Kids, who's have 'em?

[sunnybob]

I have an abundance of bird life around me. I've just spent an hour in the garden, trying to listen to the TV, but not succeeding due to listening to a pair of sparrows going spare, trying to get one of their young one to fly. :roll:
Our garden is stamped concrete with a 6 ft wall all around.
The young one is hopping from one end to the other, both parents are yelling at it at the top of their lungs. The thing climbed 4 ft up the olive tree, launched itself, and fluttered back to the ground. Normally we hate the sparrows, there are 100's of them and they carp everywhere, but just one time a year I have empathy. 8)

 

[Garno]

I have an abundance of bird life around me. I've just spent an hour in the garden, trying to listen to the TV, but not succeeding due to listening to a pair of sparrows going spare, trying to get one of their young one to fly. :roll:
Our garden is stamped concrete with a 6 ft wall all around.
The young one is hopping from one end to the other, both parents are yelling at it at the top of their lungs. The thing climbed 4 ft up the olive tree, launched itself, and fluttered back to the ground. Normally we hate the sparrows, there are 100's of them and they carp everywhere, but just one time a year I have empathy. 8)

Tonight we eat :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[MikeG.]

There's nests everywhere here. I don't think I've been aware of so many for years. Our current favourite nest is a woodpecker's (greater spotted) we found in a tree on a dog walk recently, but we are also pretty sure we've got little owls nesting in front of the house, blue ****, wrens, robins and blackbirds everywhere, and a yellowhammer which we haven't managed to pin down exactly just yet, but it's somewhere in the garden. Buzzards are nesting in the woods front and back, there are 3 kestrel nests we can hear from the house, and we had a clutch of 12 red-legged partridges wander through the veggie patch the other day. Our bird list (in or from the garden only) is now up to 60.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Our bird list (in or from the garden only) is now up to 60.

I haven't got time for lists, but I was watching a perigrine hunting today. Then I went back to making bacon - sigh.

 

[John Brown]

Our bird list (in or from the garden only) is now up to 60.

I haven't got time for lists, but I was watching a perigrine hunting today. Then I went back to making bacon - sigh.

I hope that's not a euphemism.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Our bird list (in or from the garden only) is now up to 60.

I haven't got time for lists, but I was watching a perigrine hunting today. Then I went back to making bacon - sigh.

I hope that's not a euphemism.

Unfortunately not.

35 kilos bagged, brined and now curing. Slicing happens next week - I'm somewhat over pork at the moment, but it will be worth it.

Mmmm.... bacon.

 

[Fitzroy]

Most of last week the starlings had fledged and were out feeding with parents on the explosion of St. Marks flies. There were 20 pairs of parents and kids in the garden and it was a total cacophony of shouty kids asking for food.

F.

 

[sunnybob]

I cant believe it, the thing made it through the night (no predators came a calling) but its still racing round the garden wall. Full marks to the parents who are still coming down and feeding it, but it just hasnt grasped the idea of elevation. Its flying several feet at a time, and is more than half the height of the wall. The father is doing a good job of imitating a helicopter, rising vertically in front of it, but it just gets that village id ten t look and carries on flower pot hopping. :roll:

 

[Eric The Viking]

Our bird list (in or from the garden only) is now up to 60.

I haven't got time for lists, but I was watching a perigrine hunting today. Then I went back to making bacon - sigh.

I was watching our local Peregrine nest on Wednesday. They have at least one chick. They're in the Avon Gorge, on the far side from where we live (and yes, everybody knows where they are, so it's not a secret).

I had my eye (and bins) on the nest, as the male had just gone in for some quality time with the kid(s), when the female strafed the Jackdaws' nests on the ledges just underneath my viewpoint. She must have been only 20 feet away, tops. Huge pair of yellow talons with a bird attached - she actually made me jump as I didn't see her coming, and flippin' quick even when only going horizontally.

They are huge fun to watch, as they get a good updraft right next to the best viewing spot, so often come quite close, although Wednesday was probably the nearest. It'll be interesting when the chick(s) fledge, as they'll be teaching them to hunt I guess.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

They are huge fun to watch, as they get a good updraft right next to the best viewing spot, so often come quite close, although Wednesday was probably the nearest. It'll be interesting when the chick(s) fledge, as they'll be teaching them to hunt I guess.

Nature's answer to fighter aircraft - just astonishing to see what they can do. Ours nest up the mountain, but their territory seems to be vast - much more than the buzzards use, so they are here, and then they are gone - mooching further up the valley.

 

[HappyHacker]

My bird feeder, nearby hedge and TV aerial look like a scene from The Birds with the number of starlings and their young coming in waves then disappearing for a while before returning. It is funny watching them, the odd young one tries to fly through the window every now and again. They love the fat balls, going to have to go and fill them up again while it is quiet.