Herman 9,710 Posted July 10, 2020 A thread for any interested in the natural world, that has seemed to have thrived during the pandemic. A few things I have watched. Our and the neighbour's beech hedges have been decimated by a caterpillar* that I can't find out about. Our hedge was lucky in that it got a visit by starlings who then wiped them out so green shoots are now appearing. (*It was black, hairy with a very dark red/crimson back.) A male sparrow sits on our drain chirping away all day. It is really annoying and only stops when the Red Kite has a flyover. Flying ants have just started to emerge. They are in the kitchen which is centrally placed so we can't figure out where they are coming from. Birds have absolutely thrived at work. I had 4 different nest, 2 robins, 1 wren and a dunnock, in the small greenhouse. Thrushes, blackbirds and partridges have also had a free for all. A pair of albino pigeons have stayed in the sheds making multiple nests. Unfortunately their chick got caught up in the large roller door.😩 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ricardo 7,339 Posted July 10, 2020 Red Kites seem to be really thriving in Norfolk now. I had a spectacular view last week near Fakenham as one dived down fifty yards in front of the car to grab some road kill. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 10, 2020 7 minutes ago, ricardo said: Red Kites seem to be really thriving in Norfolk now. I had a spectacular view last week near Fakenham as one dived down fifty yards in front of the car to grab some road kill. you'll need to be a bit quicker next time 😝 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herman 9,710 Posted July 10, 2020 Aye, Red Kites are having a good old time. Not getting rid of pigeons though and they are a pain in the neck. Have the green parrots reached Norfolk? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Raptor 1,199 Posted July 10, 2020 Wow. Kites sound cool. All I get round my way are seagulls and pigeons. For a while the world's noisiest owl took up residence in the tree over the road for about 20 minutes each evening but I've not heard it for a while Quite a few deer and foxes as I'm driving to work tho. More than I used to see for sure. There were two deer wandering down the middle of bracondale the other morning. Scared the life out of them when I wandered out. I doubt they expected to see anyone else at 4.30! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Apples 1,317 Posted July 10, 2020 For the first time in years I've seen Cuckoos (and not the kind who post on here 🤪), on three seperate occasions during the Spring. Apples 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Van wink 2,994 Posted July 10, 2020 1 hour ago, ricardo said: Red Kites seem to be really thriving in Norfolk now. I had a spectacular view last week near Fakenham as one dived down fifty yards in front of the car to grab some road kill. There are a pair living at Blickling. You see them soaring as you walk down from the tower towards the small pond. I have spent a lot of time watching them, beautiful way to pass the time, have been amazed by the way the crows chase them off. I guess there is some safety in numbers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herman 9,710 Posted July 10, 2020 20 minutes ago, Mr Apples said: For the first time in years I've seen Cuckoos (and not the kind who post on here 🤪), on three seperate occasions during the Spring. Apples I have heard a few more this year but have never ever seen a cuckoo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 10, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Herman said: I have heard a few more this year but have never ever seen a cuckoo. if you are patient, and sit quietly you will see one just wait until the clock strikes the hour Edited July 10, 2020 by Bill 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ricardo 7,339 Posted July 10, 2020 4 hours ago, Herman said: Aye, Red Kites are having a good old time. Not getting rid of pigeons though and they are a pain in the neck. Have the green parrots reached Norfolk? There is a small colony on the western edge of the city. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ricardo 7,339 Posted July 10, 2020 2 hours ago, Herman said: I have heard a few more this year but have never ever seen a cuckoo. Too late now, they leave at the end of June. If you go to the BTO website there is a Cuckoo tracking project that has been running for several years. They are in France and southern Europe at the moment and usually cross the Sahara in August/Sept. They spend winter in the Congo rainforest. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ricardo 7,339 Posted July 10, 2020 3 hours ago, The Raptor said: Wow. Kites sound cool. All I get round my way are seagulls and pigeons. For a while the world's noisiest owl took up residence in the tree over the road for about 20 minutes each evening but I've not heard it for a while Quite a few deer and foxes as I'm driving to work tho. More than I used to see for sure. There were two deer wandering down the middle of bracondale the other morning. Scared the life out of them when I wandered out. I doubt they expected to see anyone else at 4.30! Yes, deer seem to be increasing to plague proportions. We even have some in the Cemetery on Earlham Road. