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Birding in the time of Coronavirus (1 Viewer)

Pretty boring here in Spain. Only able to see the usual garden birds. Sparrow, goldfinch, sardinian warbler, stonechat and blackcap. Also the usual cattle egrets. The highlights of the day were a griffon vulture, unusually on its own, a pair of ravens, a black kite, a hoopoe and a black shouldered kite. I have had better days!
 
And you call that boring?

Really grim here today. The grey sky and chilly wind didn't help. heard a Blackcap sing this morning. At the feeders the usual suspects: Siskins and Tits (all the above 4), Blackbird, Chaffinch . Further restrictions on travel are looming, but a cold spell is forecast, which might increase traffic at the feeders.
 
We woke this morning to a chilly blue sky and a howling north-easterly gale. temperatures well below freezing overnight and up to 4-5 C in the daytime. Luckily our feeders are somewhat sheltered and were not blown away like it can happen sometimes.

G had topped the feeders just before lunch and I went to check them in the early afternoon, as an excuse to get out. They were already half empty as Siskin numbers have gone up again, around 30-40. I filled them and then sat with my binoculars in the car (for warmth) for an hour or so. I tried the 5 minute challenge a few times, but never managed to get more than 6 species at a time, although I got 11 altogether: Siskin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, a very welcome Hawfinch, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Magpie and Hooded Crow. Definitely better than I expected!
 
I logged on to the Dog Rescue site where i got my current Staffie/Jack Russell cross, Hettie, from - they usually have upto a dozen or 15 animals to be rehoused and they do so very quickly but there is now a waiting list.

I hope these people realise that a Dog is for life and not just for the duration of the Coronavirus:t:

Good Birding -

Laurie:t:

Attached: Hettie 5 minutes ago...
 

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We woke this morning to a chilly blue sky and a howling north-easterly gale. temperatures well below freezing overnight and up to 4-5 C in the daytime. Luckily our feeders are somewhat sheltered and were not blown away like it can happen sometimes.

G had topped the feeders just before lunch and I went to check them in the early afternoon, as an excuse to get out. They were already half empty as Siskin numbers have gone up again, around 30-40. I filled them and then sat with my binoculars in the car (for warmth) for an hour or so. I tried the 5 minute challenge a few times, but never managed to get more than 6 species at a time, although I got 11 altogether: Siskin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, a very welcome Hawfinch, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Magpie and Hooded Crow. Definitely better than I expected!

Blue skies and very chilly March winds here too and also busy at the feeders.

Nice moment with the Hawfinch - All you need is just one slightly off piste bird and the day is good!
 
Essential journey to the nearby egg farm this morning (me only, plus some extra for two nearby neighbours). Heard a singing Chiffchaff, Skylark and spied a bounding away Yellowhammer. Overhead, calling and circling Buzzards, hovering Kestrel and home to a male Sparrowhawk sitting atop a feeder pole. No vapour trails in the clear blue skies, nor practising military fast jets today, no traffic noise - just birdsong and gentle breeze with a cuppa.
 
So we are on lockdown as well! Not that I have been outside in the last week anyway, because of my own health issues (not corona related).

We have a rather limited selection of species to see frok our window, but they at least come very close, as we have a feeder directly on the window. Blue and Great Tits come here for sunflower seeds and Tree Sparrows come to look through them for anything else, throwing most of the seeds around in the process, which then makes a mess on the window sill which in turn attracts feral Pigeons and occasionally Collared Doves. Jackdaws and Magpies come to drink in our mini-garden from a reservoir which my wife fills by warm water in the morning as it freezes overnight. Only other visitor are Starlings, Wood Pigeons and very rarely a Chaffinch. Rooks seem to have already left for spring.
 
Tree Sparrows come to look through them for anything else, throwing most of the seeds around in the process

The terrible Siskins do that here! If you look at the photos in the first post we have tied those plastic saucers that you put under potted plants underneath out tube feeders precisely to prevent the spillage. Still they manage to throw a lot of seeds on the ground.
 
