Author Topic: Bird watch (Read 282952 times)

Manix · « **Reply #240 on:** March 17, 2013, 09:27:16 pm »

After a brief search I found a few pics of the Jay

My main visitors at the moment are wood pigeons and collared doves... plus a family of squirrels.

Bob Kurac · « **Reply #241 on:** March 18, 2013, 08:20:33 pm »

Nice green woody - scare between Mersey and Ribble - one territory near Ainsdale, otherwise it's inland to Darkest West Lancs at the nearest ... Interested to know of any round S Liverpool. S of the Mersey they're easier ...

Manix · « **Reply #242 on:** March 25, 2013, 08:31:28 pm »

Saturday night thousands and thousands of starlings were circling over our house - I believe it's called a murmuration of starlings.

They roosted in the trees at the top of our garden and the cacophony of noise was unbelievable, I managed to record it and this was about 10pm at night!

http://youtu.be/0fe7lQ5UAXk

They came back last night and are also back again tonight and I managed to get some videos of them in flight earlie... I seriously under-estimated how many of them there are.... must be at least 50k-100k :eek: It's the most awesome sight going - only downfall is that there is bird shit everywhere! Cars are covered in it as are patios and deckings...
I have to say though, I am very excited to witness this, people I know have paid to go to places where this amazing sight is known to happen...

http://youtu.be/V4DmoQCLlew

http://youtu.be/ty84164KQ8M

http://youtu.be/UevRpd0vuVM

http://youtu.be/3SOvFdQVEvc

Mal · « **Reply #243 on:** March 25, 2013, 09:48:46 pm »

Nice flock of long-tailed tits on the bushes over the road this afternoon. Very small & very beautiful.

Mortified · « **Reply #244 on:** March 25, 2013, 10:06:34 pm »

Have a Wren take up residence in the garden in the last month, comical to watch him following the Blackbirds around when
they are racking the soil up under the trees and picking up scraps.

۩ Imperator ۩ · « **Reply #245 on:** March 25, 2013, 10:36:20 pm »

I love wrens. Fantastic song, and such cute little things.

John C · « **Reply #246 on:** March 25, 2013, 11:21:37 pm »

Quote from: Manix on March 25, 2013, 08:31:28 pm

Saturday night thousands and thousands of starlings were circling over our house - I believe it's called a murmuration of starlings.

That's astonishing mate, I'm see sights like that on Runcorn Bridge.

Manix · « **Reply #247 on:** March 26, 2013, 06:56:13 am »

I need to stop them roosting... everything is covered in poop, not just a few droppings but 100s and 100s of them!

Any ideas how?

Bob Kurac · « **Reply #248 on:** March 26, 2013, 01:39:46 pm »

Caught up with this young chap again on Sunday in N Merseyside - dodgy pic as it was very windy and bloody freezing so focus is a bit off, but it's a record shot.

Bob Kurac · « **Reply #249 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:08:27 pm »

Loads of these beggars around too.

Mal · « **Reply #250 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:10:32 pm »

Quote from: Bob Kurac on March 26, 2013, 10:08:27 pm

Loads of these beggars around too.

Ooo. I do like an Avocet.

Not many around where I live given that I'm about 5 miles or so from the part of England that's furthest away from the coast...

JohnHobbes · « **Reply #251 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:35:15 pm »

See lots of them at the local WWT reserve. Saw a fair few Snipe there last time but too far away for a picture, and same for the Bittern. Got a pair of Peregrines that nest on the hospital next to it too, those are my main priorities for getting a good picture of this coming spring.

Just hope this weather would improve soon.

Bob Kurac · « **Reply #252 on:** March 26, 2013, 10:48:46 pm »

Try Marshside. It's free, not a zoo, and hides can be better for snipe etc than Martin Mere.

John C · « **Reply #253 on:** March 27, 2013, 12:00:23 am »

Nice pics Bob, love the way the wind has ruffled the fluffy thing up.

Manix · « **Reply #254 on:** March 27, 2013, 07:01:14 am »

For the 4th night there have been starlings... it is an awesome sight and the murmuration has at least quadrupled in size, it's far too dangerous to go outside as you will get pooped on! You can actually hear the poop dropping! Everything is covered with it.

