Hi Graeme, fantastic film. I've been birding( not twitching) for over 50 years, my Dad was a very keen angler & sometimes accompanying him got a bit tedious as a kid, so he got me some binoculars & a bird book & I was , pardon the pun hooked. The decline is alarming & personally heartbreaking.When I migrated from the Midlands to Surrey in the early 90s I worked at Heathrow Airport on various building projects. The bus station would be full of sparrows & starlings. Now, it's feral pigeons only. My belief, and its shared by others is that the decline has been caused by the change from the old diesel to the new clean diesel & it's additives, (which has also caused an increase in respiratory disease such as asthma in us humans) Causing a imbalance in the reproductive systems of birds. Also, sparrows would commonly nest in the eves of buildings,now,with the upvc facias that are now widespread they are unable to nest, the same goes with summer migrants such as housemartins & swallows. With finches, there is a fungal disease that causes the upper mandible to perish & it stops them from feeding. Dirty feeders are mainly to blame for this. So on to Blackbirds, & thrushes, they are in decline from two of the worst mammals on earth. Cats & grey squirrels. Cats are a menace to any bird, also small rodents, voles, wood mice etc. Grey Squirrels , will take eggs from the nests of birds & also carry a viral infection known as squirrels pox, this is also a danger to us humans as if we come into contact with there faeces or urine it can cause viral meningitis. Thrushes are snail predators, so the over use of the now thankfully banned slug repellents they were ingesting caused the birds to also be poisoned. Smaller birds like tits are declining due to insect numbers falling alarmingly. Especially butterflies whose caterpillars are a main source of protein for their young & also is a factor in their colouring. Also people having gardens & driveways hard paved or gardens that are so pristine that nature doesn't stand a chance of survival. All this & the massive habitat losses are killing of the last of the only surviving descendants of dinosaurs. These are very sad times for Bird life globally & as usual, humans are to blame. Thank you for always producing quality & informative films.
I have seen many small frontage gardens on older properties that have been ripped up and paved over to make parking spaces. I guess that must be a huge source of habitat loss for birds as no flowers,no insect,no birds. I had not thought of it affecting birds that way but you could be right. It all adds up when you realise probably hundreds of thousands of front gardens have been paved over for parking. Thanks for the comment.
Such a well thought out reply Smiffy... thank you - I too find the decline of songbirds in particular, heartbreaking. Great that Graeme has raised the issue. love the films Graeme .. Spring is coming, my daughter and I will be out fishing soon!
I won't get many views with an in-depth bird I.D. film,but I took the trouble to compile the clips over some period of time so thought I may as well use them....Its something I have wanted to do for some time.
there are 2 species of sparrow the tree sparrow and the house sparrow the one you showed was a dunnock , not related but commonly known as the hedge sparrow, good filming
There are many factors to the reduction in bird numbers Graeme. I remember a certain overhead (phone) cable, above the top of a cornfield in West Sussex during the late 70's- early 80's, where the summer arrivals of Turtle doves used to call and sit. Their numbers diminished until they were all gone, whereas the Collared dove numbers increased. Same as the house sparrow & starling flocks in my garden. Another noteworthy fact you must have noticed is that 95% of the insects you saw in the early 80's have now vanished as well. That was a Fieldfare Graeme. Those and the Redwings are winter visitors.
Dove was a collared dove, they were unknown in the UK until the 1950s when they arrived on the east coast and soon spread right across the country in relatively few years
It's cheap and easy to grow your own sunflowers, harvest and dry the heads and store for winter. We think your video collection is excellent. Please do more of these videos, we enjoyed the chat too! Vinegar in hot water in a bucket is good for washing off bird feeders. Use a sink or scrubbing brush for speedy cleaning. The starlings at Aberystwyth pier, murmering, make a fascinating sight. It was a thrush. They like beech hedges. The bird you said was a hedge sparrow, is a Dunnock. They like ground feeding.
