Bird watching

[Onelife]

We have tits in the box and a blackbird in the neighbors bush. One thing that has been noticeable is the complete lack of sparrows this year. Couple of gold finches visit the feeders but other than that, were have all the birds gone.?

Hi Ray, My wife was telling me that there has been a sharp decline in sparrows over the past few years (not sure why) that being said, we seem to get more than our fair share here in lovely Shropshire.

[Ray B]

OL, very strange. Last year at our seaside chalet we had a flock of Sparrows coming into the garden to feed, would clean out two feeders in an hour. It was reminiscent of the flocks we remember in our childhood days, there were so many of them.
On returning home (last year) there were just maybe a dozen of sparrows at the most.

[Stephen]

Plenty of sparrows in the garden here along with blessed starlings and pigeons doing their acrobatics on the feeders .

[Manoverboard]

Cooking chicken in a Ninja can be recommended ... just saying

[Stephen]

Especially chicken wings.

[Ray B]

Cooking chicken in a Ninja can be recommended ... just saying

Trying to wind OL up?

[Manoverboard]

Cooking chicken in a Ninja can be recommended ... just saying

Trying to wind OL up?

Of course not, had I said Ninjas are great for cooking Sparrows then yes, that would be a wind up

[Stephen]

Do sparrows taste like chicken?

[Mervyn and Trish]

More like Blue Tits

[Stephen]

I’ll try a combo

[Onelife]

Anyone got any egg boxes, the girls are popping them out faster than I can sell them

[Stephen]

Do you now deliver.

[Onelife]

Do you now deliver.

All around the country….I’ll send you an introductory box…and don’t worry about any of them floating when you come to boil them

[Onelife]

I had my first sighting of what I think was a House Martin Yesterday? it could have been a Swift or Swallow?

[david63]

I had my first sighting of what I think was a House Martin Yesterday? it could have been a Swift or Swallow?

So basically what you are saying is that you don't know what it was

[Onelife]

I had my first sighting of what I think was a House Martin Yesterday? it could have been a Swift or Swallow?

So basically what you are saying is that you don't know what it was

It was definitely either/or… but it was only a fleeting glance so I’ll not be placing any money on the placings.

We do have a family of baby Robins in our gas tank lid again this year....they are just about to fledge

[Ray B]

In other words it could have been a bird of some description

[Stephen]

It was probably a kite he saw. It has been very windy lately

[Onelife]

In other words it could have been a bird of some description

We were having lunch in the Jubilee restaurant at Ludlow races at the time and it definitely wasn’t a duck….this came with Dauphine’s potatoes, French bean, caramelised onions with a red wine sauce.

[Ray B]

Christ, how the other half live.

[towny44]

It's amazing what these roadside greasy spoons can serve up nowadays.!!!

[oldbluefox]

If it was roadkill it could have been anything.

[Ranchi]

It always amazes me how the distribution of birds has changed over time. I was brought up on Tyneside and never saw a magpie for many years. Now they are two a penny. We have quite a few blue tits, fewer coal tits and a fair few goldfinches. Not too long ago goldfinches were far more scarce than bull finches but they seem to have swapped places.
Gulls were usually only seen near coastal areas but since the ‘80s are everywhere. I guess it’s all down to predators and food supply.
I know there have species introductions over the years. Travelling to Soton you get to Northampton & red kites are quite common. They tried introducing them further north but they haven’t been as successful.
Common sparrow numbers seem to have dropped around here quite a bit in recent years as have thrushes. Robins, which were rare are common in our area.
Don’t start me on pigeons! We have a neighbour who feeds the flippin’ things every day ( the rats are quite partial to pigeon food too.
Still she’s doing her bit for environmental diversity.

[Stephen]

This doesn’t help either.

cider:%20Heineken%20chops%20down%20thousands%20of%20apple%20trees%20in%20Monmouthshire%20https%3A//www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68907812

[Onelife]

Christ, how the other half live.

Hi Ray, we treat ourselves a couple of times a year, the rest of the time we mix with the riff raff …. if you’re ever in this neck of the woods Ludlow races is a lovely day out. We will be attending the final meeting of this year’s racing calendar on the 12th May (ladies Day) always recommended…. lots of lovely fillies to cast your eye over.