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What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?
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Richard Tarleton
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Originally posted by ardcarp View PostMrs A paid a visit to Rutland Water last week and saw two great white egrets. On the posted-up list of species seen there by others that week was a bufflehead.
It had clearly taken a wrong turn somewhere.
At least no suspicion attends Great White Egrets. Lovely birds which are now turning up all over the place.
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Channel 4 News (7pm today) devoted a large part of the programme to environmental matters, detailing (among other things) how many of our UK bird species had drastically declined, largely due to intensive farming. Worth watching once the Brexit bits were done and dusted. It even had Jon Snow sitting on a straw bale, Chris Packham style.
Much more tomorrow on the programme, apparently. https://www.channel4.com/news/
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We seem to have more and more magpies around here and fewer songbirds in the garden eg blackbirds are relatively scarce although blue and great tits still appear in numbers. The magpies voice is not beautiful and can be quite irritating so I would not regret a lessening of their numbers. Others living nearby have trapped them on occasion but I believe this is illegal and I wondered if anyone could suggest ways of dispersing them legally.
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Richard Tarleton
Originally posted by gradus View PostWe seem to have more and more magpies around here and fewer songbirds in the garden eg blackbirds are relatively scarce although blue and great tits still appear in numbers. The magpies voice is not beautiful and can be quite irritating so I would not regret a lessening of their numbers. Others living nearby have trapped them on occasion but I believe this is illegal and I wondered if anyone could suggest ways of dispersing them legally.
Decline of songbirds and magpie nos. not related. (Obviously we don't know where "here" is )
Yes, trapping is illegal. Magpies are hard to deter, they will occupy suitable ecological niches anyway. And why would you want to? Magnificent, characterful birds.
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Originally posted by Richard Tarleton View PostRSPB info on magpies here.
Decline of songbirds and magpie nos. not related. (Obviously we don't know where "here" is )
Yes, trapping is illegal. Magpies are hard to deter, they will occupy suitable ecological niches anyway. And why would you want to? Magnificent, characterful birds.
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In my neck of the woods magpie numbers fluctuate quite noticeably from year to year. The past couple of years there have been two quite large families in the gardens but this year only one pair, not much in evidence, and with only a couple of young. I know that last year one of the pairs was most put out at the felling of a large conifer, which I think they had previously used for nesting and certainly used a lot for general down time. When I still had my allotments up the road from my house some years there would be magpies nesting in the hollies in the field boundary, other years not, for no apparent reason. Many of the plotholders didn't like them. The numbers of small birds hasn't obviously suffered from their presence or otherwise. I think the absence of cats has had far more effect; even when active hunting doesn't occur the spook factor keeps the likes of the wrens, robins, tits away from previously favoured nesting sites. Within my block of 6 or so houses 6 cats are no longer around this year(due to house moves apart from one)and haven't so far been replaced.
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Originally posted by Bryn View PostMagpies are indeed magnificent birds but they are a bit too raucous to make good neighbours.
Listen to Magpie on a high quality audio recording. At our website you will find recordings of all british bird species - completely free of cost.
The other bird noise that was almost unbearable this year - staying with friends in the middle of nowhere in Italy this summer, regularly woken up with an insistent repeated - wip wip WIP - wip wip WIP - wip wip WIP.
Quails.
Listen to Quail on a high quality audio recording. At our website you will find recordings of all british bird species - completely free of cost.
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Their small size makes quails quick to cook and versatile to use. You may have to eat them with your fingers, though
.Last edited by vinteuil; 04-10-19, 12:25.
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