Where have all our garden birds gone?

[dhjgreen]

Probably a young robin, they need to learn the skill, same happens here.

Edit to add GFs on the nyjers and dunnock on the ground

Edited October 18, 2017 by dhjgreen

[lightengine]

A couple of coal tits and a robin in the garden recently.

Last week in the warm weather we had at least 20 red admiral butterflies feeding on the rambling plant next door, the next day there were fewer and all gone by the 3rd day.

5 magpies are regular on the rooftops opposite, searching in the gutters.

Last night we heard a couple of calls from an owl close by but it's not regular.

[Tim Dubya]

5 magpies are regular on the rooftops opposite, searching in the gutters.

 

I love Magpies I does.

 

Sophie's a star don't you know.

 

 

 

.

Edited October 18, 2017 by Tim Dubya

[Joseph_Pestell]

We have a particularly bold robin here. Will come right down onto the concrete apron even when I am out there working. Does not seem at all phased even by the pressure washer.

 

And the other evening at dusk, a nightingale took up a spot on the telephone wire just above for a good sing.

 

Our bird population which includes various tits, sparrows, wren and huge numbers of magpies, crows and ravens is doubtless so prolific due to a marked absence of cats in the neighbourhood. Most of the nearby houses are occupied by dog lovers.

[Mallard60022]

Nightingale....you very lucky lad.

A little OT but 'we' have had Swallows spotted here in Notts. I was pondering whether they may have been blasted back 'down'  here by the Monday/Tuesday Storm?

I have not seen them.

Phil

[dhjgreen]

Nightingale...wow

[Budgie]

And the other evening at dusk, a nightingale took up a spot on the telephone wire just above for a good sing.

Are you sure it wasn't a blackbird? Round here blackbirds often sing at dusk.

[Flying Pig]

Nightingales should all be gone to Africa by now and don't sing after early June anyway (and usually from deep cover). More likely a robin as they sing in autumn to define and defend winter territories and will sing all night given artificial light.

[lightengine]

Are there ever any exceptions to all these rules?

I know we get exceptions to North American and European birding rules when we get sightings of foreign birds on our shores.

It seems our regular birds are expected to religiously adhere to our birding rules.

[Tim Dubya]

Have you got smartphones guys?

 

I use a little app called "Bird Up" to help identify song I'm not sure of.

 

Free trial and not too bad accuracy wise.

 

 

 

.

Edited October 18, 2017 by Tim Dubya

[Budgie]

Have you got smartphones guys?

 

I use a little app called "Bird Up" to help identify song I'm not sure of.

 

Free trial and not too bad accuracy wise.

How does it work with birds that imitate other birds?

[Tim Dubya]

How does it work with birds that imitate other birds?

 

yeah, fine......

 

no idea to be honest.

[The Blue Streak]

Gone a bit quiet again here since the excitement of Herons, Kites and Black Cockatoos, even the Galahs and 28's have gone quiet. There is something new around that is breaking into song in the wee hours each morning about 0300 but I don't know what it is.

 

I Did hear the Kookaburras again this morning and the Zebra finches are still in residence as always and have been turning up in their droves, I've never seen so many Juves, although they soon scatter when the Magpie with the dodgy leg turns up looking for a piece of sausage or a bit of toast.

 

This Bottlebrush tree out the back is in flower and is attracting a lot of silvereyes and small honeyeaters but they are so small and quick and hide in the bushes so well that I cant seem to get any pictures for you blokes.

 

You will just have to believe Me that there are at least half a dozen in this shot

 

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

There is something new around that is breaking into song in the wee hours each morning about 0300 but I don't know what it is.

 

 

Its this time of year that the male willy wagtails sing through the night - maybe its one of those depending where you are.  I've got one that roosts in my Illawarra Flame tree and sings away, in the early hours.

 

I've just spent a few days away in the Blue Mountains. Very peaceful except for the occasional siren, truck air brakes and dog barking. When I went to check out the lady at the desk asked me if I'd heard their resident  lyrebird, I said I hadn't and she was surprised because it had been particularly noisy that week, doing its siren, dog barking and truck braking sounds. I wish I'd realised that it was a lyrebird because there was no way that I'd have picked it not being the real  occasional siren, truck air brakes and dog barking and I'd have recorded it.

 

I'm now guessing that most of the various bird sounds was from him too!

 

Lacking my own recording, here is a youtube clip  of one in action

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by monkeysarefun

[The Blue Streak]

Its this time of year that the male willy wagtails sing through the night - maybe its one of those depending where you are.  I've got one that roosts in my Illawarra Flame tree and sings away, in the early hours.

 

 

I reckon you are onto it. We do have one or two that hang around and they do like to frequent the elm tree that the singing seems to be coming from.

I didn't make the connection as I haven't heard them singing during the day - just that chattering they like to make.

[Budgie]

You might have missed this.

 

Longer beaks in UK great tits 'down to garden feeders'

[Tim Dubya]

Just been watching one of 'our' resident wrens chasing off sparrows in the back garden, having now gone into the living room I can still hear it cussing loud and clear!

[monkeysarefun]

Its been a dry spring here, pretty much 2 months with no rain at all. So when Friday was a wet one, all the birds came out to wash the dust from their feathers. This is a Galah on the power lines outside my house.

 

Edited October 23, 2017 by monkeysarefun

[Tim Dubya]

Was totally taken back by the Bee Eaters mentioned on Springwatch last night.

 

I'd heard they came over here but I didn't realise how beautiful they actually were up close.

 

[dhjgreen]

Springwatch?

[dhjgreen]

Was totally taken back by the Bee Eaters mentioned on Springwatch last night.

 

I'd heard they came over here but I didn't realise how beautiful they actually were up close.

 

Bee Eater.jpg

Saw them in a flock on a riverbank (similar to sand martins nesting) in India (namedropper).

[Liam]

Springwatch?

I think he means Autumnwatch.

[Tim Dubya]

I think I mean Autumnwatch.

 

That time of year already

[Tim Dubya]

Lots of Goldies, Blue and Coal tits in the garden today.

 

One new behaviour I've spotted is one of the sparrows (Sid) has been dipping wood pigeon feathers in the bird bath and flying off with them, anyone ever noticed this in sparrows or other garden birds (or should I recommend Sid for counselling?).

 

Edit: Nola informs me that Sparras reline and use their nests as roosts in winter, so I guess Sid was just washing his new bedding free of parasites.

.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Tim Dubya

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Suddenly a male bullfinch this morning, taking some of the last of the grapes off the decorative vine on a pergola. Haven't seen one this year since the pair which came to a seed feeder regularly in the spring. Like this most years, they simply 'disappear' during the warmer weather, presumably finding good feeding elsewhere.