Bird Watches

Stigura

I have two German Shepherd Dogs. They're called " Casio " and " Rolex ". They're watch Dogs.


Now I've got that off my chest .....

Birds. They just freak me out! I sit here, at this machine. One eye starts drifting toward the little clock, in the corner. " Mm. Early yet. " Later; " Mm. Hour and a half till feeding time. " Finally, bang on the nail at 18:00 ~ for now ~ time to feed the creatures.

I call the Dogs in. Go and feed the horses. Come back and feed the Dogs. Set ye clocks by me. I'm like that.

Tonight, I'm Literally a few minutes late. It's maybe like 18:04 when I finished writing a post, or something. Stood up. Glanced out. There's my cock pheasant walking away from my bait. Or lack of it I'd been very busy, this afters. Hadn't thought to top it up.

But, he'd obviously arrived, for his feed, bang on 18:00. When I bring the Dogs in. One of my big Dogs is in the habit of crashing against the gate and startling poor old cocker. That bugger's learned the Dogs vanish at 18:00!

Figuring why he was going back, I grabbed a fresh pint of bait and went out there. Lo and behold! The bloody dove is sitting on the overhead wire! Where the hell did He come from?!

These things are appearing here, inside of a five minute margin of when I bring the Dogs in.

Now, this is enough to wreck my head. But, I've seen more than enough to convince me birds know exactly what time it is, every day:

I'm a recovering Twitcher. And, I once did the 'Scotland Run' with my old mate ~ King of the Twitchers ~ Lee Evans. Lee, through decades and decades of 'Listing', had learned the wild birds itineraries as well as they themselves know them.

His book told us; Go here. Stand there. Look up there. At X o'clock, Hawfinches will appear. And you would go there. Standing. Craning ye neck. Three minutes to? Nothing. Two minutes to? Zip. On the moment? More Hawfinches than ye could shake a stick at!

On the Scotland run, he was leading us through a wood. We'd been getting Scottish Crossbill. Now, he was racing off. One lad asked me, " Where the hell are we rushing to? " I said I didn't know. But, to trust in God.

Suddenly, we burst out onto the verge of a busy dual carriageway. Lee stopped and faced the hedge. And, as if he'd thrown them out of his pocket, a flock of Crested Tits hit the hedge!

I'm sure this will all be labeled as passé, by the God of Google. But, personally? I freely admit I don't know every single secret of nature. And, as ever, I post from the hip




TLDR? Birds are just f***ing amazing!

Stigura

Okay. Epilogue. Ye Could Not make this up!

Outside, working on nest boxes, all afternoon. In plain view of the track. I pop in for a drink and the Dogs are eyeballing me. I glance at the clock. 18:04.

Oh. Okay, Dogs. Let me just finish this last box. Then I'll feed ye.

I dash out, to get the work finished. And, there he is. Coming down my track like John Wayne. " Seiko Quartz ", as I now name my friend, the cock pheasant. Because he has Olympic standard timing! :eek:

New Home

I’ve had two watches for years called “Sundial” and “Analog”. They’re real old timers.

magicbastarder

Stigura wrote: »

I have two German Shepherd Dogs. They're called " Casio " and " Rolex ". They're watch Dogs.

a man with one watch knows the time. a man with two is never sure.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Even a broken watch is right twice a day.

New Home

Unless it's digital.

Storm 10

When I get up in the morning I have a line of Gold Finches sitting on the shed roof waiting for me to fill the feeders, bang on 7.30am every morning.

New Home

Ok last one. Bird watches? Time flies! :pac:

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Storm 10 wrote: »

When I get up in the morning I have a line of Gold Finches sitting on the shed roof waiting for me to fill the feeders, bang on 7.30am every morning.

They are no dozers. You'll find all gardens where birds are fed regularly at a fixed time will have birds tuned to the cycle.

Stigura

Right, well That does it! Having just watched Four magpies ~ then Seiko came back for some more! I've just checked the batteries in my Trail Cam. This is just too good Not to have a go at!

Tomorrow then, all things being equal, I'll strap my trail cam to a fence post overlooking the bait.

I can Absolutely Guarantee ye Seiko. Collared dove's extremely likely. We'll certainly get the rats, dashing out to grab a bite. (Bonus, actually; Because I have this loose idea of Trail Camming as many animals as I can. Never actually got round to rat, yet. And these are regulars)

Unfortunately, I can only set it once the Dogs are in. I don't want dead batteries and a sim card full of Evil Little Dog. So, we'll likely miss the chaffinches and what ever else comes earlier.

I'm Really looking forward to this. Just hope the weather holds!