Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Hey Red,

looking some information on a couple of birds that have been living in my back garden trees. We have two monkey puzzle trees and we get birds nesting in it, they are all over grey birds, quite fat wee things. Someone told me they were lovebirds but to me, my uneducated guess would be they were pigeons lol

This morning two of them played for about a half hour, jumping over each other and one was trying harder to get closer - it was funny watching it and my 8 year old daughter loved it

I googled lovebirds but the grey one still has colours on their body and their not like the ones in my yard.

Hope you could shed some light on it.

Thanks.

Almost certainly pigeons Micko.

The jumping over one another. This is courtship / mating behaviour. (The actual act of mating only takes a second or two).

[tikay]

Bugger.

[tikay]

I refuse to concede yet.

[RED-DOG]

I love those starling photos Tom.

Starlings are not much liked, but they are actually very pretty, irradescent, & lead a quite lifestyle. And they gave rise to one of my favourite words, which is hard to get into convo unless starlings are involved - murmuration.

(A whole Post so I could use that word).

I think starlings need to appoint Max Clifford, they need better PR. And they could shit on him, too.

I captioned the pictures with "The starlings have arrived" but in truth I'm confused about their migratory habits.

I often see them congregating on the wires in the autumn, so I thought they were preparing to fly south for the winter.

Then I read somewhere that they come here to spend the winter, but according to google they are here all year round.

I definitely don't see them all year round.  

[gatso]

Then I read somewhere that they come here to spend the winter

why would anything do that? they can fly, surely they can find somewhere nicer to spend winter

[tikay]

I love those starling photos Tom.

Starlings are not much liked, but they are actually very pretty, irradescent, & lead a quite lifestyle. And they gave rise to one of my favourite words, which is hard to get into convo unless starlings are involved - murmuration.

(A whole Post so I could use that word).

I think starlings need to appoint Max Clifford, they need better PR. And they could shit on him, too.

I captioned the pictures with "The starlings have arrived" but in truth I'm confused about their migratory habits.

I often see them congregating on the wires in the autumn, so I thought they were preparing to fly south for the winter.

Then I read somewhere that they come here to spend the winter, but according to google they are here all year round.

I definitely don't see them all year round.  

They are a very widespread group, almost global, some are migratory, some not.

You can always see huge murmurations of them over Brighton pier & beach in January though, fpr some odd reason. No idea if they are coming or going though.

[smashedagain]

Hey Red,

looking some information on a couple of birds that have been living in my back garden trees. We have two monkey puzzle trees and we get birds nesting in it, they are all over grey birds, quite fat wee things. Someone told me they were lovebirds but to me, my uneducated guess would be they were pigeons lol

This morning two of them played for about a half hour, jumping over each other and one was trying harder to get closer - it was funny watching it and my 8 year old daughter loved it

I googled lovebirds but the grey one still has colours on their body and their not like the ones in my yard.

Hope you could shed some light on it.

Thanks.

Almost certainly pigeons Micko.

The jumping over one another. This is courtship / mating behaviour. (The actual act of mating only takes a second or two).

Whats with the "only" a second or two. It's pretty standard in our house

[RED-DOG]

Then I read somewhere that they come here to spend the winter

why would anything do that? they can fly, surely they can find somewhere nicer to spend winter

It's all relative Gatters, lots of birds migrate to the UK because it's milder.

The pink-footed goose for example comes here from Iceland for the winter.  

It does kind of beg the question why do you spend the winter here?

[david3103]

Longish - but spectacular

[david3103]

I love those starling photos Tom.

Starlings are not much liked, but they are actually very pretty, iridescent, & lead a quite lifestyle. And they gave rise to one of my favourite words, which is hard to get into convo unless starlings are involved - murmuration.

(A whole Post so I could use that word).

I think starlings need to appoint Max Clifford, they need better PR. And they could shit on him, too.

fyp

[RED-DOG]

I love those starling photos Tom.

Starlings are not much liked, but they are actually very pretty, iridescent, & lead a quite lifestyle. And they gave rise to one of my favourite words, which is hard to get into convo unless starlings are involved - murmuration.

(A whole Post so I could use that word).

I think starlings need to appoint Max Clifford, they need better PR. And they could shit on him, too.

fyp

Now that's one photograph I'd like to have.

[Rod Paradise]

Hey Red,

looking some information on a couple of birds that have been living in my back garden trees. We have two monkey puzzle trees and we get birds nesting in it, they are all over grey birds, quite fat wee things. Someone told me they were lovebirds but to me, my uneducated guess would be they were pigeons lol

This morning two of them played for about a half hour, jumping over each other and one was trying harder to get closer - it was funny watching it and my 8 year old daughter loved it

I googled lovebirds but the grey one still has colours on their body and their not like the ones in my yard.

Hope you could shed some light on it.

Thanks.

IN before Tom & Rod - this could be my very first "bird spot".

I'm having half-a-crown each way they were collared doves.

Good shout Tikay, that would have been my suggestion too. They are relatives of the pigeon and have a similar courting behaviour AFAIK.

[tikay]

Thanks Rod.

In yer eye, Thomas.

[gatso]

Then I read somewhere that they come here to spend the winter

why would anything do that? they can fly, surely they can find somewhere nicer to spend winter

It's all relative Gatters, lots of birds migrate to the UK because it's milder.

The pink-footed goose for example comes here from Iceland for the winter. 

It does kind of beg the question why do you spend the winter here?

unlike you I'm not migratory

[gatso]

though thinking about it maybe I'm like the pink footed goose. I've spent more winters in the last decade in climates of minus 20-30 than I have here, maybe this is where I come to warm up