I've had Merlin app for the last few weeks, it's fascinating. Sometimes there are obvious things that go undetected like rooks and crows. Other times, there's a single tweet (or squawk) and an instant identification of a redstart, tern or woodpecker. I'd no idea there were so many blackcaps about.
Birds and Wildlife in your garden
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Chesterimp
Vital Football Hero
Merlin is brilliant, I'm rubbish at identifying/remembering birdsong, it picked up 10 different species in 5 minutes while pegging out washing a couple of weeks ago, from the ones I know it's very reliable.
And we have a black caps nearby too. Also glad to hear chaffinches which seemed to have virtually disappeared.
Seeing the little buggers, now that's a whole different ball game.
And we have a black caps nearby too. Also glad to hear chaffinches which seemed to have virtually disappeared.
Seeing the little buggers, now that's a whole different ball game.
Had a pair Blackcaps over wintering in our garden this year. Lovely sight.
Red Wimp
Vital Football Legend
I would be wary of it identifying redstarts or terns (depending where you live of course)
A skinny, gully sort of bird arose from behind a willow tree, had a single squawk... I looked at my phone and immediately it said Common Tern, I was impressed. I've possibly had a couple of false calls for Great Egret. I had a "new one" near Bardney today, Garden Warbler which I'd not heard of.
HitherImp
Vital Football Hero
Sadly, birds are not really a feature in London as much (although we have a friendly robin and some truly ear-splitting parakeets), although we do get a few visitors in the front garden. Need to get the app you mention, it sounds great.
I did have a good laugh this morning at three half-grown squirrels chasing each other round our back garden (up and down the trees and fences) like complete lunatics!
I did have a good laugh this morning at three half-grown squirrels chasing each other round our back garden (up and down the trees and fences) like complete lunatics!
It was a few years ago now, I found this little chap on the path just outside the front door. It flew over my shoulder, thankfully not into the house but to the wall above the door. I went out to look a while later and it had gone. Edit: I see I posted these on the first page of this thread. 
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Sincilbanks
Vital Football Hero
We have lots of garden birds visit us and our feeders. Goldfinch, greenfinch and chaffinches, blue tits and long tail tits and a male and female woodpecker also visit our garden most days. It's lovely to sit with a cup of coffee and watch them squabble for space at the feeders
Nice spot. Where was that?
At a lake near Tewkesbury. The bird man I contacted (Mike King) went out to see it for himself.
Doh! Shan't be popping down there to see it during my lunch break, then.
bristolimp
Vital Champions League
One thing I have noticed is the number of birds of prey you see now compared to previous generations. Magnificent buzzards hawks & kites
Not that rare but fascinating to observe we have a clattering of jackdaws who are having pitch battles with the magpies. They are really are intelligent in the way they can get to the food even when it’s not really laid out for them.
Last couple of weeks we have also had the swallows about delightful sound they make
We are on the edge of a village in a rural location so most weeks the security light will go off due to the badgers. They are helpful in a way as they seem very good at eating the grubs that do damage to the garden.
Not that rare but fascinating to observe we have a clattering of jackdaws who are having pitch battles with the magpies. They are really are intelligent in the way they can get to the food even when it’s not really laid out for them.
Last couple of weeks we have also had the swallows about delightful sound they make
We are on the edge of a village in a rural location so most weeks the security light will go off due to the badgers. They are helpful in a way as they seem very good at eating the grubs that do damage to the garden.
Yes, never used to see a Buzzard in the Lincoln area when I was a kid. Plenty of them around nowadays. Had a Red Kite fly over the house a couple of weeks back, which was nice. Jackdaws nest in the local church and are a regular in the garden. We have a few Swifts in the village and they are delight to see bombing about.
bristolimp
Vital Champions League
Apparently the swifts and swallows and their offspring will return to the same building year in year - there is an abandoned small private school just up the road (basically a grand house in need of TLC) we think they are in there, you seen them on warm evenings going after the insects.
At bottom of garden on neighbouring land had blue tit, great tits, robin, wren and a goldcrest all within thirty feet of one another. More pigeons and magpies than anything else usually though. I quite like pigeon, very underrated needs to be ‘devilled’ or kept very moist.
Rob the Imp
Vital Football Hero
I found a little tiny goldfinch huddled on the lawn on Saturday evening, too young to properly fledge and not able to look after itself. We took it in (after a period in a box outside to see if it would fly off, to no avail) for the night, and dropped it off at a semi-local bird sanctuary yesterday morning. Hope it does well - it seemed strong and with it, despite the circumstances.
Rob the Imp
Vital Football Hero
Freshly refilled bird feeder proving very popular - had a whole family of blue tits on it in recent days, five at once, plus a couple of sparrows and robins trying to get in on the peanut and fat ball action too. The newly fledged blue tits are very cute.
