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'.

You're not imagining things OP, I've noticed it as well. Robins and blackbirds in particular. One female blackbird was digging some moss out of a plant pot on my patio, and I slowly walked up to her, and got almost close enough to touch. She wasn't perturbed at all.
I've also had a squirrel come right up to me and suss me out. It was obviously very curious as to why there was a strange human on its patch.

Wildlife in general seems tamer somehow, less afraid. My garden backs onto woodland and we get lots of woodland visitors. Normally they scuttle as soon as they hear/see you but my neighbour and I were chatting over the fence (more than 2m apart I hasten to add) and a squirrel - not one of the babies we usually see, but a full grown one, just sauntered along the fence top between us with not a care in the world, looked at us both and then carried on sauntering.

I've also seen a goldfinch for the first time in the 20 years I've lived here. Beautiful birds with the most wonderful song and it's an absolute joy to see and hear them.

Before bed, I've been going for a little stroll, just up and down the pavement at the front of the house and the silence is overwhelming. You could literally hear a pin drop. With a Tesco superstore at the end of my road, normally open 24 hours there would be cars and lorries going back and forth all night, but it's complete silence from about 9pm onwards. The birds and animals must be wondering what the hell is going on. I think without all the noise, pollution and traffic they must be less stressed and on their guard, hence the more relaxed behaviour maybe? At least that's what seems to be happening here.

I've also seen a goldfinch for the first time in the 20 years I've lived here.

I've noticed the number of goldfinches increasing over the last few years in our area, and also a return of greenfinches after their numbers were badly impacted by some sort of infection.

Fewer birds here not more. I live by the sea and there are always seagulls around , especially on windy days like today when they're all gliding. Over the last week or two they've virtually disappeared. I know they love diving for dropped food but I wouldn't have thought that accounts for the complete lack of them.

It's the effects of 5G

It’s you. The birds are behaving the way birds behave in springtime

It's the effects of 5G

I do hope that was meant to be a joke.

@Cornettoninja
The pigeons round here have become cocky little buggers. Driving to work the other day (essential obvs) and I approached one in the middle of the road expecting it to do the usual last minute dodge but it just sat there till I beeped it.

I noticed this when we changed the car to a hybrid. It is quiet and they just sit in the road whereas before they would hear the car or feel the vibrations and fly off. Now we need to beep them.

It is a rook Coldemort. Lovely!

@siam thanks for confirming! He was a big bugger, but so friendly chatted to me all the way down the road!

Yes we have had lots of magpies around for the past two decades but suddenly there gone. We now have lots of cuckoos and goldfinches i found it strange and mentioned to hubby last week.

@Wehttam
I live in a very big city centre, the pigeons are all brooding or doing that gross thing where they’re all fluffed up (I hate/ fear them at the best of times) and they’re all sat on the ground not in trees. Their poop looks enormous too and very green, god knows what they’re eating.

Bright green poo is a sign they're starving. Sitting around all fluffed up is also often a sign of ill-health. Fewer people around may not be great for urban birds that rely on dropped food!

I did wonder about what the urban pigeons would eat early on in this (even posted a thread!). I wonder if theyve been conditioned out of any natural behaviour and dont know what to eat without chips, crisps and manky fag ends?

@LakieLady - I thought I'd heard about robins building multiple nests before so I googled it and yes they do. It could be the same robin with two nests.
I found this academic reference from 1939 and a very vague explanation that they get 'confused' by sites that look similar doi.org/10.1071/MU939286a

But then - a more recent author of a book on robin behaviour noted
"Because some human structures provide repetitive sites with strong support, the female can get seduced into building multiple nests."

Must be that good looking hedge of yours encouraging multiple nest builds

Was sent this vid the other day, here is a complete moron who thinks a standard steet light is a weapon!!

He has no idea that these days street lights are remotley controled by radio links and is convinced that the aerial in use is a weapon!

He has no idea either that the lights are fed by whats known as a switch mode power supply, millions of them are in use by all sorts of equipments.

A completely deluded idiot!

Enjoy!

I've been hearing seagulls. Live near the Lincolnshire-Nottinghamshire border, near no big bodies of water.

Justaboy
Oh my goodness. Barking.

Around the world
Black headed gulls roost many miles inland .....

Black headed gulls do a brilliant rain dance to charm the worms

Weird you said that. I live by the coast and have noticed there seems to be fewer gulls and more crows ...?

@ErrolTheDragon
^ they pick up whole fatballs and fly off with them!

Fat balls really need to be in a rat-proof feeder.^

Not here...they’re gone within minutes so no fear of rats. The sunflower hearts are in bottles high up, so away from any animals.

Burst are always bonkers at this time of year. Especially blackbirds as they are fighting for territory. They don't give a monkeys about humans when there hormones are up

Birds!

This collard dove is a few feet away from me on a nest on my sky dish. Every bloody year she sneaks up there

I've noticed! The birds at our work aren't bothered by us at all, but still bothered by the dog. I think we dont notice the constant state of stress we impose on wildlife with our presence.

We have thought the birds are late getting nests ready. We have blue tits now looking to nest in a former woodpecker nest. The nuthatches didn’t seem to want it having looked at it.

The red kites are refurbishing their nest and there are lots of blackbirds foraging. The house martins arrived yesterday and were perched on our garage eaves making squabbling noises. The coal tits are lively and the woodpecker is noisy. We have tawney and little owls too. So quite a lot of activity this week. Just haven’t heard my resident thrush yet. Loads of robins though.