Birders' Nest

[owlice]

Quickly now, let's all get back to floofs and birbs and boobs.

Ummm.... I don't know what convo you gents have been having, but part of it is definitely not the convo I've been having!

[Elgarian Redux]

@owlice said:
Ummm.... I don't know what convo you gents have been having, but part of it is definitely not the convo I've been having!


Mere schoolboy pranks, Ma'am. Japes and Jollies. Nuthin' to see here.

[Elgarian Redux]

Just spent ages trying to find a way of posting the above without getting the dreaded FORBIDDEN error.

[Iota]

.. boobs.

Is this a sign of moral decline already impinging on your character from this recent aberration of standards?!  

[Karl Henning]

What hath Henning wrought?!

[Elgarian Redux]

Is this a sign of moral decline already impinging on your character from this recent aberration of standards?!  

Well you may be right. I've looked to Karl for years as a shining example of strength and purity of character, so I guess that if Karl slides, I slide. You will almost certainly be corroding inside already, yourself. See you at the bottom?

Now let me try again: floofs and birbs and borbs. That seems alright. But is it just sticking plaster on a broken limb?

[Elgarian Redux]

What hath Henning wrought?!

Don't worry Karl. I'm sure it's not unfixable. We will help each other to climb back up this mountain, to join the noble eagles in their eyries once again.

(Note carefully inserted topic duty)

[Elgarian Redux]

I have thought of a sort of elementary mini-project, to keep me off the streets and out of trouble, namely:
   To try to get at least one decent photo of every species of bird that visits our garden (or can be seen therefrom) over the course of a year. I have a few already, but surprisingly few, indeed, because most of them are plain rubbish. (The rules clearly state that the bird must be photographed in or from the garden. So a good pic of a goldfinch, say, taken somewhere else, can't count.)

(It seems as if it might be do-able with only a minimal amount of perseverance?)

[Elgarian Redux]

This afternoon there was a great flurry of wings and all the birds of Lancashire and Cumbria descended into the garden. Among them were about eight long-tailed tits who proceeded to play 'How many long-tailed tits can arrange themselves around a bird feeder?'.

Beneath them, wondering what the fuss was about and trying not to be noticed was a dunnock.

[Elgarian Redux]

The robin popped out to investigate the racket, looking today not so much like a borb, but more like a sort of trainee sentinel.

And then, and then, and then .... how about the following one, Owlice?

[Elgarian Redux]

A nuthatch. Only the second ever seen in our garden since about 1980.

[Elgarian Redux]

Yes, today was Nuthatch Day!

[Elgarian Redux]

Looking back through the nuthatch photos, I thought this one might be worth saving. I was trying to catch him so that the feeder didn't intrude but he didn't cooperate much.

[Kalevala]

Looking back through the nuthatch photos, I thought this one might be worth saving. I was trying to catch him so that the feeder didn't intrude but he didn't cooperate much.

It still amazes me how birds can walk down things like tree trunks head first.  Several years ago (Pre-Covid Era), I remember watching a juvie woodpecker (who was nesting in the top of an old tree nearby), well it climbed up to the top of the tree and popped over the top down into it like it was no big deal.   

K

[Elgarian Redux]

It still amazes me how birds can walk down things like tree trunks head first.  Several years ago (Pre-Covid Era), I remember watching a juvie woodpecker (who was nesting in the top of an old tree nearby), well it climbed up to the top of the tree and popped over the top down into it like it was no big deal.   

K

Well, it is an astonishing ability, I guess. Like flying!

To our delight the nuthatch came back this evening. Didn't stay - just long enough to reassure us that he was still around. I reached for the camera, but he'd gone.

[Kalevala]

Well, it is an astonishing ability, I guess. Like flying!

To our delight the nuthatch came back this evening. Didn't stay - just long enough to reassure us that he was still around. I reached for the camera, but he'd gone.

The top of the tree had broken off, so there must have been some sort of hollow there.  It just walked up nonchalantly (perpendicular to the trunk) and then went over the edge head first! 

K

[Elgarian Redux]

The top of the tree had broken off, so there must have been some sort of hollow there.  It just walked up nonchantly (perpendicular to the trunk) and then went over the edge head first! 

K

It had Antigravity boots. The only explanation.

[Kalevala]

It had Antigravity boots. The only explanation.

Oh, stop it!   

K

[Elgarian Redux]

Oh, stop it!   

K

I don't think you can stop antigravity boots, K.

But seriously, I think a lot of what birds do with apparent ease does seem almost impossible. Have you seen marsh harriers doing their amazing feeding acrobatics above the nest? The male returns with food, and the female flies up from the nest, then flies upside down, and catches the food with her talons when the male drops it. Most amazing bird manoeuvre I've ever seen.

[Kalevala]

I don't think you can stop antigravity boots, K.

But seriously, I think a lot of what birds do with apparent ease does seem almost impossible. Have you seen marsh harriers doing their amazing feeding acrobatics above the nest? The male returns with food, and the female flies up from the nest, then flies upside down, and catches the food with her talons when the male drops it. Most amazing bird manoeuvre I've ever seen.

No, I've never seen them before.  I have heard of cases (hard for me to see the video as it wasn't a close up) of RTHs transferring prey to their partners--to feed their young--midflight.

K