General Chat

Hi Harry This morning I was up at 4.30am to go on a dawn chorus walk through a local woodland reserve that had been organised by the Kent High Weald . It was lovely hearing birds that I dont normally hear - even though the reserve is only 5 mins walk from my house - we heard Jays, Black caps, Green spotted woodpecker plus the usual Blackbirds, robins, Great Tits etc. It was such a lovely sound to start the morning with :-) Karen

Well Harry a while back I said we did'nt have many birds here at all but we had 2 magpies well they have gone!! and we are now beginning to see a FEW different birds but yesterday while out in the garden I saw a flock of starlings flying all over the place then noticed they were being chased by a hawk (?) we live near Harewood House H/gate and they are trying to introduce some of these type of birds into the area. Norah

More delightful stories, thank you so much. Always nice when someone includes their district or country. I,m on holiday from tomorrow (Suffolk villages) so won,t be acknowledging messages from then, but rest assured your messages are read and bring pleasure to many people. Best wishes to you all Happy days

I've got a budgie in my garden!! ok, that 'cos I just put him there!! I've got blackbirds, and ringed doves which have nested for the last 4 years, the blackbirds sit on the back step if theres no food on the table. I've also got a conifer hedge which absolutley teaming with hedge & House sparrows, they're so comical! abd this morning I've seen the welcome return of the green finches. The farm where my girls ride has loads of swallows, they fly so low I swear they'll get me one day!! ASBO goes to the magpie- I'm with you Harry- theiving nasty things T x

Good morning everyone, A while back I put an old teapot with the spout downwards in the hedge, as I had read that some birds would use it for nesting. I noticed the other day that there were some eggs in it. The eggs have since hatched and the little chicks are cherping away. Not sure what birds they are though. We are doing some work in the garden and when we moved some paving slabs we found 7 toads!! Hope you all have a good day. Jill xx

Forgot to add my ASBOs. Aussie Magpie Indian Myna - they hang around the starling nextboxes when the chicks are hatching hoping to get at them.

No Huia not a penguin in sight. Plenty of sea gulls though We have a crow that has made a nest futher up the road seems to have frightened the sea gulls of the church roof where they usually sit. I have a pair of black birds nesting in my front, the first time I have had a nest in my garden and I have been here over 20 years. Just hope the magpies don't notice it. Though it is well hidden in a pine type tree. Looks like the blue tits have reappeared too they are so cute . Still don't seem to have as many birds around as I used to have though. Germaine x Just another note. We used to get swarms of starlings coming round at tea time and a few around in the day. Haven't seen them yet this year, they ususally sit on the tree that has the crows nest also perching on the roof tops. Could it be the crows that have detered them.?

Our NZ fantail, Piwakawaka, sometimes comes into the house, rather difficult to catch even though they are usually fearless. Newspaper the other day spoke of Tuis and native wood pigeons getting drunk on fallen fruit which fermented in their gizzards? They then had great difficulty flying, had to go to Bird Rescue to recover from their hangovers. The pigeon Kerereru, Kuku or kukupa, is a large bird, 510 mm long. That is about 20 ins I think. The little blue penguins also have been washing up on our beaches in a starving state. Bird Rescue have fed them up and released them back into the sea. We have seen them swimming around our boat when we were fishing years ago. Bet you dont get too many wild penguins over there!

Just thought I would let you know we heard the cuckoo here for the 1st time about a month ago. Heard it again last week when took dog for a walk in woods. Also we have Black Redstarts nesting in outbuilding again this year, they really chip at you if you go near. They are the build of a Robin but black with a red tail that bobs up & down. We also get lots of Eagrets & Herons in the fields here. Can have as many as about 40 Eagrets at one time, always thought they only caught fish but they also catch vermin, hence why we see them & Herons in fields well away from water. Herons often in cattle fields. Hilary (France)

Was up really late last night on here and then designing a card, so it was daylight before I knew it. Got up to stretch and get to bed and saw a starling on the garage roof, whistling away, different tones, then he/she (how do you tell the difference?)hopped down and picked up some bits of dried grass off the lawn and flew up to the roof together with another starling who had been watching. I went upstairs to the loo and whilst I sat and pondered I suddenly jumped out of my skin. There was such a scrabbling noise over my head, in the corner of the bathroom. I think the starlings must be making their nest inside the roof space or very close to the roof. They have one in a similar position on next door's houseroof and we watch them taking grass and stuff up there, saw one long piece of grass wiggled and pulled for ages till it was positioned to the bird's satisfaction. Saw bluetits for the first time this year on our hazel tree. The robin has been having great fun as o.h. lifted some slabs and has been digging over the ground - robin found a beakful of grubs to take away so must be feeding young. Love watching the birds and a frog/toad had a lucky escape on Sunday when the slabs were being lifted - just managed to stop the spade cutting him in half as slabs being raised. He hopped away just in time and we moved him to behind the compost bins. I think it was the same one who jumped out the other day when I moved the wheelie bin out - gave me a fright then.

Thank you ladies. On my gardening thread I mentioned the danger of netting in the garden, particularly regarding tortoises, but the mention of cob-webs leads me to thinking in certain circumstances it could apply to birds. Happy days

My Asbo would go to magpies. Horrible things! I hate it when they go through all the nests taking the eggs. Heard the cuckoo yesterday for the first time this year. My favourites are robins. we were greeted with a funny sight yesterday. A poor little robin flew into an old shed we were clearing out and got completely wrapped up in cob webs. Poor thing had to endure OH picking him up and untangling him.

Thanks Jean. You learn a new thing every day. Trifley

OK.....I come from Oz so please tell me...........what is an ASBO? I have blue wrens, pee wees and wagtails outside my office window and maggies, butcher birds, kookaburras and drongos on the other side of the house. Can't stand currawongs and crows! Trifley

Thanks girls. great additions to the thread. Happy days

Merry, It's strange how you long to hear the cuckoo then.....once heard, it drives you up the wall. lol Same with the peacocks - don't they go on! Still, I consider myself extremely fortunate that I have nature on my doorstep. I saw a small herd of deer yesterday too, have never seen them before, just Lovely. Tina

Ooh, you beat me then Tina!! I wasn't really listening for it.....just thought ''I wish that b****y bird would shut up'' - then realised it was the cuckoo........It's funny - when you watch it, you'd swear it's ''lips'' were not moving!! Merry

I heard a cuckoo yesterday! At last! Tina

Merry, on the larger bird-watch thread, the lack of cuckoos was a talking point - so at least you are pretty much unique. XXX Tina, re below. Late in the year, but goodXXX Happy, if disturbed, days

Q: For how many hours can I listen to the Cuckoo I can see from my kitchen window, before either I am committed to the local asylum or get arrested for talking a catapult to it!!???? LOL It's driving me nuts......last week it was the great tits going on and on all day.............I wish they could vary the ''tune'' a bit! Merry