Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

I just wanted to say a quick "Thank you" to you, Mr. Red. Since your "look at things properly" post a while ago I started to have a look around the house before going to bed...not to spy on the neighbours or anything ...honest guv But just to have a nice quiet moment. Spotted loads and loads of small birds in the trees next to our house (plenty of cover for them at the moment)..active little buggers they are and fly faster than any bird I've seen in a while, diving all over the place evading other birds (Big feckin' rooks in the area) and catching their food...amazing to watch, very cool.
Tsirpy little feckers as well...which is slightly annoying but OK....I can life with that.

I probably would have noticed them if you hadn't said anything but I wouldn't have seen them..if that makes any sense.

So thanks, Mr Red.

Were your birds this shape Boldie?

Thos are the ones..I have never seen them on the ground anywhere (I reckon they must be nesting in the trees)..fast little buggers and fascinating to watch.

They are either swallows, swifts, or house martins. (all the same family)

The reason I asked you if they ever land is because birds of this type very rarely do, except for breeding. When a baby swift leaves the nest it litrally falls over the side (Swifts can't take off like other birds, their wings are too long, they have to launch themselves from something above the ground, a swift on the ground is helpless)

Once airborne, the newly fledged swift won't land again for up to 3 years. It will catch all it's food on the wing, drink by skimming a pond or lake, and at night it will rise to several thousand feet and fly in a holding pattern until the morning. Swifts even have built in "Goggles" to protect their eyes from insect strikes.

[Rod Paradise]

I reckon we're both close to where the actual nest happens to be and they're just trying to protect it.  I've seen them go on the group attack against crows which are massive in size compared to them.  Feisty little darlins', so they are.

I've seen swallows drive a buzzard out of the sky until it landed in a tree - they are so fast when they start mobbing another bird the other bird can do nothing to them.

Red - on Saturday as the weather was so nice we had a bbq & after it my dad and sat out the back overlooking the old quarry, having a beer, chatting and watching the wildlife. We saw a red-legged partridge repeatedly walk to the brow of a small hill, and call really loudly. I always thought partridges were shy retiring creatures but this one was really putting on a display. Have you heard of partridges displaying before?

Of course these are introduced French partridges instead of our native grey, so possibly what I am thinking of is the native, and the French are a bit more demonstrative.

[RED-DOG]

Those feckin birds dive bomb me every time I stick my head out our bedroom window!!!  Pretty sure they're cross because I stopped them building a nest at our back door again this year after the mess they made the two previous years.

These sound like house martins Laxie.

They build a mud nest which they stick to the underside of a ledge or lintel or the eaves of your house (they think it's a cliff)

House martins are quite rare these days, and it's a rare privilege to have them stay with you for a few weeks.

[boldie]

Once airborne, the newly fledged swift won't land again for up to 3 years[/b]

wow...I'm gonna have a look to see if I can get a picture of the buggers tonight.

I was I paid more attention in biology class when I was younger and I would know all this stuff.

[RED-DOG]

Once airborne, the newly fledged swift won't land again for up to 3 years[/b]

wow...I'm gonna have a look to see if I can get a picture of the buggers tonight.

I was I paid more attention in biology class when I was younger and I would know all this stuff.

Swifts and swallows are superb fliers and airial acrobats. They are the Red Arrows of the bird world. Good luck with the picture.

[Rod Paradise]

Once airborne, the newly fledged swift won't land again for up to 3 years[/b]

wow...I'm gonna have a look to see if I can get a picture of the buggers tonight.

I was I paid more attention in biology class when I was younger and I would know all this stuff.

Most likely swallows, they're more common, but this article will help you tell the difference http://www.naturalsciences.be/institute/structure/biodiv/actual/new/apus

[RED-DOG]

I reckon we're both close to where the actual nest happens to be and they're just trying to protect it.  I've seen them go on the group attack against crows which are massive in size compared to them.  Feisty little darlins', so they are.

I've seen swallows drive a buzzard out of the sky until it landed in a tree - they are so fast when they start mobbing another bird the other bird can do nothing to them.

