Bird question

[ditchman]

i have a large mail box at the gate.....the top is for letters and the bottom is for parcels milk ...papers etc.........which has been jammed shut for years.................

a Robin nested in it this year......but the cats got the first brood....then she nested again...and i think 5 fledged.............now i see she is feeding another brood..!!!

am i looking at 2 different Robins ..or do they indeed lay 3 times ....?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 minute ago, ditchman said:

i have a large mail box at the gate.....the top is for letters and the bottom is for parcels milk ...papers etc.........which has been jammed shut for years.................

a Robin nested in it this year......but the cats got the first brood....then she nested again...and i think 5 fledged.............now i see she is feeding another brood..!!!

am i looking at 2 different Robins ..or do they indeed lay 3 times ....?

Hopefully it is the same pair making up for their earlier loss.

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, ditchman said:

i have a large mail box at the gate.....the top is for letters and the bottom is for parcels milk ...papers etc.........which has been jammed shut for years.................

a Robin nested in it this year......but the cats got the first brood....then she nested again...and i think 5 fledged.............now i see she is feeding another brood..!!!

am i looking at 2 different Robins ..or do they indeed lay 3 times ....?

I'm surprised they used it again if the cats got them in the box? But yes if the food and weather are good they'll keep going. 

[ditchman]

21 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I'm surprised they used it again if the cats got them in the box? But yes if the food and weather are good they'll keep going. 

cat didnt get in the box....it got them when all the little things took their first flight...it all happened in a few secounds...................

but she was back laying a few days later....then 4 or 5 fledgeded....she was feeding them on the ground.....they became independent very quick....that was about 3 or so weeks ago...now she has hatched another lot..............

quite pleased really ...as for 2 or 3 years i didnt see a robin....now i see them all the time...

[GingerCat]

I've got sparrows and blue tits nesting in the garden and they appear to keep going if they conditions are right  

[Mice!]

14 minutes ago, ditchman said:

cat didnt get in the box....it got them when all the little things took their first flight...it all happened in a few secounds...................

but she was back laying a few days later....then 4 or 5 fledgeded....she was feeding them on the ground.....they became independent very quick....that was about 3 or so weeks ago...now she has hatched another lot..............

quite pleased really ...as for 2 or 3 years i didnt see a robin....now i see them all the time...

With you now, we're overflowing with Goldfinch's this year, happily.  I got yet another Nyger seed feeder after trying a few, and its getting emptied daily, loads about, it's got to the point the wife doesn't look now there in the garden so often.

[Rim Fire]

We had a very good spring which brought the nesting season forward by a good few weeks so quite possible to have a few broods

[ditchman]

got lots of finches ...all sorts..............

[martinj]

Courtesy of the RSPB:

The young are tended by their parents for up to three weeks after fledging. Frequently the care of the fledged young is left to the male, while the female prepares herself for the next nesting effort. Robins have two broods a year. Three successful broods a year is not uncommon, and in a good year even four are known.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/robin/nesting-and-breeding-habits/

[old'un]

We also have a pair of robins on their third brood, it seems that most birds have done well this year, getting flocks of Goldfinch feeding on the sunflower hearts and a good number of Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Chaffinch, Starlings have also done well this year, we have had some big family groups coming to the garden after the mealworms, fat trays and fat balls, be interesting to know how well pigeons and blacks have done this year, seem to have plenty of pigeons coming to the bird tables and picking up any seed that has fallen from the feeders, the wife dropped a bag of mixed bird seed the other day, I got most of it up and spread the rest over the lawn, bloody pigeons went mad for it, must have been 30+ pigeons in and around the garden.    

[powler]

Certainly noticed more birds about of late, the wife only commented the other day that she saw a great tit pottering around in the garden last weekend.

Mick

[Mice!]

11 minutes ago, powler said:

Certainly noticed more birds about of late, the wife only commented the other day that she saw a great tit pottering around in the garden last weekend.

Mick

🤣🤣

[NatureBoy]

Unusual your robins used post box/same nest for second attempt Ditchy. Three broods not unusual if conditions are good. My third lot have hatched. Nest in a flowerpot wedged in fence this time. The rain has helped all critters. Still got goldfinches, chaffinches, dunnocks and wood pigeon nesting at mine. Mistle thrushes on third attempt near by. House martins only started nest building on neighbours gable last week. Wrens done well and young have only just dispersed. Lack of cats about at mo make a big difference to nesting and survival. Whitethroat and blackcap visiting garden daily. Often wake to the sound of turtle doves. Noticed lot more song thrushes about this year and nightingales. lots of all sorts of bees everywhere. . . . . Keep an eye/ear out for them very rare blyths reed warblers. There is a few in Suffolk and other parts of the country. Saw and herd one again Saturday. Though boffins still not really believing us or that they could be on more than one site locally. . . . Up one farm locally a blackbird whistles back to the farmer in the same three note whistle when he calls to it then just carries on singing normally. Very strange and human like whistle. Says it been doing it for two years.  . . . If you want to hear/see nightjars  there is a few on Westleton Heath this year. Had three calling close round me an saw one Saturday night. Very surreal! Prob not happen again. A very strange sounding and looking bird. Saw a dartford warbler just before dark there to.   

