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Birding in the time of Coronavirus (1 Viewer)

After several days of rain, which was very welcome, the skies have cleared and birds have appeared. Today I saw several new sightings. A kestrel, white storks, pallid swifts, house martins, black kites, a griffon vulture and a booted eagle. Not bad for an afternoon from my terrace.
 
The news today is that, after the cold spell, we are nearly out of sunflower seeds for the feeders. We had 10 kilos left at the beginning of the week and we assumed they would be enough as usually by the end of March bird traffic peters out. The problem is that we buy them in bulk from a tiny seed-feed shop near my mum's and it's still not clear if I'll be allowed to go. This morning I bought the last half kilo packet of the stripy kind (not as good as the black ones) from the local pet shop and that's finished too. There's probably another kilo left of the original 10 and still loads of Siskins (probably around 40 today, less than yesterday) at the feeders. So tomorrow morning I'll call the police and try to understand if I can drive to my mum's and then stop to stock up on seeds.

A good variety of species today, with all four species of Tits: Coal, Marsh, Great and Blue (the Great Tits had disappeared but have come back with the cold weather), Blackbird, Collared Dove, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Black Redstart, Tree Sparrow, Magpie, Hooded Crow, and Green Woodpecker (heard only); no Hawfinch unfortunately - I doubt they'll be back before next winter. I also saw a Goldfinch as I was going to the shops.

Edit for Jan: I saw Great Tits on the ground today! Possibly because the feeders were full of Siskins!
 
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The news today is that, after the cold spell, we are nearly out of sunflower seeds for the feeders. We had 10 kilos left at the beginning of the week and we assumed they would be enough as usually by the end of March bird traffic peters out. The problem is that we buy them in bulk from a tiny seed-feed shop near my mum's and it's still not clear if I'll be allowed to go. This morning I bought the last half kilo packet of the stripy kind (not as good as the black ones) from the local pet shop and that's finished too. There's probably another kilo left of the original 10 and still loads of Siskins (probably around 40 today, less than yesterday) at the feeders. So tomorrow morning I'll call the police and try to understand if I can drive to my mum's and then stop to stock up on seeds.

A good variety of species today, with all four species of Tits: Coal, Marsh, Great and Blue (the Great Tits had disappeared but have come back with the cold weather), Blackbird, Collared Dove, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Black Redstart, Tree Sparrow, Magpie, Hooded Crow, and Green Woodpecker (heard only); no Hawfinch unfortunately - I doubt they'll be back before next winter. I also saw a Goldfinch as I was going to the shops.

Edit for Jan: I saw Great Tits on the ground today! Possibly because the feeders were full of Siskins!

Hope your police are understanding!

John
 
Hope your police are understanding!

John

Thank you John, I do hope so. The official declaration (downloaded from the Gov's website) I have to fill out and carry with me states as one of the valid reasons to leave your council of residence as "assisting relatives in need", so I should be ok, but fingers crossed anyway!
 
Thank you John, I do hope so. The official declaration (downloaded from the Gov's website) I have to fill out and carry with me states as one of the valid reasons to leave your council of residence as "assisting relatives in need", so I should be ok, but fingers crossed anyway!

Do all Italians have home computers and printers? If you need to print a travel declaration and carry it with you, how do folk without access to a printer manage?
 
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I put them on a flash drive and take it to someone who can print it. Library can do it here and there's a shop in the town that will do it too.

Friends are handy as well.
 
Thank you John, I do hope so. The official declaration (downloaded from the Gov's website) I have to fill out and carry with me states as one of the valid reasons to leave your council of residence as "assisting relatives in need", so I should be ok, but fingers crossed anyway!

Make sure you add ‘purchasing essential pet food’ for all your parrots and budgerigars. :-O
 
Do all Italians have home computers and printers? If you need to print a travel declaration and carry it with you, how do folk without access to a printer manage?

