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

I have used the word 'cute' before, generally about baby birds but I have just seen what must be the cutest bird going!
I was looking out of window and thought I saw a mixed flock of Tits, usually mostly Blue Tits, however I head the chirping and realised it was Long tail Tits and unusually one was standing still for longer than 10 secs which was odd. I looked again and another one fed it, it was a baby Long tail tit!
It was so cute, a bit like adult in looks but less defined and a little plainer. What was odd was it looked bigger than adults due to being very fluffy. The adults were feeding it succulant flower from oak tree, actually catkins. I think the House Sparrows were taking catkins for same reason too.
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The G S Woodpeckers are doing ok. Possibly the babies in nest are making slightly more adult sounds but not certain yet.
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As to Coal Tit in newish nestbox. Sadly I think the death oif the Coal Tit near nest has brought it all to an end. I haven't seen a bird go in since, I will leave nestbox alone until October when clean it for winter.
The baby Robin still seems ok and tried to join the Long Tail tits to see what was going on. It does seem bit of a lonely life for young robins if kicked out fairly early and left to fend for themselves. It seems capable but lonely.
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I saw a young Mistlethrush in local park the other day. It was all bright and creamy with odd spots as I should be, It looked a bit of an easy target for birds thjough as so bright!
There was one in my garden last year for a few hours.

I forgot to add my main reason for posting in last lost, duh!
There is a bat watching session for beginners at my wildlife sanctuary in June which is great for 2 reasons, it is close and I like bats. I think they are going to have bat detectors which will be nice.
It being close is great as the other one I saw advertised was at sanctuary an hours not very nice cycle ride away, which takes the fun out of it.

I have had both a wonderful and sickening half hour looking out of my window.
The wonderful part was truely fantastic as saw a parent G S Woodpecker go to nest hole and a young pecker put his head out of nest hole with mouth gapping like a dinosaur(sp?)!
The parents are bring food in and taking white what looks like poo sacks awy, so basically it is food in, poo out, most of time, lol. The yougster is black and white but saw little except head and neck. I have window open and can hear the young clearly calling outside.
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The sickening part is, I was looking through binos and saw something flapping and black and white, but very big, poking through nest hole entrance. I mistook it and thought it was a baby but it was a bloody Magpie, grrr!
I was sickened it could get a youngster so openned window to scare it but had to run outside to frighten it away. It was gone when i got outside. I know you shouldn't interfer in nature but I am personally involved so biased.
I think they will be out of nest soon so perhaps safer. The magpie was really going for them too, grrr!

That should be fun.

SS, I would have done the same. I know we shouldn't interfere but at times you just have to have a go. There are more than enough magpies but not enough woodpeckers so I think you were justified. I know woodpeckers take eggs and young birds too but heck, I know which I prefer. Do you think it got to the youngster? I hope not. Let us know if things are ok please.

Websailor

Way to go SS

oh no sign of a succesful Magpie attack, the parents came back and fed them. I was thinking that if Coal Tits had hatched the woodpeckers might have dug into box like they did to some Crested Tits on a Spring watch programme.

Blimey, well I have gone and done it!
I was meaning to buy a pair of 10x50 waterproof binos to replace the non-waterproof onbes I ruined with water as although the 8x42s i have are great, 10x50s are just slightly more powerful.
I had my eye on Nikon Action Ex 10x50 as waterproof and the smaller Nikon Actions I have are good. The 'EX' is important as aparantly shows they use Nikon ED glass like in their camera lens which reduces glare, etc and is good quality.
Anyway, £150 later I have bought them and brought them home. They are very sharp and feel solidly made which is important to me as like things to feel tough when using them.
There was a pair of 12x50s but although they would make things look just a bit bigger holding them steady is more difficult and also they might make things look too big so difficut to use.
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At £150 they are a lot of money, but far less than the ones nearly a £1,000, however they will get used a lot and can be used at coast for fun, etc.

The money is worth it if it is something you really want, and you know you will get use out of it.

I have just made a similar purchase, in terms of price, so I know what you mean When I am sorted I will let you know if my puchase was a good value as yours

Websailor

I forgot to add, I was cycling home and an absolute screaming sound made me look up to see around 20 Swifts really low, first floor window height, doing acrobatics in first wind and rain.
It was odd to see them so low in an urban area.
I looked at tree trunk nest in garden and the tatty looking black and white young Pecker from just days ago seems to be a more defined black and white with a clear juvenile red cap. It is actually looking out of nest now independantly to see what is going on and actually pecking at parents in a desperate attempt at getting food, the parents jump back!
The young Peckers beak is growing but just a bit smaller than parents, but the familiar black though.
I don't beieve it/they will be in nest much longer as seem quite advanced, their racket of a noise is certainly advanced, lol!