With the reserves shut, in last few weeks we have had birders/ twitchers sussing where the turtle doves etc are and turning up on farms, parking up on tracks and in gateways trying to see them and other red listers we trying to help. Some have a lot of knowledge, but ant got a clue about how to watch/ approach wild  birds or get the bigger conservation picture. Some of these tick box types had travelled several miles to do it to.     NB

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, NatureBoy said:

hear/see nightjars  there is a few on Westleton Heath this year. Had three calling close round me an saw one Saturday night. Very surreal! Prob not happen again

They must take some spotting in daylight never mind at night.

We've had a load of blackbird chicks appear in the last week or so, yet to see any young thrushes though, always a few adults about but no chicks following them. 

[NatureBoy]

Complete chance happening of seeing both Mice. I was on the way home from a summer solstice sunset gathering of like minded folk on the beach. Pulled over at heath to top up empty  screen washer bottle as so many insects on screen. Saw dartford warbler as i pulled in and soon as i turned truck off i could hear one nightjar churrrring real loud right beside me. It flew round small parking area and me displaying and wing clapping like pigeons do. As it still wasn't really dark could i see it against the sky. Plus they flash white wing a tail markings in a strange way making them look more unusual to. Look like a cross between a cuckoo, swallow and a huge moth. It settled on a post nearby and  kept churrring/clicking and two others joined in taking no notice of me. All close and real loud as it was so still and quiet. It was like the parking area was the edge of each birds territory. Such a very weird sound and amazing experience! I would of been chuffed just seeing the dartford warbler. . . .   Old name for nightjars round my way is "goatsucker". They were thought to be witches.     

Anyone seen any rosey starlings?  Said to be a lot all over UK at mo. They another striking looking bird.        NB 

[Mice!]

23 minutes ago, NatureBoy said:

Complete chance happening of seeing both Mice. I was on the way home from a summer solstice sunset gathering of like minded folk on the beach. Pulled over at heath to top up empty  screen washer bottle as so many insects on screen. Saw dartford warbler as i pulled in and soon as i turned truck off i could hear one nightjar churrrring real loud right beside me. It flew round small parking area and me displaying and wing clapping like pigeons do. As it still wasn't really dark could i see it against the sky. Plus they flash white wing a tail markings in a strange way making them look more unusual to. Look like a cross between a cuckoo, swallow and a huge moth. It settled on a post nearby and  kept churrring/clicking and two others joined in taking no notice of me. All close and real loud as it was so still and quiet. It was like the parking area was the edge of each birds territory. Such a very weird sound and amazing experience! I would of been chuffed just seeing the dartford warbler. . . .   Old name for nightjars round my way is "goatsucker". They were thought to be witches.     

Anyone seen any rosey starlings?  Said to be a lot all over UK at mo. They another striking looking bird.        NB 

Something special for sure.

[twenty]

9 hours ago, NatureBoy said:

Complete chance happening of seeing both Mice. I was on the way home from a summer solstice sunset gathering of like minded folk on the beach. Pulled over at heath to top up empty  screen washer bottle as so many insects on screen. Saw dartford warbler as i pulled in and soon as i turned truck off i could hear one nightjar churrrring real loud right beside me. It flew round small parking area and me displaying and wing clapping like pigeons do. As it still wasn't really dark could i see it against the sky. Plus they flash white wing a tail markings in a strange way making them look more unusual to. Look like a cross between a cuckoo, swallow and a huge moth. It settled on a post nearby and  kept churrring/clicking and two others joined in taking no notice of me. All close and real loud as it was so still and quiet. It was like the parking area was the edge of each birds territory. Such a very weird sound and amazing experience! I would of been chuffed just seeing the dartford warbler. . . .   Old name for nightjars round my way is "goatsucker". They were thought to be witches.     

Anyone seen any rosey starlings?  Said to be a lot all over UK at mo. They another striking looking bird.        NB 

Have not seen any myself , but Rosy Starlings have been recorded in Leicestershire, Essex and Pembrokeshire recently, easterly winds might bring a few more.

All the best........ps, Spotted Crake recorded in Frampton on Severn, Mon 22/6/20

[ditchman]

16 hours ago, NatureBoy said:

Unusual your robins used post box/same nest for second attempt Ditchy. Three broods not unusual if conditions are good. My third lot have hatched. Nest in a flowerpot wedged in fence this time. The rain has helped all critters. Still got goldfinches, chaffinches, dunnocks and wood pigeon nesting at mine. Mistle thrushes on third attempt near by. House martins only started nest building on neighbours gable last week. Wrens done well and young have only just dispersed. Lack of cats about at mo make a big difference to nesting and survival. Whitethroat and blackcap visiting garden daily. Often wake to the sound of turtle doves. Noticed lot more song thrushes about this year and nightingales. lots of all sorts of bees everywhere. . . . . Keep an eye/ear out for them very rare blyths reed warblers. There is a few in Suffolk and other parts of the country. Saw and herd one again Saturday. Though boffins still not really believing us or that they could be on more than one site locally. . . . Up one farm locally a blackbird whistles back to the farmer in the same three note whistle when he calls to it then just carries on singing normally. Very strange and human like whistle. Says it been doing it for two years.  . . . If you want to hear/see nightjars  there is a few on Westleton Heath this year. Had three calling close round me an saw one Saturday night. Very surreal! Prob not happen again. A very strange sounding and looking bird. Saw a dartford warbler just before dark there to.   

