ED Nature Watch

[SS.]

When the weather is nice there are always a couple of terepins lounging on a log in the pond at Sunray Gardens. I have also seen a heron fishing here too and of course, the green parakeets.

[The Minkey]

The parakeets are in my garden dining off the feeders. I think you are correct about the cull - I'd been thinking numbers were down over the winter, compared to last.

[Sue]

Did anyone else hear some hideous animal/bird screaming in the Crystal Palace Road area last night? It went on for ages.

Sod's law on a night I had to get up at 6am :-S

I wasn't sure if it was something/things being killed, or animals mating.

Blimey, I thought when I moved back to London I had got away from lying in bed listening to the sounds of small creatures being massacred or carried away by owls in the night :))

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Vixens are pretty vociferous.

[The Minkey]

Yeh, probably a vixen. Did it sound like a puppy being tortured?

[ceribee]

I'm glad the green parrots are doing well in your garden anyway Minkey!

The sound of foxes mating sounds like a child screaming! I had never heard it before moving to London and still find it disturbing.. I have heard this is because the male fox 'appendage' is barbed so mating is very painful for the vixen - Just thought I'd share that- sorry...!

[SteveT]

ceribee wrote:-

Where have all the green parrots gone though? I have hardly seen any this yr? My friend emailed from India to say he'd heard there was a council initiate to kill..cough..I mean 'cull' them. Is this true?

I heard it on radio4 so it must be true. They are considered to be a pest and a danger to the local bird population as the parrakeets attack them.

I saw three swoop low over the neighbours roof which had a dozen pigeons roosting but the pigeons all rose in the air when the parakeets passed overhead.

creibee wrote:- the male fox 'appendage' is barbed so mating is very painful for the vixen

That weird sound when foxes are mating is the vixen screaming "come on big boy you gonna have to do better than that to shut me up".

[Sue]

Is this the time of year when foxes mate? If so, I guess that is probably what it was.

[BrandNewGuy]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ceribee wrote:-

> Where have all the green parrots gone though? I

> have hardly seen any this yr? My friend emailed

> from India to say he'd heard there was a council

> initiate to kill..cough..I mean 'cull' them. Is

> this true?

>

>

> I heard it on radio4 so it must be true. They are

> considered to be a pest and a danger to the local

> bird population as the parrakeets attack them.

> I saw three swoop low over the neighbours roof

> which had a dozen pigeons roosting but the pigeons

> all rose in the air when the parakeets passed

> overhead.

Well, the poor parakeets have been blamed for 'bullying' our native species and much more besides. There is some evidence that they can cause damage to orchards and vineyards, but I'm with the London Wildlife Trust and other birdie experts who declared the cull 'racist' and said that the parakeets are "as British as curry" :-)

[ceribee]

Ha ha 'British as curry' - great analogy! what was their riposte to that little gem?!

[reetpetite]

There are 8 new ducklings in Peckham Rye park this morning ,could have been more as I saw one being eaten by a crow poor little baby .

Still lots of parakeets in the park though.

[The Minkey]

I haven't noticed the parakeets attacking the other birds on the feeders, though they can sometimes be cantankerous and will try a little nip if they're not in the mood to share. They do this with each other much more frequently. On the fat feeder, if it's a question of whether the GSW or parakeet wins out, it's the GSW everytime - sword against pliers!

[EDmummy]

Being woken up at 3am every morning by Great Tits and Coal Tits! Bl***y annoying!!

On the brighter side, saw a lovely collared dove on Overhill the other day.

[EDmummy]

Were the birds quieter this morning as a result of not having to compete with the planes or was it my imagination?

[KirstyH]

This may be the once in our lifetime there will be no planes over London, absolutely lovely. Windows open, birdsong flooding in, I bet everyone is more relaxed. Nunhead cemetry was fantastic yesterday, rippling with birds, and no potlid. I took some recordings, and intend to compare with how loud it is when the planes go over. If I can remember how to do it, I'll post the 'before and after' audio files (if they aren't too big). Am thinking, 10 things to do while things are more peaceful.

[red devil]

EDmummy Wrote:

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> Were the birds quieter this morning as a result of

> not having to compete with the planes or was it my

> imagination?

You forgot to take your earplugs out...;-)

[The Minkey]

Mrs Blackbird has finally started collecting for a nest - seems very late this year.

[PeckhamRose]

Thew tree hole has a new resident: another squirrel. Not seen or even heard the parakeets this side of the park for a week or so!

[Sue]

The Minkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mrs Blackbird has finally started collecting for a

> nest - seems very late this year.

xxxxxx

I've got blackbirds been nesting in my garden for a couple of weeks now.

[Domme_Jay]

I've seen a couple of female stag beetles in my garden!

J

[Sue]

How do you know they were female?

[Domme_Jay]

Thay had no "antlers" just little tiny mandibles. also they are lot smaller.

I love stag beetles they are like the rinos of the insect world- like little tanks.

I also regularly see a pair of coal tits and the robins have got to a point they are just plain cheeky- three times i felt their wings as I was working in the garden!

[Sue]

:)

[Only me!]

We have a Wren flitting about & darting in & out of some shrubs.

So tiny ... no bigger than a ?2.00 coin. With a beautiful song, out of all proportion to their size.

Hope their nest can avoid the attention of the Magpies!

[jimbo1964]

We have a Thrush nest in our garden in Ryedale (backing onto old cemetary). The chicks are just leaving the nest but still can't fly very well. It's a bit of a nightmare trying to fend off the local cat population. I saw them both this morning and they can fly short distances so I hope we're almost there.