Hatching begins!
My garden birds this week
Tip of the week - Try a Bird Sit
Recommendation: Varmints! podcast
Upcoming events: Birthday birdwatch
Latest episode: #93 Neighbourhood Bird Walk, Hampshire, UK
Suzy’s Bird Notes
My garden birds
My garden has felt like Rook Central this week!
There have been up to eight Rooks and three or four Jackdaws at the busiest times and there is usually at least one Rook around. Along with five or so Wood Pigeons, my garden has been pretty full.
And although I put food in several places, it is the feeder with suet pellets and dried mealworms that is getting the most attention from the Rooks. This also leads to some conflict, mainly in the form of the Rooks displaying at each other, fluffing up their plumage, and holding their wings away from the body.
The suet pellet feeder also brings in two Starlings each morning, along with a Robin pair. Yesterday, I watched and listened as one of the Robins (the female?) made repeated ‘tseep’ calls while the other went to the feeder and got a piece of suet to feed its mate!
My Rook friend has been visiting several times a day, which is a massive increase on previous weeks. It has also started visiting our 'pond' (a water feature that is currently full of rainwater) to add water to what it is carrying in its crop.
From all of this increased activity, I am surmising that their chicks have hatched. I also saw a female Blackbird collecting food to take away yesterday - a sure sign of the presence of chicks to feed.
This morning, two Rooks were on a neighbour's roof. They were both immature (still had feathered bills) but one was making begging calls like a fledgling and, from the sound of it, was fed by the other. (If you have ever heard the gagging sound of a baby Rook being fed, you will know what I mean!) I took a photo of the pair, but the one begging did not look like a fledgling. So perhaps the feeding behaviour is part of courtship in adults and I just have never seen it before.
It did remind me that the noise of young Rooks and Jackdaws begging for food will likely not be a joy for any neighbours who don't understand what the calls are. They are not the prettiest of noises, but I always rush to look when I hear it for the joy of seeing young birds learning about the world. It won’t be long before these begging calls are heard in my neighbourhood!
Last Monday was a gorgeously sunny day, and I decided to record a Facebook Live and talk about the birds that visited my garden during it. Just before I went live, my Rook friend flew in and, amazingly, started chattering from the railing about 12 feet away. It has never done that before, and I felt very privileged to experience the moment.
You can hear more about that on this week's episode.
Blue Tits
The Blue Tits have continued to look at our nest box. One of the pair has a mark on its face so I can tell it from others. Our neighbour’s next box is also getting attention - I am still not sure if it is the same pair looking at both boxes.
Yesterday I noticed a Blue Tit causing destruction on a neighbour's trampoline. I could see it flying repeatedly to the frame, and when I looked with binoculars, I saw that it appeared to be shredding the foam cover. It didn't look like it was collecting the foam as nesting material, and was just pecking and dropping what it pulled off. I'd be interested in any suggestions you might have about why it is doing this.
Mammals
The Hedgehogs have continued to be active, and noisy, with some possible mating behaviour: one 'hog was circling the other and there were loud huffing noises coming from the pair.
And a Grey Squirrel made a surprise appearance yesterday - I haven't seen one in the garden for months, and then this one turned up. It quickly found the ground feeding trays that had sunflower hearts in!
A closer look at birds
This is the first week of the Bird Identification course, run by Christa of the Birding Tools podcast. I have been learning more about the topography of birds and, in particular, the feather types and locations.
I have become fascinated with looking really closely at the backs and wings of the birds in my garden, trying to identify the different feather types and how they contribute to the overall markings and appearance of the bird. This Wood Pigeon obliged me by raising its feathers while bathing, making it easier to see the layers of the plumage.
Tip of the week: Try a Bird Sit
I recently learned about the concept of a Bird Sit, from Christa (Birding Tools). I don't know how I had never come across the phrase before, as it is something that I do regularly. It is a mindfulness moment, with the focus on birds.
A Bird Sit is where you sit in one spot, take a few deep breaths and focus on your senses - what you can see, hear, feel, touch and taste. You then move the focus to the sights and sounds of the birds around you, watching their movements and listening to the various calls that they make, immersing yourself in the moment, and thinking about what those calls and movements might mean.
It is very calming, and provides even more of a connection to the natural world. I do wish it had a more glamorous name, though!
Birthday Birdwatch
It’s my birthday on April 8th and, though we will still be in Lockdown, I will spend the day birding - in my garden and around my neighbourhood (or from my window if the weather is bad)! I also hope to do a live stream during the day.
I would love you to join me (virtually).
Take just 10 minutes at some time during the day, and note the birds you see.
Then tell me about them, on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag me in the post. You can use the hashtag #BirthdayBirdwatch. (If you prefer you can email me your sightings.)
I’ll make a special episode about the day, and include your sightings!
Podcast recommendation - Varmints!
Have you heard Varmints! Podcast?
It’s a fun show about all the animals you can think of - and is produced with younger listeners in mind; perfect for shared listening time.
I was guest co-host on an episode about Hummingbirds!
The Casual Birder Podcast
I am truly humbled for the show's latest milestone: 100,000 listens!
I am so grateful to you for your time and interest in the episodes I produce.
Current episode:
#93Neighbourhood Bird Walk, Hampshire, UK
Join me for a bird walk in my neighbourhood, in Hampshire, UK. I saw 17 species, including a singing Goldcrest.
Also hear about the birds that listeners have seen in the past week, and I share a wonderful encounter with my Rook friend.
Past episode suggestion:
#55 Paul Cheall My Norfolk Garden Birds
We hear from Paul Cheall, host of Fighting Through podcast.
He tells us about the birds he sees in his Norfolk garden and, following on from episode #54, there are some further tips about feeding garden birds.
Visit my website for photos, blogs, and episode transcripts
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