With the reserves shut, in last few weeks we have had birders/ twitchers sussing where the turtle doves etc are and turning up on farms, parking up on tracks and in gateways trying to see them and other red listers we trying to help. Some have a lot of knowledge, but ant got a clue about how to watch/ approach wild  birds or get the bigger conservation picture. Some of these tick box types had travelled several miles to do it to.     NB

my thrushes are back this year after a long absense.....used to shoot regular at Westelton......R.Scarlett's shoot..........

wasnt Westelton heath where the Kennedy brother died when his flying bomb exploded during the war ?...........interesting historical area is Suffolk

[NatureBoy]

Seems every where you go there's a song thrush (storm cock) singing this year. Had two young'ns bouncing around my garden a while back. 

Don't know of them or that shoot. I only shoot game on local beaters days, invites and a bit of rough/walked up or if i fancy one or two. Get given so many. Do what i can to keep wild grey partridges going.They doing well this year and nested early. Were a lot of pheasants left from last season as it so wet. They done ok to with more broods about. Could be an interesting season  as some are not putting birds down . . .. Love the coast that way and  Westleton/Dunwich heaths and forest. Several folk were fishing at Dunwich. Plenty of sole about. 

Surprised i didn't know about Kennedy and the flying bomb. Had to look it up. Interesting! Dodgy solenoid and it exploded at 2000 feet. Homes were damaged 16 miles away and 147 properties were destroyed yet no one killed. Presume there was more settlements near the forest back then? Hundreds of trees were destroyed and the fire was 3ml square. Hard to imagine  how it looks today. Apparently JFK visited the site.

Knew about the zeppelin being shot down at Theberton near by in 1917. 30,000 people came to see it. An ol boi i knew had a piece of air frame from it as a door stop.   NB

[JDog]

This is the best year I can remember for singing Song thrushes. One is making music as I write.

Isn’t it the Mistle thrush that is called the Storm cock?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

43 minutes ago, JDog said:

This is the best year I can remember for singing Song thrushes. One is making music as I write.

Isn’t it the Mistle thrush that is called the Storm cock?

Well he's a day early then.

[Walker570]

We have a blackbird now on it's third clutch. My wife started feeding it currants and sultanas at the back door and now it follows here around like a dog. I opened the backdoor at 5.30 the other morning and she was sitting there waiting.  Yes they will rear numerous clutches through the summer.  We have robins everywhere but they are very aggresive and will drive others off.

If I'm sat in a high seat it is a fair bet the first little bird to come and check me out will be a robin and the old folk used to believe they where souls from past family members.

The mistle thrush, apart from imitating peregrins and eagle owls, is also called a storm cock and is the main singer with the cock bird finding a high spot and will serenade for hours at this time of year and both them and blackbirds sing both just before and after a rain fall, hence the name.

[discobob]

On 24/06/2020 at 08:52, ditchman said:

my thrushes are back this year

It's the heat - Canesten cream or some live yogurt works wonders🤣

On 23/06/2020 at 10:57, Mice! said:

With you now, we're overflowing with Goldfinch's this year, happily.  I got yet another Nyger seed feeder after trying a few, and its getting emptied daily, loads about, it's got to the point the wife doesn't look now there in the garden so often.

we have been using Nyger seed but have a real issue with it taking hold and growing underneath the tree it is hung in - which feeders do you use for it @Mice! ??

[Mice!]

@discobob

I was recommended this.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Niger-Seed-Bird-Feeder-Goldfinch-Finder-Ideal-For-Offering-Niger-Seeds/392822045315?epid=596378912&hash=item5b7604ba83:g:XcIAAOSwG4Be1RBc

It's the first feeder that's ever worked for me with Nyger seed, not had any trouble with stuff growing under the feeders, pigeons clear up most spillage or the sparrows and Dunnocks.

[discobob]

10 minutes ago, Mice! said:

@discobob

I was recommended this.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Niger-Seed-Bird-Feeder-Goldfinch-Finder-Ideal-For-Offering-Niger-Seeds/392822045315?epid=596378912&hash=item5b7604ba83:g:XcIAAOSwG4Be1RBc

It's the first feeder that's ever worked for me with Nyger seed, not had any trouble with stuff growing under the feeders, pigeons clear up most spillage or the sparrows and Dunnocks.

We have a monster of a bird table that I built for our wood pigeons that come into the garden so they don't feed on the ground - our dogs seem to have a personal grudge against them anyway and chase them when they (used to) land. I wonder if my wife is just assuming that it is Nyjer seed that is causing the "weeds" and if it isn't another seed from the other feeders - it looks very much like a watercress and holds a load of water.

I think I will find something that has a bowl underneath to catch the droppage