General Chat

Our lovely woodpecker is still here and trying to steal the sunflower seeds. The blackbird has been chasing him around too.

Hopefully others had an enjoyable day today

Linda :o)

I'm afraid they are all turduses,yes really.Blackbird is turdus merulla, mistle thrush is turdus viscivera and I can't remember what song thrush is.

We have a pair of honey buzzards here that I see very high up in the sky circling. They tend to get mobbed if they come down lower to feed.

Long-tailed tits sound like they are ringing little bells.

Was delighted to see a song thrush recently.They seem to have disappeared over the last twent years but the starlings and sparrows are rallying now.

I used to find it so sad to sometimes watch a single starling hopping about in Gosport but last time I went there he seemed to have a bit of company.

Hi all
The woody woodpecker is back again........... just hanging on the tree this time. Plenty of blackbirds, robin, blue-tits and great-tits and I can see 2 magpies nextdoors roof right now too.

I didn't mention that I live on the edge of a large village(almost town) and my garden is only 40ft x 40ft !!!

Enjoying a better day today as I hope you all are.

Linda :o)

Our resident blackbird is back and our robin too, have had starlings for a week or so and the collared doves never seem to leave lol

Trouble is our Ratty is back, still seems to be alone but is adept at avoiding the bait in the rattrap box, he puts grass over it, or something does! Trouble is he keeps digging holes under the shed and the fence to next door and they have their grandson there often, playing in the garden.

Wonder what happened to our six baby bluetits that were raised in the birdbox, hope they are all still alive and the parents too.

Lizxx

Mau Lol!!! not seen that one!

They're very fierce birds,not frightened of anyone,a member of my family was attacked once and had to run for cover..........bit like watching Hitchcock's birds.

There is a seaside postcard showing a Seagull, with the slogan ....
" Keep Your Hand on your Pasty"......;O)

We were in St Ives a couple of years back and decided to buy filled rolls for lunch. I had a crab roll and was about to put a piece in my mouth when it was taken literally from an inch away from my mouth. The bird then sat and screeched at me for the rest!! We moved under cover. And we saw somebody lose a whole pasty that way too. Menaces!

Yes Seagulls definitely,lots Ann.

You know when they're sitting ontop of chimney, because garden is very quiet, they also take baby birds from their nests.

On a funnier note,while eating an ice cream (or anything lol)_watch out for those pesky seagulls!!

I was watching the flocks of birds on a tidal mud flat today , it's a short trip from where I live and and we had gone to run the dogs .

There were large flocks in the sky , looking like smoke but when they all turned in mid air they flashed , brillient white. I think they where mostly lap-wings.
I often see what I had taken to be a pair of Egrets
but am now wondering if I'm mistaken and they are Spoonbills.........I really must take the binoculars next time.

Amanda

And seagulls Mau? Or are they all in Gloucester?

Oh Blackbird makes sure he gets first fruit, he's a bit bossy! lol

We don't get Woodpeckers Ann,too near the sea, lots of blooming Magpies though (and not just Toon ones!)

Mau

We have loads of starlings, I can fill up the suet holder in the morning and an hour later it is empty, they also love the fat balls but now have learnt to eat the peanuts and the different seeds from the seed feeders, they are quite greedy birds but funny to watch and, boy do they squabble.

Red wings, i'd love to have them, in the 70s when we lived in Essex we used to get flocks of redwings and when we lived in Bedfordshire we got Bullfinches on the Hawthorne hedge but we get neither here. I am waiting for the black cap to appear as he does most winters. all the birds are early this year though, it must be because it is cold.

we do get woodpeckers both the Lesser Spotted and the Green near here, not in the garden but on the golf course.

Ann
Glos

What a lovely story Mau.It is quite rare to see a blackbird with another type of bird, and not squabbling. We have a rogue blackbird that often visits,but he is rather bad tempered.He has a white stripe on one side, that's how he can be recognised.

Maybe your parrots can count! Do you think they were given their name because of their call?

Thank you Ann for putting this thread up.

Always love watching birds coming and going in the garden.

A while ago I mentioned on here about the 'semi-tame' Blackbird---Fruity who comes for his daily mixed fruit.
He still comes to the back door and now would you believe he has a friend with him a Thrush.
They're so funny to watch as they jostle for nearest to step,and yesterday went out to see them both perched (either end) of the washing basket. They're getting really cheeky!

Interesting to hear of bird sounding like Green Sweater, because when we were in Australia there are green Parrots called 28 as that's what they seem to be calling!

Alice, haven't watched Bill Oddie's programs, wished I had now.
I love watching starlings performing their sky ballet of an evening.Great 'swarms 'of them seem to be directed in the same direction, almost like bees from a distance.

THF, well, maybe I am mad too."Green Sweater"is what I always listen out for when in England.Makes me feel at home again.

We have lots of starlings. I love to hear them chatting away of an evening. When I used to live in England, it sounded as if they said "green sweater".Still hear this when over there. They don't 'say' that over here.
Have never seen redwings, must look out for them at the nature reserve soon.

I really do enjoy watching out for the birds returning each year.
Soon the redwings to strip the sorbus(rowan) of berries. We too have a few sparrows returning, but far fewer starlings, why I do not know?

Linda :o)

Linda, you lucky thing.Fancy seeing the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in your garden! I saw one two years ago flying from tree to tree whilst I was walking to the village.Had never seen one before.
There are always lots of doves around though.