Good question. No, not everyone has a printer and in that case you can copy out the declaration and it will do. Or police are supposed to carry them too and you can fill them out when you are stopped.

I put them on a flash drive and take it to someone who can print it. Library can do it here and there's a shop in the town that will do it too.

Friends are handy as well.

Yes, that was another way of doing it until they closed down copy centres etc. Libraries have been closed for weeks, but I think there may still be a tobacconist in town who does copying/printing.
 
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So I went to my mum's today and had no problems with the police. I had all my paperwork ready as I drove by one checkpoint but they were busy with another car and they didn't stop me.

Sightings were a bit underwhelming but the day was damp and overcast so it was somewhat expected.

Most common species, especially on the journey out, were Jay, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Magpie and Collared Dove. Also a couple of Buzzards, Goldfinches, and Serins (mostly heard, but some fleeting views too). I had good views of one Grey Heron, a couple of Little Egrets and some Great White Egrets in the usual ditch and some House Martins in the same little town. Further on a White Wagtail, a Kestrel on a wire and a Corn Bunting.

Another Kestrel was soaring as I looked out of my mum's living room window and a Great Tit was singing by the car as I got ready to go back. On the way I stopped at the feed shop to stock up - see photo below (20 kilos altogether) and then I headed for home. Same Kestrel on the same wire, then a glimpse of a Green Woodpecker and (maybe) the same Grey Heron in the same ditch. The usual Italian Sparrows by the side of the road. As I looked at the first Swallows around a farmhouse where they nest each year I saw a bird of prey in the distance which could have been a Red Kite, but when I found a place where I could safely stop the car I couldn't locate it, so it remains an UFO.

Back at the feeders, a few Siskins, Coal and Marsh Tits and Blackbird.
 

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A glorious Sunday morning today, a perfect spring day to.... #StayAtHome :-C ...

Opening the window I heard BlackCap, Great Tit and Green Woodpecker, then saw a Black Redstart singing from the rooftop opposite. Since we are allowed to exercise within a 300 mt. range from home, I went for a combined walk/run but kept it short as I couldn't face going around the block more than a few times, also I am not really a runner, but basically you can only do that or cycle, and cycling around the block would have felt REALLY stupid, although I did cross a few times a guy who was doing just that. |8.| I saw the usual Magpies, Hooded Crows, Collared Doves, Tree Sparrows, Blackbirds and heard Chaffinches.

At the feeders, still good numbers of Siskins (30-40), the 4 Tits (Coal, Marsh, Great and Blue), a female Black Redstart and a distant Hawfinch.
 
Nothing much to report today as the forecasted rain duly arrived and it was very welcome even though we would need lots more to make up for the prolonged drought that lasts since December.

Siskins (30+), Coal, Marsh and Blue Tits at the feeders, Collared Doves around. Cold spell forecast from tomorrow!
 
Snow!

As expected, temperatures dropped today, but the surprise was sleet, turning to wet snow, which didn't stick but certainly stirred up things at the feeders, with Siskin numbers up again, around 60-70 at a time. Other sightings included the usual 4 Tit species: Coal, Marsh, Blue and Great, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Chaffinch and 4-5 Hawfinches.

In the morning, queuing outside the chemists', despite the cold, two male Black Redstarts were engaged in a territorial skirmish, coming very close and giving excellent views.
 

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I must say that after the initial despair and depression which combined by stresses due to my health conditions made me a wreck in my bed for days, I started to really watch what's happening outside of my window. It's quite obvious that the same birds are returning regularly and they have their recognizable habits.

There is a group formed by a few Great and Blue Tits and a Tree Sparrow that always comes together to feed from our window. Why do they even hang out together, when they can't stand each other on the feeder and always come one by one, while forming a neat queue on the tree and the wall?

A Starling comes every morning and evening, sits on the same branch on top of the tree and sings.

