Just watched Mrs Blackbird collectng moss, leaves and twigs for her nest along the edge of my hedgerow. Spring is close.
The circle of life continues - Atrial Fibrillati...
The circle of life continues
BobDVolunteer
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BobD
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Oh I do hope so Bob. We are blowing a hoolie here with torrential rain and sleet. Wheelie bins ending up heaven knows where, dogs on leads like kites and wildlife in the field behind booking tickets to Barbados! x
Yes Frances, 50 mph winds here with torrential rain.
I bloody hope so Bob, this extended winter cold is crucifying me, not forgetting what its doing to my blood pressure. I keep dreaming of hundreds of beaches I used to be at in south East Australia. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Murdy1 in reply to
I know the feeling carneuny😅😅
If only, Bob - today here in NI there is a howling, freezing NW wind and a couple of days ago it was a howling, freezing NE wind. All my daffs are lying flat in misery but the finches are in their courting colours and squabbling like pickpockets. The weeds and brambles are sprouting heartily, though.
Hi Bob, there's not so many birds in my garden now since I stopped feeding them last winter. I was enthralled to see a beautiful sparrow-hawk in my garden, but enthusiasm dropped for it when I realised it was eating one of the goldfinches from the feeder. When it came a second time I decided I had to abandon feeding the smaller birds, if not they would be sitting targets.
Two female blackbirds collecting nesting material together in my back garden yesterday and this morning, now usually there's a bossy male keeping other blackbirds away, but not this time!
Jean
We have the same situation Jean with birds of prey - especially sparrowhawks and we planted bushes close to the bird feeders, to give the small birds a chance. We watched in wonder as 3 small coal tits took refuge in a single hawthorne bush, always moving in the bush to keep the hawk straight ahead on the other side of the bush. The power of instinct was amazing, as they didn't try to fly away, even when the hawk dived headfirst into the bush - but she eventually gave up and went elsewhere.
We felt sorry for her as she was obviously very hungry, ignoring her human audience.
It's sad because it's natural for some birds to eat others. I once had a small bird (cant remember what it was now) smash into my dining room window. I went out and found it stunned and laying on the patio. I panicked about how I could help it and then thought to myself to leave it and it will probably recover naturally. When I looked out the window a little later it had gone and I heaved a sigh of relief, but then looked on the lawn and there were two magpies eating it!
I hate it when birds hit our windows too and magpies are real predators. I was ill last spring and from my bed I had a bird's eye view of a magpie nest which seemed to have blackbirds and finches going in and out of it. Found out why when I saw a magpie carry a small fledgling bird in to feed its young. Not nice to see.
That sounds terrible! Magpies have always made me laugh with their antics. The young are full of mischief and scoot around the garden excitedly, as though they're thinking what can we do next. X
We had a large kitchen window in a house we lived in in quite a rural area, and one morning I came downstairs and saw the perfect outline of a large owl in flight on the window. I went outside but there was nothing there. People looked at me disbelievingly when I told them it was like a drawing on the window, and it wasn't until the days of the internet I discovered why
mercurynews.com/2010/10/21/....
I hate seeing birds and animals hunt each other too, I know it is the natural order of things but I don't want to see it. Getting very soft in my old age!
😮😟 You've seen it all there, Jean x
We have a sparrow hawk lurking nearby and it swoops in sometimes to carry off a tasty feathered morsel ! We have a very big garden but I use window feeders for the wild birds - the sparrow hawk won’t venture so close to the house. I do feel that this springtime though, now we no longer have our dog 😢, the sparrow hawk will be free to take all the fledglings. The dog didn’t seem to frighten the garden birds too much. Also, the neighbouring cats are cheekier……!
Sorry to hear that you lost your dear dog.
The window feeders sound a good idea. I too have cats prowling through my garden and I think this time of year with the birds nesting it's time for me to shoo them out.
Jean
My cat only prowls at night when the birds are asleep. Most of the day he is asleep on the sofa! I have calculated using CCTV that he sleeps at least 22 hours a day.
Crumbs 22 hrs sleep a day. I'm coming back as a cat in my next life. I'll stretch out in front of the fire and sleep to my hearts content. When I'm hungry I'll give a few meows to my adoring owner and hopefully get a dish of top quality cat food. Oh yes, I'll sit on the fence and spy on the neighbours too. 😁
😂😂
we took in a stray cat and we have a wonderful arrangement he sleeps all day and then wants out and prowls all night which allows us to sleep or at least rest at night. I had a ruff night last night.
