my birding days... (1 Viewer)

Ok folks this is gonna be a loooong post. It's about the last three birdingtrips. I didn't have quite the time to post this earlier so i post them all together now.

June 8)
I went to Diependal, the observation cabin i went to before. Almost the same sightings but some new ones for me as well!

Mallard
Tufted Duck
Pochard
Herring Gull
Black Headed Gull
Coot
Grey Heron
Great Crested Grebe
Little Grebe
Rednecked Grebe (newbie for me!)
Cormorant
Egyptian Goose
Grey Lag Goose
Mute Swan
Sedge Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Lapwing
Marsh Harrier
Reed Bunting

June 14)
Went birdwatching with about 15 people of our church congregation. Two scopes and all binoculars. quite a good day since some people went along who knew very much about sounds and everything!

Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Mallard
Shelduck (with juv)
Grey Lag Goose (with juv)
Mute Swan
Buzzard
Partridge
Coot
Moorhen
Little Ringed Plover
Oystercatcher (with juv)
Lapwing
Curlew
Black-tailed Godwit
Redshank
Common Tern
Stock Dove
Swift
Barn Swallow
House Martin
Whitethroat
Blue-headed Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Reed Bunting
Tree Sparrow

June 16)
This morning i went to my local patch here since someone told me he had heard a Golden Oriole. So i went there and also heard it but didn't see it. I did see a lot of blackbirds, great tits and thrushes. As well a Squirrel and not to forget a zillion mosquitos, since i was wearing shorts, something i always forget: never wear shorts in summer when going to a forest with bodies of water...

Well, that was a long post, i hope you enjoyed reading it!

Nice post erik.

As someone who also forgets the problems of shorts (and short sleeves) and mosquitoes - I'm bitten to hell at the moment - I can sympathise.

There's been a small glut (can you have a small glut?) of posts concerning hearing Golden Orioles lately. Anyone point me to a sound clip so I know what I'm listening for???

You know Dave, we have a childrens song that goes like:

Kom mee naar buiten allemaal
dan zoeken wij de Wielewaal
en horen wij die muzikant
dan is 't zomer weer in 't land
Dudeljo klinkt zijn lied, dudeljo klinkt zijn lied
dudeljo en anders niet.

Translated:
Come outside everyone
then we will search for the Golden Oriole
and when we hear this musician
The summer is in the country again
Dudelio sounds his song
Dudelio sounds his song
Dudelio and nothing else

So i used to know at an early age what the Oriole sounded like
We used to sing this in Kindergarten. Now it does sound like:

........-O\
-...-........\-

It's like two notes, then a high one with a twist and then a fall to the first note. (I must say i'm pretty proud at the drawing dont mind the dots they ought to keep the other signs in place, so look at everytihing but the dots...)

Good luck on it!

Hi erik, it's interesting to see a similarity in birds to those around here - with a couple of exceptions. I guess thats because you're only about 200 miles from me ( if I've read the atlas properly ! )-actually closer than many UK birders. Must be a similar habitat also ?

Ah yes... the mozzies as well ...... hang around the nettles in the woods I've found. Have to put your running shoes on at that point !

Golden Oriole song is easy to imitate by whistling - they usually respond quite well and may even come out into view

ok michael i went back and whistled off and on but didn't succeed, only one curious robin...

So, do you UK and European birders ever 'pish'?

It's a fairly commonly-used method over here to draw birds out into view. Purse your lips as if kissing and blow lightly through them. Sorta a kissing sound, a soft 'pssssh' or 'psssst'. Birds come to investigate, or so I am told.

Now, I've never had much luck with it, but one of our local birding 'gods' is a real wizard with it. But then, he's forgotten more about birds than I'll ever know....

I find pishing works well with certain birds but not others. (Winter) Wrens come like a shot and Goldcrests are pretty curious too.

E

is this like the old saying pishing in the wind?
bert.