LUFCTALK

Was up at Fairburn Ings today, a great place to watch out for wildlife especially birds.
The girl in the RSPB shop told us they are getting so many new and different varieties this year including the giant Spoonbill not seen in Yorkshire before.
Didn't catch a glimpse myself but sounds like global warming is playing it's part.

Two green woodpeckers on my back lawn this morning, pecking away at the ants. They must have seen us watching from the window but didn't seem to mind. They were there for quite some time.

johnh wrote:Two green woodpeckers on my back lawn this morning, pecking away at the ants. They must have seen us watching from the window but didn't seem to mind. They were there for quite some time.

I've read they eat nothing but ants; given flying ant day was recently, they must be gorging themselves. Beautiful colours.

We have a mistle thrush who is becoming a more regular visitor.

mapperleywhite wrote:

johnh wrote:Two green woodpeckers on my back lawn this morning, pecking away at the ants. They must have seen us watching from the window but didn't seem to mind. They were there for quite some time.

I've read they eat nothing but ants; given flying ant day was recently, they must be gorging themselves. Beautiful colours.

We have a mistle thrush who is becoming a more regular visitor.

Cracking bird Green Woodpecker. Often when i'm out with the dog I can here Woodpeckers pecking away but they can be quite elusive at the top of trees. You just wouldn't get them in the gardens where I live.

I haven't seen a Mistle Thrush in years either, another cracking bird you just don't get around here. They can be very aggressive when they need to be for such a smallish bird.

I was out with the dog yesterday and heard a Song Thrush in full voice. Beautiful sound such a shame they are in serious decline.

Viduka Hits The Mark wrote:

mapperleywhite wrote:

johnh wrote:Two green woodpeckers on my back lawn this morning, pecking away at the ants. They must have seen us watching from the window but didn't seem to mind. They were there for quite some time.

I've read they eat nothing but ants; given flying ant day was recently, they must be gorging themselves. Beautiful colours.

We have a mistle thrush who is becoming a more regular visitor.

Cracking bird Green Woodpecker. Often when i'm out with the dog I can here Woodpeckers pecking away but they can be quite elusive at the top of trees. You just wouldn't get them in the gardens where I live.

I haven't seen a Mistle Thrush in years either, another cracking bird you just don't get around here. They can be very aggressive when they need to be for such a smallish bird.

I was out with the dog yesterday and heard a Song Thrush in full voice. Beautiful sound such a shame they are in serious decline.

Up to very recently there were no Woodpeckers in Ireland, only the occassional visitor. However, in the last two years a number of Great Spotted Woodpeckers (black and white with a red crown) have been recorded here, mostly on the east coast. In the last couple of months a small number of juveniles have been recorded at garden bird feeders which would indicate that they are breeding here for the first time on record. Now that's a great development. I've never seen or heard a Woodpecker in Ireland but look forward to that day.

God I wish I had've had one of those dash cam thingy's today. Was heading to the daughters earlier with a trailer to go pick up a sofa for her when just as I was joining the motorway a bloody great Common Buzzard came out of nowhere across the filter lane then proceeded to turn (like stupid pigeons do) and fly directly ahead of me at the same height as my car for a good 100 yards before veering off back into the fields. Amazing it was and felt like I could have touched it. Then on the way to pick up the sofa on the back roads about 20 miles away the exact same thing happened, this beautiful bird just glided ahead of me then disappeared through a gap in the trees. A dash cam would have got some fantastic footage on both occasions

Davycc wrote:God I wish I had've had one of those dash cam thingy's today. Was heading to the daughters earlier with a trailer to go pick up a sofa for her when just as I was joining the motorway a bloody great Common Buzzard came out of nowhere across the filter lane then proceeded to turn (like stupid pigeons do) and fly directly ahead of me at the same height as my car for a good 100 yards before veering off back into the fields. Amazing it was and felt like I could have touched it. Then on the way to pick up the sofa on the back roads about 20 miles away the exact same thing happened, this beautiful bird just glided ahead of me then disappeared through a gap in the trees. A dash cam would have got some fantastic footage on both occasions

Saw a Common Buzzard lazing on a telegraph pole recently in County Roscommon. Not a care in the world. Impressive bird. Lots of them in the woods of the Cooley mountains in County Louth too. Noisy buggers when there's a group of them.

My wife saw a Brambling on the feeders the other day by the time I got out of my chair it had flown off & thus far not returned

Not wild bird related but I was "babysitting" a Conure for one of Tracey's workmates, he picked her up today after returning home from a fortnight holiday. My wee girl normally just follows me about the garden when I let her out but she has been stuck to me like glue as if to say "I'm yours, who was that tart" well she is a female after all.



Only control I have over females is birds

At last we aren't reaping the benefits of our feeders now we regularly have sparrows, blue & great tits & a family of goldfinch I love to sit & have a coffee & watch them on a morning.