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

[Serial_Apologist]

No. I reckon he would have been so excited about the whole project he would have declared UDI for Borisland...and arguably have been less bother to the world than in his present post (for which, IMO, he is just not godunov ).

I agree there. It's just that I think he may have been onto something with that particular idea. I expect Richard Tarleton will put me straight on that one.

[Richard Tarleton]

I agree there. It's just that I think he may have been onto something with that particular idea. I expect Richard Tarleton will put me straight on that one.

I haven't really explored the environmental profit and loss account for this one - like you I feel a bit conflicted about it. Intertidal mudflats, with their specific invertebrate fauna, can't be replicated elsewhere - you can recreate saltmarsh, but that's different....here's an article....

[Lat-Literal]

I can appreciate that corgi recommendation, given that dachsunds would have been low enough to allow aircraft to pass over them.

I wonder if I'm the only person on this forum likely to have been in favour of Boris Island. The usual reason for such opposition to large construction schemes from environmentalists is that they interfere with migratory bird resting places - the hydroelectric barriers being proposed for the S Wales coastline coming in for similar criticism- but in the Sheppey/Canvey part of the Thames estuary there could surely be found lots of alternative sites, such as the one that has been reclaimed from a military shooting range as part of the South Hornchurch Country Park near the Essex Rainham, which one understands has successfully attracted a large number of fauna and flora back.

Collies. I was thinking of Buckingham Palace rather than airports. My main difficulty with "Boris Island" is the idea it was "his" idea. It might have been in the detail but Maplin Sands was considered in the 1960s, we in the 2000s were on the Hoo Peninsula scaring the good people of Cliffe and there were individual submissions of free-standing estuary schemes. Arguably cost is prohibitive. The journey times into Central London are not wonderful but probably just inside those which would make such an airport a white elephant (see early troubles at Mirabel and Malpensa to which could be added Manston if the country had gone that far). Stansted has astounding amounts of land but to a limited extent is similarly remote though not from Constable Country. Any major change would, of course, turn the Heathrow area into a ghost town. As for Gatwick, it's a personally biased no.

Plus - I've mentioned the underwater Trump that is Richard Montgomery. There is also Dickensian heritage which obviously takes precedence over all the residents of caravans on Sheppey. Some of us want pirate radio hotels on the remaining WW2 infrastructure. Holiday Inn Mi Amigo. In contrast, Boris Island, Tracy Island....they are strictly for the birds.

(Footnote - I am not wholly averse to a Jaywick Airport if the Clacton MP could provide some nice housing elsewhere for people still in the most socially deprived ward in England)

[Lat-Literal]

Why have I got seagulls in my garden?

[Pulcinella]

Why have I got seagulls in my garden?

Is it because you leave your rubbish out there instead of taking it to the local amenity site?

[Richard Tarleton]

Why have I got seagulls in my garden?

Herring or black-headed? 2 species mainly implicated in gulls' move inland. How far from the coast are you? Here's an RSPB note about urban gulls, and a good BBC article. Do you put food out for small birds? What attractions for the gulls are there nearby? (Reservoir for roosting, recycling area/retail complex etc. for feeding....).

[Lat-Literal]

Is it because you leave your rubbish out there instead of taking it to the local amenity site?

Not always.

Herring or black-headed? 2 species mainly implicated in gulls' move inland. How far from the coast are you? Here's an RSPB note about urban gulls, and a good BBC article. Do you put food out for small birds? What attractions for the gulls are there nearby? (Reservoir for roosting, recycling area/retail complex etc. for feeding....).

(a) Herring.

(b) 38.6 miles (from Brighton).

(c) I should put food out but I don't because I don't know how to do it effectively.

(d) Second highest point in all of Greater London with a lot of trees - immediately north after this point it is much more urban.

[Richard Tarleton]

Basically it's our fault! Lesser black-backs have also started feeding inland, but it means they take the wrong sort of food home for their young, so their breeding success is dropping....

[ardcarp]

Why have I got seagulls in my garden?

I've no idea! We live near the sea, yet our house and garden are not bothered by seagulls at all, even though we put out bird feeders. Several neighbours' properties do have seagull problems though. I can't see any rhyme nor reason to it....unless they don't like our cat.

[agingjb]

We don't get gulls, but our garden is in a very forested area. Currently we are seeing a dispute between blue tits and nuthatches for our feeders, and they have sadly seen off a bullfinch. The robins more or less ignore these squabbles. Other species are available (including tawny owls calling most nights).

[Richard Tarleton]

We don't get gulls, but our garden is in a very forested area. Currently we are seeing a dispute between blue tits and nuthatches for our feeders, and they have sadly seen off a bullfinch. The robins more or less ignore these squabbles. Other species are available (including tawny owls calling most nights).

Interesting - which feeders were your bullfinches on? (eg seeds, nuts, fat....) - bullfinches regular here but they don't use the feeders. Yes the pecking order is generally nuthatches at the top, followed by greenfinches, then great, blue and coal tits in that order. Chaffinches shuffle around on the ground below, mostly. Robin steals a march by nipping into the shed where the food is stored

[agingjb]

Just one (female) bullfinch. Nuts, sunflower hearts, and suet balls on offer.

We only started feeding three weeks back this year (having been away). Usual suspects gradually appearing, but missing, as yet, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, and great spotted woodpecker.

[Vox Humana]

We have a pair of Bullfinches in the area and the male very rarely pops in to feed off the kibbled sunflower hearts (I buy whole hearts and give them a brief whirr in a blender). More unusually, for the last few days we have had a regular male Siskin that typically pops in early in the afternoon to gorge on the seeds for a minute or two. A couple of days ago we had a visit from two females as well, but I have not seen those since. We still have at least three Blackcaps visiting. I regular see two Robins together, an adult and a first year bird. They are so regular that they seem to be a pair, yet they are not overly friendly. There was some mutual puffing up of chests today, yet they are not chasing each other off. We also have two Blackbirds that similarly appear to be paired, but are making no attempt to nest yet.

[doversoul1]

A siskin has just looked into the window from a plum branch.

[vinteuil]

A siskin has just looked into the window from a plum branch.

... almost a haiku.

Tweet. A siskin has
Just looked into the window -
Tweet - from a plum branch.





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