Managed to get a better vid of them swooping last night...

http://youtu.be/ECyEEOofdm4

Lawnmowerman · « **Reply #255 on:** March 27, 2013, 08:30:30 am »

Ugh......deluge of snow has hit and i've run out of bird seed. I could chop up some of the fat balls i have and put them on a flat surface but the poxy wood pigeons would come along and eat it all. Parasites

Manix · « **Reply #256 on:** March 27, 2013, 08:45:33 am »

Quote from: Lawnmowerman on March 27, 2013, 08:30:30 am

Ugh......deluge of snow has hit and i've run out of bird seed. I could chop up some of the fat balls i have and put them on a flat surface but the poxy wood pigeons would come along and eat it all. Parasites

I've run out of seed and nuts too, the market stall I get them from wasn't there last Sunday... I have hung out coconut halves filled with a mixture of seed, nuts, breadcrumbs, biscuits, dried fruit & berries and cornflakes bound together with fat, that I have stored in the freezer. Pigeons can't reach them but the smaller birds can. For the pigeons, magpies and squirrels I have put out ½ a loaf of bread!

Lawnmowerman · « **Reply #257 on:** March 27, 2013, 09:40:40 am »

Quote from: Manix on March 27, 2013, 08:45:33 am

I've run out of seed and nuts too, the market stall I get them from wasn't there last Sunday... I have hung out coconut halves filled with a mixture of seed, nuts, breadcrumbs, biscuits, dried fruit & berries and cornflakes bound together with fat, that I have stored in the freezer. Pigeons can't reach them but the smaller birds can. For the pigeons, magpies and squirrels I have put out ½ a loaf of bread!

Yeah, i have 3 stations spread out round the garden for them to feed. 2 are seed feeders and ones a fatball feeder, so they'll get their fatballs, but they'll all be fighting for that one station, the starlings hang out of the fatball cage too. Lots of trafic. I'll pop some sliced apples out for the blackbirds and robins

Bob Kurac · « **Reply #258 on:** March 27, 2013, 10:01:15 pm »

Try buying in bulk from Vinehousefarm online, or better yet if on Merseyside try eg the animal feed shop at Mere Brow between Southport & Preston where you'll get sunflower hearts half the price you ever will get from a bird food supplier ...

۩ Imperator ۩ · « **Reply #259 on:** March 27, 2013, 10:34:15 pm »

Home & Bargain is also excellent. I get tons of dried mealworms, black sunflower seeds and fat balls for the tits and robins that visit my window feeder, and the prices are really cheap. The birds aren't fussy, they lap it all up (especially the worms!). 99p for 100g of worms, which a lot of places charge a fiver for.

Manix · « **Reply #260 on:** March 28, 2013, 06:58:13 am »

I keep meaning to add bird food to the order I place for raw dog food and each time I forget! The place I get it from has a good variety in 20 kg sacks...

The birds which visit my garden must be fussy buggers as they don't seem keen on black sunflower seeds.

theredguy03 · « **Reply #261 on:** March 28, 2013, 05:23:23 pm »

Had 2 wood pigeons almost mating on my fence, so I scared them off. The buggers!

They scare off the robins and blue tits that frequent the area.

John C · « **Reply #262 on:** March 29, 2013, 11:05:00 am »

Quote from: theredguy03 on March 28, 2013, 05:23:23 pm

Had 2 wood pigeons almost mating on my fence, so I scared them off. The buggers!

I have 6 that congregate in the trees at the bottom of my garden, despite my protestations and efforts to chase them over the last 10 years they've evolved as a territorial family from 2 to 6.

I despise the fuckers mate.

Manix · « **Reply #263 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:09:18 pm »

I stood out in the garden last night [when the starlings came back for the 5th night to roost] banging two metal trays together, they didn't take a blind bit of notice and just carried on roosting in the trees at the end of the garden. This is the time when I wish I had cats or at least been able to let my two dogs out, but they would have been bombarded with bird shit. Although a sparrowhawk has caught his supper each night, this doesn't deter them either...

Just about had enough of them now...

John C · « **Reply #264 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:13:44 pm »

Is that a shower of good luck or bad luck mate

Manix · « **Reply #265 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:28:07 pm »

Well good luck in a way... got the all clear of cancer yesterday. Nothing else... might win the Euromillions tonight and that would be good luck LOL

Mutton Geoff · « **Reply #266 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:30:27 pm »

Got a small forest on three levels in my back garden, so we have Magpies and Pigeons, see all manner of wild life and i am in the middle of a city.

John C · « **Reply #267 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:31:31 pm »

Quote from: Manix on March 29, 2013, 01:28:07 pm

Well good luck in a way... got the all clear of cancer yesterday. Nothing else... might win the Euromillions tonight and that would be good luck LOL

Excellent mate, excellent.

Mutton Geoff · « **Reply #268 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:33:33 pm »

Quote from: Manix on March 29, 2013, 01:28:07 pm

Well good luck in a way... got the all clear of cancer yesterday. Nothing else... might win the Euromillions tonight and that would be good luck LOL

well done .

Manix · « **Reply #269 on:** March 29, 2013, 01:38:27 pm »

Thanks to both of you... 6 years free of it now, horrible, horrible disease!

