Migrants pouring in

[fallen-archie]

Yes Spring is upon us so what Bird tells you Spring is here and have you spotted one? Looking for Ospreys, Chif chafs, Cuckoos,, Swallows, Swifts or Martins, eyes to the sky, what have you spotted? These miracles of nature fly thousands of miles to breed so what have you spotted and what bird do you no longer see?

[fallen-archie]

Wonderful news from the Loch of the Lowes, as I write this there are two Ospreys on the nest and unless I'm mistaken it Looks as if the Venerable Lady has Returned for the 18th Time, truly amazing feat given the journey from Senegal and the perils faced.

[jd.linklater]

That's great news Archie. Just tried the webcam but it doesn't seem to be working. It used to be left on all night, maybe they switch it off now.

Goldfinches have returned to our garden, used to see sparrows occasionally but they mainly keep to the village hedgerows. A sparrowhawk does a swoop of the garden twice a day, he got chased off by a bunch of jackdaws this evening. We have robins and wrens starting to build nests in the hedges. Long tailed **bleep** have been around all Winter but are started to drift off now, spotted a pair of bullfinches in the cherry tree yesterday. Lots of activity around the feeders especially **bleep** and woodpeckers. A magical time of year.

[al**bear]

screaching Cliff Rats return to the towns

Should be classed as vermin away from the Coasts

[malacandran]

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@al**bear wrote:

screaching Cliff Rats return to the towns

Should be classed as vermin away from the Coasts

---

This is a good point, because here on the south coast, in Brighton, we don't see many other birds than seagulls and pigeons.

The pigeons are "cliff rats", as you say.  They originally evolved to build their nests on cliffs. So they're naturally attracted to tall vertical structures, with ledges. Such as tall buildings, especially tower blocks, with balconies.

These attract the pigeons like a magnet!  The pigeons can't resist their lure. They come in constantly, to mate, squabble, and defecate.

At least that used to be the case, but a few years ago,  Brighton Council made very good use of taxpayers' money, by installing pigeon spikes and pigeon nets in tower blocks,  and now the verminous pigeons are gone!  Isn't that progress?

[suzieseaside]

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@malacandran wrote:
Do these birds have any potential for humans to use. Like in eating their flesh or eggs.

If not, why should we bother with them? I mean, why watch useless birds.

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If you don't know, I see little point in saying why.

What a shame that you don't see the value of wildlife or get any pleasure from watching it.

Thank goodness many humans do, or the planet would be in an even worse mess than it already is.

[merehazle]

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@malacandran wrote:

Yes, I think we should keep chickens around. They're good to eat, some people think. Though their flesh doesn't appeal to me.  It's too pasty-white and lacking in flavour.  But their eggs are undeniably delicious when boiled, fried, poached or scrambled.

That's why we keep hundreds of millions of these birds on our farms.  We wouldn't bother with them otherwise.

It's the eggs we value.  If only we could find a way to make the eggs directly, without the chicken stage!

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Thank you for ALL of that.  I think that just about covers it.  For YOU

[suzieseaside]

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@fallen-archie wrote:
Wonderful news from the Loch of the Lowes, as I write this there are two Ospreys on the nest and unless I'm mistaken it Looks as if the Venerable Lady has Returned for the 18th Time, truly amazing feat given the journey from Senegal and the perils faced.

---

I read in the papers today that it is a younger female who has mated with the male and that Lady has not returned - possily she has died as apparently she had always been back by 9th April. Sad, but I think 2 out of the last 3 years of mating failed to produce viable eggs so perhaps there will be a better chnce of chicks from the younger female.

[fallen-archie]

Yes that is the case Suzie, she arrived much earlier than the Lady would have, but the weather conditions have not been good until recently and migrants have been slow arriving. It need not be the case that the lady is deceased its quite possible the Old girl is sunning herself elsewhere she has afterall more than done her share. 

Very few Cuckoos have so far turned up or Swallows, They should become quite obvious by the middle of next week. Same for Willow warblers and pied flycatchers.

Bottom Line however is that we have lost more than 50% of our seasonal vsitors in recent times,  wonder what the response would be if that were the same for Humans?

[bankhaunter]

Monty and Blue are back (adult only viewing )

[al**bear]

---

@malacandran wrote:

---

@al**bear wrote:

screaching Cliff Rats return to the towns

Should be classed as vermin away from the Coasts

---

This is a good point, because here on the south coast, in Brighton, we don't see many other birds than seagulls and pigeons.

The pigeons are "cliff rats", as you say.  They originally evolved to build their nests on cliffs. So they're naturally attracted to tall vertical structures, with ledges. Such as tall buildings, especially tower blocks, with balconies.

