jonny777 Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 (edited) The other day SWMBO and myself witnessed Dunnock behaviour that we have never seen before. What we think was the female was standing (well not still really) with her vent exposed and the male was jumping around in a very excited way and pecking around her backside! They didn't mate that we could see but I've never seen that before! Must be some sort of courting? Dunnocks have some very mysterious habits. As I understand it, the female will often mate with more than one male, sometimes in quick succession. DNA tests on chicks in the same nest can reveal that the brood can have more than father. It would seem the males know that females are not particularly faithful, even during their egg laying spells, and so they peck at the female's hind quarters in an attempt to get her to eject the sp_erm of a previous mate before giving her a present of their own. Edited because the Politically Correct checker replaced one word with hashes, which tended to ruin the explanation. Edited May 26, 2014 by jonny777 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted May 26, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 26, 2014 There seems to be a lack of ladybirds at the moment, the only ones I have seen are a couple of very small harlequins. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 The harlequins may explain your lack of native ladybirds, because the harlequin larva will eat the native British species and are resistant to disease that can kill the native ones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 (edited) Mornin' all, Good to see a bullfinch back in the garden this morning....one of our rare visitors, except for one spring/summer a few years back when a pair must have nested close by and both the male and female were daily visitors, eating the sunflower hearts and the buds from the ground cover cotoneaster. The siskins and redpoll seem to have left for now but there are plenty of others taking their place. Limiting the opportunities for the pigeons & grey squirrels is working well: the pigeons are reduced to waiting for smaller birds to drop seeds or scraps from one of the pole feeders, whilst changing the time when crushed peanuts are put onto the bird table is confusing the squirrel...he appears regularly at 09.00 on his daily round but the food now goes onto the table around 10.30. Dave Staffs Moorlands Edited May 27, 2014 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I finally saw a splash of colour the other day with a pair of Goldfinches on the neighbour's television aerial. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 also saw red squirrel on Anglesey yesterday. And here he/she is - only shot I got from long range, handheld and photo cropped, but not bad. This was in the grounds of the NT Plas Newydd estate near LlanfairPG. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Not in my garden, but fairly local: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Good day out at the Norfolk Wildlike Trust reserve at Hickling Broad last Saturday. Went to see if the swallowtail butterflies were about, which they were apparently, but mrs geoffers and I only caught two possibles and not confirmed. Otherwise great day. Two cuckoos, two pairs of marsh harriers, several hobbies, reed warblers (no cetti's though), pair of little egreets, a heron (close up as well as a lapwing and an avocet), a drake gadwall, common tern, and a bittern. Did not see or hear any cranes though. Loads more as well but a "grand day out". 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) Mornin' all, We had a day out to Hickling broad to see the swallowtails too, probably 6 or 7 years ago. We left the car in the car park and I walked with my wife for around an hour before we saw 2 or 3 on their food plants but had to leave our elderly host (Jimmy) in the car with his newspaper & binoculars, as he couldn't walk far at all. We returned to the car park to tell him of our sightings, when one of the swallowtails suddenly landed on the windscreen of our car, right in front of his nose. We all laughed at his good fortune. Dave Edited May 28, 2014 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) Lucky ole yu! Have seen swallowtails but "sur le continent" where they inhabit a different habitat than do the Norfolk version. As close as Normandy in fact - and scarce swallowtails too though the latter were further south. Will pop over to Hickling again soon but the flutterbies are about in other broad/fen/milk parsley areas in Norfolk.Seeing the bittern (a good view flying away from us) was a big wow moment. Have heard them recently but the last time (and only time) I had seen one before was in a reedy ditch in 1981 on the way back from a night shift at RAF Conibgsby along a minor road. Long time ago. If you can promise me seeing another one in 35 years I'll be well happy :-) Edited May 28, 2014 by geoffers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 After several days of frantic feeding from the parents, our blue tits have flown the nest (or, more precisely, the box!) We were watching them this morning as the last of the young came out one by one. Some of them hung around the garden for a while, not quite sure what to do, and then flew off. All quiet for another year! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Lucky ole yu! Have seen swallowtails but "sur le continent" where they inhabit a different habitat than do the Norfolk version. As close as Normandy in fact - and scarce swallowtails too though the latter were further south. Will pop over to Hickling again soon but the flutterbies are about in other broad/fen/milk parsley areas in Norfolk.Seeing the bittern (a good view flying away from us) was a big wow moment. Have heard them recently but the last time (and only time) I had seen one before was in a reedy ditch in 1981 on the way back from a night shift at RAF Conibgsby along a minor road. Long time ago. If you can promise me seeing another one in 35 years I'll be well happy :-) ...have seen two bitterns flying (Minsmere & Shavington) but neither sighting gave me chance to study the bird....I'm looking forward to a better opportunity too. Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 (edited) Evenin' all, Hardly garden birds but a week in Suffolk (just gone) produced great opportunities for close up footage of yellow wagtail, barn owl, reed bunting, reed warbler, black headed gull and mute swan amongst others. Cuckoo were plentiful...calling regularly. Dave Edited June 18, 2014 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 17, 2014 An interesting incident this evening in my garden in South Devon. I was aware of a flock of swallows sounding alarm calls, and shortly afterwards a sparrow hawk dived for cover into a large Bay tree at the bottom of my garden. It quickly composed itself, saw me and flew off with at least five swallows in hot pursuit. I've never seen a bird of prey being mobbed by swallows before. Neil 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted June 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 18, 2014 Love that Barn Owl footage Dave; very lucky to get that. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 ...it was filmed at around 05.30 Phil....appeared to be the last hunt of the dawn and is likely to be the same owl which eluded me in a similar situation last year. Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted June 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 18, 2014 Dawn and dusk are great for Owls 'quartering' so I'm told. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 ...certainly a regular haunt & time for this one...he was sat on a post with the sun behind him last year and I spooked him. This year I noted his flight at distance, got into a good spot and stood very still...it paid off. Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted June 19, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 19, 2014 A few years back myself and SWMBO were at a birding weekend in Suffolk (details of excellent B & B and leader at Westleton, by PM; have been several times) near Minsmere and one evening we went out to seek owls. We were so lucky to see one Barny for over half an hour, just hunting at head height over its favourite field no doubt! Silent hunter! P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 ...always a favourite place, Minsmere. Have been when there were uncommon birds aplenty but on the next visit the place was practically empty and there were many more birds to be seen e.g. on the Deben at Woodbridge. Their activities list is always interesting though. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted June 20, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 20, 2014 I think Minsmere is too busy sometimes! I prefer the coastal walks nearby. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Cheap resolution to getting a flock of garden birds, Poundworld "Wild Bird Special" 1.5kg bag of bird seed, never had to fill up the feeder so often! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 House Martins were zooming round under the front canopy of our ASDA in Inverness - must be a good place for insect swarming - by heck they are fast! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted June 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2014 Dawn and dusk are great for Owls 'quartering' so I'm told. Phil Barn owls will hunt all day if they have young or after periods of rain - which puts them off hunting and they get hungry ! I know of at least 4 owls (maybe pairs of) within a 5 mile radius of home, capturing them on pixels / moving pixels is not so easy. They generally have favourite roosts as well as their main home, and will roam for around a mile from their home. Last night our garden was buzzed by bats - lots of insects around and the bats were feasting. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Yes, we have bats too, but this year's delight was a family of sparrows pinching a house martin nest high up under the eaves. Never seen that before. Tony 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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