Guess who's coming to dinner

[jrdavis50]

Found a dead white-throated junco out by the feeders today. I suspect it flew into the windows.

We put the feeders close to the windows so the birds can't get up enough air speed to injure themselves. Usually when they hit the windows, they go sit in the sage bushes and look around to see if anyone noticed.

This is the first window-strike death we've had in a couple of years.

[SRD]

We get very few strikes since I stopped cleaning the windows, only the occasional fledgling which isn't usually travelling fast enough to do too much damage.

My favourite fledgling story was a young blackbird (Turdus merula, not the US one) that I saw launch itself across our garden heading for a spreading conifer, Anthropomorphism suggested the following conversation with itself:

"Ok, here we go, raise wings, flap like fuck and don't forget to let go with the feet."

"Wheeeeeeee, this is cool."

"Blimey don't it take it out of you this flying lark, better look for somewhere to stop."

"Ah, a tree, looks like a reasonable branch there."

"Bugger, missed."

"Oh well, upside down is good too."

Culminating with a very bemused young blackbird hanging on for grim death, upside down, on the extremities of the feathery twigs of our juniper tree.

[jrdavis50]

Had some new arrivals today - or maybe I just noticed them for the first time: a pair of horned larks strolling about the yard. Look rather like giant sparrows from the top, but they have white chests and a yellow throat. Had to look them up and found they live here year-round. Probably should watch more frequently and more closely.

[jools]

Hope everyone who is interested is doing their Birdwatch this weekend. You just watch for an hour what birds come into your back garden and make a note of them. Log in to the RSPB website and put your tallies in to the form and submit it.

It gives some vital info as to how bird numbers are faring and is, therefore, a Good Thing.

[jrdavis50]

The Cedar Waxwings arrived today and ate all the remaining Youpon and Holly Berries off the trees and bushes, then lolled about in the yard for a couple of hours to annoy the robins before pushing on north.

[jools]

I have been watching the starlings wheeling and shimmering against a pink and blue sky in a huge cloud of wings. Magic. It is a funny beast, a flock of birds - has its own life, a separate organism, almost. It breathes.

[SRD]

I always think of the starlings as a military formation with their abrupt changes of direction all done with a precision that is reminiscent of the parade ground but in three dimensions. The jackdaws however are more like a ballet, passing amongst each other and circling round like members of the corps. Every so often a pair will peel off and perform a pas de deux before returning to the main flock.

[tamsmith]

I have been watching the starlings wheeling and shimmering against a pink and blue sky in a huge cloud of wings. Magic. It is a funny beast, a flock of birds - has its own life, a separate organism, almost. It breathes.

have you read "Prey by Michael Crichton", you may think otherwise about these flocks of birds, it's a bit like the Chaos Theory!

[jrdavis50]

Spring must be near. The bronze-headed cowbirds showed up in force today and raided the feeders. They're the real sign of spring down here (well, aside from seeing the First Snake of Spring) as the robins pretty much winter here. Only problem with cowbirds is they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, especially painted buntings.

[basketbob]

Spring must be near. The bronze-headed cowbirds showed up in force today and raided the feeders. They're the real sign of spring down here (well, aside from seeing the First Snake of Spring) as the robins pretty much winter here. Only problem with cowbirds is they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, especially painted buntings.

Much like the cuckoo then John.
The birds here are getting very fruity now, chasing about like lunatics.