The Bird Watching Thread
Discussion
My father was telling me that he heard a noise from the wood burning stove the other day (not on at this time of year luckily... even in Scotland) and on investigation found a rather dazed thrush sitting inside it.
He managed to grab it and take it outside whereupon it flew out of his hands into some nearby trees.
Difficult to understand how an adult bird would fall down down a chimney (old, 2 storey house). I wondered if there was a nest in the stack somewhere but thought thrushes nested in bushes mainly?
He managed to grab it and take it outside whereupon it flew out of his hands into some nearby trees.
Difficult to understand how an adult bird would fall down down a chimney (old, 2 storey house). I wondered if there was a nest in the stack somewhere but thought thrushes nested in bushes mainly?
Pastor Of Muppets said:
Young Starling (Sturnus Vulgaris), they are brown for around 2 months after fledging and then develop the familiar dark spotted adult plumage.
Hi yes you are right. I've never noticed before but saw some more today with some mature starlings and saw the similar pattern around the eye and the penny dropped. I think it just seemed too big initially but the starlings around here are thriving.
Thanks
This chap was back & forth all afternoon today as I lounged about in the sun like a proper lazy tw@t 
Pretty sure it was getting water for a nest construction, within 30’ of my back garden due to the timing of it's visits.
A fair days graft to be fair… and as far as flight engineering is concerned, man couldn’t match it, no matter how clever he thinks he is!
Pretty sure it was getting water for a nest construction, within 30’ of my back garden due to the timing of it's visits.
A fair days graft to be fair… and as far as flight engineering is concerned, man couldn’t match it, no matter how clever he thinks he is!
|https://thumbsnap.com/3asbEmEW[/url]
Mort7 said:
Yes. Peregrines and sparrowhawks at Otmoor, and later in the evening, when the starlings have either settled in the reed beds, or are in the process of doing so, it's not unusual for a marsh harrier (or occasionally a hen harrier) to fly low over the reeds and stir them all up.
There are lots of golden plovers at Otmoor too, and they do their own version of a murmuration - usually before the starlings go to bed. It's not unusual to see a peregrine in amongst them too.
Edited to add: You're probably aware that murmurations are defensive - similar to shoaling in fish. The intention is to confuse predators. I have never seen a bird of prey make a successful kill from a murmuration. Neither have I heard of anyone who has seen it. That's not to say that it doesn't happen, but it's much rarer than a sparrowhawk taking a bird from a bird table, or from your lawn, where each bird is moving individually.
At a Cheshire Reserve (Coward Reedbed) I have seen Bittern climb reeds and wait until Starlings drop down from the murmuration into the reedbed thinking they are safe - it just raises its neck, snaps its beak and the sky is so thick, grabs a starling in its beak. Think three Bitterns were the highest number in recent years in a fairly small reedbed so that technique must work well!There are lots of golden plovers at Otmoor too, and they do their own version of a murmuration - usually before the starlings go to bed. It's not unusual to see a peregrine in amongst them too.
Edited to add: You're probably aware that murmurations are defensive - similar to shoaling in fish. The intention is to confuse predators. I have never seen a bird of prey make a successful kill from a murmuration. Neither have I heard of anyone who has seen it. That's not to say that it doesn't happen, but it's much rarer than a sparrowhawk taking a bird from a bird table, or from your lawn, where each bird is moving individually.
Edited by Mort7 on Wednesday 29th January 17:17
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