Red - on Saturday as the weather was so nice we had a bbq & after it my dad and sat out the back overlooking the old quarry, having a beer, chatting and watching the wildlife. We saw a red-legged partridge repeatedly walk to the brow of a small hill, and call really loudly. I always thought partridges were shy retiring creatures but this one was really putting on a display. Have you heard of partridges displaying before?

Of course these are introduced French partridges instead of our native grey, so possibly what I am thinking of is the native, and the French are a bit more demonstrative.

I know that pheasant and some grouse have a mating display called "waltzing" where they strut around with their wings held low. Did it look anything like that?

[kinboshi]

The Arctic Tern rarely sees land either.

"The average Arctic Tern in its life will travel a distance equal to going to the moon and back—about 500,000 miles."



They're sometimes called the 'sea swallow' for obvious reasons.

[RED-DOG]

As I was doing this (in a very rare moment enjoying the sun, the quiet and frankly considering taking the day off!) I saw something that I also had not notice before. A small bird. Blue tit Size. Bright white front and a really deep dark blue back flecked with white. It pecked across my garden scuttling here and there, its head bobbing up and down in a very pronounced style. I am off to see if I can get a picture of it online, as its not a bird I have ever seen before.   

Try googling "Wagtails" Rich, they bob up and down as you describe.

[Rod Paradise]

I reckon we're both close to where the actual nest happens to be and they're just trying to protect it.  I've seen them go on the group attack against crows which are massive in size compared to them.  Feisty little darlins', so they are.

I've seen swallows drive a buzzard out of the sky until it landed in a tree - they are so fast when they start mobbing another bird the other bird can do nothing to them.

Red - on Saturday as the weather was so nice we had a bbq & after it my dad and sat out the back overlooking the old quarry, having a beer, chatting and watching the wildlife. We saw a red-legged partridge repeatedly walk to the brow of a small hill, and call really loudly. I always thought partridges were shy retiring creatures but this one was really putting on a display. Have you heard of partridges displaying before?

Of course these are introduced French partridges instead of our native grey, so possibly what I am thinking of is the native, and the French are a bit more demonstrative.

I know that pheasant and some grouse have a mating display called "waltzing" where they strut around with their wings held low. Did it look anything like that?

No, it just stood there, wings at it's sides calling.

I've seen a lek of black grouse (where they do their displaying) before that was well worth seeing (film from youtube below). There's now an opencast coal mine on the moor I saw them at

[TightEnd]

As I was doing this (in a very rare moment enjoying the sun, the quiet and frankly considering taking the day off!) I saw something that I also had not notice before. A small bird. Blue tit Size. Bright white front and a really deep dark blue back flecked with white. It pecked across my garden scuttling here and there, its head bobbing up and down in a very pronounced style. I am off to see if I can get a picture of it online, as its not a bird I have ever seen before.   

Try googling "Wagtails" Rich, they bob up and down as you describe.

thank you

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/p/piedwagtail/index.asp

is pretty close..more blue than black though, could be my eyesight!

[RED-DOG]

As I was doing this (in a very rare moment enjoying the sun, the quiet and frankly considering taking the day off!) I saw something that I also had not notice before. A small bird. Blue tit Size. Bright white front and a really deep dark blue back flecked with white. It pecked across my garden scuttling here and there, its head bobbing up and down in a very pronounced style. I am off to see if I can get a picture of it online, as its not a bird I have ever seen before.   

Try googling "Wagtails" Rich, they bob up and down as you describe.

thank you

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/p/piedwagtail/index.asp

is pretty close..more blue than black though, could be my eyesight!

Your description was really excellent though. So important to note how something moves/behaves when you're trying to identify it.

[kinboshi]

Pied wagtails are a fair bit larger than a blue tit though?

[Rod Paradise]

Red, this site can be usefull identifying birds - the blue really threw me in Tighty's description.
http://www.birdid.co.uk/Default.asp

[TightEnd]

Pied wagtails are a fair bit larger than a blue tit though?

bad description then. or a baby pied wagtail!