Migrations

[Geoff]

As you may have seen the BTO wants to know about winter thrush migrations.
http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/bi ... 4J,1NGI4,1
Also a reminder to keep checking on the fascinating journeys of the five Cuckoos.
http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tr ... 4J,1DSL9,1
Working outside today I have seen four quite substantial flocks of thrushes go past, I think they were Fieldfares, on a North-South flight path. Now we have just had a flock of Swallows. Seems all mixed up with both lots taking the route of the old Roman road at the same time.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I saw quite large flocks of Fieldfare two weeks ago and last week about 30 goldfinches turned up on the feeders - a large increase on the five or six regulars. Better buy a large sack of sunflower hearts - they prefer them to niger seed. I've also twined a couple of heads of dried sunflower plants round the bird feeder stand and the blue and coal tits are tucking into the seeds.

I'm keeping a look out for the Redwing, but they usually turn up here later on. We aren't exactly on a migration route in the center of the country.

[Geoff]

We had a flock of Swallow through again today - I thought they would be long gone.

[Johnboy]

Our Swallows finally went on the 16th October when the last two broods fledged. Out of the nest a brief rest on the power lines and they were off. They learn to fly on the way to Africa. Wonderful, amazing birds!
I see one or two solitary Swallows passing overhead daily as we are on a migration route.
They are very late going this year and cannot remember ours being here in October ever before and my records go back 25 years. Normally the last couple of days in September and they have quietly slipped away.
JB.

[glallotments]

I saw quite large flocks of Fieldfare two weeks ago and last week about 30 goldfinches turned up on the feeders - a large increase on the five or six regulars. Better buy a large sack of sunflower hearts - they prefer them to niger seed. I've also twined a couple of heads of dried sunflower plants round the bird feeder stand and the blue and coal tits are tucking into the seeds.

Funny our niger seed always has two goldfinches on it which is all there is room for and they do queue up waiting on a nearby perch but they do love the sunflower hearts too. Our niger is just in ordinary seed feeders we found the special niger feeders didn't really attract them.

I've done the same with some sunflower heads although tied them to a tree trunk - so far only a sparrow has seemed interested though.

[Geoff]

Guess the Swallows are confused by the temperature staying the same for 5 months, apart from that week.
I've just started using a perforated metal type Nyger feeder and the Goldfinches love it, 4 or 5 at a time (must clean the windows and take a photo).

[Johnboy]

Hi Geoff,
Strange that you should mention cleaning windows because yesterday I realised how dirty my kitchen windows were and I have just finished the job and it is now tipping it down. No window cleaners want to come out here to clean windows here so it is a job that I seriously dislike doing so the windows get cleaned very infrequently. I have over 20 windows to clean and I am getting a bit ancient for ladder work.
JB.

[glallotments]

JB You'll have to invest in the swivel type of windows that you can clean from the inside.

[jane E]

Found Johnboy's comment on swallow migration interesting, because a week ago I felt sure I heard a swallow singing on the wire but my husband said that they had long gone. He has lost a lot of hearing in recent years and his hearing aids aren't working very well at the moment and he is no longer reliably hearing bird song. So maybe I was right!

We had fieldfares through here a couple of weeks ago and earlier this week the field in front of our house was so full of redwings that it was impossible to count them. The early morning sun was glinting on their feathers and they looked almost magical.

[Johnboy]

Redwings by the hundred here this morning gaily stripping the Hawthorn Berries and Rosa Rugosa Hips. No sign of any Fieldfares to date here they generally appear about two weeks after the Redwings.
JB.