Its that time of year again - all things bird related (feathered).

Soldato
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Some lovely birds in here, I got 8 budgies myself, been giving them lots of fresh air finally the cold weather has let up.

Mark A that stand is fantastic lad, inspired me to actually do my own soon.
 
Soldato
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Have been hearing what I can only describe as a cricket singing going very slow and then he chirps before doing the same thing again. What species is this?
 
Soldato
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Cracking bit if work.
Some lovely birds in here, I got 8 budgies myself, been giving them lots of fresh air finally the cold weather has let up.

Mark A that stand is fantastic lad, inspired me to actually do my own soon.

Thanks, it was really easy to put together, the most time consuming bit was washing all the branches and then baking them. But I think branches are much better than the dowels I saw used on most climbing toys on Youtube. My budgie loves it and will fly straight to it when we open his cage, then plays on it all day, until he's hungry. Wish I had more space as I'd have made it much bigger.


I'm a little worried about my budgie at the moment though. He seems reluctant to come out of his cage and will fly on to my hand, then flies straight back to the cage. He's never been like this before since we got him over a year ago. I don't think anything has happened to scare him, so I'm just hoping he's not ill or anything. Would it be worth taking him to a vet?
 
Soldato
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I'm a little worried about my budgie at the moment though. He seems reluctant to come out of his cage and will fly on to my hand, then flies straight back to the cage. He's never been like this before since we got him over a year ago. I don't think anything has happened to scare him, so I'm just hoping he's not ill or anything. Would it be worth taking him to a vet?

I think it is always wise to take a pet to the vet if their behaviour changes for no apparent reason.
 
Associate
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Don't the RSPB have 'brave' volunteers who set up webcams near peregrine falcon nests in city centre buildings (budgies* just give you bite and earful but can you imagine what a peregrine falcon can do if it thinks you're interfering with it's nest and chicks?)

*They might look small and innocent but they've got high speed, high volume, high pitched screeches and can even draw blood if they bite you hard enough.
 
Soldato
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Aquilonem Londinensi
I'm a little worried about my budgie at the moment though. He seems reluctant to come out of his cage and will fly on to my hand, then flies straight back to the cage. He's never been like this before since we got him over a year ago. I don't think anything has happened to scare him, so I'm just hoping he's not ill or anything. Would it be worth taking him to a vet?

Hope he's getting better. My original budgies were a bit down in the dumps last month when moulting, they perked up when their bad hair sorted itself out :p

We have a fair sized cage so decided to get another male to add to the flock. Went to a local "breeder" and got a young one, very small, who was definitely a "male", not so sure now!

One month ago, baby blue cere, white around the nostrils

IMG-20190530-094830.jpg


Now, blue has nearly all gone from "his" cere, it's turning grey/tanned

IMG-20190530-094120.jpg


Otherwise healthy and active like the other two, loving orange segments. He has pin feathers appearing on his head so we'll see what happens :p

E: I got the third one to change the dynamic in the cage, this one was bullying the other over food, toys etc. Figured he can't bully two at once

IMG-20190530-094136.jpg
 
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Soldato
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Is it just around me, but there seems to have been an explosion of wild birds this spring.

I have seen Birds that I have never really seen much of before (Goldfinches and coal-****) and the ones I have seen before are absolutely swarming.

I have crows and pigeons (They have taken up residence in my Chimneys), jays and magpies, robins, blackbirds, thrushes, sparrows and **** of various flavours and so on.

They are big too, this is particularly noticeable.

Has it been raining steroids or something?

I have robins and sparrows the size of Blackbirds and Blackbirds the size of pigeons!

Has anybody else experienced this?

(Just to add, ******* sweary filter! :mad: :rolleyes: )
 
Caporegime
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@Orionaut loads up here at the minute - it's brilliant. Seeing a lot of new birds and also more bees although other insects seem to be lower in number.

Distinct lack of mammals however at the minute. No hedgehogs, rabbits or rodents :(
 
Soldato
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@Orionaut loads up here at the minute - it's brilliant. Seeing a lot of new birds and also more bees although other insects seem to be lower in number.

Distinct lack of mammals however at the minute. No hedgehogs, rabbits or rodents :(

Cant comment of the smaller mammals, but I concur on the Bees, and particularly Bumble bees. I have a bumble bee nest in the eves where i normally get a wasps nest, obviously I have left them alone.

I also get a load of deer in the garden particularly early morning but later in the day too. Sometimes two or three at a time.

I upset my GF by suggesting I get a rifle (Even Diana couldn't get a deer with a shot gun)

But in all honesty, I wouldn't have the hart for it ;)
 
Soldato
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If I was to buy another budgie to keep my current budgie company, do i need another cage to keep it in for the first week or so, or can I just plonk it into my current cage?

I think my budgie is getting a bit lonely and if i open the window it'll call out to the wild birds all day. I have mirrors in the cage which seem to help, but think a companion would be better. I'm just hesitant in case they don't get on.
 
Permabanned
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Shropshire
Is it just around me, but there seems to have been an explosion of wild birds this spring.

I have seen Birds that I have never really seen much of before (Goldfinches and coal-****) and the ones I have seen before are absolutely swarming.

I have crows and pigeons (They have taken up residence in my Chimneys), jays and magpies, robins, blackbirds, thrushes, sparrows and **** of various flavours and so on.

