What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

We rarely see starlings these days

 

@DiggersJo I'm worried to see just one because last year there was a group of 5 or 6. However, maybe that was later in the year and they were young ones.

 

@steephill your feeder could do with a clean, lol! Beautiful photo!

@DiggersJo we've got them all, lol!

 

Most of the starlings we have in the UK are from Eastern Europe. If they have a warmer winter over there, they don't migrate to us. This was not the case last year with the cold winter 2022 to 2023. We had lots of starlings here in Wiltshire. I counted hundreds just in the area where I live.

 

I have started the recording in the garden 20 minutes ago. I love to do that in Spring time when birds wake up and traffic noise is down to almost zero. Gives me a chance to hear later on what happened outside. While standing in the garden, I heard an unknown bird (but I'm by no means an expert, I only identify the usual ones like blackbird, sparrows, tits, crow types etc).
Someone who studied ornithology 20 odd years ago told me of a bird that starts singing at 3 in the morning because this is the only time when his voice can be heard. Being in Berlin back then, where just sparrows and pigeons were seen, I didn't know that birds have their time plan when they can sing to be heard. While living in the UK and in particular in Wiltshire, it's the first time I can hear and see more birds. I love it.

 

Glad you enjoyed the pix @hydrogardener

No shortage of starlings here. Chaffinches used to be the most common visitor when we lived round the corner from here. It took a while to get any into this one, but they've been visiting now and again. Would be nice to see more of them though, but we have so many areas nearby that have food/habitat for them, that it isn't always necessary for them to come in. The other garden must have suited slightly better for habitat, but it's the same for several species, especially with the wee NT garden across the road.

 

@simone_in_wiltshire I do that too, summer in my little garden is blissful when there's no cars going past. Birdsong and the hum of pollinators is the symphony no composer could ever write.

 

The greenfinch is back again!
I hope he'll be a regular visitor now.

 

My Kestrel turned out to be a Sparrowhawk or more to the point 2 of them! My identification of calls is poor when it comes to birds of prey and I did think it odd a Kestrel around our garden (it has woods behind it). Not too sure if they were shouting at each other or hunting together. The former I believe as it was an alarm call they both were making. Mr Robin warned me of their presence by dashing off just when he was about to get another mealworm - I'll count the little birds are still all here

 

from all the birds I have seen and heard, a blackbird has got the widest range of communication. I would love to understand what they are telling.

 

Blackbirds are a firm favourite with everyone I think, and it's not surprising with their hypnotic song. I love listening to 'our' starlings, their songs are beautiful!

 

In the news this week...


Special Branch: Officers left baffled after bird in tree outside police station mimics... - LBC

Reminds me of the blackbird where we used to live, he would mimic the sound of a mobile ringing, I kept thinking someone was about to knock on my door.

 

We used to have a Blackbird that at the end of his song it would sound like his was Woof Whistling, then one day i had a knock on the door from Police because some one reported me for woof whistling, the police wouldn't belive me so we went outside to listen and luckly Blacky was there and done his bit

 

We had one that sounded like a trim phone. Unfortunately, we had a trim phone

 

I remember those @BB3!

We have a blackbird that imitates my microwave beep. Fine in winter when all the doors are closed but fools us occasionally once it's warm enough to keep doors open.