Brilliant video Graham, I've noticed over the years there are less birds. I haven't seen a starling for ages! When I'm fishing I do see a lot of Robins, wrens, and chaffinch. I love spring and summer to hear the birds singing!! ❤️❤️
Great film G. Looks like scaly leg on the chaffinches. Shame but common. Hardly any insects on the windscreen (pesticide) shows a big part of the answer to the decrease in the populations of our birds and illness such as bird flu. Magpies squirrels and rats are prolific lately due to decrease in budgets all of which eat eggs and baby birds. Fieldfares and redwings are filling up on the beetles which are easy to catch in your beautifully mown lawn before heading South for the winter. Mr Buzzard is eating worms sad but true. Thanks again bud have a great new year and tight lines!
Some nice footage there. I lived most of my life in SE London then recently moved to rural Kent Surry borders. Back in the day, in the 70's I can remember hundreds of Stalin's on my Mum's lawn and Hedgehogs in the garden at dusk. I have not seen one of those for ages. Seems to me the insects have greatly decided and spiders. We have a lot of Blackbirds here but I font dee finches or times or Wrens at all. Plenty of Geese, Raptors and those of the crow family. There are some small birds living by yhr River Eden I can't identify but generally I think there is a distinct lack of lots of the wildlife that used to be around.
Thanks for the great video. Well put together in my opinion. I understand that a lot of farmers are now being paid to divert some of their land to growing food for wild birds, perhaps that is having an impact on garden feeding.
Love this bird film, Graeme. I was transfixed from beginning to end. Although you have that fabulous meadow beyond your garden, I do feel that generally there is less traditional farming and at the same time less wildlife, unlike when I a kid in the 60's and 70's.
#1 reason for declining birds is loss of habitat #2 is free ranging house cats localized drop in numbers can be diseases but that usually resolves itself.
I always enjoy and look forward to all your videos. So thank you for doing them. I also love the long music at the end of your videos. It sounds so good! Who is playing those country guitars? I would love to hear the whole song of that group! Please let me know what the song artist name is. Thank you so much for your great videos. ATB Rob
I know in the States , here in Montana, we have seen a drop . One thing I think here a few years ago that caused a hug loss was the large and lengthy wild fires we had and neighboring states had . When they tried to migrate to the west and south, they couldn't take the smoke, heat , and tried to go around it through the desert country, which had little food . We lost a good 150 barn swallows , and we count on them to keep the mosquitoes thined down . But Robin's, cedar wax wings , black birds , etc, are low or not here . 😮 our migratory birds that stop by are thining down or don't show up at all . No problem with doves , starlings , there are way to many of them .
Occasionally see Hen Harriers hereabouts. They seem to disappear for a few years, and just when you think they've gone for good, they'll pop up again. No shortage of cormorants, a nesting pair watched over one of my favourite swims last year. Plenty of Lapwings, too, but the main inhabitants are corvids: Jays, Jackdaws, Magpies, Rooks and Crows. Last year I got a photo of a Jackdaw hitching a ride on a sheep's back. Can't say I've noticed a drop off in numbers, but will keep my eyes open.
Bird Flu has taken its toll I suspect as well. I’m in the west of Scotland and there is a very noticeable increase in Nuthatch numbers, also seeing a lot more Jays. Great stuff btw.
Great video Graham enjoyed watching it as i feed birds in garden down in Kent, looks lke you have redwings and fieldfares, towards the end the sparrow bird is a dunnock i get these plus alot of the other birds you get no kites or buzzards tho, all interesting to watch .
The fields around our rural allotment site were full of nesting Skylarks. Then the farmer cut the grass to feed his indoor cows, then cut them again and again. No more Skylarks.
I have big fields outside my property, used to be skylarks but as more people arrived and started running their dogs off leads then no more skylarks...Has to be human habitation moving in I reckon. Field is only cut once a year ,as per in the film.
