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Tits like coconuts. The bird thread!
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Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)
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Mar 06, 2017 03:55AM
#FakeWhale!!!
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A 25-foot long inflatable whale being towed along the beach by someone with a sense of humour?
Remote-controlled robot?Or maybe whales are like border collies and creatures of habit?
B J wrote: "That's great, Kathy. Odd isn't it that the whale is choosing to regularly visit the same spot, at the same time, and that spot just happens to be close to the car park where people can gather to wa..."Is there a fishy-looking person going round collecting money ?
How else could I get to buy all these books?
Well I'm sure you're having a whale of a time.
We've had a giant inflatable whale on the beach a couple of times and some dolphins for marine rescue training. There's usually loads of people standing around with cameras thinking they are real
Kathy wrote: "Enjoying watching a group of long-tailed tits on the feeders this afternoon. They don't come that often but when they do there's always a number of them. Must be very sociable birds." I love watching Long Tailed Tits - one of my favourite birds.
Just startled a magpie. It had something in its beak and there were lots of downy feathers so I guess it had a smaller bird. There were lots of downy grey feathers with a bit of brown and some longer tail feathers so I'm not sure it was a fledgling. They are evil beggars.
Yes. We have a vicious gang of magpies around here. I've seen them ganging up on cats and chasing them off as well as fighting all the other birds.
L.A. wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Enjoying watching a group of long-tailed tits on the feeders this afternoon. They don't come that often but when they do there's always a number of them. Must be very sociable birds."..."We've got some tell-tale tits around here and dire things await them - apparently "their tongues shall be slit and all the little doggies will have a little bit"
I think my little bird was a greenfinch, we found a clump of green feathers too. I didn't know magpies took bigger birds . I know they plunder nests for eggs and fledglings. Husband went out to frighten it away and clacked the brush and dustpan together. He broke th dustpan and the brazen bird just looked up but didn't fly off.
Lynne (Tigger's Mum) wrote: "I think my little bird was a greenfinch, we found a clump of green feathers too. I didn't know magpies took bigger birds . I know they plunder nests for eggs and fledglings. Husband went out to fri..."That made me laugh but I'm sorry about the dustpan! I have the same problem with the pigeons here. I can clap my hands till they hurt but unless I run at them to within a couple of feet they just look at me, blinking stupidly. Or maybe they're not so stupid: they know I won't hurt them...
That's like the cat from the house behind us...... she will happily sit there, filing her claws, while our Bronwyn goes absolutely nuts, barking at her to go away. She doesn't budge and inch - just carries on nonchalantly looking at Bronny, with that "glint" in her eye.......... until I open the door - and then greased lightening wouldn't touch her retreat!!!
My Daisy is a good cat and bird shifter too. She comes back with a look that says I put them up, you should have shot them.
Kathy wrote: "Enjoying watching a group of long-tailed tits on the feeders this afternoon. They don't come that often but when they do there's always a number of them. Must be very sociable birds."Whenever I've seen them passing through the garden - they don't come to the feeders - they are always in a mini flock.
Long Tailed Tits are one of my favourite birds too, we have several flocks on one of my walks, just beautiful to watch ! In all my bird photos a decent one of a LT Tit eludes me, I have several of their back but not a good one with them looking in the right direction, add to the list of photo challenges for this year I guess.Good news, our Lapwings are back, 3 pairs this year and even better 2 pair of Curlew, only had 1 pair for years so we are well pleased. !
We had a male sparrowhawk on the garden room roof yesterday. Mattie Chicken gave him a right sharrocking and he left sharpish.
Anita wrote: "Long Tailed Tits are one of my favourite birds too, we have several flocks on one of my walks, just beautiful to watch ! In all my bird photos a decent one of a LT Tit eludes me, I have several of ..."Curlews? How wonderful! One of my favourite birds - that call of theirs is magic.
I think my ravens have been driven off by the antics of the magpie, the nest is looking thinner and there's no bird sitting on it anymore.
The humpback whale has been seen back in Start Bay several times in the last few days, but today it travelled further up the coast rounding Berry Head and entering Torbay. Between 5p.m and 6p.m. it breached several times. We could see it from our lounge, which was a real treat.
They are Kathy, lovely to be able to see them on a daily basis too. Lapwing count up to 11 this morning, well pleased ! That's amazing BJ !! How lucky you are !
Yes, Anita, we are - and especially lucky to have an active birdwatching network to keep us informed of anything interesting, whether it be a tiny desert wheatear or a humpback whale!Love lapwings. Such attractive birds, with that distinctive floppy flight.
I can't see a thing out of the window. We had brilliant sunshine for half an hour then suddenly the fog came down and everything is gone.
Saw my first house martins of the year this morning. Also saw a flock of over 300 scoter at Mansands. The humpback was off Berry Head for a couple of hours yesterday lunchtime then it headed back along the coast to Slapton.
