OV9

A mate who's a part time gamekeeper keeps getting his magpie traps smashed up

We’ve got what appears to be a group of 5 starlings which are now using the garden every single day. Daughter is fascinated.

Loving the birds this year.

Blue tits in the nest box I put up have all fledged. Keep seeing baby birds at the feeder - great & coal tits too. But most fascinating is the woodpecker. Red-headed baby. They ignore all the seeds and only want the peanut feeder.

Unfortunately had to clear up a small carcass (bird species/age unknown - I am not an expert and there were a few bits missing ) on Monday morning. looked like a sparrow hawk or peregrine had got it. Can’t complain - circle of life and all that, and I love seeing the birds of prey.

Mito Man wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 8:01 pm So I caught the cunting magpie flying out the open bay garage, then heard some very distressed Swallows. The shit must have eaten their eggs or chicks again, happened last year too with their first batch.

Get garage doors fitted? This will also result in less bird poo on your car. You're welcome.

It’s just used for parking trailers so don’t care about the birds. The swallows have returned after having disappeared for a few weeks.

Magpie may have flown into a bit of lead as it’s not around anymore.
On the plus side...

Can’t tell what they are from your pic?

Watched baby woodpecker learn how to feed from peanut feeder last weekend. Kept staring at mum/dad as they fed, but couldn’t manage to hold on and copy them. Then a nuthatch appeared and did the same - to which it responded “no fuck that” and managed....

5 Swallow chicks, they would look like this if I had a better camera

Not my picture.

Camera picked up a buzzard

Love “our” Buzzards round here.

More recently spotted a Goshawk (several times over the course of a week - now seems to have moved on) and a Hen Harrier.

Surprised no one has mentioned that magpies are noisy as fuck too, horrible racket.

Saw my first Kingfisher on my cycle to work this morning, he was a noisy git too, it's what made me look.

The owl is back visiting regularly on a night, think it must have been on the conservatory roof last night as the screeching was like it was in the room!

The buzzard is getting more friendly, I can now approach it in the car but it still flys off when I get out



It was also a bit of a cunt yesterday, last week I released some racing pigeons but one got lost. On Friday I get a call and someone’s found one so Saturday at 8am I got collect it, leave it outside the car in the cage whilst I go in to have breakfast and come back and see that this buzzard has somehow pulled it out through the cage and is eating it… guess the poor sod wasn’t destined to live.

Mito Man wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:45 pm The buzzard is getting more friendly, I can now approach it in the car but it still flys off when I get out



It was also a bit of a cunt yesterday, last week I released some racing pigeons but one got lost. On Friday I get a call and someone’s found one so Saturday at 8am I got collect it, leave it outside the car in the cage whilst I go in to have breakfast and come back and see that this buzzard has somehow pulled it out through the cage and is eating it… guess the poor sod wasn’t destined to live.

It’ll get real friendly if you keep feeding it

Mito Man wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:45 pm The buzzard is getting more friendly, I can now approach it in the car but it still flys off when I get out



It was also a bit of a cunt yesterday, last week I released some racing pigeons but one got lost. On Friday I get a call and someone’s found one so Saturday at 8am I got collect it, leave it outside the car in the cage whilst I go in to have breakfast and come back and see that this buzzard has somehow pulled it out through the cage and is eating it… guess the poor sod wasn’t destined to live.

Racing pigeon eaten by buzzard?

I bet it saw the pigeon and thought 'ah, fast food'.

It’s odd behaviour from them as this pair of buzzards now live in an oak tree in the garden and are always circling above using the thermals. There’s always 5-10 pigeons sitting on their aviary roof and it’s never been a problem - I’ve always assumed it’s after a more substantial meal. Maybe it was just very hungry.

Mito Man wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:21 pm It’s odd behaviour from them as this pair of buzzards now live in an oak tree in the garden and are always circling above using the thermals. There’s always 5-10 pigeons sitting on their aviary roof and it’s never been a problem - I’ve always assumed it’s after a more substantial meal. Maybe it was just very hungry.

Or knows a sitting duck (well pigeon) when it sees one

It’s not as good at catching free things

Phew, Rupert the rabbit lives to see another day.

Feckin magpies gave it away.

We’ve had a song thrush visiting the feeder - which is new - but my male pheasant pal disappeared for a good few weeks, so I suspected the worst. He reappeared last Tuesday however requesting some breakfast, and returned Wed-Fri too.

Some wasps took over a nest box - professional took care of them and another nest I found yesterday.

Got 4 or 5 feet away from a Herron on the canal and saw a beautiful Barn Owl in the daylight on Thursday!