Recently returned from the first of our two annual visits to my much loved Isle of Purbeck in Dorset.With strong winds and frequent heavy rain it wasn't the best of conditions for walking and bird-watching but we did manage to spot most of the usual suspects including another Dartford Warbler.Being there 3 weeks later than usual the Guillemots at Durlston had fledged and were on the water.I estimated in the region of 300 birds.I also counted about 100 Black-tailed Godwits  which made me wonder if they have started breeding in the area.

New sightings included a pair of Red Kites,a pair of Coots and a Cuckoo which was being harried and chased by a pair of small,unidentified birds.

Highlights for me were watching a female GS Woodpecker demolish a rotting tree stump in the search for grubs to feed her accompanying juvenile which made an occasional hapless peck at the stump,a nest of 5 Swallow chicks about 8 feet of the ground in a covered entrance to a tourist attraction(so quick were the visits of the adults to the nest that it was impossible to identify them) and watching the aerial acrobatics of Common Tern catching insects in mid-air.

While we were away I read somewhere that during the breeding season an adult Swallow can catch up to 10 thousand insects per day.That's impressive.

During the past 2 years,partly as a consequence of this series of threads,I have been monitoring the fortunes,or otherwise,of the waterfowl on the 6 ponds across the 2 parks which I visit each day with my Parson's Russell terrier.I have been paying particular attention to a pair of Moorhens which have been the only pair on one of the ponds where viewing them is fairly straightforward.

Last year they built 3 nests and had 3 broods.All members of the first 2 broods were taken  but all of their third brood survived to adulthood.

This year they restored 2 of last years nests.They also built a third nest on a floating log,but this overturned,tipping the nest into the water and Moorhen common sense then prevailed.

As reported earlier on this thread,2 chicks were hatched towards the end of April.Happily,both have survived and are now almost fully grown.

On June 4th I observed that the Moorhens were incubating a second clutch.All of the guidebooks indicate that the young of earlier broods help to feed later broods but this is something I've never previously seen(on account of never having followed successive broods,I assume).

The incubation period is 21 days and the young take to the water after about 5 days so I was anticipating my first sighting of the chicks on the water on June 30th.On Sunday(June 26th)I was concerned to see the tiniest Moorhen chick that I've ever seen,still not fully feathered,on a partly submerged log about 20 metres from the nest but being attended to by one of the parents.Looking to the nest,there was no sign of any other chicks.

On Monday I took my binoculars out on our morning walk.I have no way of knowing if the prematurely adventurous chick managed to make its way back to the nest,but when the adult stood up I could clearly see 4 chicks,and as an added bonus,one of the two juvenile was taking food back to the nest.

This morning,again with my binoculars,I was surprised to see that one of the juveniles was sitting on the nest.When the adults returned with food I got the impression that it didn't quite know what to do with it.The normal procedure is a transfer from the bird on the water to the bird on the nest to the chicks but the juvenile was either eating it or just dropping it.I hope they get this sorted.

The other juvenile wasn't taking much interest.

Most likely it was out looking for water because, as you say, it was a hot day and it may have been struggling a bit.

Tbh, I don't know, but a bit of both would seem to be in order, I'd have thought. The rest of what you say is correct.

I continue to oversee my favoured Moorhen family.On June 29th the chicks took to the water,5 and not 4 as previously counted.Since then the council has dredged the pond and only 2 chicks remain ,probably/possibly as a consequence.

The remaining family of 2 adults,2 juveniles and 2 chicks can be seen on their usual sunny spot each morning.Here's hoping.

last straw was seeing the squirrel knock out my little caged suet block thing. last i seen of it he was playing with it on the floor, looked around again and the whole thing had gone.  needless to say, he never brought it back



First laugh I have had in days, I  think.  I really miss you crescit, I love your sense of humour.  I wish you would post every day 

That is not to say that I do not appreciate other posters comments.  I read every one of the posts on here and enjoy them.  I do not post much myself as I have nothing to say unfortunately. 

In the country last weekend staying with friends. Put a whole chicken carcass on the lawn. About 11pm - 2 badgers came and ate the lot ! Had a really good view - switched the outside light on - and they never flinched. Really special sight.

my desk isn't by a window annie, you just gotta stretch your legs and take a little wander every now and again!

anyway, dunno what you're finding amusing, i've been very distressed lately at the uber alles attitude of mein squirrels & pigeons

i've mentioned previously my joyous wonderment at the ebb and flow of the various species during the seasons.  just a few weeks ago it was blue tit city round here, i'd look out and see a lovely montage of (arsenal away kit) blue and yellow that would bring a tear to my eye

now all i have is a battalion of field grey, goose stepping pigeons & squirrels

where'd it all go wrong?

introduced by david "kid" jensen..

Pigeons planning a coup?

The peanut feeder near the house is unused as they would not fed from it.
However all other peanut feeders in the trees/on fences are being well used.

Mrs H very excited today to see a greater spotted woodpecker feeding from the table which after research was found to be a juvenile (due to position of the red markings i.e. on his head rather than nape).

Squirrels are a problem.  We have great fun chasing them with a full blast of water from the hosepipe and I have invested in a high powered water-soaker.

That seems a bit extreme Facts, are you sure you're not mixing the grey squirrel up with greysquirel / secretsquirel or whatever, who posts on here .

oh dear, you may start out with the best of intentions on this naturewatch stuff but it can make you very cynical.  I now no longer believe in the words "squirrel-proof" any more than i do in seagulls.  withdraw the grub for a few days and everyone disappears, pop out with some tasty morsals and a squirrely head pops up within seconds.  It's uncanny, really it is, he must sit somewhere in a little control room with cctv or infa red cameras or something

missing my little feathered friends tho, i felt obliged to give it one last attempt.  I have, at no little risk to myself i might add, managed to wire a feeder and new coconut thingy from a high branch overlooking mine from nextdoor.  it comes to something when you're kept awake at night trying in vain to think of ways to outwit a squirrel. however, I now have a massive clearance between the dangling goodies and the ground or any other branches or obstacles that he might be tempted to use as a launch pad

let's see what happens..

The only two feeders I have that the squirrel can't get at,hang from the washing line.

If you suspend a feeder from a branch etc, use nylon fishing line. String etc is useless, because the squirrel just pulls on it and brings the feeder up to where he's sitting ! With fishing line(esp if the feeder is metal( and therefore heavy)), the squirrel can't get a grip enough to pull the feeder up.

Starlings usually feed off of the ground or birdtable. As a deterrent hanging feeders are your best bet.

You can get hangers that an outer 'cage' - only allows smaller birds through to feed.

1. Find crescit address
2. Hire Dom Joly type squirrel costume
3. Hide in shadows and wait for right moment