For WHO's birders

[Nurse Ratched]

"I thought you might like this video.



It's a compilation of different birds singing. Beautiful photography. If you expand the 'title' under the video it gives a list of species and the times they pop up in the video. Most of the species are familiar to us in the UK, but there are some 'exotics' (the cranes - wow, what a noise!) It was filmed in Belarus. The guy has a channel you can subscribe to. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and maybe it'll take your mind off you-know-what for a few blessed minutes."

[lowermarshhammer]

"A pair of swallows two days ago. Swifts in early April? Very unusual, I'd say another 7 to 10 days to go."

[Tomshardware]

Also saw my first swallows this morning.

[Coffee]

Phone the RSPB. They're helpful and know a lot.

[Nurse Ratched]

That surprises me. I live in London and I'm watching the skies for swifts from the end of April onwards and never see them here until early May at the earliest.

[lab]

"Nurse,looked at my last two diaries , (sad I know) third and sixth April ."

[Nurse Ratched]

Too early for swifts

[simon.s]

"Saw a swallow this morning and a couple of sparrow hawks and on a walk, very near to copped hall and a red kite yesterday in loughton. Good this bird watching lark."

[Coffee]

"lab 1:57 Tue Apr 21 Italy, I heard."

[lab]

I’ve not seen any swallows/house martins/ swifts yet this year. Numbers decline each year. Probably due to other countries trapping them when they fly back home .

[Hermit Road]

Just had a look at a picture of one. That's what it was. I keep seeing a rat in my garden so was hoping it was one if his offspring but that's unlikely. Doubt they'd be out in the open if they were that small.

[lowermarshhammer]

Hermit Nailed on sparrowhawk I'd say Will occasionally take mice but was probably something like a dunnock or a house sparrow which had had the misfortune of making the acquaintance of it's talons.

[Hermit Road]

Didn’t have time to get a photo but would love to know what it was.

[Hermit Road]

Incredible. I saw it standing on the lawn and thought it was bigger than any non-pigeon/corvid I’ve seen out there before and while I was trying to point it out to the missis it flew off and I noticed the bounty in its claws. She missed the whole thing.

[Tomshardware]

"Hermit that's a good spot. Seen a sparrowhawk killing a few times, it's amazing isn't it!"

[Hermit Road]

I just saw a bird of prey in my garden with what looked like a small mouse in its grips. Most amazing thing I’ve seen in the garden by a country mile. It was just standing there for a few seconds before taking off.

[ironsofcanada]

"WHU(Exeter) 3:01 Sun Apr 19 Ha. Is learning to get drunk intelligent or addictive behaviour? (I guess going from the Behaviour Psychology course I had to take in university, there is not a massive difference)"

[ironsofcanada]

"WHU(Exeter) 3:01 Sun Apr 19 Ha. Is learning to get drunk intelligent or addictive behaviour? (I guess going from the Behaviour Psychology course I had to take in university, there is not a massive difference)"

[gph]

"The classic crow intelligence test, which they generally pass with FLYING colours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2IBayVsbz8"

[WHU(Exeter)]

"The intelligence of various birds must have been measured? Magpies have always struck me as very intelligent as birds go. Years ago I used to put grapes out for them and at first they used to gobble them down in no time, but then they quickly sussed that if they left them there for a couple of days or so, the grapes became even more of 'a hit' for them...they nested right near the bird table and used to go mental if any other birds went near the grapes, but didn't bother when it came to other food being eaten."

[ironsofcanada]

"gph 2:07 Sun Apr 19 Seems logical. Luckily no wolves around us, coyotes were bad enough."

[gph]

"I've read that crows and wolves have a symbiotic relationship in some parts of the World, including Canada iirc. If crows find a carcass, they lead wolves to it, so the wolves open up the hide, eat their fill and then the crows can eat what they like from what's left."

[ironsofcanada]

Crows definitely seemed smarter than our dogs when I was young. Would tease them mercilessly.

[Nurse Ratched]

Of course. No disputing that.

[gph]

"Not convinced chickens have got anything on crows among birds, or pigs, among food animals."

[Nurse Ratched]

*whistles innocently*