Did you know that male blackbirds are not monogomous and can have more than one nest on the go at a time. Those rascals. Spring is definitely springing 🙂
Goodness Lily, no I didn't know that! Well you live and learn - as they say!
Jean
Well 80% of them are monogomous but there are slip ups and it is not unknown for Mr Blackbird to have an eye and nest somewhere else 🙂
How are you keeping Jean? x
Really well, thank you. How are you? x
Good thanks! Just 2 episodes of Afib of 6 seconds since October and stopping my meds so very positive for the time being.
Glad all is going well for you after a difficult 2022! x
Yes! It’s icy cold and wet up here in Scotland, yet the pair of swans on our local pond have chased off all but one of last year’s five cygnets. In readiness for nesting again as the days lengthen.
Our Blue Tits have been preparing their nestbox for the umpteenth year and the Magnolia flowers are just breaking.
Pete
Well you're a bit further south than we are I think! Wildlife and plants very confused here in midwales.
How observant .sweet..life continues.
No winter at all here in NYC.
….they make our robins look a little dull ! 😂
We had a pair of blackbirds flying around the garden as if crazed on Sunday, presumably with thoughts of spring in their minds (or maybe something else). 
Also, our first sand martins arrived yesterday. another herald of spring.
Steve
well done Bob. An excellent upbeat post to get us all enthusiastic and forward looking on a miserable damp morning.
Spring is definitely in the air and rain is the medicine that gives new life to all. England is a green and pleasant land, long may it continue.
Xx
Have woken up to 4 inches of snow here in Ross-shire and all my little garden birds are frantically feeding from the fat balls and sunflower hearts I put out. Yesterday my garden was alive with goldfinches and other small feathered friends enjoying the dry and slightly warmer weather. Must wrap up and go out to top up the feeders.
We have had some pouring rain recently. I call it French rain as when we first started coming here regularly 30+ years ago you very rarely got rain so heavy in the UK and we have not so fond memories of getting soaking wet on the bike! But we need it. It did not rain at all for the whole of Feb and was so warm I was able to sunbathe - yes no clothes!! - on our south facing terrace. Our department is now on the pre restriction classification for drought - in March. Yesterday was so warm I could garden in a t shirt and we escaped a code orange storm by being just on the border. So I'm not grumbling- I might be if next week's forecast of wall to wall rain is correct as I will be getting gardening withdrawal symptoms. Lots of daffodils ( miniatures) and primroses out and yesterday I saw a yellow butterfly. The carpenter bees are guzzling on the winter honeysuckle and lungworts.
We have two pairs of robins in the garden here and I’ve noticed them taking bits and pieces to their usual nesting sites. The fish are up in the pond and demanding to be fed - a sure sign of the changing seasons. All we need is dry, wind-free days with the sun. The sun is here today but still a bit of a chilly wind.
I’m setting my tomato seeds this week so I know it’s not going to be long before warmer weather is here. 👍
A day later and i woke to such heavy fine snow I could barely see across the road. Now the window cleaner's at our neighbour's and the sun's shining. no wind at all.. Wish it would make its mind up.
Just watched mr blackbird come to my friends kitchen window sill for its morning chocolate digestive and eat straight from her hand, seriously.
BobD, It's lovely to hear that! Here in Kentucky, warming days brought the daffodils up but we had some frost overnight. I am watching the Mourning Doves, brilliant cardinals, and smaller birds vie for the bird food. Those doves make the softest sound... some are lined up on the phone wires today like notes on a musical staff...
It's strange in the current snowfall here in Ohio, around 3 inches fell, the house sparrows are doing their little mating dances under the birdfeeders and red-winged blackbirds are making their delightful chortles while spreading their red epulets. And I'm thoroughly confused with the time change!
across that big pond, we’re buried in a fresh foot or two of snow here in New England! 😱😢 it’s lovely and sunny today, but I don’t think I’ll be planting anything in those garden beds anytime soon.
Snow on raised garden beds
Bob
Thanks for the post……Down here in Devon things are a little behind this season! Too many cold grey days……. But hey we’re all still here and able to look forward to the joys of the the coming seasons
Take care all
Yes, but that’s the north coast I guess. We’re down in East Devon. On checking my WS, we’ve had only had 197mm of rain so far this year ,way down on last.just cloudy and cool.
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