The terrible Siskins do that here! If you look at the photos in the first post we have tied those plastic saucers that you put under potted plants underneath out tube feeders precisely to prevent the spillage. Still they manage to throw a lot of seeds on the ground.

Nono, that's a misunderstanding, we like them doing it! They basically do the pigeon-feeding part for us. Only if it gets too much, I wave my hand in the bed and they flee. Basically gesture-operated bio-automation :)
 
Despite the cold (wind even stronger than yesterday, max temperature today 3.5 C with windchill around -8) fewer species today, probably because of the swarm of Siskins (50+) that chased away everything that dared to get close to the feeders. Only 3 species of Tit: Coal, Marsh and Blue, one or two Chaffinch, Blackbird, Magpie, Collared Dove and a couple of Hawfinch! I didn't stay long because it was too cold even sitting in the car!
 
Nono, that's a misunderstanding, we like them doing it! They basically do the pigeon-feeding part for us. Only if it gets too much, I wave my hand in the bed and they flee. Basically gesture-operated bio-automation :)

Well the thing is that our feeders are basically on a patch of ground that doesn't belong to us and we are always afraid that the owners will complain about the mess. Also, even if Siskins and other finches will gladly eat them off the ground, Tits won't or they will only if there's no alternative. If they remain on the ground there is also the risk of them rotting.

Sometimes. I wave to make the Siskins go away for 5 minutes, so that the Tits can have their share too...
 
Well the thing is that our feeders are basically on a patch of ground that doesn't belong to us and we are always afraid that the owners will complain about the mess. Also, even if Siskins and other finches will gladly eat them off the ground, Tits won't or they will only if there's no alternative. If they remain on the ground there is also the risk of them rotting.

Sometimes. I wave to make the Siskins go away for 5 minutes, so that the Tits can have their share too...

That is indeed true, do you know why are the Tits so specifically against eating from the ground? Our ones have at least learned to eat from the windowsill, but t took them a looong time to get there!
 
Coal Tits and Marsh Tits will feed on the ground, even if it's not their first choice, Blues are a bit more recluctant and I have never seen Great Tits on the ground. I don't know if it has anything to do with shyness, as Coals are the boldest species here, followed by the other three in the order above. Even if Great Tits are the biggest they are really shy and wary of approaching the feeders if there is a lot of traffic or if they see the shadow of a human lurking in the garage. Coal and Marsh Tits are the most numerous and frequent visitors (apart from the Siskins ;)) and sometimes they come to feed even if one of us is refilling the feeders, while Blue Tits are a bit more cautious but are the only ones who will stand up to the Siskins.
 
Interesting. In a park on Warsaw, I have seen Great Tits feeding from my wife's hand. As long as it's not on the ground, they don't seem to be particularly shy here :)
 
You have to bear in mind that all wildlife in Italy is shier than in most other places as they are regularly being shot at. This said, I don't know why Great Tits in particular are shier. If I had to bet on a Tit feeding from my hand it would be Coal Tit, or maybe Siskins would do it. I'll give it a try!
 
More wind and cold, with snow forecast overnight. Also more Siskins, which meant having to refill the feeders three times today, as they went through a tube in a couple of hours, even if we have put out also a nut feeder, fat balls and more sunflower seeds scattered on the ground (Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Hawfinch are not too fond of the feeders) with assorted kitchen scraps (mostly finely chopped cheese rinds and biscuit crumbs). Still a couple of Hawfinch around, a lone female Chaffinch, 3-4 Goldfinches and the usual three species of Tits: Coal, Blue and Marsh. No Great Tits today, at least we didn't see any. Also the usual Magpies, Hooded Crows, Collared Doves and Blackbird.
 
The forecast was right and we woke to 8-10 cm. of snow on the ground and a few snowflakes still drifting around.

The feeders were obviously very busy, with 60+ Siskins and we had to refill them twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.

Other species seen were: Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Hawfinch, Collared Dove, Magpie and Hooded Crow.

The feeders are just to the right of the third photo. That's the car (borrowed - it's a long story) I sometimes use as a hide.
 

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