LEAVE YOUNG BIRDS BE!!


Please, do not hamper a young bird's life by picking it up, and taking it home with you. It is calling its parents to help them in locating it.
After fledgling from the nest, the parent birds will keep feeding it, and look out for it, until it will be able to look after itself.
And the reason you cannot see a parent is because of your own proxomity to the young bird. And while you are ebating if or not you should take the bird home, you keep the parent from giving it well needed nutrition in the form of a meal!


Photos

The photos on this blog are all taken by me. If there is any picture you might want to use for any other than personal use, please drop me a line to the email address shown in the sidebar on the right.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Barn Swallow, 3 juvenile migrants and their parents.

Hungry Swallow fledglings, Hirundo rustica

Getting bored between meals.


Waiting for mum or dad with a juicy insect.






The other day, on my return home from the village, and passing the area where the Swallows nest each year, a group of three kept calling the parents for food. I was delighted! They reared 6 chicks earlier this summer, and these three had still enough time to fatten up and get enough flight experience, before heading all the way to South Africa.









It was too windy to get out along my local patch, and I ended up between the nettles and bramble in my backgarden, as usual, with my macro-lens, to check upon the local crawlies. A lot of chittering made me look up from the foliage, and it was soon clear that the Swallow family had chosen our roofs as vantage point.

























Our neighbour, Kevin, died suddenly, 2 weeks ago, and it is perhaps fitting that these young Swallows would bring these 3 young lives to the roof of his, and our, house. The roof, which sheltered him from 2000 till now. he was always surprised whenever I'd find (and photograph, things like Redshank, Persicaria maculosa or Scarlet Pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis, among the bricks of our path.



Hiding?

The parents kept flying to and fro with nice Insects, Flies or Moths, for the demanding youngsters, and in doing so, they would fly incredibly low over my garden and where I was sitting. Dipping to say 1.50metre or even lower,(I have no idea how "low I've sunk from my 1.70 metre as standing height" to my current "sitting height in my wheels.") they would just skim over my hair. It is lovely feling that over your head. And at a certain moment I left the camera for what she is, and just sat still and enjoyed the spectacle. All too soon, they would leave our shores again.
(To be honest, that time is not long off- the weather has really turned autumnal!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The latest House Sparrow brood

House Sparrows, Passer domesticus,

Last month the house Sparrows brought their latest Fluffers here for a Photo-feed. Most pictures I've lost however, don't ask me how! So here are a couple of others. The other birds like the Great Tit and Blue Tit never sit still long enough. Where the Robin has hid its young is an enigma.












This picture is of the juvenile House Sparrows bing fed by their dad. Columnist Dick Warner mentioned that he only saw female house Sparrows feed their young. he wondered if this was a trend among the House Sparrows. In fact, this is the first year that the majority of the Fluffers are being fed by mum Hse. Sparrow.

A lot of noise meant that the Pied Wagtails, Motacilla alba were here with juvie.







A few pictures of my friend, Rook Jnr



The juvenile Rook, Corvus frugilega, has finally allowed me to take a couple of photos whilst feeding in the planter. The repeated movement of the bird s it gathers seed in its beak, creates wonderful poses if you're quick enough.




Who's flying overhead?

Anyone coming onto this patch?




And to compare the beaks, here is one of the juvenile Jackdaws, Corvus monedula.