Is it me or are the birds behaving strangely?

[username108]

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the birds seem to be much more tame and less afraid. When I went for my daily walk yesterday, there were a few blackbirds in my path that didn't seem that bothered i was there- when normally they would fly off or move a fair distance. They also seem to be singing and fighting a lot more. It's fucking weird. It all feels like Alfred Hitchcock's 'the birds'.

My labrador cross is moulting huge clumps at the moment, and the local birds have been grabbing beak fulls for their nests. I love the thought of my dogs fur keeping their little chicks warm.

There is also a new generation of (Alexa turn it off) Newly fledged youngsters. They are less experienced than their Elders and so they tend to take more risks. I notice them every year

Ah, I dictated that...

Definitely not just noticing the crows more, there really are more crows.. I don’t see how it’s tinfoil thinking either? I’m guessing it’s more likely that some of the seagulls have left due to lack of food so the crows have cone to take their place. The crows are not fighting off the seagulls for the rubbish bags. I like the sound of crows more than seagulls.

Are fighting off the seagulls I meant. Turns out crows are harder than seagulls as they always win.

Pigeons have always been cheeky. Last year I was in Blackpool, and one swooped down and grabbed a chicken baguette out of my hand.

OP, are you sure it's not you? Do you always go for a daily walk or is this a new pursuit simply because it's what everyone else is doing?

Compare notes to your daily April walks last year and you will see, as a PP pointed out, that's it's called spring.

YABU and also being rather daft.

Slight diversion but I’m wondering about the foxes round here in south London. A lot of their food tap has been turned off with the fast food outlets closing. Are they going to get even bolder? Presumably fewer of their pups will survive to adulthood.

Sorry I was getting pigeons mixed up with seagulls. It was a seagull that nicked my baguette. 😂

I’ve noticed fewer gulls around by us. We’re nowhere near the sea so the gulls we get feast of discarded food. A lot less of that around.

I think the birds sound louder as there is less traffic noise drowning out their singing. It's lovely.

I took this picture last week.. Hanging out washing and the noise was deafening.. Quite a Hitchcock moment. Seconds later they all flew away...
You can't actually see just how many birds there are but nice pic anyway!!

Lots of reasons - it's spring, there are fewer people around, there are fewer cars, less pollution, the trees are in blossom and leaves are growing. If I was a bird, I reckon I'd be pretty happy and chirpy right now.

There is also less noise, fewer people to distract you from noticing them.

Errol

Isn't the conspiracy that the lockdown is all a lie so the batteries in the birds can be changed maybe they are now like Duracell bunnies.

What I have noticed is that there are more feral pigeons in our suburban garden and that they are looking a lot healthier, glossier, brighter than they usually do when you see them in the city centre fighting over leftover hamburger scraps and chips. Four households in a row put out food specially devised as bird food and it really is making a difference. Never realised before what beautiful birds they are. Blackbirds and robins seem to be behaving pretty well as usual- that is, pretty bold.

we could hear and people have seen a large amount of birds of prey, kites, and whathave you's
but it is no doubt Spring and they must notice the less traffic

there was a fox wandering across the road in front of my car the other day, just wandering, no rush

I'd guess those are starlings, windy.

Roosting and flying together and making a heck of a lot of noise is entirely normal for them!

i read the seagulls must be missing the fish and chips off the sea front!

Male birds always sing and fight more in Spring.

i hear birds all day now its quite nice if a bit odd reminds me when we havd that eclipse and the birds alltarted singing

I'm seeing fewer birds in my garden than usual - we've had to stop feeding them because there are rats around.

We're seeing the normal amount and types on walks - sparrows (house and tree), charms of goldfinches and zephyrs of bumbarrels and other tits etc - though as we're staying local I'm noticing a few surprises like an odd oystercatcher and lapwing in the fields.

Lakieladie
Male and female robins have the same plumage - its almost impossible to tell them apart.

There's one species of bird whose call (to my daughter) sounds like a the noise a lorry makes when it's reversing. I haven't heard it myself but she's convinced.

I think it's the general 'no rushing' about coupled with the silence from lack of traffic that's making everybody more tuned in to nature.

We’ve got a river running through our village (it’s a very long village) and 2 swans have set up nest on the bank in a normally busy part. Never seen this before and have lived here for most of my life . They normally set up their nests a few miles down where it is usually very quiet.