h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch/

I do love this, I'm pleased to report the goldfinches http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/257.shtml we had last year are back, we were watching one on my birdbath today I put up a birdbox several weeks ago but there's no activity (yet) and there's a fledgling blackbird which doesn't appear to be in any hurry to leave my garden, although I think the mother has had another clutch because she keeps disappearing into the same gap in next door's fence. I just hope she doesn't let the teenager back in, seeing what happened in Springwatch today

I missed that GB but will catch up with it on iPlayer. I have to say some of the banter between certain presenters doesn't go down well with my other half, so I don't get to see as much 'live' as I would like.

Thanks for reminding me about it.

Websailor

That sounds interesting GB . Down the allotment, I have a bird box which I put up a year or so ago and blue are nesting inside which is .

This nest box, I made myself and screwed it to a tree the other side of the metal fence on the embankment next to the railway track. Anyway, we had some heavy winds and the tree has gone over slightly which will make it impossible for me to get to .

The birds will have to clean it out themselves; there is ivy that has grown up the tree and is now covering the bird box so it will act as a bit more protection.

About a month ago, we had a greenfinch flying around us. First of all I couldn't see it but could hear it's distinctive call . One morning, early, about 6.30, I woke up after hearing it and looked out of the window spotting it hanging from my neighbours peanut feeder. It was gorgeous and will I never forget the distinctive green colour. I haven't seen or heard it since which is a bit of a shame .

It might pay us a visit back sometime .

I have heard Springwatch is back on. I don't normally watch it but have heard good things about it .

All the best.

Nigel

Helo, Nigel. Long time no ask how you are. I seem to have been running (which is a laugh, for a start!) all week.

I watch 'Springwatch' until I can bear no more of the insufferable one, who is extraordinarily knowledgeable, but always has to be, er, 'funny'. Not to say crude on occasion; bearing in mind that this is early evening, I think a muzzle is called for. The co-presenter does as much as possible to retrieve the situation, but it's a desperate battle. However they do have some superb pictures -
oooooooooooh, that **black cat is skulking round the garden , must go and scream....that's better. It was never like this when we had the .

Is it likely that starlings have two broods? A hen was feeding two chicks this morning, on one of the tubular feeders, when two 'teenagers' swooped down and began to opportune her. Would they be hers? Or just the usual skulking gangsters?

Starlings are not only extremely social, but their sociability extends to other avian species. I'm reminded of a starling's nest I observed once. Besides its own four eggs (the usual number per clutch), there was a cowbird egg, a robin's egg, a magpie egg and a sparrow's egg. Though one would expect that of the cowbird which ordinarily lays in other's birds nests, the other three were probably gestures of esteem. They often do sit more than one clutch in a season. If conditions are good, sometimes as many as three or four.

Hello LadyDig ,

I am not too bad, . The doctor changed one of my tablets last week which is for anxiety/depression. The new one made me feel very , I couldn't keep my eyes open and they started making me have breathing difficulties . My doctor told me to keep taking them as it will take about three weeks to get used to my system .

I carried on, but after a couple more days, I was so tired I just couldn't bear it any further. Anyway, I have stopped taking them and are not back on the old ones which also made me feel . I feel at the moment and are hoping I can do without them.

I am still on the anti-depressants, this other tablet was just to increase the strength and help with anxiety etc... I do feel calmer than I was 6 months ago, and are trying not to let things get me down which was half the problem before.

So, I will be . I am going away in about a week's time to Llandudno and I wouldn't want to feel there!

I wrote a note to be given to my specialist for an appointment. I have only got to wait about a month for an appointment .

All the best.

Nigel

Apologies, I posted this on the wrong thread .

Oh, well, it will do .

Nigel

LadyDig,

Re. Starlings

It is common for starlings to have two broods, hence the teenagers and fledglings. They also deposit eggs in other starlings nests, dumping one of the hostess's eggs so the number still tally I often think they feed each others youngsters, but I can't be sure. They arrive in my garden in huge groups, squawking and screeching to be fed. I haven't put the peanut cake out as yet, which will cause mayhem, because it has rained all day.

Websailor

Hello Webbie. Nice to know my starlings aren't kinky! One has to admire them, but they do make me cross. I've been known to shout at them when they've been at their most rumbustious - which I think is a lovely word. I wonder what it means.....

By the way, if there was a show for hedgehogs - and 'mine' knew about it, we'd carry off all the trophies, 'cos judges always think Biggest is Best. 'Excellent condition, good conformation, glossy coat. Didn't you trim their feet????'They must be fat as, well, what can one be fat as? They eat enough to make me hope there are 10 of them!! Must stay up and see, one night.

Dig.

I am glad your hedgies are thriving LadyDig, but I hope they don't get too fat You should try and see how many you have. It would be such a thrill.

PHM shouts at the starlings too as they make such a mess, but I think they are pretty, and funny. The little birds eat what they drop (food that is!)

Websailor

I get blue on my balcony. I should put another jumper on...

I have a nut feeder on the balcony, and I get blue , great and green finches on it, as well as sparrows.

There's also at least one pair of goldfinches in the neighbourhood, but they never come on to the feeder.

RF

I live in a first floor flat around 100 metres from the river Thames, and about 400 metres from Kew Gardens...

Birds to report:

Robin, wren, tree sparrows, Blue , great , long tailed , jay, magpie, carrion crow, ring necked parakeets, goldfinch, greenfinch, blackbird, starling, cormorant, mallard, teal, Canada goose, wood pigeon, feral pigeon, black headed gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, occasional greater black backed gull. Not bad... 25 in total!!!

Mammals?

Fox, rat.

There is probably more about, as there are goldcrest, all three woodpeckers, willow warbler, chiffchaff and mistle thrush locally and, allegedly although I don't believe it, linnet...



MMF

Websailor, my own observations were in northern Nevada and the starling I remarked on didn't seem to have any problem about fostering a mixed brood despite the voracious appetites of the cowbird and the magpie. That was though, rich and well watered farm country. Cowbirds, by the way, unlike the cuckoo, don't evict the young of the host bird. Laying in other bird's nests is unusual for the other three species mentioned.

HI ALL
last year i had two albino starling's
in my garden now one of them as come
back hopefully he or she will have
some young soon
if you want to see a photo of
the two of them.

http:www.flickr.com/photos/gmj49

Wow, what great photos

The URL should be http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmj49 and the white albino starlings are on http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmj49/page11/

MMF, with that many birds and mammals living in your flat, you must have an awful lot of cleaning up to do

'There's also at least one pair of goldfinches in the neighbourhood, but they never come on to the feeder.'

Freddy, if you invest in a bag of Nyger seed and a tube feeder with microscopic holes, you'll have a queue of them down the path. Try to get a feeder with a kind of saucer on the bottom, so that their bits are collected, and you'll get other birds coming to take advantage. Wood pigeons look absolutely wobbling about with one toe in the dish!

Good luck!
Dig.

Sorry guys but I don't feel it appropriate to tube feed a Goldfinch.

We are past the idea of Pate de fois gras and the liver would be far too small even if overstuffed.

Behave LadyDig didn't mean that The goldfinches love the tiny nyjger seeds, and they are a lovely sight to see.

The tube feeding you refer to is a disgusting barbaric trade and should be banned.

Websailor

They (nyger seed) were mentioned on Gardener's World last night, and showed us how to make a feeder just for goldfinches