Thanks for reminding me SS. I heard and saw swifts at 9.45am this morning, outside my house. I was surprised as it was windy, cold and wet. They usually only show up if it is humid weather.

Brilliant news about the woodpecker. Let's hope it is big enough to give a magpie a poke in the eye now


Websailor

Well, I wouldn't b surprised if young Great Spotted Woodpecker is out of nest soon as it is filling entrance hole to nest like an adult and looks pretty well complete in form. I now think there is only one young pecker as although there sounds like a lot of young as so noisey, when it moves its beak the sound matches it. The noise is REALLY loud, I mean so loud people must wonder what on earth is the noise if outside.
I passed the window in my communal flat stairway and looked out as noise so loud and had the fantastic sight of young pecker being fed by parent in plain View only 15 feet away!.
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Talking of noise, I heard a cacophany in garden and looked out and saw around 30 Starlings on lawn. Expecting most to be youngsters I checked with binos but only 2 were youngsters so far. I do expect there to be more eventually though as nearly 30 last year were youngsters. The young do look very plain though and like last year just stand there to be fed,
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No other young so far this year, perhaps a bit early for Blue Tit young, or should that be Yellow Tit as so Canary like.

Our starling numbers are increasing and I am expecting an influx of screaming youngsters any time soon. The adults are getting through peanut cakes faster than I can order new ones ;-D

Lovely about your woodpecker. Ours are very busy eating peanut cake and carrying it away so we may have one or two visiting soon. Let me know when yours is out of the nest please and I will know when to expect mine

Websailor

Yep, will do, the yong pecker seems fully formed for a junior. I am no certain it is only one youngster as thought I thought I saw a smaller red top of head at one point, however since only one can go in nest hole at one time, I am not certain. I believe I read somewhere a male young G S Woodpecker can have a slighty larger red top of head. I assumed it was only one as every time a noise came from nest the youngster was openning its beak. But there could have been a silent one hidden in nest.
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I saw a lovely Greenfinch while out and just saw a fantastic male Chaffinch in its bright new summer clothes and electric blue beak. They confuse me sometimes as smaller than you would think and seen from behnd, as I first did today, they look quite exotic.
The Swifts are putting on a wonderful display and a Goldcrest is slinking around in bushes, the first one I have seen for a couple of weeks so wonder if they are hiding as moulting for summer?

Since I haven't heard nor seen a young G S Woodpecker at tree trunk nest entrance, and one was at entrance hole more or less constantly making a loud begging call, I think they have left the nest!!
They could return later to roost but have no idea, they could be anywhere and would imagine they might head for local wooded park. There were 2 youngsters hanging around my garden last year with parents but whether they do this year only time will tell.
...I kind of miss them being there constantly now!

i am sure you miss them. Perhaps they will be back tonight. Mine seem to be feeding young still, flying off with beaks full of fat and insects.

The chaffinches are gorgeous aren't they? The nuthatches are looking very bedraggled and tired though. I think it is a bit early for skulking while they get new plumage, that is about July/August.

Websailor

Since the G S Woodpeckers don't seem to have been at nest again for several days now it looks like they have gone for ever. Well at least until next spring as don't know if they will return to use it again, if still a pair of course.
If they don't then it looks perfect for Blue Tits, as long as a pesky Parakeet doesn't pinch the nest hole first, grrrr!
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I am sure they will be back for food. Perhaps they are showing the youngster the lie of the land before returning.

Websailor

I happened to glance out window and noticed a fairly large group of Blue Tits which caught my interest as around four or so and some where standing still which was really unusual.
I looked again and some were all yellow and fluffy which could only mean one thing, baby Blue Tits!!
It took some time to work out but there are three young and one VERY tatty and exausted looking parent. I don't care if un Birdwatching talk, but they are sooo cute, all chirping and flapping small wings. Some are already exploring the bushes for food, hence the most likely to survive if the lone parent dies of exaustion as flying back and forth non stop for small grubs for young.
What a lovely sight though....it really brightened the wet and dull moring here.

Wish I could send some mealworms for them. Then you really would have a treat to watch, and they would have a treat to eat. I haven't seen any young great or blue s yet but I am further north than you, so perhaps soon

My latest supply came this morning, so I am feeding them up ready to dish out tomorrow. The robin has been giving me baleful looks all week

Websailor