They are big too, this is particularly noticeable.

Has it been raining steroids or something?

I have robins and sparrows the size of Blackbirds and Blackbirds the size of pigeons!

Has anybody else experienced this?

(Just to add, ******* sweary filter! :mad: :rolleyes: )



I have wondered as to where you are from, I'd now like to wager it's on the outskirts of Chernobyl? ;)
 
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There have been several sightings of a red kite here in north Shropshire by knowledgeable people, sadly if it sticks around I don't fancy its chances given the number of sheep farmers and gamekeepers in this locale :(

The local buzzard population are training their young over the fields today, the peafowl are in full cry, they hate the things and can spot one long before I can see it. I need to upload a photo of an egg shell I found in the woods the other week, I THINK it's a buzzard egg, one that looks like the rats had it before it hatched. Anyone able to ID a buzzard egg?
 
Soldato
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There have been several sightings of a red kite here in north Shropshire by knowledgeable people, sadly if it sticks around I don't fancy its chances given the number of sheep farmers and gamekeepers in this locale :(

The local buzzard population are training their young over the fields today, the peafowl are in full cry, they hate the things and can spot one long before I can see it. I need to upload a photo of an egg shell I found in the woods the other week, I THINK it's a buzzard egg, one that looks like the rats had it before it hatched. Anyone able to ID a buzzard egg?

Whenever we go through Wales we see a lot of red kites. Driving to London on Friday, I'm not sure which part of the motorway is was but it was during a section that was a 50mph average speed check zone, we saw a large number of Kites in one area. Think we saw something like 5 or 6 over 2 fields

I can show my Girlfriend. She's an wildlife ecologist so if she couldn't I'd be disappointed. By the way, Chris, your birds are fantastic. I don't think you understand how filled with envy I am. I had to send the Kookaburra's to her as she loves birds and paints a lot of them. She was a fan of the beady eye!
 
Soldato
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Glasgow, Scotland
If I was to buy another budgie to keep my current budgie company, do i need another cage to keep it in for the first week or so, or can I just plonk it into my current cage?

I think my budgie is getting a bit lonely and if i open the window it'll call out to the wild birds all day. I have mirrors in the cage which seem to help, but think a companion would be better. I'm just hesitant in case they don't get on.

I had one budgie alone for years, happy enough to chill inside or outside the cage herself.

Took sympathy on a returned budgie to our local pet shop, all the others were babies and being sold, and ended up buying her and a new cage.

After a few days she moved herself into the existing cage with my other bird. They get on well, although not best friends... They do not preen one another. No fighting, happy to share everything and both seem happy due to having company.

I'll try get a picture or two online when home later.
 
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Whenever we go through Wales we see a lot of red kites. Driving to London on Friday, I'm not sure which part of the motorway is was but it was during a section that was a 50mph average speed check zone, we saw a large number of Kites in one area. Think we saw something like 5 or 6 over 2 fields

I can show my Girlfriend. She's an wildlife ecologist so if she couldn't I'd be disappointed. By the way, Chris, your birds are fantastic. I don't think you understand how filled with envy I am. I had to send the Kookaburra's to her as she loves birds and paints a lot of them. She was a fan of the beady eye!

Thanks for the kind words, they are time consuming but give me a lot of interest. In particular 5 emus eat more than you might imagine, so the annual cost is not cheap for feed.

Here's a photo of the egg shell, the black mottling is NOT dirt, it's definitely in the shell. That;s a medium size hen's egg alongside for comparison. Thank your girlfriend if she can find time to take a look please, all the best!

shell1.jpg


shell2.jpg
 
Soldato
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So it turns out she has let me down! But she's sent it to her Dad as he is an egg collector. Next time I'm at his house I'll take a picture of his egg collection, you may appreciate it.

She said, which doesn't sound that helpful; "It doesn't look speckled enough for a buzzard or a kite compared to the eggs I've seen. It's definitely a large bird, are there owls in the location? Easiest way to tell is with the population within that area".
So in short she wasn't that helpful, but hopefully her Dad gets back to her soon
 
Soldato
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So it turns out she has let me down! But she's sent it to her Dad as he is an egg collector. Next time I'm at his house I'll take a picture of his egg collection, you may appreciate it.

She said, which doesn't sound that helpful; "It doesn't look speckled enough for a buzzard or a kite compared to the eggs I've seen. It's definitely a large bird, are there owls in the location? Easiest way to tell is with the population within that area".
So in short she wasn't that helpful, but hopefully her Dad gets back to her soon
Isnt wild bird egg collecting illegal? Infact Im sure even having them now is illegal. So send a copy of that photo to the RSPB aswell
 
Soldato
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Isnt wild bird egg collecting illegal? Infact Im sure even having them now is illegal. So send a copy of that photo to the RSPB aswell

They’re not eggs he’s hunted for. Ones he’s found over a few decades that have been eaten by rats and discarded that he’s found when walking about.

The whole family is made up of ecologists and conservationists. They’re not going to be doing anything damaging.

He’s got plenty of bizarre stuff in his house that I guess is just part of living life in the welsh country side. Lots of well preserved bones of various wildlife in the area. Cats, foxes, badgers and my favourite is the heron which I’ve seen. He’s got this weird thing, which I don’t know why he needs, which is 3 baby blackbirds that had died some time ago that he found in a chimney!
 
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