MichaelA · « **Reply #270 on:** March 29, 2013, 05:01:59 pm »

Quote from: John C (AKA Wossy) on March 29, 2013, 11:05:00 am

I have 6 that congregate in the trees at the bottom of my garden, despite my protestations and efforts to chase them over the last 10 years they've evolved as a territorial family from 2 to 6.

I despise the fuckers mate.

Identical here - they eat all the food left out for the smaller birds, and then cover the garden with massive lumps of bird shit which I have to clear up before the kids can play on it. Every time I see pigeon on a menu I eat it as. Small revenge for the havoc they wreak in the garden.

theredguy03 · « **Reply #271 on:** March 29, 2013, 06:22:39 pm »

Went to my local park today.

Saw a Jackdaw collecting twigs, think it was building a nest? Along with a Mallard, a Jay and a Wigeon. (Would have taken pictures but I forgot).

There was one bird I couldn't identify, it had a red strip along its head, along with black feathers. It was floating around in a pond. Anybody know what bird it is? I have a handbook on domestic birds and it wasn't inside.

Lawnmowerman · « **Reply #272 on:** March 29, 2013, 07:11:31 pm »

Quote from: theredguy03 on March 29, 2013, 06:22:39 pm

Went to my local park today.

Saw a Jackdaw collecting twigs, think it was building a nest? Along with a Mallard, a Jay and a Wigeon. (Would have taken pictures but I forgot).

There was one bird I couldn't identify, it had a red strip along its head, along with black feathers. It was floating around in a pond. Anybody know what bird it is? I have a handbook on domestic birds and it wasn't inside.

Moorhen?

theredguy03 · « **Reply #273 on:** March 29, 2013, 07:16:04 pm »

Quote from: Lawnmowerman on March 29, 2013, 07:11:31 pm

Moorhen?

That's the exact one I saw! Thanks

Bob Kurac · « **Reply #274 on:** March 29, 2013, 07:22:59 pm »

Saw a female Wheatear today in N Merseyside, first of the year for me. Quite a decent tide at the Ribble mouth too, so a few drake Eider were easily visible on the sea, and a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers. Peregrine took down a wood pigeon. Still a few hundred pink footed geese around, and 40 Twite flitting round Birkdale Weld Rd. Spoonbill still at Marshside too.

Manix · « **Reply #275 on:** March 29, 2013, 07:28:56 pm »

Quote from: theredguy03 on March 29, 2013, 06:22:39 pm

Went to my local park today.

Saw a Jackdaw collecting twigs, think it was building a nest? Along with a Mallard, a Jay and a Wigeon. (Would have taken pictures but I forgot).

There was one bird I couldn't identify, it had a red strip along its head, along with black feathers. It was floating around in a pond. Anybody know what bird it is? I have a handbook on domestic birds and it wasn't inside.

It might have been a moorhen... Edited: (beaten to it)

I have loads of wood pigeons that come into my garden and I don't mind them at all because they chase the magpies and jackdaws away. I could no more eat one than eat horsemeat!

pinkdragon · « **Reply #276 on:** March 30, 2013, 02:58:46 pm »

I live in the suburbs. Crows, hawks, vultures, wild turkeys, all sorts of water fowl and the usual small birds. Used to live in the city. Pigeons everywhere. Fairly friendly when they get used to you. I could never eat one. Or any kind of bird. And bird shit is bird shit is bird shit. They all do it. Especially after your car has been detailed.

dnkw · « **Reply #277 on:** March 30, 2013, 03:13:50 pm »

Quote from: pinkdragon on March 30, 2013, 02:58:46 pm

I live in the suburbs. Crows, hawks, vultures, wild turkeys, all sorts of water fowl and the usual small birds. Used to live in the city. Pigeons everywhere. Fairly friendly when they get used to you. I could never eat one. Or any kind of bird. And bird shit is bird shit is bird shit. They all do it. Especially after your car has been detailed.

Vultures? Which suburbs might this be?

pinkdragon · « **Reply #278 on:** March 30, 2013, 03:19:31 pm »

Quote from: dnkw on March 30, 2013, 03:13:50 pm

Vultures? Which suburbs might this be?

I live in metro Atlanta. About 30 minutes from the city, one block from Lake Lanier. We have bears, coyotes, foxes. All animals native to the southeastern US. I also have plenty of snakes. Just in my yard I have pygmy rattlesnakes, copperheads, brown, black and garters. Most dogs in the neighborhood run loose. A few cats. Often have deer in the yard as well.

۩ Imperator ۩ · « **Reply #279 on:** March 30, 2013, 03:23:15 pm »

Quote from: theredguy03 on March 29, 2013, 07:16:04 pm

That's the exact one I saw! Thanks

Are you sure? All moorhens look pretty similar.