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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 24 2:26 pm Post subject:

bird town news

the sparrows and pigeons are doing symbiotic, going by the mood they may have found coffee cake on their travels

a few bits of corvid meat have been taken, sneakily, so was it the careful... doors, one of the pies or something else?

there was a solitary starling, roof side and looking for pals for a very short time

a pair of little owls live in the area and consider this their territory
the lady barn is still alone

the owl thing might be part of the sammisons not being very visible, although they take food from safe places, and they tend to snooze if there is plenty of food

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 24 9:15 am Post subject:

a sammison has got quite active after a snoozy winter of home deliveries

here is within the young male blackbird's patch, he may introduce himself, he does not look like one of the bracks or the triangulars*

the sparrows are going for seeds and mealworms, good sign they are busy
im not certain of numbers , between 11 and 15 at best guess, until i get to know individuals double counting in a dining swirl is easy

*the extended family had the shape of a bell tent and a love of high calorie food that would have made them eating champions in a bird vs how much cake!? contest

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Mar 19, 24 2:55 pm Post subject:
the vocal foxes got noticed fox population density is higher suburban than rural, food supply and predation/vermin eradication etc are harder on them rurally locally there seem to be more this year than previously i wonder if urban scavenger/omnivores are doing rather well at the mo, the jackdaws are, ummm

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15603

Posted: Wed Mar 20, 24 6:46 am Post subject:
Strangely we saw a fox yesterday night. We were in a suburban/open space area and it was just standing on some grass between some roads. No hunting or scavenging at that precise spot, but no doubt bound for somewhere else. I can quite believe that urban areas provide better food sources than rural, and rubbish doesn't run away. Rats do, but not dumped burgers.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15603

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 24 8:09 am Post subject:
Went for a walk round the woods yesterday after ages working in the 'yard'. Found wood anemones starting to flower, twayblade starting to come up, quite a lot of toothwort in places not seen before, some early violets in flower, but most still just coming up into leaf and primroses and celandines in flower. Very muddy everywhere, so not best walking conditions.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 24 12:17 pm Post subject:

nice, wet spring temperate woodland is a bit tricky to live in, but it is gorgeous, tiny or total scales have great charm
tis wet here, again, warm and wet

mr blackbird is no longer an eligible bachelor, i did not get an invitation to the wedding

but mrs b is assessing if his worm futures are as promising as he said they were

the sparrows are settling into first clutch prep

mrs b likes pasty crimp(real time report)

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 24 12:27 pm Post subject:

real time

the two "careful, doors!" jacks have spotted crusts, ditto one of the magpies who is on the shed roof(in the pastry)

and away, the pigeons are involved

im getting flustered

film it and describe it later

mrs b is hoovering up wandering worms, both doors are in sight on gutter and shutter top, shed...............
lost delivery driver..................

less pastry
pigeons thrilled some left for them

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 24 12:48 pm Post subject:
that was about 5 mins of obs, tis hard work to commentate on the action the African folk on telly do a fair job with safari sunrise and at the waterhole etc they have more no critters time than too much going on moments, here is similar the busy bits are rather fun though

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 24 1:30 pm Post subject:
the mixed bird activity attracted a few extras, the bluetit was not interested in crumbs but liked the distracting bustle of a crowd while it ate "bush flies" total and diversity might be a fraction of two years ago, but there are some still birds about a few species seem ok, others recovering very slowly, some gone

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15603

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 24 8:06 am Post subject:
Some more wildlife to report. Saw what we think was a hare (more numerous in the wood than rabbit) at a distance, a couple of peacock butterflies and a brimstone. The male silver pheasant tried to take on our truck that was driving through 'its' territory, but luckily thought better of it at the last minute or it would have been dinner if somewhat flat.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 24 11:28 am Post subject:

if the front bumper is the right ht and there is sufficient ground clearance, a vehicle kill can be very tidy

some engines sound more like a butch male pheasant than others, those have quite a success rate during the breeding season aggression

i have not tried it off-road but on lanes etc
a steady 15 to 20 mph gives them time to square up neatly and sufficient energy for a tidy headshot when they peck the big growling bird

some places might have a suitable commuter every morning and need to be checked like a trap line before the foxes get them

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15603

Posted: Sat Mar 23, 24 9:04 am Post subject:

I have only hit one twice, purely by the stupidity of the bird. The first time I thought it was dead, so went to look, but it raised its head, decided I had designs upon it and ran squawking and flapping up the road, so I assumed it was uninjured. The second time it was dead, but it was on the lane near our butchers, and the butcher very kindly oven readied it for me. I had another one that flew into a gate, and I had to deal with that myself. Son rescued the carcass before the buzzard, that had expected it for dinner got to it.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 24 8:45 am Post subject:

going live to bird town with our lycanthropic avian correspondent...

a young daws spotted the pork pie wreckage about 6 mins ago, he has informed his close chum, they are considering how to deal with such treasure

the sparrows and pigeons and blackbirds alliance is a very mobile force, arrive, eat, go to the next place is the work of minutes

20 mins in the sparrows are back, blackbirds like pork pie

there will be updates as things develop. back to the studio.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 24 9:00 am Post subject:
here in birdtown it is 36 mins since the pie landed young daws has just grabbed his first bit, the pigeons and blackbirds have demonstrated it is safe, and delicious

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45521
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 24 9:03 am Post subject:
there are over a dozen sparrows in birdtown keen on food, keen on spring activities

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