First I thought we have the same pair of Jackdaws coming in, but it's actually a group of six birds. When I see just two is it the same two or not? Who knows. But they really begun to love the watering station my wife puts out for them. She has to refill it every morning after it freezes over during the night and then they come to bath and drink.
 
I must say that after the initial despair and depression which combined by stresses due to my health conditions made me a wreck in my bed for days, I started to really watch what's happening outside of my window. It's quite obvious that the same birds are returning regularly and they have their recognizable habits.

There is a group formed by a few Great and Blue Tits and a Tree Sparrow that always comes together to feed from our window. Why do they even hang out together, when they can't stand each other on the feeder and always come one by one, while forming a neat queue on the tree and the wall?

A Starling comes every morning and evening, sits on the same branch on top of the tree and sings.

First I thought we have the same pair of Jackdaws coming in, but it's actually a group of six birds. When I see just two is it the same two or not? Who knows. But they really begun to love the watering station my wife puts out for them. She has to refill it every morning after it freezes over during the night and then they come to bath and drink.

Yes, I spend a lot of time watching what's happening too, it's actually quite interesting, almost fun at times! It's difficult for us to single out individual birds though, as there are too many of them at the feeders, altough the species hierarchy is pretty obvious: Siskins rule just because there's an army of them and Blue Tits (it's probably a pair as I have never seen more than two at the same time) are the only ones that will face up to them and even chase them away from a fat ball or the nuts feeder. Great Tits, despite being bigger are the shiest, while Coal and Marsh Tits are plucky little things but won't challenge the Siskins. Coal Tits, the most numerous after the Siskins, are also starting to get territorial and will often chase each other around the feeders.

This said, today apart from the above not much else, as I was otherwise occupied (a little crafting): Blackbirds, Collared Doves etc. And G saw an Hawfinch.
 
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Also, I meant to say, but last night I was writing in a hurry: hang in there Jan and let us know about your mixed group of visitors!
😊😊😊
🌈
 
Also, I meant to say, but last night I was writing in a hurry: hang in there Jan and let us know about your mixed group of visitors!
😊😊😊
🌈

I have just a few hours ago learned that I won't have to abandon my home in the near future (thanks to incredible understanding of my doctors) so it will be indeed possible!

A Robin showed up this morning, first of the season. A curiously behaving bird, skulking around and under the cars parked in the yard. It's still very cold here, but next week the spring should explode all of a sudden.
 
I have just a few hours ago learned that I won't have to abandon my home in the near future (thanks to incredible understanding of my doctors) so it will be indeed possible!

Glad to hear it. Let us know how your "studies" go! ;)

A Robin showed up this morning, first of the season. A curiously behaving bird, skulking around and under the cars parked in the yard. It's still very cold here, but next week the spring should explode all of a sudden.

I got a couple of Robins, too, during my usual walk-run around the block this morning. I also saw Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Magpie, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon, Hooded Crow and heard Great Tit, Chaffinch and Black Redstart.

Before setting off I had had a look around with my binoculars from the kitchen window and saw an Hawfinch.

At the feeders a few stray Siskins (but there had been lots in the morning) and Coal and Marsh Tit besides the other two above.
 
Things are slowly but unrelentingly moving towards spring. While we still have to top up the feeders twice a day, in the afternoon they are almost empty, with only a few Coal Tits and Siskins going back and forth. Early in the morning, instead, there is a lot of traffic in the trees at the back (those that you can see from some of my photos above) and the hint of a dawn chorus.

Just after getting up I spent 10 minutes at the kitchen window armed with binoculars and saw at least three Hawfinch, a couple of Jays, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Great Tit. Song-wise I could hear Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Chaffinch, and Great Tit, and also the insistent drumming of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, which sounded pretty close but try as I may I couldn't locate.

From the balcony at the front the usual Black Redstart singing from the rooftop across the road together with Tree Sparrows.

Hooded Crows, Magpies and Turtle Doves always around.

Those migrants should be back any day now!
 
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