Hi Graeme, The small bird with the deformed leg, near the beginning of the video, is a Chaffinch. The Green Woodpecker is a lover of ants and dig in the grass for them. You are correct the upside down feeding bird is a Nuthatch.The Pied Woodpecker you refer to is a Great Spotted Woodpecker. You will see Blackbirds running around and they are simulating rainfall to encourage worms to come to the surface and then they pick them off. The Sparrow is a Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow. Like you I am not a 'Twitcher', I just love birds. Great Video. Thank you. Barry
I've watched birds in my south London garden for 44 years and have seen 37 species. My experience is patchy. Some birds are the same eg robin, blackbird, starling. Some are new eg sparrowhawk, parakeet, house sparrow. Some have increased eg crow, magpie, woodpecker (green and greater spotted). Some have declined eg long tailed tit, goldfinch, heron. Some have gone eg dunnock, greenfinch, chaffinch. The redwing and fieldfare are Scandinavian thrushes that spend the winter here. I get them in my garden only in the worst winters. I have apple trees and I leave the fallen apples for the birds in winter. Thanks for your interesting channel.
Hi Graham, I too have noticed the decline in bird life (and fish!) locally. I remember my father taking me on fishing trips, always very local to your area in the 70's. My job was always to clean the car windscreen and remove all the dead insects which had to be done weekly in the summer. Now, I rarely clean my windscreen. Probably many reasons but could be changing farming practices leading to less insect life.....?
Fantastic video..Wonderful Greame...Had my bird book out cross referencing because i wasnt sure either ..some of those ive never seen before. thankyou.
Graeme, good point, I think also maybe the large kites, buzzered maybe, I mean love the bug birds, but even my bird station is more quiet than usual, all the best mate.
Last year I was walking my dog in the local park when I came across this big green parrot 🦜 I couldn’t believe my eyes! I said to the dog “what the bloody hell is that doing here!” He looked equally as confused. It was an incredible sight. The funniest thing was that it was standing with a bunch of crows 🐦⬛ and then they all just took off and flew away together.
Great to see the birds that visit your garden, the kestrel was a good spot to capture on film as they don't seem to spend much time on the ground. The finches were cock and hen Chaffinch the woodpecker was a great spotted and the wagtail was a grey as opposed to the yellow, both have yellow fronts but the yellow has a brown back and the other grey. Also the chap with the grey neck was a Dunnock but to us up in the North will always be called a hedge sparrow. Thanks for posting this video and tight lines .
Hi Graeme, a long long time ago when I was about sixteen (I am now seventy three) I was working on the night shift at a MOD site that had train tracks about I quarter of a mile long and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up, I turned around and a beautify white owl went gliding along without a sound, its wings were about seven feet across and I will remember that for ever. I never saw it again, but it was a beautiful sight.
The magpies love pinching the food for the hedgehog.I have to say that being rural, you have some good bird variety , i live in a city we dont get the variety you get .
Red kites were down to about six birds in sw Wales in the 1930s, they recovered slowly in Wales with no introductions but birds from Spain and Sweden were introduced to the Chilterns in the 1980s and later in Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and Scotland where the habitat was much better than in Wales and there are now several thousand pairs.
Hi Graeme, The Yellow Wagtiail you refer to is in fact a Grey Wagtail although it does have yellow on it. The Yellow Wagtial has a lot more yellow on it. They love water, especially running water. Compare the two and you will definitely see the difference. I hope you have found some of my comments useful. Barry
I have to agree with you Graham, here close to Taunton in Somerset we have noticed a real decline in numbers of garden birds just this last year, for about 3 months before Xmas we saw barely 2 a day on our bird table that usually gets numerous birds of all varieties all day long, the only ones left in that period was a few blackbirds and one robin who passed through every morning, only since the frosts of this last month have we seen small very small numbers of tits etc returning. On the point of the birds constantly turning their head sideways it is, I’m fairly certain, an observational trait as you surmise they have to be constantly aware of their whole surroundings to avoid predators both airborne and ground attack predators ie: hawks and cats
The bird at 53.57 was a Mistle Thrush. You are more or less right about the others except the ones you were questioning being Bullfinches were actually Chaffinches-the males have a pink breast the females are brown/grey in colour
I’m no expert but the buzzards feed on worms quite a lot as well as other insects and carrion. You also had a nice selection of fieldfares and redwings. Definitely a reduction in birds here too, on the Isle of Wight.
