Birds

[nick the grief]

Thank you Shirl it is more than a pleasure when you are as good as wot I am

[Alice]

What absolutely cracking pics Nick Thank you for sharing them. Alice x

[HeyWayne]

I agree, cheers Nick.

My plot neighbour is an avid birdwatcher, sometimes when we're both on our respective plots he'll say to me "hear that, that's a greater crested wangbanger that is...", or "can you hear that green cornblower?". All I hear is bird noise from about a million birds...

[Flummery]

We bought a book with 3 CDs attached - birds of heath and moorland, birds of woodland and forest ---etc. I thought it would be a great way to learn and identify birdsong. We put one on and the budgie went demented! We have to listen to it on the CD player in the bedroom! He answers all the song as a challenge. (Boy named Sue syndrome - he's called Primrose - but that's another story!)

[Nicos]

Ha Flum!! Your bird sounds like he has the same identity crisis as my SIL's cat Dorothy who has just had her b@lls removed!

[Flummery]

Nah - he was a foundling. Landed exhausted in the front garden (narrowly avoiding the local sparrowhawk) and in spite of a notice in the newsagesnt's no-one claimed him. As a juvenile bird he looked like a female, and has a pretty primrose coloured face (the rest being a bright turquoise with white wings. Once his cere changed colour and he became noticeably male the name had stuck.

[piskieinboots]

fabulous photos ntg - are you/have you produced a calendar for 2008?

[nick the grief]

fabulous photos ntg - are you/have you produced a calendar for 2008?

I haven't piskie, do you fancy being mrs January ... back to blue tits

I do it just for fun and there are people who are a lot better than be out there honest.

Heywayne

greater crested wangbanger , you have greater crested wangbanger - what I'd give for a foto of them

[HeyWayne]

I haven't piskie, do you fancy being mrs January ... back to blue tits

I do it just for fun and there are people who are a lot better than be out there honest.

Heywayne

greater crested wangbanger , you have greater crested wangbanger - what I'd give for a foto of them

Ah, yes - but I've only ever "heard" it. I'm sure Lester (plot neighbour) has pointed out a muted warbling snuffinch to me before now...

On a serious note I'm impressed how he picks out the different sounds - all I hear is a cacophony of bird call. He listed all the birds that he'd spotted round teh village, and I was amazed how many there were. I'd only ever noted the usual suspects - pigeons, blackbirds, starlings, robins... But then when you start thinking about it, I've seen pheasants, woodpecker (green), blue tits, thrush/wren (never sure which is which), various birds of prey. The most recent addition is the owl we now hear of an evening outside the house somewhere.

Fascinating.

[shirlthegirl43]

... thrush/wren (never sure which is which)...

Fascinating.

Thrush is about blackbird size (I think) wren is weeny - smaller than a robin

[kernowyon]

our local sparrowhawk has developed a taste for asian/indian food.

on the last trip down to the plot i found the evidence of her latest meal, a pile of bright green feathers from a ring-necked parakeet. such a shame to see one of these bright colourful (noisey) birds meet such an end, but thats life. and i do enjoy fleeting glimpses of the sparrowhawk.

[SueA]

The photos are great Nick, you should make them up into a calendar as Piskie says, they'd make lovely Christmas presents. I made some up of my garden/flower pics. last year & my half-sis in Oz has sent me one she's done of her grandson (my great nephew!)'s first year. You can put them together on 'Snapfish', which is what we used, or other sites & they print them for you.

[nick the grief]

Ah, yes - but I've only ever "heard" it. I'm sure Lester (plot neighbour) has pointed out a muted warbling snuffinch to me before now...

On a serious note I'm impressed how he picks out the different sounds - all I hear is a cacophony of bird call. He listed all the birds that he'd spotted round teh village, and I was amazed how many there were. I'd only ever noted the usual suspects - pigeons, blackbirds, starlings, robins... But then when you start thinking about it, I've seen pheasants, woodpecker (green), blue tits, thrush/wren (never sure which is which), various birds of prey. The most recent addition is the owl we now hear of an evening outside the house somewhere.

Fascinating.

It's just practice WH. A lot of the little buggers are SBT's (small brown things) so they are probably easier to recognise by their song

[Grandpadragon]

What a wonderful two weeks it's been here for birds, we've had better weather than most of UK lots of sunshine if cold, and the cold seems to have brought more birds into the garden. Aswell as the 12 or so regular species we've had Nuthatch back after 12-15 months absence, Coal tit again after12 months absence, Wren first time, Goldfinch first time(At last) and the high light not one ,not two, but upto SIX Bullfinches every day They started by taking the berries on the Himalayan Honeysuckle but are now taking seed off the ground (Patio) I could and have watched them for hours. also saw three buzzards circling overhead one day and have had a Red Kite over acouple of times. Wonderful

[pigletwillie]

At work (a rather big quarry) there are lots of pigeons and rabbits, hence we get a fair few buzzards and nesting peregrines. A pair of kestrels have nested in one of the buildings for the last 3 years and at this time of year they all seem to gather at once if its sunny, making for a real good show.

At home our pet robin is knocking about as is our tame pigeon.