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

[Vox Humana]

Great day out yesterday with Mrs Humana. Gadwalls everywhere, seemingly far outnumbering Mallards, usual supporting cast of Coots, Morehens, etc, a good number of Swifts with very full crops, but no Swallows or martins, quite a few Great Crested Grebes including a great view of one carrying a couple of youngsters on its back, three Little Egrets, four Great White Egrets, five Marsh Harriers, two Glossy Ibises and a Bittern. Several Cetti's warblers singing, but we never did see one.

[Richard Tarleton]

That sounds like a pretty impressive day out! Or, as Mr Cetti would say - Chink-chinka-chinkachink

[Vox Humana]

We thought so! I forgot to mention the Hobby too. The only significant bird we didn't see was Little Bittern. One has apparently been heard, but I don't think anybody has actually seen it. It's a wonderful site - it gets more like the Camargue every year.

[Richard Tarleton]

Haven't seen hobby here this year. We had to cancel our annual trip to Minsmere where there are usually plenty....a pair of marsh harriers attempted to nest here in Pembs, but failed for reasons not clear (analysis pending).

[Bryn]

That sounds like a pretty impressive day out! Or, as Mr Cetti would say - Chink-chinka-chinkachink

Is that your version of the glitch which remains in the iPlayer recording of La Bouscarle from the Aldborough Festival? :

[Richard Tarleton]

Is that your version of the glitch which remains in the iPlayer recording of La Bouscarle from the Aldborough Festival? :

It's one of those species that says its name - Je suis je suis je suis Cetti!

[ardcarp]

Mrs A and I went up to hear the night-jars in our local woods last evening, just after sunset. They began churring away, and we reckon there must have been half a dozen males within a few hundred yards. We also heard their other 'twit' noises and the wing-clap. We then donned white hats and on two occasions a bird flew out on a silent and ghost-like sortie to investigate. What very unusual creatures they are.

[Vox Humana]

I love Nightjars. We have a regular spot near us. I must make an effort to see them this year before it's too late.

[Richard Tarleton]

Is that your version of the glitch which remains in the iPlayer recording of La Bouscarle from the Aldborough Festival? :

I haven't heard that - what happened? It's my own phonetic rendition of Cetti's. You shouldn't have to go too far from the Maltings to hear the real thing.

That should have been one of the easier movements for Messiaen to write.

[Dave2002]

In the last month or so I have wondered if we have one or more birds nesting somewhere in/on/near our roof. We have a Velux style window in the roof, and I can often hear a bird or birds which sound loud outside. There are nooks and crannies where they could be nesting/hiding. I haven't spotted where they might be, and I don't know what kinds of birds they are, though on a couple of occasions recently I opened the window and noticed a modest size bird with a sort of greyish white plumage and a fairly long tail almost hovering outside - as perhaps I'd disturbed it. I wonder if I could identify by sound - it shouldn't be too difficult to take a recordig of this bird, or birds. I'm not sure, though, whether the tweeting/twittering is sufficiently unique to identify this one, but it could be worth a try.

I don't really mind if there are birds on the roof, as long as they don't cause any major problems. Should I be concerned?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

House Martins sound a possibility, Dave - although the "fairly long tail" might suggest a Swift or Swallow. Details and recordings here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/h/housemartin/

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swift/index.aspx

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swallow/index.aspx

... if so, unlikely to cause actual damage (but if they are inside the roof as opposed to nesting in the eaves, you might want somebody to have a look at how they got in - there may be a hole that they've used [not caused] that needs attention). I had House Martins nesting on the side of my study a couple of years ago - Sparrows got in and "squatted" since then. No damage - and the sound of chirrupping chicks and fledglings being fed was quite charming. It's illegal to destroy a House Martin nest whilst it is still being used - but advice about preventing them returning once you've cleared a redundant nest away later in the Summer here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/h/housemartin/Preventing_from_nesting.aspx

[Vox Humana]

Pied Wagtail might be another possibility - they have long tails and the female is greyish.

https://www.livingwithbirds.com/tweetapedia/21-facts-on-pied-wagtail

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Pied Wagtail might be another possibility - they have long tails and the female is greyish.

Recording of their song here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/p/piedwagtail/

There's a couple of pairs of Pied Wagtails active near the stream here - wonderful to watch.

[Richard Tarleton]

Recording of their song here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/p/piedwagtail/

There's a couple of pairs of Pied Wagtails active near the stream here - wonderful to watch.

A rather confusing RSPB sound clip ferney! The season for song is just about past, what you'll hear from a pied wagtail is its call, which is a sprightly "Chiswick, Chiswick"! Youngsters also greyer than ads.

I can't think why anybody would want to destroy a house martin nest, as they're on the outside of the house??

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A rather confusing RSPB sound clip ferney! The season for song is just about past, what you'll hear from a pied wagtail is its call, which is a sprightly "Chiswick, Chiswick"! Youngsters also greyer than ads.

Included as Dave2k2 mentioned hearing them - if they were Pied Waggies nesting in/on his house as Voxy suggested, they'd be identifiable from the sound clip.

I can't think why anybody would want to destroy a house martin nest, as they're on the outside of the house??

I was anthropomorphically honoured and delighted when they "chose" my house - but others dislike the noise (!) and the resulting "mess" that appears on the sides of the house, the cars, the windows.