nature notes II

[SweetPea]

Different camera angles on the Scottish osprey today and they do appear to have some quite substantial sticks around the nest. This morning the hen, while sitting on the nest, was doing a lot of calling ...... perhaps asking Mr O to hurry up with that meal, ha ha.

Here is a blog that accompanies the webcam:

http://blogs.scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/osprey/

Some interesting entries. The observers talk of the male bringing the female a pike (quite a large fish), so they are identifying the fish - a top blog. At log entry for May 1st there are some stunning pictures of the osprey fishing and in flight. NB surrounding scenery ....

[Enki]

antithesis

How wonderful to hear, and see, a Nightingale. Do they ever come to this country? I still remember back in the 70s, rushing home from teaching each day to listen to a bird that sang its heart out with a continuous, beautiful song, perched on the chimney of a near-by house. What sort of size is a Nightingale I never did work out what it was.

Gonnagle

Thank you! I'll report back on what we see and hear later on Tuesday, or Wednesday.

Hi Susan,
Yes, nightingales are still in England, although they are much reduced. Kent is their stronghold, although they can breed as far as Yorkshire. I think that there are still one or two pairs on Thorne Moors, near Goole. They are the size of large robins, with warm brown plumage and reddish tails. Usually in this country they keep well hidden though.

Cuckoos are becoming pretty scarce now, as others have said, which is such a shame. Well heard, Ekim. Last year was the first year since I started birding in 1975 that I hadn't heard or seen a cuckoo in this country. Incidentally they can make a bubbling call, as well as the normal cuckoo call.

[SusanDoris]

Ah, well, the bird I refer to looked more like a large thrush, as it had a speckled light-coloured breast and brownish wings, but it definitely wasn't a song thrush because the song was fluid, not repetitive. However, I suppose I could easily have mis-remembered. *sigh* I had a little pair of binoculars at the time, so had a reasonably close-up view. I suppose I'll never really know what it was.

[wigginhall]

Recording of willow warbler here, an interesting one, showing the subtle variations which you get in this song, not just a pure descending scale, but close enough to identify the species. 

http://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/British-wildlife-recordings/022M-W1CDR0001394-0800V0

This is a poor film off youtube, out of focus, but records the song OK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjiV8et8C34

[SusanDoris]

Thank you - I'll listen to those later. I have had a really excellent day. My brother arrived about 10:0 and we went to the hotel on the cliff top for coffee on the terrace - and chat of course. Then he drove us to the place where Daveatthegym said there should be a WW. There was a lull in the traffic as we got out of the car and - wonderful! - there was the WW singing on the other side of the road, just where DATG had said it would be. I have recorded it to check with him later. We then walked down a path to an area of woodland where there were quite a few birds, also a cucckoo. I've recorded . We then went to Linwood where there is a pub with excellent food - and of course constant bird song all around, mainly a very dominant chaffinch. When DATG has told me what the other birds are that I've recorded, I will tell you what they were.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Susan,

If you ever catch on tape the mating call of the Pointless Albatross, save it, it could be worth a fortune.

Gonnagle.

[Enki]

Brilliant, Susan. So glad you heard it. Lovely liquid song, isn't it?

[SweetPea]

Susan, reply 84 ..... glad you had an enjoyable day and success at last in seeing and hearing the willow warbler! Lovely 

I'm still intrigued with the two osprey nests. According to the Scottish blog, as it has been so hot there today, both the male and female birds have been panting with their beaks open (rather like a dog) to release excess heat because they have no sweat glands.

Just caught a glimpse earlier of one egg in the Canadian nest. These two birds are so sweet (excuse me) ..... they do a lot of cuddling.  

[SusanDoris]

Tomorrow I shall be asking Dave-at-the-gym to identify the other bird songs I've got on tape, although most were chaffinches, blackbirds and song thrushes.

Can't see[/see] any of them, I'm afraid, SweetPea, but it has been such an interesting exercise over the past ten years becoming confident in recognition by song, ande I can tell where they are approx because of the hearing aid technology available today. 

This morning at 05:58 I had my little radio on to listen to Tweet of the Day, but heard nothing!! Well, except for DA's voice of course, so it just goes to show how age-related hearing loss affects things.

[SusanDoris]

I found out today that nothing has come out on the mini tape recorder on Tuesday. <sadface> I shall have to go back there and record it again.

[wigginhall]

Your previous point about age and hearing can be quite amusing, as some older birders look baffled when you say, oh listen to that goldcrest, or whatever.  Not funny for them, I guess.  Try this.

http://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/British-wildlife-recordings/022M-W1CDR0001425-0400V0

[Rhiannon]

Several skylarks in the fields opposite us. Sometimes when the dog gets me up at stupid o'clock they are the only birds singing, sometimes I can see them up above the hedge. I wonder how the countryside must have sounded in the days of John Clare, the birdsong must have meant the countryside was never quiet.

If we are lucky we see hares on the way into town. Heartbreaking to see one run over last week. Most farmers round here like them although one or two shoot them. They are the only game to have no closed season, meaning farmers can kill them during the breeding season, meaning many leverets die. There is a campaign to get the law changed but so far the govt. aren't interested.