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 10, 2020 31 minutes ago, ricardo said: Yes, deer seem to be increasing to plague proportions. We even have some in the Cemetery on Earlham Road. they are old dears 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelansgrandad 6,679 Posted July 10, 2020 Have had Jackdaws nesting in the bathroom chimney (its a Cornish thing) ever since we moved into the place, 40 years ago. Sparrow Hawks, various ****, Blackbirds, Robins, Sparrows, Thrushes, Magpies, Wood Pigeons visit back garden virtually every day. Plenty of Buzzards as well. And lots of Tip Chickens seeing as they don't go to sea anymore. Mammals include Fox, Hedgehog and unfortunately Badgers who make a bleddy mess. And Geckos and Stick Insects. Up the stables where Mrs KG keeps her horse Eclipse, there are Rabbits, Fox, Deer and House Martins. And there was an Emu once! Great place for Blackberries as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herman 9,710 Posted July 10, 2020 Took me a while to figure out what tip chickens were. Got starlings in my roof. I don't want to poison or destroy them but they are a nuisance first thing in the morning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mason 47 1,373 Posted July 11, 2020 I moved to a new place at the end of summer last year, and in the spring I heard a bird call I'd never heard in 25 years in the countryside. I've since managed to catch them on video but nobody I know has any idea what they could be. Video is too big to post at the moment so I'm working on cutting it down. They sound similar to the gimmicky 'lolly whistles' that were about when I was younger but more rapid-sounding. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rock The Boat 1,324 Posted July 11, 2020 18 hours ago, ricardo said: Yes, deer seem to be increasing to plague proportions. We even have some in the Cemetery on Earlham Road. I get daily visits from Muntjac deer in my garden which backs onto a woods. I planted a cherry tree last year and they have rubbed off all.the bark. Had to fence off all the salad vegetables otherwise they would have had them too 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,181 Posted July 11, 2020 We had an arctic fox run across our work area a couple of days ago First time I've seen one 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelansgrandad 6,679 Posted July 12, 2020 Forgot the Stick Insects. Cornwall is about the only place where they can survive a winter and they love privet hedges. Whether they are related to ones we released into the garden several years ago when our grandchildren became more interested in drinking than nature I don't know but it would be nice if they were. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herman 9,710 Posted July 12, 2020 On 11/07/2020 at 11:45, Mason 47 said: I moved to a new place at the end of summer last year, and in the spring I heard a bird call I'd never heard in 25 years in the countryside. I've since managed to catch them on video but nobody I know has any idea what they could be. Video is too big to post at the moment so I'm working on cutting it down. They sound similar to the gimmicky 'lolly whistles' that were about when I was younger but more rapid-sounding. It'll be interesting to see what they are. These are the basic bird songs. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-songs/what-bird-is-that/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rock The Boat 1,324 Posted July 12, 2020 4 minutes ago, Herman said: It'll be interesting to see what they are. These are the basic bird songs. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-songs/what-bird-is-that/ Can the bird of one species understand the birdsong of another species? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 12, 2020 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Rock The Boat said: Can the bird of one species understand the birdsong of another species? some are 'multilingual' though it's more to do with the individual bird than the species Edited July 12, 2020 by Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelansgrandad 6,679 Posted July 12, 2020 They must be able to understand. The Blackbirds in our garden give out constant warning cheeps for an hour at a time when Mrs Blackbird is feeding the chicks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Apples 1,317 Posted July 13, 2020 On 10/07/2020 at 15:16, Herman said: I have heard a few more this year but have never ever seen a cuckoo. They're quite nice looking birds, on each occasion they flew overhead giving it the full Cuckoo. We regularly get Ospreys passing by as they nest locally. Fantastic birds! Apples 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herman 9,710 Posted July 13, 2020 I saw the ospreys on Springwatch, somewhere up in the Scottish Highlands and they were beautiful. They also had some enormous Eagle that is thriving up there. Magnificent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Apples 1,317 Posted July 13, 2020 That's the White-Tailed Eagle which was reintroduced a while back (the wingspan can be up to 2.5 metres). Never seen one yet, but have seen a few Golden Eagles out in the hills. Apples 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Van wink 2,994 Posted July 16, 2020 On 11/07/2020 at 12:26, Rock The Boat said: I get daily visits from Muntjac deer in my garden which backs onto a woods. I planted a cherry tree last year and they have rubbed off all.the bark. Had to fence off all the salad vegetables otherwise they would have had them too It’s not so much the deer but the predators you need to worry about, I was down Suffolk way over the weekend and could hear lions roar when we walked near Kessingland.😉 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keelansgrandad 6,679 Posted July 16, 2020 14 hours ago, Van wink said: It’s not so much the deer but the predators you need to worry about, I was down Suffolk way over the weekend and could hear lions roar when we walked near Kessingland.😉 The old Suffolk Savannas have become a reserve. Or League One as its known as. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herman 9,710 Posted July 17, 2020 Happy flying ant day everyone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ricardo 7,339 Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) Amazing how many birds feast on these ant swarms, I have even seen gulls doing it. The Swifts are having a good go tonight as well. Will be off to Africa in another 2 or 3 weeks. Edited July 17, 2020 by ricardo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites