Nature Notes: the 2022 edition

[ErrolTheDragon]

Happy New Year to all nature lovers!
The
Please join us to add your observations throughout the year. Urban or rural, there's always something going on throughout the year, even if it's a bit quiet right now.

[ErrolTheDragon]

(Not sure where the extraneous 'The' came from!)

[ErrolTheDragon]

Here, by way of quiet inspiration. Is todays Times Nature Notebook column.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/to-know-a-landscape-fully-see-it-in-retreat-r50gzv97b?shareToken=d861c044c9c86e686859f4daa537eeaf

[LoveFall]

Hello from the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver). It has been very cold and snowy here and our resident hummingbirds (Anna's hummingbirds) have been struggling.

Many people feed them and the sugar water has even frozen. The Wildlife Rescue has saved many. One friend saved one who had frozen to the balcony railing by its tail that had become wet.

We love our little official Vancouver city bird and try to help them. DH and I bought a heater for our feeder which fits under it and uses a light bulb.

Here is a fun article about trying to help them:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/check-out-the-ingenious-ways-people-are-freeze-proofing-their-hummingbird-feeders-during-b-c-s-cold-snap-1.6300723

Happy New Year everyone.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Our walk included a section near the river in the city near us. There were a couple of goosanders floating apparently stationary - I think it was slack tide but they may still have been invisibly paddling hard to give this illusion! It's good to see these fish-eaters in what was once a polluted, industrial outflow. We quite often see cormorants and an odd egret; I've not yet spotted any otters which have started recolonising a bit further upstream.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Wow, it must be cold to freeze sugar solution. Good to know the little birds have such ingenious friends! I was amazed to see humming birds when I visited British Columbia when I was a teenager (relatives had a fruit farm in Osoyoos) - I'd thought they were tropical.

It's exceptionally mild for the time of year in the U.K. at the moment.

[Crazzzycat]

Thanks for the new thread @ErrolTheDragon. I went for a walk on the beach this morning, but by the time I got there the sea was already a long way out and the birds far away. I could see oystercatchers, curlews and a range of gulls, but most of them were just small, distant dots. I might try again tomorrow, after consulting the tide timetable 😂

[Thirstquenching]

Happy New Year and thank you for the new thread. I've not been contributing for a while as covid hit my household. But new year and back out nature spotting.

Went for a walk at the woods yesterday. Seen a kestrel chasing two ravens which was interesting to watch ( it wasn't successful ) also seen the starlings doing their murmuration on the way back to the car. It was very windy so other than a bird of prey I couldn't hear any other birds.

Closer to home we have been feeding the birds in the garden and had loads of visitors including a little wren. I've applied to take part in The Big Garden Bird Watch again this year my ds loves doing it

[Crazzzycat]

The timing for today’s coastal walk was arguably worse than yesterday’s. By the time I got there, the tide was so high there was no beach at all 😂

But not all was lost, as many of the wading birds I had hoped to see had gathered in a nearby, semi-flooded field. It was packed with all kind of gulls, oystercatchers, curlew and redshank. The lapwing who normally hang out in this field, didn’t look too impressed with all these extra visitors. Lots of squabbling going on!

[Thirstquenching]

Been for a riverside walk and seen a wagtail hoping about the rocks and a couple of squirrels. Topped up all the feeders and I swear they were watching me I barely got to the door and they were down

[ErrolTheDragon]

The squirrel(s) and woodpigeons definitely seem to notice when I appear in the kitchen in the morning.

Todays walk included a section of canal in the next town up, which had just the usual birds - ducks including some resident muscovies, swans, moorhen, gulls (herring and black headed, the latter of course misnamed at this time of year). Lots of sparrows etc busy in the hedges.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Todays walk was by the big river, we arrived almost at high tide so it was full but apparently slow. For the first time this year, there was the delicious smell of sweet box in the air at various points.

[Crazzzycat]

I went to the local beach again, but didn’t do much wildlife watching as it was just too cold to stand still for any length of time! I had a quick look at the river and thought I saw a dipper, but that turned out to be a blackbird standing on a rock 😂 Lots of wagtails around, some pied and some grey and a surprising number of greater black backed gulls near the river mouth too.

[Thirstquenching]

Went for a riverside walk up to Soldiers Leap ( Scotland ) seen a heron and some red squirrel. Also topped up all the feeders in the garden again and happy to report the blackbird is back, it seemed to have disappeared for a while

[ErrolTheDragon]

On todays frosty walk, it was really only the robins and blackbirds which seemed to be around.

[blackteaplease]

Found you! I had been watching the old thread and wondering why nobody was posting.

We had a lovely walk along the Teign valley on Monday. I was hoping to see a dipper but between the dogs and the kayakers the river was quite busy. Its so mild here in the SW though, there are lots of shoots and buds popping out already.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Unpleasant weather here so I've been taking my exercise on the rower in the garage, where I'm delighted to say I do not have any nature to report on.

The other day, I'd forgotten about the rooks - a good number in a couple of trees, a lot of chatter going on. They really do sound as though they're conversing with each other.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Todays Times Nature Notebook column includes a section on another of the clever corvids, the jay.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-bird-of-paradise-is-full-of-clever-tricks-38qlt9vsb?shareToken=181aaae4e318a1690949f7005bff5fb8

[Crazzzycat]

I recently read a book about ravens @ErrolTheDragon and there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that ravens at least share important information with each other through what we think is just chatter!

I also learnt from that book that I live only a few miles from, what used to be, the biggest raven roost in the world (it’s since been overtaken by one in the US). I guess that explains why I often see ravens on my walks. There’s literally thousands of them just down the road... exchanging vital information with each other, all night long. My DH was a bit freaked out when I told him this. He thinks they must be plotting something 😂

[blackteaplease]

When I was at an ecology conference last autumn there was a discussion on acoustic monitoring to record soundscapes. The person presenting said that not only does each species have a unique call but that individual voices are unique within the calling.
Imagine if you could also interpret the chatter, rhat would be very interesting. I'd love to know what our local gang of rooks are chatting about

[Grumpyosaurus]

Our local rooks set up a new rookery by a footpath last year. It all went quiet once the chicks had fledged, but I noticed that there were a few birds there the other day, possibly scoping out nests for the coming spring.

I've seen a lot of hares recently - more hares than rabbits, but that's partly a factor of where I've been able to take the dog.

[LoveFall]

It is still cold and snowy in Vancouver, which is not usual but I understand is the consequence of La Nina which cools the Pacific Ocean near North America.

I see a few birds when I take the dog out, but fewer than usual. Mostly towhees. They look lovely against the white snow.

www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/spotted-towhee

Our poor hummingbirds are still struggling. Yesterday I was up just before sunrise and there was one sitting on our heated feeder just keeping warm. Lovely to see.

Then we had a huge windstorm that lasted all day. Huge gusts off the Pacific. Said feeder blew down so we have to find a new incandescent light bulb in the land of almost entirely LED.

Not wildlife but our little dog has difficulty negotiating the snow drifts! Never mind me. I have a big bruise on my hip from slipping and falling when out with him,

[Thirstquenching]

Been out to top up all the feeders today and the garden has been so busy with birds! We will be taking part in the big garden bird watch again this year

[blackteaplease]

I'm hoping the weather is better for the garden birdwatch this year. Last year was stormy and Jo birds were recorded here which is a shame as it gives a false record

[blackteaplease]

It was so mild last night that I saw a bat out foraging

[Grumpyosaurus]

I was dog walking this evening and saw about a dozen magpies working their way along a hedge and chattering like mad.

And the dog and I saw a lot of rabbits (dog did not chase, yay!) which was encouraging - numbers are definitely on the up around here.