[wigginhall]

We still have plenty of hares in Norfolk - I saw 7 the other morning, sort of shuffling around, as they do.

Watched a TV programme last night, and on the soundtrack there were tons of willow warblers!  It must be a good year for them.

[Rhiannon]

We still have plenty of hares in Norfolk - I saw 7 the other morning, sort of shuffling around, as they do.

Watched a TV programme last night, and on the soundtrack there were tons of willow warblers!  It must be a good year for them.

I love hares, I have hare art all over my home, they do pretty well here but aren't easy to see and don't seem to like the fields closest to us much. Seeing 7 would be heavenly.

[wigginhall]

Yeah, I like hares.  They can be surprisingly dopey at times, just sort of sit there, and let you get quite close. 

Your comment about skylarks made me feel gloomy, as there are still plenty of them in W. Norfolk, but most farmland birds have been badly hit.  Meadow pipits are well down; turtle doves almost gone; cuckoos ditto; corn bunting, hanging on; sparrows, ditto; tree sparrows, gone.   It's progress, you see.

[Enki]

We still have skylarks, but, as Wigs says, numbers are falling. Turtle doves are all but gone from this area, as are spotted flycatchers and corn buntings. Rather sad.

However, to lift the gloom, I was at a location 20 mins from my house at 6 am this morning, watching and videoing two otters at a certain location. I watched them fishing for about an hour. Marvellous sight! They are very regular at this location, and you are almost guaranteed seeing them. I won't mention the exact location, except by PM, in case of endangering them.

Love hares, too.  In fact I'm a sucker for most kinds of wildlife. 

[wigginhall]

I think it was Thetford which recently had a family of otters swimming up and down, and apparently you could just photograph them from the bridges in town.  I don't know if they're still there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLEzdYJaDc

[Rhiannon]

Love otters, haven't seen them in the wild but visit the sanctuary near Diss.

Last year at Sea Palling a friendly seal bobbed around where out kids were paddling. Fab rock pools there, too, formed in the artificial erosion barriers. Never seen so many starfish, some twicw the size of my hand, some the size of half of the top of my little fingernail.

Noticed this morning that we have house sparrows nesting somewhere in the roof around our chimney.

[SusanDoris]

I'm disappointed with the 'Tweet of the Day' at two minutes to six each morning. Not enough bird song; too much talk!

[Enki]

For the romantics amongst us...a new species of the family, fairyflies. Its name is tinkerbella nana. Nana, incidentally, was chosen as the species name, as a play on nanos(Greek for dwarf) and Nana, the name of the dog in Peter Pan.

Before the romantics get too carried away,  however,  it is worth noting that it is a type of parasitic wasp whose length is 2.5 times the thickness of a human hair. 

[wigginhall]

Great name!  I used to collect weird scientific names, e.g. arthurdactylus conandoylensis.  There are tons of them.

Aptostichus barackobamii. 

[I am simple]

I have a new bird problem this year. Last year it was a long tailed tit who was in love with himself and kept trying to woo his reflection.
This year it is a wren's nest.
A couple of weeks ago when our garage door (up and over) was opened we noticed a wren going in and out and an accumulation of leaves and other stuff in the strutts which holds the door together.
We daren't close the door, for what is at the top would fall to the bottom.
I have since read that the male wren makes several nests until the female has chosen her favourite.
Does anyone know how long I have to leave the door up and open whilst she makes up her mind?

I'm a female so I do have some sympathy with her.

[Rhiannon]

I have a new bird problem this year. Last year it was a long tailed tit who was in love with himself and kept trying to woo his reflection.
This year it is a wren's nest.
A couple of weeks ago when our garage door (up and over) was opened we noticed a wren going in and out and an accumulation of leaves and other stuff in the strutts which holds the door together.
We daren't close the door, for what is at the top would fall to the bottom.
I have since read that the male wren makes several nests until the female has chosen her favourite.
Does anyone know how long I have to leave the door up and open whilst she makes up her mind?

I'm a female so I do have some sympathy with her.

Especially as Mr Wren usually has several Mrs Wrens.

Wrens' nests are exquisite, we had one a few feet off the ground in the thick ivy on our bird cherry. It was woven from ivy leaves, grass and mud, and lined with moss. It was the perfect height for the children to see the babies - in the end I don't know how they all fitted in. One morning they fledged when the children were at school, then the nest came loose so it got taken into school.

We had a great tit that kept attacking the wing mirrors on our Disco one year.

Now we have sparrows nesting by the chimney so we can't light the woodburner. Brr!

[I am simple]

Especially as Mr Wren usually has several Mrs Wrens.

So this nest could be simply a twinkle in Mr Wren's eye. 
To shut the door or not shut the door, this is the question.

The nest is unfinished, no eggs or evidence of another woman as yet.

[Rhiannon]

Especially as Mr Wren usually has several Mrs Wrens.

So this nest could be simply a twinkle in Mr Wren's eye. 
To shut the door or not shut the door, this is the question.

The nest is unfinished, no eggs or evidence of another woman as yet.

I should think it will be ok, the nest is probably abandoned. The important thing is that there are no eggs.

It is perishing this morning. Am beginning to get very peeved with the sparrows. I will have to persuade the dog to cuddle up with me.