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  1. pianoman

    Magpie or?

    Interesting - Perhaps there is a significant difference, listening to this: Black billed magpie I haven't heard my local magpies making a sound like that.
  2. pianoman

    Magpie or?

    I must say that it doesn't sound like Magpie to me - unless there is significant difference between NA Black-Billed and Eurasian
  3. pianoman

    My beloved is in love......with her Leica Trinovid 7x35's

    Those Leitz must have been pretty unusual as early roof prisms back in the 60s? I don't remember anything but Porros in the 70s but I guess roofs must have been around
  4. pianoman

    Ireland - near lahinch.

    The pipit would almost certainly be Rock, they are quite abundant on the Atlantic coast compared to further east.
  5. pianoman

    Irish hybrid duck

    You may be able to contact him via his blog Joern: https://toryislandbirdblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/derek-brennan-28th-29th-april.html Or sign up/sign in to birdguides, he is a member on there. You may not be able to find someone to give you his personal email.
  6. pianoman

    Why is a Great Tit pecking away at the hole on my nestbox this time of year?

    Hi - Great tits certainly use nestboxes to roost during the winter. And would also attempt to enlarge the hole if necessary. However this bird would have its work cut out for it, a natural tree hole would have thinner and softer wood around the hole. I wonder did he/she give up in the end?
  7. pianoman

    Herbicide

    If it was a lawn weedkiller it's likely to be an auxin (plant hormone) based one that leaves the grass intact. If so it's unlikely to cause the birds any harm (don't get me wrong, I'm not in favour of it). But you can't be sure so remove the feeders for a couple of weeks to allow any herbicide...
  8. pianoman

    Arctic Warbler co Mayo

    Congratulations, yes twitches are fine but there is nothing quite like finding your own rarity
  9. pianoman

    Raven: Whispering sweet nothings 😊

    Lovely picture. Yes other crow species are the unruly teenagers whereas ravens are the dignified strong parents
  10. pianoman

    Hoping for an ID on this non-native bird in my garden--it's not caged, but perched inside a tomato cage in garden

    If you are in Florida (in which case I hope you are OK), then this is the time of year for them in backyard feeders. Saw them at my brother's feeders in Cocoa, FL when I was over this time last year.
  11. pianoman

    Birding on EastEnders

    LMAO - what? I thought it was a documentary!
  12. pianoman

    Birding on EastEnders

    Be careful about the background bird sounds you hear in movies or TV shows, the background sounds are added later and they could be recordings from anywhere. When watching the Irish Open golf tournament in Kildare a few years ago I was amazed to hear a Mockingbird in the background - but of...
  13. pianoman

    Do you count heard only birds on your life list?

    An option that isn't exactly on the list is "Yes, but only if I'm absolutely certain about the distinctive song or call". For me that means Corncrake, Quail and Cetti's, The only 3 Irish sound-only personal ticks I've made on my own life list. Seen Cetti's abroad of course.
  14. pianoman

    Waterford Ireland Flock of Birds

    Not a bad call Andrew. If they are indeed waders then the relative lack of markings on the upper side narrows the field, and it is the time of year for mass movements of GP
  15. pianoman

    Waterford Ireland Flock of Birds

    Here is a crop if it can be of any use. I can't figure anything out; think that most of the apparent white markings come from light effects. It would help to know some general impressions from the field - did they look gull sized, swallow sized etc. and did they fly like gulls or something...
  16. pianoman

    Little Bittern? Croatia

    Got to admit it's an entertaining thread, and fair play to Pete for the shift in perspective
  17. pianoman

    Wood Warbler? Barcelona

    Glen of the Downs near me ticks all those boxes so I'll make next year my year for Wood W; thanks all.
  18. pianoman

    Wood Warbler? Barcelona

    Thanks SV. Yes it is a very long PP on Wood, and now that you mention it, it could be the best way. And I see that it is really a yellow throat rather than breast. I also see in just about every picture that the primary tips really are very dark on Wood, almost black. I'll bear all this in...
  19. pianoman

    Wood Warbler? Barcelona

    I'm beginning to think I wouldn't spot a Wood Warbler if it was staring me in the face. Anyone have a top tip for quick ID of Wood W? Assuming that size is not easy to see, I had been relying on clean white belly and yellow, not greenish-yellow breast. But I'm seeing this is not so clear cut
  20. pianoman

    Odd bird call/drumming in Argyll Scotland

    Agree an amphibian sounds more likely, though if happening during the day, another possibility might conceivably be a rook or crow. Aside from the normal cawing sounds they can make some peculiar sounds that are often specific to the individuals
  21. pianoman

    Gull decline

    One thing I have noticed over the last 40 years or so is that the proportion of Black-Headed to Herring gulls is much greater than it used to be. The predominant sound of seaside towns now tends to be mainly the wheedling of BHG rather than the laughing of HG. I've a feeling that the study...
  22. pianoman

    Ringed Black headed Gull

    Can give interesting results. I checked out a Med Gull ring last summer and found it had been flying back and forth between Germany and Ireland several times during the summer. Be interesting to know if BHG stay local or if they do the same thing
  23. pianoman

    New way to clean bird feeders!

    Being lazy, I have double the number of birdfeeders, and while one set is out in the garden, the others are washed in the dishwasher. The temperature and dishwasher detergent sterilizes them thoroughly. They have to be reasonably robust of course.
  24. pianoman

    Pretentious question about "Grey" birds.

    Hooded Crow is called Grey Crow here in Ireland. It is common round here but possibly too good-looking to make this list
  25. pianoman

    Tree Pipit OR Meadow Pipit - Isle of Wight, England

    I must say that the OP has darker streaks overall (I know we can't see the flank streaking clearly) than any Tree Pipit I have seen. Here in Ireland TP is pretty scarce and if I saw a bird like the OP here I'd call it as MP pretty quickly. Maybe I need to rethink.
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