nature notes II

[Rhiannon]

Just looked out of my window in North-West Essex and saw a large bird of prey circling quite low. It had a deep V-shaped tail, which when I googled it suggests that it was a red kite. Don't know how accurate that is, but if it's right there are apparently only 1,600 breeding pairs in the UK so it was quite a sight.

They are becoming more widespread throughout East Anglia. I regularly see them here - several times a week, usually soaring over the fields. One took off from the ground in front of me the other day. They are stunning birds.

[SteveH]

It probably was a red kite - the tail is quite distinctive. I don't know about breeding pairs, but they are fairly common in my neck of the woods.  It's also known as the shite-hawk, although that name originally referred to the black kite.

[SusanDoris]

I do hope someone can assist:

Chaffinches.
Their song is strong, clear and decisive, particularly the ending,  and immediately recognisable. They sing it, pause, then sing it again.

Which bird:
sings a song which has a clear ending, somewhat resembling the chafinche's, but the song is softer and swweter - could be compared to a dunnock's at the beginning - and which is repeated quite quickly quite a few times. I think it might be a Goldfinch but would be grateful for any advice on this. There are quite a few of these in a certain area and this again is where they differ from the chaffinches which tend to be more on their own, don't they.

[wigginhall]

Goldfinch sounds likely, they are certainly numerous in London.  Can you find a link with their song, I think YouTube has some.

Butterflies not bad right now, presumably the weather is helping.  Have seen painted lady, comma (looking very orange), gatekeeper, ringlet, skipper, meadow brown, holly blue, forget others.

Also saw today a nice fat hornet, who was enjoying the cat poo.   Haven't seen one for ages, reminded me that when we were kids, we were terrified of them, I suppose their sting packs a punch.  Apparently, they use attack pheromones to recruit defenders of the nest.

[Rhiannon]

Yes, I've noticed an increase in insects, good to see more butterflies.

Last week on the Norfolk coast, plenty of gulls, cormorants, seals and the odd oystercatcher. Last night back home, watching a tawny owl flying back and forth over the garden.

[wigginhall]

Lovely.  Looking forward to Titchwell, although it can be quiet in July and August.   The stars are usually the spoonbills , breeding nearby, also great white egret, increasing.

[Rhiannon]

Saw a little egret standing in a muddy pond at my local stately home not so long ago.

[Bramble]

We have plenty of hornets where I live. They come in through the open windows many times a day but after a nosey round always make their own way out again quite peacefully. Often they find some part of the house to nest in. This year a roving queen tried to take up residence in a bedroom - in a cavity inside one of the interior beams, via on old dowel hole. I waited for her to go in for the night, then plugged the hole and caught her the next morning as she came out, and relocated her. Last year there was a nest under the eaves just outside another bedroom window. The amount of urine they produce is staggering! Even so, I'm rather fond of them. They never seem threatening and I'm told their sting is no worse than a wasp's anyway. Mind you, a few years ago I did accidentally disturb a wasps nest in my son's bedroom and was well stung. They use attack pheromones and made a coordinated assault down the back of my T shirt. I collapsed not long after due to anaphylaxis and was raced to hospital which was rather exciting. At least I wasn't made to wait in line at A & E! The worst of it was the antihistamine drug they gave me combined with the amount of IV fluids piped in to raise my blood pressure - the drug caused urinary retention and by the time this side effect wore off my bladder was about to rupture.

[ekim]

Saw a little egret standing in a muddy pond at my local stately home not so long ago.

As Frank Sinatra would say 'Egrets, I've seen a few, but then again, too few to mention'.

[wigginhall]

We have plenty of hornets where I live. They come in through the open windows many times a day but after a nosey round always make their own way out again quite peacefully. Often they find some part of the house to nest in. This year a roving queen tried to take up residence in a bedroom - in a cavity inside one of the interior beams, via on old dowel hole. I waited for her to go in for the night, then plugged the hole and caught her the next morning as she came out, and relocated her. Last year there was a nest under the eaves just outside another bedroom window. The amount of urine they produce is staggering! Even so, I'm rather fond of them. They never seem threatening and I'm told their sting is no worse than a wasp's anyway. Mind you, a few years ago I did accidentally disturb a wasps nest in my son's bedroom and was well stung. They use attack pheromones and made a coordinated assault down the back of my T shirt. I collapsed not long after due to anaphylaxis and was raced to hospital which was rather exciting. At least I wasn't made to wait in line at A & E! The worst of it was the antihistamine drug they gave me combined with the amount of IV fluids piped in to raise my blood pressure - the drug caused urinary retention and by the time this side effect wore off my bladder was about to rupture.

Terrific story.  We get wasps nests in the ground, quite peaceful critters really.  I was about to launch into a survey of different species, then I thought, relax, work is over now.

[Enki]

Lovely.  Looking forward to Titchwell, although it can be quiet in July and August.   The stars are usually the spoonbills , breeding nearby, also great white egret, increasing.

