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gzoladz · 25-02-2020 8:09am

fryup wrote: »

for the second day running i saw the spilt second flash of a bird swooping down at the back garden bird feeder...kestrel? sparrowhawk?

Deffinitely sparrowhawk, lovely to watch if you are lucky. You may want to see if you find where he (assume it is a male) hides before striking/ambushing as that will give you a clearer view.

fryup · 27-02-2020 11:12pm

any idea what this fungi is? its appeared in the back garden lawn...i thought autumn was the time for fungi?

magicbastarder · 25-03-2020 9:12pm

saw a bat for the first time this year over the back garden. disappeared as soon as i got the bat detector out, the little bugger.

sumsar · 25-03-2020 9:44pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

saw a bat for the first time this year over the back garden. disappeared as soon as i got the bat detector out, the little bugger.

Just like you I seen a bat for the first this week over the back garden, but oddly enough was in the day time.

What’s a bat detector? Ha

magicbastarder · 25-03-2020 10:53pm

it takes the ultrasonic noise a bat makes and transposes it to a frequency humans can hear.

Half-cocked · 27-03-2020 9:33am

Had a Ring-necked Parakeet on my peanut feeder yesterday evening. NPWS received reports of them in the area a couple of years ago. I hope no one is deliberately releasing them.

OpenYourEyes · 27-03-2020 11:30am

Half-cocked wrote: »

Had a Ring-necked Parakeet on my peanut feeder yesterday evening. NPWS received reports of them in the area a couple of years ago. I hope no one is deliberately releasing them.

Was that in north Dublin? There have been 2 or 3 around Botanical Gardens to Swords area since last September, so they've survived the winter! Definite possibility of breeding...

If you see them during the summer months could you let me know as I'll log it for the Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel (non-native/invasive species falls under their remit).

Half-cocked · 28-03-2020 5:11pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Was that in north Dublin? There have been 2 or 3 around Botanical Gardens to Swords area since last September, so they've survived the winter! Definite possibility of breeding...

If you see them during the summer months could you let me know as I'll log it for the Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel (non-native/invasive species falls under their remit).

Baldoyle. Apparently there have been reports of them in Malahide, Swords and Howth in the last couple of years.

Half-cocked · 28-03-2020 5:12pm

Had a newly fledged Robin in the garden yesterday. I don't usually see them until mid-April in our area.

fryup · 28-03-2020 11:07pm

i wonder would animals sense there's something going on? dogs especially

magicbastarder · 28-03-2020 11:13pm

you mean in terms of the virus?
dogs especially. getting loads more attention.

Base price · 28-03-2020 11:40pm

fryup wrote: »

i wonder would animals sense there's something going on? dogs especially

The cities seagulls and pigeons are getting hungry at this stage.

fryup · 28-03-2020 11:48pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

you mean in terms of the virus?
dogs especially. getting loads more attention.

i mean i wonder can they sense that something is a bit off, humans are acting strange

Fakediamond · 30-03-2020 9:10am

fryup wrote: »

i mean i wonder can they sense that something is a bit off, humans are acting strange

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-52057543

magicbastarder · 06-04-2020 12:09pm

we spotted a wren collecting moss off the lawn in our back garden yesterday, but today i realised it's actually building its nest in my shed - which is used quite a lot, i do a good bit of woodturning out there.
there would often be a lot of dust in the air, and powertools being used out there - i suspect if i evict them (for their own sake), i need to do it now?

magicbastarder · 06-04-2020 12:29pm

rang a chap i know who is better educated on such things than me, and he said to close up access now, which i have done.
one of the main concerns i'd have had would have been at fledging time, they could have easily been trapped. it wouldn't be a healthy place for them to be, i regularly use a breathing mask out there; so hopefully they'll find a new home quickly.

Alun · 08-04-2020 11:51am

Have a great battle going on in our nest box at the moment. Two blue tits vying for it, one brings in a few bits of nesting material, and the next minute the other one comes in and carefully removes it!

Originally when I first saw two birds in at once, I thought they were a pair as they seemed to be OK with each other being in there at the same time, but it's starting to get a bit rougher with the new one chasing the other out.

magicbastarder · 10-04-2020 7:18pm

tragic news from zoe devlin (wildflowers of ireland):

https://twitter.com/zoedev1174/status/1242790683259179008

Alun · 11-04-2020 10:44am

Alun wrote: »

Have a great battle going on in our nest box at the moment. Two blue tits vying for it, one brings in a few bits of nesting material, and the next minute the other one comes in and carefully removes it!

Originally when I first saw two birds in at once, I thought they were a pair as they seemed to be OK with each other being in there at the same time, but it's starting to get a bit rougher with the new one chasing the other out.

Currently we have one bird starting to nest, bringing in moss and bits of dried grass and the next day the other bird comes in and empties it completely and starts over again, Rinse and repeat

Birdnuts · 13-04-2020 12:58am

Spotted a flock of migrating Golden Plover resting on some spring tillage land near my parents place in North Kildare. They really are a stunning looking bird when the Males are coming into their breeding plumage. These birds appeared to be of the "Northern" variety as the black patch extended totally down their chest and belly

New Home · 13-04-2020 7:05pm

gzoladz wrote: »

Surprising turn of events...I checked the roosting site this afternoon, and there was a male who was NOT Cyrano (check his much smaller bill) and a female. I wondered if maybe Cyrano was the female but if that is the case, it is not the same bird as Cyrano has quite a bit of orange and this female has no orange at all.

Both birds were interacting quite a lot and they checked a half built nest in the same site. The female sat in the nest for about 15 minutes and her head was occasionally visible from the other side of road. I was actually surprised they were checking that nest as it looked too exposed to me.

