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."

[Mike Oxsaw]

Coffee 7:14 Wed Mar 3 I think you'll find them all in the current Tory party laying off contracts.

[Coffee]

"Pesticides don't just kill little insects. When I first went to Calcutta, there were vultures all over the place, sitting in trees waiting to feast on whatever carrion the night has seen fit to provide. Then in the late 80s and early 90s, farmers surrounding the city started using a new kind of pesticide, which killed off the vultures - all of them. They're ugly as sin, but curiously hypnotic to watch."

[Hammer and Pickle]

Saw a Skylark out walking the brachet today. I was delighted as they've become quite rare of late due to the misuse of pesticides by farmers.

[Side of Ham]

Could it have been the Luftwaffe Pickle saw?

[Hammer and Pickle]

"Heard a sound that could have been a rusty old cement mixer giving up the ghost, looked up and dead overhead was the year's first squadron of Greylag geese flying due north in immaculate V-shaped formation. They were clearly having a wonderful time and what a din!"

[zebthecat]

Alfs 2:29 Wed Feb 24 Thanks I'll look that up. I read the book Other Minds which is all about Octopus intelligence which as close as we can be to a true alien intelligence as their entire body plan (and neural plan) diverged from ours so long ago.

[blueeyed.handsomeman]

"theyve found the rabbits and the hole,but to be frank they dont know anything about BURROWS"

[zebthecat]

That is a lovely story Mex. Storks are great birds and I went to see the ones at Knepp last Autumn. It is very impressive seeing something that big fly.and puts you in mind of the flying dinosaurs (which they sort of are given the Birds' lineage).

[Mex Martillo]

Swifts / swallows back here! Sorry never worked out which they are! It’s a lovely story isn’t it Alfs. We should congratulate that guy!

[Alfs]

"Max, that's a gorgeous story. Thanks for sharing. You should look up My Octopus Teacher on Netflix. An amazing story about a similar relationship but with an incredibly intelligent invertebrate."

[Nurse Ratched]

MmHm.

[Pee Wee]

**doffs cap** Most wouldn’t have got it if he was pictured in a pear tree

[Nurse Ratched]

"12? That was a heron jury, deliberating a verdict against gank."

[lab]

"Saw something I’ve never seen today . I was driving on the A30 towards Basingstoke and I noticed a heron in a field , but when I looked quickly again there was anything from 9to 12 about twenty yards apart from each other . A courting thing ?"

[Nurse Ratched]

What a dopey baggage I am. Just realised I forgot to post the link for that Belarusian bloke's goshawk vs buzzard vs buzzard video I mentioned below. And it's a corker https://youtu.be/RnMTq8rqX5M

[Nurse Ratched]

What a dopey baggage I am. Just realised I forgot to post the link for that Belarusian bloke's goshawk vs buzzard vs buzzard video I mentioned below. And it's a corker https://youtu.be/RnMTq8rqX5M

[lab]

A friend of mine observed some Siskins last week locally . My dog has flushed several woodcock lately .

[Nurse Ratched]

Most of the ones in the UK are autumn/winter visitors.

[Side of Ham]

Lowermarshammer = Jones the steam :-)

[lowermarshhammer]

Redwing have very small breeding population in northern Scotland. Not uncommon to see large flocks in London parks especially as they congregate prior to return to breeding grounds. I can recall a morning driving the train about 13 years ago when there had been a massive overnight irruption and they were everywhere. That stork video is good.

[Nurse Ratched]

"Really? I thought they were abundant, just not where I live."

[Coffee]

"Very few couples in the UK, apparently."

[Nurse Ratched]

*Too small for a song thrush

[Nurse Ratched]

"I just had to make a cup of coffee, sit down and compose myself before writing this. I am fizzing with excitement. I had two redwings in my tree. They stayed and looked around for a few minutes then flew off. I've never seen them in the flesh before so had to really think about what I was looking at. ""Too small for a thrush...beak too long...what's with the eye stripe?..."". I had to look it up to be sure. My garden is very ordinary and in a build-up area of London. We're not out of February yet, but that will probably be my garden spot of the year."

[Nurse Ratched]

Nice!