Wildlife

[MIG Wielder]

The Robins are back ! They have been visiting for the past 10 years and usually manage to breed. Last year they hid and nested in a thick bank of ivy by next doors fence. Unusually last year we had a lot of magpies and crows around as well as the local red-kite from the Chilterns.We never saw exactly where the robins nested but there was a lot of flying in and out. Now, at the weekend it was time to tidy up a bit and we found the old nest, and it was very well hidden. So we left that bit and a large section around it in case they re-used the nest. Reading the web-site it doesn't actually say whether they re-use the previous years nests or not, but today Daddy(?) robin was back prospecting the area for nest building (?).
Oh yes , this is urban Berkshire.
Watch this space !

[Toledo Man]

There's not much wildlife where I'm currently living. The previous place (the one with the garage) was where I'd posted the footage of the squirrels and is a former farmhouse situated next to a disused railway and there was quite a bit of wildlife. I remember hearing a woodpecker and at night we could hear a strange sounding bird in the woods nearby but we could never identifiy it. The place before that was the converted mill where I'd posted the photos of the heron and the Mallards (a breeding pair as what I meant when I posted the photos).

[Jod Clark]

.......and at night we could hear a strange sounding bird in the woods nearby but we could never identifiy it.....

Probably one of these beauties in your neck of the woods Dave...

[sprint95m]

The Robins are back !

Do they ever go away?

The UK breeding populations are either resident or partial migrants. Scandinavian breeders over winter in the UK making the robin
much more numerous in said winter months. They are also easier to spot because their plumage is brighter at this time too.
The robin is the only UK breeder that regularly fights to the death over territory. They are also the only UK bird to sing in winter
although some other species such as blackbirds will sometimes do so under street lights.




Ian.

[trackerjack]

One of my other interests is angling and on the rare occasions that I fish in winter using maggots, you find robins will actually land on your chair and nick the maggots while stealing you a look as if to say, "you dont mind, do you"?

[Toledo Man]

Jod, you could be right! I did see a robin at the same place. There's not much at the current place aside from the local bird population which is mostly crows, magpies and wood pigeons (I see the wood pigeons when I'm walking the dog).

[george]

There's not much at the current place aside from the local bird population which is mostly crows, magpies ..... which are classed as vermin .....

[Jon Tilson]

Magpies and crows do well on road kill.
Pigeons or collared doves (I cant tell the difference) are absolutely taking off numbers wise.
They seem to like the berries on our Ivy hedge. Often wonder what they taste like....

We also have a lot of herons. Funny how they always take off the second I'm ready to snap them. They must have a camera detector.

Had a really strange encounter with a swan last night. It had decided to just sit in the cycle lane as I drove past. Seemed ok.....plenty of would be helpers so
I didn't bother to stop. Funny place to just have a sit down....

Jonners

[Mad Mart]

Speaking of Herons...



I snapped this from my bedroom window yesterday. Can't remember seeing one around here before.

[Jon Tilson]

Nice one Mart...

In my experience Herons have some form of detector that makes them fly off just as you aim the camera...

Seems to be true of a lot of other wildlife as well...

Jonners

[grifterkid]

Nature is hugely underated and I'm always stopping in my tracks to view what's going on with our smaller companions of this planet...!!!

I was in Hyde Park this weekend and my mind was blown at seeing some of the sights I saw (I am easily amused!)...

People need to be more aware of what's around them as the next time they stop and take a look it might not be there!

[sprint95m]

Pigeons or collared doves (I cant tell the difference) are absolutely taking off numbers wise.

Collared doves, a non native species that is now very common, are easy to identify,
they have a consistent pinkie grey colour, a thin black "collar" around the neck and a pronounced fan like tail with very pale feathers.

Wood pigeons are much bigger with bluey grey colour and have an obvious white bar on each wing. Again their colouration is consistent.

Feral pigeons/rock pigeons are very variable in colour and about the same size as collared doves. They will readily enter buildings unlike
collared doves or wood pigeons.




Ian.

[Jon Tilson]

Thanks Ian...

Round here there are numerous examples of all three...

Which ones eat best I wonder....

Jonners

[Jod Clark]

Wood pigeon is the only one to eat

[trackerjack]

Very strange event when we stayed at daughter Rebecca's house near Reading over Christmas.
It was late at night and her two cats that were outside set off an enormous racket of screaming and snarling and when the door was opened they rushed in terrified with their tails all puffed out (fear sign in cats).
We were just quick enough to spot a very large bird flying away in the dark.
My guess was a large Tawny owl got confused and thought the cats were smaller than they were so grabbed but let go.
Or it was an escaped Eagle owl which could tackle a cat.
What do you guyrs reckon?