The kestrel hunts by hovering, the bird that zips through woodland taking small birds etc is a sparrow hawk or goshawk , kestrels can see in almost ultraviolet, when hovering they’re looking for voles , the vile leaves little drops of urine every few feet , the kestrel can see the urine drops and tracks the voles by it
When I was a lad growing up in Galloway the Fieldfare were known as skittery felties from the way they had that nervous flight and the felt like colour of their heads
They aren’t buzzards, which tend not to have feathers on their heads. It serves to keep them safe as they clean up the dead. They do look like a type of hawk or falcon. Interesting video. We’ve also noticed a decline in birds here in Florida. Mostly I think it’s from domesticated cats people let outside.
Buzzard in the US and buzzard over here are different birds - I found this out recently. Over here the buzzard (Buteo spp.) are hawks, while I believe you guys call certain vultures buzzards? Correct me if I'm wrong
Enjoyed this, thank you. A significant portion of British insects, perhaps around 30% to 50%, start their life in the water. I'd go with this as a starter. I've sat by the Wye in July, for a full day and not seen one insect or bird.
I know they say the Wye has problems,but I'm fairly new to it and had lots of Barbel and Chub. Way better than the Hants Avon I used to fish. But I know what you are saying. I felt last season there were less minnows in the shallow and way smaller. Hopefully the Signal Crayfish don't get in there.
@@TAFishing Thanks for replying. I've visited for years and really fear for its future. There is now a coating of brown slime over the bottom gravels and no more ranunculus weed. I'm surprised it has a head of fish anymore. I generally net the 'minnows' whilst fishing, out of interest. They used to include tiny chub but not for the last three seasons.
Great video ,you have a great variety of song birds around you ,unfortunately modern farming practices don't help them much ,seems to be more corvids around than ever before
Since we've used organic bird food and homegrown seeds and filled coconut shells ourselves, our bird visitirs have returned. The siskins seem yo have appeared earlier since we've put out organic sunflower hearts. Birds pick spiders from gravel. Fungus can cause the birds foot to fall off, last year we had a one legged chaffinch.
Hi again if you look at (22:20) you can see a shadow of a bigger bird flying over, possible predictor so I think he is looking up so he doesn’t end up as dinner.
I also feed the birds, and we get a lot of bluetits, greenfinches, blackbirds and, of course, wood pigeons. There seems to be a decline in species diversity, so I rarely see anything more than the birds I've mentioned. I clean our bird feeders with a DEFRA approved product these days, as I'm worried about salmonella and other nasties!
Hi Graeme I live in North York's and until a month ago I couldn't put enough feed out on our bird station and we had loads of different species but now I hardly see any and all the feed goes rotten , it's v strange .
You’re absolutely right where have they gone haven’t seen a Thrush in years. Whey fishing I the 60s and 70s used to see plenty of lapwings not any more. Seems to be an abundance of wood pigeons. I do know they do not suffer from bird flu
Agree about the Lapwings,I haven't seen any in ages. I think we used to call them "Peewits",for the sound the make ? Or maybe I'm having a senior moment.
@TAFishing I took a picture of a lapwing this summer gone whilst fishing. First and only time I've ever seen one and had to Google what it was. What an amazing creature and heartbreaking that they were once a common sight
Thanks for that,I was just asking if someone knew what that one was..I haven't seen one since so I don't know if they are maybe regional,or common as muck and I have just not seen one before.
I live in pembrokeshire feed sunflower seed and i have a black cap feeding male and female in all the 30 years iv live its my first time seing one so id say birds are on the up its the magpies and grey squirrels that will make the numbers drop dramaticly
the general licence has been introduced !! stopping the control of magpies & other corvids unless you have a reason, predation on song birds etc is not a reason apparently
both herbicide and increase in temperature + pollution means way fewer insects. i guess more extreme weather also means small birds like robins don’t fair as well
I'd say it's the -15c temperatures we're getting in some places although your hotel and breakfast helps it won't help those temperatures but luckily they can fly to France without a passport
One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told. (supplementary) Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss, Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss, Eleven for health, Twelve for wealth, Thirteen beware it’s the devil himself. Also ..... I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mate, I'm only plucking pheasants cos the pheasant plucker's late !