DSCN2115-01 by Gustavo, on Flickr

DSCN2026-01 by Gustavo, on Flickr

Not Cyrana. Roxanne.

gzoladz · 14-04-2020 8:50am

New Home wrote: »

Not Cyrana. Roxanne.

We need a second male name...there is Cyrano and another younger looking male. This morning both were collecting nesting material for the same nest. I didn't see the female.

New Home · 14-04-2020 9:23am

To remain in theme, Christian?

Eddie B · 14-04-2020 10:00am

gzoladz wrote: »

We need a second male name...there is Cyrano and another younger looking male. This morning both were collecting nesting material for the same nest. I didn't see the female.

Bet you have the chicks named already:D

gzoladz · 14-04-2020 1:31pm

Eddie B wrote: »

Bet you have the chicks named already:D

New Home is actually who names them!

Lunch break...only Cyrano there, perching at his favourite branch. There was a few Blue Tits feeding an calling 2 or 3 mts away from him...I don't know if they did not see him or they don't respect him.

I am hoping to check it again this evening.

gzoladz · 17-04-2020 7:18am

Brief update...after a quite Wednesday, M and F Sparrowhawk were very active yesterday morning...more mating, more nest building, etc.

I submitted an application to obtain a license to photograph activity on the nest, as this will be required from when eggs are laid until the youngs fledge...it is a long shot as I don't know if I qualify, and if these are granted given the current situation (and if I am not too late requesting it, but who would have expected this!).

In any case, the nest location is getting very leafy, so I don't know how much longer will be visible (all my observations are from a busy road, not accessing the roosting/nest site).

under Section 22 (9)(f) of the Wildlife Act, 1976 (as amended) a licence is required for a person to take or make photographic, video or other pictures of a wild bird of a species specified in the licence on or near a nest containing eggs or unflown young.

fryup · 17-04-2020 9:20am

gzoladz wrote: »

M and F Sparrowhawk were very active yesterday morning...more mating,

tell them to get a room

magicbastarder · 19-04-2020 10:01am

spotted a kingfisher on the tolka yesterday, first time i've seen one in several years. it was at the bridge on mobhi road.

Deja Boo · 19-04-2020 6:11pm

Odd question please... Might anyone be able to know how I might help a frantic bird off a balcony, draped in netting (so birds wont get in, but occasionally they do) ?

New Home · 19-04-2020 6:48pm

Can you remove part of the netting? Sorry DB, I'd need a picture or a better description, I can't quite visualise it.

Deja Boo · 19-04-2020 8:32pm

I can't, its stapled from roof to sides of building. I tried coaxing him to the floor with seeds, cos that must be where he flew into, but he is just too spastic to even catch with net on a stick

New Home · 19-04-2020 8:33pm

A single bed sheet might help.

Deja Boo · 19-04-2020 8:33pm

ok, will try that, ta new home!

New Home · 19-04-2020 8:35pm

And wait until dark. It might be easier to catch it then. What kind of bird is it? You might be able to keep it in a large cardboard box until dawn, but not all birds will be able to withstand that.

Deja Boo · 20-04-2020 5:38pm

BIRD IS FREEEEEEEEE !

Thanks for all your help New Home!

New Home · 20-04-2020 5:40pm

YAAAAYYYY!!!

vistafinder · 22-04-2020 10:10pm

I saw a Kestrel take a small bird in mid air today. Unbelievable manoeuvre to catch it. It looked like it had escaped for a second.

Not sure was it the flock of small birds were chasing it off which I have seen plenty times and it turned on them or if it just had a go at them.

fryup · 25-04-2020 1:14pm

quick question - do swans fly at night? was in the back garden last night and heard that unique swish swish sound you get from swans wings overhead

ZX7R · 26-04-2020 11:48am

fryup wrote: »

quick question - do swans fly at night? was in the back garden last night and heard that unique swish swish sound you get from swans wings overhead

Yes swan's fly at night

gzoladz · 26-04-2020 12:34pm

I think I have found another sparrowhawk nest on the edge of my 2km, area of mixed decidious and coniferous woodland. Potential nest in a huge coniferous tree, m&f seen and heard calling and interacting. Male left and came back a few times.

I have not seen the actual nest this time.

gzoladz · 27-04-2020 10:27am

Breaking news, the female from the site near my place was seating in her nest this morning, I presume she has or is in process of laying.

The male was perching about 5 meters away.

The place get very leafy over the last few days, what is a good thing. The nest is hardly visible from the road now.

fryup · 28-04-2020 8:29pm

any idea what bird egg this is...

magicbastarder · 28-04-2020 8:34pm

blackbird egg, possibly. any indication of size?

Eddie B · 28-04-2020 8:42pm

Might be Song Trush

fryup · 28-04-2020 8:55pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

blackbird egg, possibly. any indication of size?

cadbury creme egg size (seriously)

Tiercel Dave · 29-04-2020 1:25pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

blackbird egg, possibly. any indication of size?

Blackbird has brown specks/blotches, I think Eddie is right with Song Thrush.....

Tiercel Dave · 29-04-2020 1:28pm

fryup wrote: »

cadbury creme egg size (seriously)

I thought Song Thrush but if it's that big I'd go for Jackdaw.....

fryup · 29-04-2020 10:29pm

that big?? creme eggs are small

yes i concur on song thrush

Tiercel Dave · 30-04-2020 11:00am

fryup wrote: »

that big?? creme eggs are small

yes i concur on song thrush

Our 'birds' must lay the bigger size in the west.....

fryup · 30-04-2020 10:40pm

^^ Not Actual Size

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