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."

[WHU(Exeter)]

If anyone’s toyed with the idea of getting a lwater feature going in their garden, been trying to get something going in the garden that’ll attract frogs and newts, but got nowhere on that front, other than keeping water snails alive.

On the other hand though, a really good thing anyone can put together, is to get hold of one of those bronze champagne/wine/ice big buckets on Amazon, get a water pump that comes with a LED night light, a few natural pond plants, water snails.

Put some bricks in to get the water pump near the surface of the water and you’ll have a really lovely water feature for about 75 quid from Amazon, whereas if you bought it off Etsy or similar as a ‘piece’, reckon it’d be 150;plus.

[zebthecat]

Mine are house sparrows too and there are loads of them.
Also had a female common darter dragonfly and a male for company taking turns to perch and go for a hunt. 
 

[Tomshardware]

It was flying ant day in the garden today.
The sparrows loved their new winged snacks and had a whale of a time.
A couple of dragonflies joined in the feast. One was a Common Darter but the other was too fast to identify.

House sparrows?  That's only sparrows we get.  I've yet to ever see a tree sparrow much to my disappointment. 

[zebthecat]

It was flying ant day in the garden today.
The sparrows loved their new winged snacks and had a whale of a time.
A couple of dragonflies joined in the feast. One was a Common Darter but the other was too fast to identify.

[Nurse Ratched]

Touché

[Massive Attack]

Don't get me wrong, I love all birds. I've even had a few Blackbirds myself in my time. I just hate those kind of birds who always stick their beak in causing me trouble. 

[Nurse Ratched]

Swifts eat tiny spiders and insects that are quite up high in the air. 'Aerial plankton'. They never come down to gardens to bird feeders because they're not interested in anything we have to offer.

STOP GETTING BIRDS WRONG

[Massive Attack]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

"SEND THEM BACK, SEND THEM BACK"

Reported you to the BTO, bird racism.

Listen, I love all colours and plumage. It's just they take all my bird feed without giving anything back in return before tweeting about it after how easy the system is over here. Well they can all FLOCK OFF! 

#STOPBIRDMIGRATION

[Nurse Ratched]

Swiss - are you referring to the video in the OP? If so, that's a chaffinch. Male 

[Swiss.]

Is that first one a Jay? I got one that visits my terrace quire regularly. 

[Tomshardware]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

"SEND THEM BACK, SEND THEM BACK"

Reported you to the BTO, bird racism.

[Massive Attack]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

"SEND THEM BACK, SEND THEM BACK"

[Tomshardware]

The swifts have left around here. Always feels like the beggining of later stages of summer when they go.

[zebthecat]

Only the odd ladybird here but loads of butterflies. Whites, Commas, loads of Gatekeepers and the odd Brown Speckled Wood.
The highlght has been Hummingbird Hawk moth that loves drinking from night scented stocks.

[WHU(Exeter)]

I went from one to dozens of them, so hope you get the same.

ditto with the white butterflies.

[Nurse Ratched]

I've seen the grand total of ONE ladybird so far this year, but it's possible the 'plaque' is occurring in waves, regionally, so I live in hope.

What I have seen is zillions of butterflies. Many more than usual. 

[MaryMillingtonsGhost]

Dead, was it?

 

 

 

 

Of course not.
It was obviously 'tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.'

[WHU(Exeter)]

From not seeing one for years, the amount of ladybirds in the area I live in has become the most I've ever seen.

Anyone experiencing the same?

Haven't seen a yellow one yet though 

[Tomshardware]

I prefer the male plumage of many common birds. 

[Massive Attack]

I had a Norwegian Blue Parrot in my pear tree yesterday, but it was chased away by the cassowaries that had made a nest there.

Dead, was it?

[Tomshardware]

The other day I was pruning a tree and came a cross a Goldfinch nest, thought it was an old nest until a bird bolted from it. She came back after a short while and I could see her sitting on the nest.  Only after looking it up did I read Goldfinches and seed eating birds often will nest in July and August as there's more seeds to eat and feed their young.

[zebthecat]

Yes I know they are not birds but I am having a bat-fest at dusk every evening.
Have also heard Jays but not seen them yet; they are beautiful.

[WHU(Exeter)]

Nurse and Aalborg

Thanks very much for the chilli tips. I used oil as suggested and every plant and flower has remained in tact since. 

Was a bit of an unexpected twist with the Himalayan blue poppies. Two years for the fuckers to finally flower and when they do, they are a beautiful sight. Not reading the small print though, turns out they flower for just over a week. Cheers Mother Nature.

[F 129 Row66]

I had a Norwegian Blue Parrot in my pear tree yesterday, but it was chased away by the cassowaries that had made a nest there.

[zebthecat]

One thing I have noticed over the past few days is that the swifts are back. I have not seem them hear for years and it not just the odd or two it is LOTS of them. I love watching them do their their thing; they are stunt birds. Only the bats are more manouverable - they can change direction so violently they are difficult to follow.