I have 4 trailcams refurbed,re-batteried and out in Mike's woodland in various locations I think creatures might be.Will be interesting to see what I get..Quite exciting..a bit like fishing as it has the expectation of the unknown.
@TAFishing sadly I gave up the fishing due to health reasons so I've started reliving my childhood again seeking whatever nature I can find to get some pictures or footage of. Loving every second of it. 👍👍 Can't wait to see the findings of your hidden cameras 👍👍
Another cause of warty growths is the Fringilla papillomavirus which affects Chaffinches and Bramblings. These growths may vary in size from small nodules to larger warts that engulf the whole leg. The warts develop slowly over a long period and affected individuals may otherwise appear quite healthy. Some individuals may become lame or lose affected digits. The loss of Green Finches has been blamed on Bird Tables spreading disease. The bird that was common where I live and seems to have disappeared are Rooks. We see Ravens that have returned and all raptors are doing well. Many pheasant shoots have stopped since Bird Flue I live 40 miles north of Graham.
I wanted to know how long songbirds etc live for ?? but nobody seems to have picked up on that yet. I know Seagulls have been recorded at well over 25 years if I recall.
I've noticed a massive decrease with small birds in my area (Surrey Hills) since a massive increase of Magpies, rooks, crows and squirrels all of which are decimating the eggs and chick's of the smaller birds.
Certainly a contributory factor , the Magpie population seems epidemic proportions and soon adapt and move into human habitations where the food source might be.
That bird in among the sheep is a rapture bird of some type, hawk, kite, etc. buzzards usually have a bare head, not sure if you have turkey vultures there! have a great day
I love goldfinches ,only ever seen one in my area and it qaa dead unfortunately. I feed my robins live or dried meal worms, so imagine they love maggots too .
yes i agree we have hardly any birds in the garden i have 3 feeders plus suet balls which about 3 years ago i filled at least twice a week. Now the seed rots in feeders and nothing eats the suet , have a so much seed in bins that i think will have to dump. i live close to a bird sanctuary and even there they dont have so many?? if u find out why they have all gone let me know..
I know it would not be fair to lay the blame for the reduction of bird number down to any one factor, but we must never underestimate the number of birds killed by Cats , i know its " never my little fluffy " but im afraid to say it is ! Anyone can buy a cat but i don't think its so easy to buy a gold finch !
I'm sorry I don't recall saying I was some sort of expert ?? I thought I was just putting something up to interest the general public as many will have a bird feeder . It took me a long time to get all the shots,but feel free to invest in some camera equipment,editing software yourself and put your own film up on birds,that way I will be learning from an expert. I wasn't aware it was some sort of competition of who knows the most. I certainly don't.
Gurka soldiers guarded the Red Kite breeding pairs in llanybydder near Lampeter, in the 1970s. They helped keep native birds alive. We've got loads of red kites, they land on our shed roof to pick up the meat we put out. Birds hop to simulate rain abd bring the bugs to the surface. It's a collared dove not a turtle dove.
Norway and Australia have currently got a ban on the keeping of cats as pets, as they believe they are responsible for the declining numbers of wild birds. Whereas on the Greek Islands (Zakynthos and Kephallonia for example) they are living in the wild and can be regularly seen in the towns and villages.
