our breeding population as a result?

[Richard Tarleton]

Do we know whether there has been an increase in our breeding population as a result?

No mention on BTO website since November 2017....

Hobby over Tarleton Towers the other day, briefly mobbing one of our local peregrines which made vain attempts to grab it....

[doversoul1]

Dover, I've stopped feeding the birds on seeds and nuts for now, not least for the reason you mention re feeding young - tho' breeding season just about over. Insectivorous birds doing OK as far as I can tell....there is a stream for water. We have an apple tree which produces poor quality cookers: if you're familiar with apple trees (I worked on a couple of commercial apple farms in a past life) you'll know about the "June drop" (which normally happens in July ), and I notice the blackbirds are feeding on the small apples which have fallen to the ground. So in the absence of an apple tree - cheap supermarket apples scattered about? Robins - mealworms in a feeder that squirrels and large birds can't access, ideas here?

Thank you, Richard. The blackbirds have plenty of fruit (black and red currents, raspberries, and they are already testing the figs) to eat but it’s meat that is short event though I turn over the manure heap from time to time. I’m not sure robins will go to a feeder. Anyway, I bought a bag of meal worm and put it out on the ground where the birds feed. The (Mrs) blackbird was quick to find it and flew away with a beak full. I hope the robin (s) will find it soon as it was there looking at the blackbird's activity (so it looked to me).

[Richard Tarleton]

Our robins seem to be able to manage to perch on the guards of squirrel-proof feeders - they watch others and learn - likewise chaffinches, which prefer to feed on the ground but have learnt to copy the tits, sparrows etc.....