These attract the pigeons like a magnet!  The pigeons can't resist their lure. They come in constantly, to mate, squabble, and defecate.

At least that used to be the case, but a few years ago,  Brighton Council made very good use of taxpayers' money, by installing pigeon spikes and pigeon nets in tower blocks,  and now the verminous pigeons are gone!  Isn't that progress?

______________________________________________________________________________________

'Cliff Rats' are Seagulls, a total menance in the Towns, dirty, noisy & aggresive

[fallen-archie]

Excellent news Bank, I think most of our better known sites are now taken and I suspect a few new locations will benefit this season. Yesterday on the Lowes two more females arrived, one pinched a trout of the male who promptly tried to mate with her until admonished by his partner. Normality returned this morning but for how long? I reckon the female is close to laying her first egg then she will be house bound for a few weeks.
Al Will you never get over losing that Greggs pasty to a Herring Gull? You should know that ALL seagulls are Celtic supporters so if you must flaunt a Pasty expect to get it nicked.

[fallen-archie]

First Swallow of the season flew by today. I went for a walk on a local country estate and not one barn remains in agricultural use, everything has been converted and with it the homes for hundreds of years for our swallows and to some extent Martins, have gone.
I suppose youngsters today won't miss what they have not known

[******lynda******]

No martins or swallows here yet, but we seem to have been adopted by a wandering hen pheasant for the past week. Usually we get a 24 hr stopover, but this hen seems to like the bird feeding station...even with my 2 yr old grandson driving his 12 volt tractor with music blaring out.

[fallen-archie]

Well Lynda The Swallows have arrived at last with the odd Martin, but like you we seem to have Random Pheasants all over the place. They try to pair up then settle for a threesome, it doesn't last long because they have this desire each time they see a car or motorbike to run under it.

Good News from the Loch of the Lowes, the new couple now have three eggs and are so far looking after them well.

have had a very lucky few days, Managed to track down a couple of Hen Harriers which was great however today on the way home i took a Loooooong detour Looking for a small bird to be treated to a full on display by a pair of Goshawks, Persecuted almost out of existence these are the only Bird of prey acknowledged to predate Magpies, without Goshawks Magpies flourish and prey on our songbirds hence the reduction in Thrushes for example. This is not the ony reason for decline as habitat loss is the biggest culprit but when we talk about natures way then the balance is lost when man decides to cull for sporting reasons. TDanced in the sky before diving pereguin like into a wood, just amazing.

[astrologica]

The House Martins have arrived here.......it's so lovely to see them. It's like greeting an old friend!

[malacandran]

These House Martins, as I understand it, only build a few small nests, of mud and saliva, which are stuck on the outside of your house.

Therefore they don't constitute a major pest.  And so can be safely viewed with a magnanimous eye - ooh, aren't they so cute!

But suppose,  there were huge numbers of House Martins. Millions of them.  And they started coming inside your house, and building their nests all over your living--room walls. Would you be so tolerant of them then, I wonder?

[suzieseaside]

Well there aren't, so I don't get your point.

Why do you think that wildlife has to be 'tolerated'?

I find your thoughts about nature quite scary.  If there was no wildlife how long do you think that humans would exist?

[fallen-archie]

What a strange mindset some have. Given the choice I would far prefer to see Herring Gulls take up residence at yours of course, that should resolve andy decorating issues and all for free. That's nature doing it's bit.

[malacandran]

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@suzieseaside wrote:

Well there aren't, so I don't get your point.

Why do you think that wildlife has to be 'tolerated'?

I find your thoughts about nature quite scary.  If there was no wildlife how long do you think that humans would exist?

---

Suzie, we have been getting rid of wildlife for the last 8,000 years, ie since the beginning of agriculture and especially - farming.

Farming has enabled us to get the most valuable animals cooped up in fields, where they stay until we eat them.

By valuable animals, I mean principally cows,sheep, pigs and chickens.  I think these provide sufficient milk, cloth, meat and eggs for us.

We could exist for a very long time, sustained by these animals. They can be exploited and slaughtered at will, as their original wild instincts have been gratifyingly bred out of them,  to our advantage.  That's why you enjoy your eggs and bacon for breakfast. And beefburgers and porkchops for dinner.  And woolen clothing in the winter.

As for the "wild animals", such as wolves, bears, lions, tigers, etc, we are getting rid them thankfully.  Except for some specimens which we keep in zoos, to contemplate, in safety.

When you say "I find your thoughts about Nature quite scary",  I think you may be indulging in a modern luxury of thought.  For our ancestors,  it was Nature, in the form of wild beasts,  that was scary.

The other animals

[suzieseaside]

Modern Luxury of thought !!  Lol! 

Maybe you would benefit from learning a little about ecology.

How long do you think humans will last if all pollinators die?