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?

[malacandran]

We would use nano-technology, to create advanced artificial bees, superior in every way to their bumbling insectoid predecessors.

Or, just spray pollen all over the plants in the fields.  Like we spray insecticides. 

Suzie, don't despair of human ingenuity!  

[suzieseaside]

i despair about some humans' values and ethics, not to mention greed.

[margaret*e]

Presenter on the radio today said he had heard a cuckoo for the first time today .

On radio Newcastle , but I,m not sure where he's from.

[fallen-archie]

Same here, one was calling but in a fairly remote area. Also the British Trust for Ornithology track some birds, one who they have named Colin arrived back here at the weekend from his wintering grounds in Senegal. If you want to hear a cuckoo the next four weeks offers the best opportunity. Anywhere with lots of Meadow Pipits would be a good place to start.

[jd.linklater]

Don't despair of malacandran Suzie. He's obviously winding you up,  in reality nobody could be so deliberately obtuse.

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

Today we have a pair of bullfinch es. First time ever that I have seen a female at the feeders

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

The first house martins have just arrived

[jd.linklater]

A brood of Long Tailed **bleep** have just hatched, had about eight of them on the fat block feeders this morning.

[fallen-archie]

Every morning and evening this week we have listened to Cuckoos calling.

[merehazle]

Well...we took this picture early this morning. That's DAD nearest to us.  And MUM who must have hatched them overnight.

We hopefully will see them every day till their old enough for DAD & MUM to force them to leave. That's the way it works.

Awful lot of swans in this area are being taken for the pot though. These we keep an eye on even at night. Others might want to keep an eye on their swans and other wildlife too nowadays.

Oh, click on attachment to see picture.  Since they changed the picture format it says the picture is too large. So I have to do this. 

[merehazle]

Oh in case you don't know target your arrow on any part of the picture and click on that small target for a special close up of the chicks. Or anywhere for that matter. I did not know this till 5 minutes ago.

Anyway, see you.

[jd.linklater]

Two Osrey chicks have hatched at the Loch of the Lowes site and it looks like there is one egg still intact.

http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/

[fallen-archie]

Yes JD and in quick succession. I was at the Loch a couple of weeks ago and it was magic seeing each of the adults sharing duties. Given the demise of Lady this female is certainly setting an example thus far and keeping up a tradition at the Loch. Although not ringed the general consensus was that she has bred somewhere before if not she has an incredible natural instinct. The male is learning at last although the fish he landed early yesterday was huge and still kicking.

[fallen-archie]

Chick number 3 has emerged from it's shell and has started to claim it's share of the food. Watching the link just now the male landed with a fish and the female appeared to be very hungry indeed, he responded well offering bite size pieces which she devoured willingly.

To see these raptors being so delicate in pursuit of survival is moving, yet we the superior race will no doubt continue to destroy the habitat of animals simply for self gratification.

[malacandran]

What about the fish, which got offered in bite-size pieces- was it happily moved by the experience?

[fallen-archie]

Indeed it was and will continue as it transits the chicks developing intestinal passages. Soon it will become a source of nutrients which will encourage new life in its many and varied forms. We are all destined to become compost so rejoice and think one day you may become a Dandelion.

[bankhaunter]

the Dyfi ospreys Monty and Glensi have three eggs.

[astrologica]

I heard a cuckoo last Saturday, down here in Pontypool. It's good to know he's still around.

[malacandran]

That's a good picture, and it serves to make this point - that the birds look totally devoid of intelligence. Their vacuous staring eyes are quite repulsive.  They starkly show that the birds haven't a clue about what's going on. They're just reacting instinctively.

Heck, look at the bird on the right - it's got blue and silver metal rings attached to its legs! .And it can't peck them off, because it doesn't know how to use technology.  

The rings were put on by humans, who do understand technology. Which is a product of human intelligence.  And the more I contemplate this picture, the more I appreciate the value of human intelligence.

For example - about the eggs. The birds don't know what the eggs are. I mean,  suppose the eggs were replaced by ovoidal lumps of plastic. Slipped into the nest while the birds were away.  Wouldn't the birds continue to sit on the plastic eggs?

Whereas, that wouldn't happen in a human situation. If a human woman, had her baby substituted by a plastic doll - the woman wouldn't be fooled for more than 3 seconds. She'd realise the imposture.

That's why our human intelligence is the greatest, most valuable and precious asset on the planet.  Who cares about stupid birds?

They're yesterday's forms of life.  The future belongs to humans!

[fallen-archie]

There is one Bird that takes stupidity to another level and that is the Ostrich, it will sit on an infertile egg forever, That behaviour is far from common. Humans on the other hand ?  

Where does one start?