I visited Norfolk mid May with 4 other birders for a few days. We stayed in two pods near Kings Lynn. interesting experience! We visited Titchwell where we had the usual marsh harriers, a couple of spoonbills, avocets and about 15 Mediterranean gulls. We also visited Dersinhgham Bog(nightjar), Kelling Heath(dartford warbler), Weeting Heath(stone curlew), Frampton Marsh(good range of waders) and best of all, Lakenheath Reserve, where we had circa 20 hobbies(15 in the air together), 2 bitterns and 2 cuckoos(first in Britain for me for 2 years). I love the area, although this was my first visit there for about 10 years. One thing we all noticed was the very apparent scarcity of hirundines everywhere. Were they late(because of the beast from the east), or has there been real difficulties on their migration path? Time will tell.

[Enki]

Got back recently from a holiday in the Austrian Tyrol. Fantastically picturesque place with  ridiculously postcard like views. Did manage to persuade my wife to go to the top of the mountain above Innsbruck however, by cable car (ostensibly because of the stunning views, but really because I needed alpine chough and alpine accentor). Successful trip, as I have photographs of an alpine chough taking a chip from my wife's hand.   Interesting area we stayed in, especially seeing a family group of breeding fieldfare and a male and female red breasted flycatcher holding territory. Black redstarts were everywhere as well as several black breasted dippers on the rivers. Although obviously not a bird except in name, we did manage to see Hitler's Eagle's Nest(Kehlsteinhaus), but only in passing.

[wigginhall]

Great stuff, enki.  I used to make the pilgrimage to Lakenheath, remember seeing the cranes, and my wife was gobsmacked.    Well, I was.  Apparently  about 100 Med gulls today at Titchwell, hold on guys, I'm nearly there.

[SusanDoris]

I tried the RSPB Goldfinch audio but my 'browser does not support' this, so I'll have to wait until someone can show me how to get it on Google chrome. Using this with latest SuperNova is very difficult at the moment.

[Enki]

I tried the RSPB Goldfinch audio but my 'browser does not support' this, so I'll have to wait until someone can show me how to get it on Google chrome. Using this with latest SuperNova is very difficult at the moment.

Susan, Can you get youtube videos?

If you can, try this for the golfinch's song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TypeBqNdpI

[SusanDoris]

Susan, Can you get youtube videos?

If you can, try this for the golfinch's song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TypeBqNdpI

Thank you for the link - I clicked on it straight away but was unable to play it. The Tech chap is coming week after next, so I'll get him to sort it out.

[SusanDoris]

Today I have been to Wisley Gardens (near Woking) to meet some friends. As we were walking along the herbaceous border, there was just one bird singing - a Song thrush. It was in full song and carried on for as long as we were walking to the end. Would it be rearing another brood? Isn''t it unusual to hear such a song at this time of year?

[Aruntraveller]

So this morning prior to going out for a reunion lunch with old friends I looked out to the garden and immediately spotted something unusual. At least unusual for a suburban garden in Nottingham.

Nature red in tooth and claw.

A Sparrowhawk was dismembering and consuming a pigeon. I got the glasses out and watched fascinated by the process. The sparrowhawk constantly checking for danger whilst consuming its prey.

Gruesome,  but as i said fascinating.

[Rhiannon]

So this morning prior to going out for a reunion lunch with old friends I looked out to the garden and immediately spotted something unusual. At least unusual for a suburban garden in Nottingham.

Nature red in tooth and claw.

A Sparrowhawk was dismembering and consuming a pigeon. I got the glasses out and watched fascinated by the process. The sparrowhawk constantly checking for danger whilst consuming its prey.

Gruesome,  but as i said fascinating.

Had this right outside my back door once. It is gruesome, as you say, but stunning. My garden was left strewn with bloody woodpigeon feathers. According to farmer friends this should put the pigeons off visiting the garden, but instead they just waded through the remains of their colleague.

[wigginhall]

I've seen this with a parrot (being dismembered by sparrowhawk).  An amazing sight.  Parakeet actually, of which there are 1000s in London.

[Rhiannon]

They cause problems don't they, because they take the nesting sites of native birds. Or so I've heard.

[wigginhall]

Watching the wood pigeons sailing into the elder trees to take the fruit, purple by now.  The amazing thing is that when you get a group of 3 or 4, they twist and turn, hang upside down, and resemble a Japanese print.  Who would think that pigeons could be so aesthetic?

[Rhiannon]

Watching the wood pigeons sailing into the elder trees to take the fruit, purple by now.  The amazing thing is that when you get a group of 3 or 4, they twist and turn, hang upside down, and resemble a Japanese print.  Who would think that pigeons could be so aesthetic?

They do this with ivy berries too. They transform from unwieldy things into acrobats.

[Roses]

We had a sparrow hawk sitting on our back fence this morning. It sat there for quite a while before plunging into the undergrowth the otherside of the fence. I guess it saw something tasty like a rat.

[Rhiannon]

Sitting in my room, I hear a strange thudding sound. Looking up, I see moss flying past. I look outside; a small flock of starlings is picking the moss off the roof and throwing it, presumably looking for insects.