We don't get house martins at our current house sadly. Because of the jackdaws perhaps that are everywhere round here? Used to have lots of martins' nests on a previous house. Such cheerful, chattering birds. Curiously the blue tits used the nests first in early spring. When the martins returned, they would all crowd into whichever nests were free until the blue tits had finished. It was all very non-confrontational!I think we'll be naming that whale soon, BJ.
I think you're right, Kathy. It's such a creature of habit. That's three days in a row it's been seen at lunchtime off Berry Head and then returned to put in its tea-time appearance at Slapton where it has been seen at the same time of day for a couple of weeks. It's being greeted in both places by a crowd of onlookers.What shall we call it?
I'll say it before anyone else does. Whaley McWhaleface.
Haha! Just had a close encounter with Beaky McBeakface. Alerted by Mattie Chicken, I went down the garden to see what she was fussing about. The male sparrowhawk had flown through the six inch gap I'd opened in the greenhouse door to air it out a bit. He couldn't get out and was panicking. Husband came down with his camera and got a couple of shots but we were more concerned that Beaky shouldn't bash his brains out on the glass. I opened the door fully and we walked, round the outside, to the back of the greenhouse to scare him into flying towards the door. He made it.
B J wrote: "I'll say it before anyone else does. Whaley McWhaleface."Haha, BJ. We can't do that to the poor critter. Not that I've come up with anything better... :-)
Humpy McHumpface has a friendlier ring to it!
I think Humphrey would be a good name. Though we don't know it's a boy of course...
Just to proudly announce that today I Identified a pied wagtail scavenging for crumbs in an industrial estate car park on the outskirts of Northampton...
Perky little birds, pied wagtails. I'd become accustomed to seeing them as solitary birds, so it came as a shock one year to find hundreds of them roosting together in the trees outside M & S in Newton Abbot town centre.
They're very common here, running around on the beach. There's usually one or two (don't know if it is always the same ones!) dotting about in the High Street under cars and people's feet!
There is a large flock of Pied Wagtails the roost in the bushes round the university buildings, I love watching them, little birds with attitude ! I'm still getting the pair of Grey Wagtails in the garden several times a day.Humphrey sounds like a grand name to me, even if it is a girl.
This morning I've had a wonderful walk, not only the weather being so nice but I've been watching Lapwings, Curlews and Tawny Owl but spent half hour watching 5 mad march Hares plus Redpoll and Crossbills not to mention all the usual little friends who are all starting to get busy, I also heard my first Chiffchall of the year so in my book it's now officially spring, don't you just love it !
Emma and I are going to take our lunch up to Langsett in a little while, might as well make the most of this beautiful day, hope you all have as good a nature day as we've had.
That sounds like a delightful spring walk, Anita.
What a lovely walk, Anita. Seeing 'Mad March Hares' is always a treat. Sounds like you're lucky with the weather too. It's very gloomy here. :-(
Sounds lovely Anita, really uplifting.
It was a lovely walk, but then we always have lovely walks as I'm sure you do.As Emma and I set of for Langsett I said to her, " I wonder if we will see anything else today " I then told myself not to be so greedy as it had been one of the best wildlife walks for ages. My luck must have really been good that day for on the way back from the river I saw a small flock of Firecrest ! I have never seen one before and was amazed as they are not this far north usually, more likely down with BJ, I even checked my RSPB birdbook ( on my phone) as I doubted my eyes, but they were firecrest in all their glory, what stunning little birds they are, the colours are amazing ! I don't usually get this lucky, sadly I hadn't taken my camera but even without photos it will remain one of the best wildlife days for a very long time, probably for the rest of my life.
Anymore sightings of Humphrey BJ ?
No, Anita, I've not heard of any sightings for about 6 days. Did you see the first of Colin Stafford-Johnson's programmes about the west coast of Ireland (Wild Ireland: Edge of the World)? The photography is absolutely stunning, capturing both the scenery and the wildlife. He was rowing a traditional boat among humpback whales which are apparently quite common in that area now. So it seems that Humphrey wasn't too far from a lot of relatives.
Saw that, BJ. Brilliant programme. That's what television is for!
Cock Pheasant strutted down the drive just now looking magnificent in fresh and rain washed plumage
Kath wrote: "Saw that, BJ. Brilliant programme. That's what television is for!"Quite agree, Kath. He made another programme in which he canoed the length of the River Shannon. It had the same spellbinding combination of stunning photography, captivating music and gentle, but thought-provoking, commentary.
B J wrote: "No, Anita, I've not heard of any sightings for about 6 days. Did you see the first of Colin Stafford-Johnson's programmes about the west coast of Ireland (Wild Ireland: Edge of the World)? The phot..."No I didn't see it, sounds a lovely program though.
Some news of Humphrey. Humphrey is female.Other news is that she was spotted back in Start Bay today - but in a distressed state with her tail tangled in lobster pot ropes. Divers have freed her and she is being monitored.
