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There are several Goldcrest in the wood across from me. Also a pair of Buzzards nesting.

My garden blackbirds are currently feeding young in the nest and the thrushes are fledged already. Wood pigeon, collared doves, chaffinch, sparrow, greenfinch, blue/coal/great tits, warblers, yellow hammers and siskins are all regular breeders too. Crossbills are occasional visitors.

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We have a  flock of five at the at the moment and yes they do tend to eat virtually everything in sight, but they are a large bird and consequently eat more than a small one. I have hot glued bars on

It was a lovely, still night in the garden yesterday. Horace/Doris turned up on cue at 10pm. Brought a friend along. Doris/Horace?  Anyone who thinks hedgehogs are slow, bumbling creatures should see

We are at the top of an hill so we look out onto countyside but at the slde near us are some terrace house's. Now with central heating chimmy pots are not used any more. We have now been hear about 10

No Idea Carni, as we are away most of the time at the moment. There is a big fat cat that has been patrolling the garden, though my cat scarers do quite a good job (the black metal silhouettes with shiny eyes - I caught him squaring up to one, it was very funny), and of course Mr Sparrowhawk is still around, but it's quite possible they have just moved on, perhaps looking after another nest somewhere.

On the positive front, heard the cuckoo this morning, first time this year for me, and the backbirds are singing, along with several other birds. Unfortunately my eyes aren't so good, and my binoculars are at Poolsbrook in the caravan, so I have to content myself with listening to natures music.

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There was a post on another site a couple of years back of a Hummingbirds nest, In all the years living both in California or down here in Missouri have I spotted where the little buggers nest, not that I'd disturb them if I spotted a nest.

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Mum has a black and white blackbird comes to her garden, I've seen it a few times. I looked up about it and apparently it is classed as an albino, I expect the crow would fall into the same category, Bilbro-lad.

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IMG_0375_zpsff90bb57.jpg

This little lady sat on the nest for days, but kept going off somewhere. Another bird took her eggs, the rotter. I was dying to see how small a baby hummingbird was!

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I went into one of our spare bedrooms this morning and found a baby bird sitting on the bed, I obviously startled it and it began flying around the room, it looked like a baby Robin but without a red breast. He must have flown in the open back door and up the stairs. Fortunately that room has a glazed door out onto a little balcony and once opened the little chap flew back to momma. 
I then drove over to Costco in Derby to return an item I bought weeks ago.  As I arrived in their car park I realised I’d not even brought said item with me!  N’er mind I’ll go again tomorrow, I enjoy a wander around there and always find something I have to buy! 

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Strange that,Lizzie. My neighbour remarked yesterday that he'd never seen so many robins in the garden and had found one in his conservatory, desperately trying to get out.  I've also seen a good number, all with food in their beaks. However, the wrens win this year's breeding prize. Late evening in my garden, the noise of wrens is almost deafening!

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There’s a few magpies here. One pair appeared in the back orchard and another on the front lawn. They now seem to have multiplied so I presume it may be their youngsters. They have no fear of humans and not even of cats. They do tend to keep the other birds at bay apart from pigeons and crows

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We were overrun with Magpies when we were country folk like you Phil.   So much so that a farming friend lent us his Larsen Trap to get the magpie population down and save the song birds in our woods.  

Even here in Mapperley Park we have lots of magpies, pigeons and crows nesting in the street trees. 
 

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The farmers around here used to be very anti magpie and would trap them and dispose of them. All of those old farmers have now gone or have let their land to the the large farming groups so that the old rural way of life is no more. The farms are run like outdoor factories now and the villages have become commuter suburbs. Nearly all of the old rural characters have disappeared. I’ve lived in the countryside for sixty years but I’m basically still a ‘townie’, although I would never go into Nottingham any more. We are fortunate in being surrounded by our own five acre patch so we can maintain our rural idyll.

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I'll go miles out of my way to help animals and birds; I re-home spiders when they get stuck in the bath.

 

But I hate magpies. I've seen them raiding nests of other birds, flying off with eggs in their beaks.

 

On a couple of occasions I've seen them with baby birds in their (magpie's) beaks. On both occasions I managed to be a good Samaritan and caused the magpie to fly off, releasing its captive.

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Do you still say the rhyme when you see magpies….?

one for sorrow

two for joy

three for a letter

four for a boy 

five for silver

six for gold

seven for a secret never to be told

eight for a wish

and nine for a kiss


i’ve only ever seen 4 magpies together .  Has anyone seen more?

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3 hours ago, Cliff Ton said:

I'll go miles out of my way to help animals and birds; I re-home spiders when they get stuck in the bath.

 

But I hate magpies. I've seen them raiding nests of other birds, flying off with eggs in their beaks.

 

On a couple of occasions I've seen them with baby birds in their (magpie's) beaks. On both occasions I managed to be a good Samaritan and caused the magpie to fly off, releasing its captive.

You could be a friend for my grandson (18) who's terrified of spiders. The other night I heard the hoover being used at 2.30 AM, enquiring the following morning my son said it was his son catching spiders with the hoover. ( they are big ones I must add)

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It's interesting, and a bit of a mystery.. trying to work out the ebb and flow of bird species round here.

 

Some years ago we had 'Maggies' everywhere.. but we see many fewer now. We are overrun with Pigeons..which are a PITA and a health hazard.  As I understand it their status changed recently so that a permit is now required to kill them..even though most understand they are just roof rats.

 

We had quite a few Collared Doves a while back.. but they seem to have been crowded out by the

Pigeons. 

Other birds.  Chaffinches, Bullfinches and Greenfinches seem to have disappeared. Goldfinches are numerous now.  We also see Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Robins, Wrens and Blackbirds.

 

We used to see Pied Wagtails in the street.  They seemed interested in salt or something.  Not seen one for years.

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I very often see pied wagtails at the outside part of the cafe I go to. Think they nest in the church grounds next to it.

I get wood pigeons in my garden, they are a complete pest. It is a constant battle to make sure they can’t get to any of the food on my bird station as they just wipe it out if they can. They also make a real mess on the slabs as well. Jj has started chasing them if he is out in the garden when they arrive, hopefully this will deter them a bit.

I get sparrows, dunnocks, blue tits and the local robins who nest in next doors garden. Also starlings who nest across the road in the school grounds, although I tend to chase them off when they arrive in mass. They make so much noise and will empty everything. I have a pair of blackbirds that come as well, but can’t put anything on the ground for them because of the pesky wood pigeons which is a bit frustrating as a I do like them. 
When my mum used to feed the birds she had a male blackbird that got very tame. My dad put a shelf outside the kitchen window and he would come and take raisins and I think cheese (?). If mum was a bit late putting it out he used to tap on the window to let her know he was there. He once came into the kitchen and she went in and found him sitting on the back of a kitchen table chair. They were both devastated when one of the local cats got to him and they couldn’t catch him to see if they could help him, he eventually died of the injuries. 
I also have a pair of grey squirrels that will take what they can although my bird feeders are now squirrel proof, I do put peanuts out for them in winter which I have seen them bury in my neighbours lawn and I have found them in my potted plant pots.
 

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