BIRD NEWS:74

Still on my Highdown trip, I took one or two more shots of those unidentified big black birds. I know they cannot be jackdaws due to not having pretty silver eyes, but they could be more or less any other 'big black bird'.

Here is a blackbird that is just a blackbird - much easier to identify! Parents and young were seen bug-pecking to one side as I walked over the top of the hill on my way home from the gardens. Regular readers may recall that the last time I took a trip up the hill, I came down and found a pair of pigeons on the fence near the windmill turning. Well, I came down the hill this trip and....

...yes, there they were again! They were on the same fence, so I assume they hang out at this pathway. If so, I shall probably have regular shots of them throughout the years to come.

My final photo to share today is a sad one. The local garden center where I have begun to buy my suet pellets - as they stocked a wide variety of flavors at a reasonable price - has closed. It has been holding out promising not to for a long time - but the pressure to sell must have finally got through. Housing will soon replace my suet-stash-store...

BIRD NEWS:73

Here is the better of the two shots of Tapper and youngster sparrow on my tree, observing food on the sill. Next up, a couple of shots of Beatie's young. Beatie and partner have a new brood all sorting out the bugs on my tree...

Recently, I took another hike up our local hill - Highdown Hill. One of the plaques I spotted up there mentioned birds, so of course I took a picture of it to share. Previously, though probably in my former blog that got wiped out, I posted several photos of skylarks that I took when wandering up Highdown.

After wandering around the gardens for a while, I sat down near the ponds to rest/take a drink of water. I heard a familiar noise - the wings of a wood pigeon or two landing in a nearby tree, then flapping wood pigeons as one chased another away...

Yes, I cannot see them either - but from the sound of their wings, that is where they were. To close today's post, I will share 2 photos of 'big black birds'. I can tell they are jackdaws if they have pretty silver eyes, and rooks if they live in the rookery tree, but otherwise, I cannot yet tell a crow from a raven from a rook from a....

HERE is a video of a dove courting a cat - um yes, really...

BIRD NEWS:72

Above is Curio in much the same pose as her hubs in the last post. Later on, her teenager was actively munching the bits of fallen bread I had put on the bird table. (The exact same bread the council guy said was too hard for birds to eat, ho hum... maybe he has never encountered homemade bread before?)

In other early-mid August news, Mr Black and Curio have been dashing about feeding 3-4 teenage birds and 1-2 baby robins have been born. 

Whilst clearing the wheelbarrows, coal bunker, mops, glass, plastic, iron poles, netting and other debris my father 'hoarded' in the back garden, Mr Bob ventured to swoop down every so often to grab bugs from the dirt I was disturbing. I know it was Mr Bob, as he had that same 'trust-just-a-little' look in his eye that he used to.

Young sparrows are also in abundance once more. I managed to grab a couple of pictures of Tapper and youngster on the tree. Here is the first.

HERE is the link to a song & HERE is the link to another - both bird songs. 

BIRD NEWS:71

One last shot of the teenage blackbird from July to share, before continuing with August. The first week of the new month brought a fear to me, as the council sent someone out about clearing my yard due to rat scares over the back of us. It sounded as if they were officially going to order me to raze the lot, or at least too much for my own comfort.

Thankfully, when the day and time arrived, a friend turned up to help me through - as I am not very good when dealing with official people. Also thankfully, they managed to 'cheerful chatter' the official man out of the legal shell into humanity, and the result is that 3 tasks need to be seen to - but the birds should all be safe and well - as well as the hedgehogs, frogs, bees, butterflies, etc. PHEW!

Onwards to August pictures now, and here is Magster's youngster sitting in my tree. Next up, Mr Black is caught on camera during the second week of the new month.

BIRD NEWS:70

I got a really clear shot of Bluey and a fairly good one of Naboo shortly after cloud-checking. I also took a second shot of the pigeon - just in case my first shot did not come out.

Back home, mid-July had less ravenous young birds scrabbling for food - though Curio and Mr Black ensured their mob of teens got their fair share and knew my windowsill was a food source. A squeak in the tree alerts me to the fact that a young dove or pigeon will be emerging shortly. The now teenage blackbirds are making appearances on the tree from time to time.

As July continued, another batch of baby blackbirds arrived on the scene. Early August brought a batch of blue tits, and the young starlings were a little quieter, but still present. The birds were a little less prominent as the months swapped, however.

I forgot to post the following photo previously - its back to the white beach pigeon that was chasing the others in the Worthing beach gang.

BIRD NEWS:69

He came close up, so maybe it will remember that me and seed fit together next time I visit, scheduled for August! Regular readers must be wondering when those Lancing birds will turn up - well, here they are! Bluey and Naboo...

When I first arrived, I could hear Naboo screeching through the window. Among their antics this visit, Naboo rang his bell a few times, chewed his cigarette box, wiped his sticky beak on his bedsheet, and ate grapes and monkey nuts.

Naboo also went soppy in his blanket-bed. Bluey was quiet and peaceful this time, lazing about his cage, nibbling seed on one occasion and millet from a branch on another. It was possibly the weather, which was heavy, if out to sea rather than overhead. While looking through the window, to check the cloud situation - I had not brought a coat with me on this occasion and had much more of the trip to enjoy, including a chili festival and Indian supermarket - I spotted a pigeon! You cannot take me anywhere without me finding one of those!

BIRD NEWS:68

The usual beach gang guys were busy munching the seed happily. I wonder sometimes how much real food they get and how much is just discarded processed mass produced junk food that we humans are supposed to eat and enjoy.

It was not long before a new member of the gang began coofully strutting about attempting to coo-woo another pigeon. The usual pigeon courting dance began - familiar to those who know pigeons of most varieties. Alas, this time the newcomer was unsuccessful.

It soon decided to try another member of the gang, though and was next spotted chasing after a second beach gang pigeon, while other members munched seed.

The new white one gave up, and came across to investigate what was attracting the other guys to the corner of the shelter where I sat...