Live in Liverpool and I keep pigeons and a bird shed keeping canary’s the sparrow hawks r a pain in the arse mate in a city am based and there nothing in years
Hi Graeme, fantastic film. I've been birding( not twitching) for over 50 years, my Dad was a very keen angler & sometimes accompanying him got a bit tedious as a kid, so he got me some binoculars & a bird book & I was , pardon the pun hooked. The decline is alarming & personally heartbreaking.When I migrated from the Midlands to Surrey in the early 90s I worked at Heathrow Airport on various building projects. The bus station would be full of sparrows & starlings. Now, it's feral pigeons only. My belief, and its shared by others is that the decline has been caused by the change from the old diesel to the new clean diesel & it's additives, (which has also caused an increase in respiratory disease such as asthma in us humans) Causing a imbalance in the reproductive systems of birds. Also, sparrows would commonly nest in the eves of buildings,now,with the upvc facias that are now widespread they are unable to nest, the same goes with summer migrants such as housemartins & swallows. With finches, there is a fungal disease that causes the upper mandible to perish & it stops them from feeding. Dirty feeders are mainly to blame for this. So on to Blackbirds, & thrushes, they are in decline from two of the worst mammals on earth. Cats & grey squirrels. Cats are a menace to any bird, also small rodents, voles, wood mice etc. Grey Squirrels , will take eggs from the nests of birds & also carry a viral infection known as squirrels pox, this is also a danger to us humans as if we come into contact with there faeces or urine it can cause viral meningitis. Thrushes are snail predators, so the over use of the now thankfully banned slug repellents they were ingesting caused the birds to also be poisoned. Smaller birds like tits are declining due to insect numbers falling alarmingly. Especially butterflies whose caterpillars are a main source of protein for their young & also is a factor in their colouring. Also people having gardens & driveways hard paved or gardens that are so pristine that nature doesn't stand a chance of survival. All this & the massive habitat losses are killing of the last of the only surviving descendants of dinosaurs. These are very sad times for Bird life globally & as usual, humans are to blame. Thank you for always producing quality & informative films.
I have seen many small frontage gardens on older properties that have been ripped up and paved over to make parking spaces. I guess that must be a huge source of habitat loss for birds as no flowers,no insect,no birds. I had not thought of it affecting birds that way but you could be right. It all adds up when you realise probably hundreds of thousands of front gardens have been paved over for parking. Thanks for the comment.
Such a well thought out reply Smiffy... thank you - I too find the decline of songbirds in particular, heartbreaking. Great that Graeme has raised the issue. love the films Graeme .. Spring is coming, my daughter and I will be out fishing soon!
@@TAFishing Plus the fashion for fake plastic grass.
loved it graeme. your lust for life and what it can offer is a tonic. love watching my bird feeder out of the window when it's too rough to fish!!
Very enjoyable to watch, something different but equally interesting and enjoyable. Many thanks for sharing Sir :)
Yet another fantastic video, I really look forward to them thank you and keep them coming Graham
I won't get many views with an in-depth bird I.D. film,but I took the trouble to compile the clips over some period of time so thought I may as well use them....Its something I have wanted to do for some time.
there are 2 species of sparrow the tree sparrow and the house sparrow the one you showed was a dunnock , not related but commonly known as the hedge sparrow, good filming
Enjoyed the birds it comes with fishing and nature keep them coming Graham good stuff.
There are many factors to the reduction in bird numbers Graeme. I remember a certain overhead (phone) cable, above the top of a cornfield in West Sussex during the late 70's- early 80's, where the summer arrivals of Turtle doves used to call and sit. Their numbers diminished until they were all gone, whereas the Collared dove numbers increased. Same as the house sparrow & starling flocks in my garden. Another noteworthy fact you must have noticed is that 95% of the insects you saw in the early 80's have now vanished as well. That was a Fieldfare Graeme. Those and the Redwings are winter visitors.
Dove was a collared dove, they were unknown in the UK until the 1950s when they arrived on the east coast and soon spread right across the country in relatively few years
It's cheap and easy to grow your own sunflowers, harvest and dry the heads and store for winter.
We think your video collection is excellent. Please do more of these videos, we enjoyed the chat too!
Vinegar in hot water in a bucket is good for washing off bird feeders. Use a sink or scrubbing brush for speedy cleaning. The starlings at Aberystwyth pier, murmering, make a fascinating sight.
It was a thrush. They like beech hedges.
The bird you said was a hedge sparrow, is a Dunnock. They like ground feeding.
Brilliant video Graham, I've noticed over the years there are less birds. I haven't seen a starling for ages! When I'm fishing I do see a lot of Robins, wrens, and chaffinch. I love spring and summer to hear the birds singing!! ❤️❤️
A dunnock is a hedge sparrow just a different name for it
@@garynewsham9117 I know!!!! 🤔
Great video Graeme ! You got must of the birds right so well done mate !!! 👍❤️
Great film G.
Looks like scaly leg on the chaffinches. Shame but common. Hardly any insects on the windscreen (pesticide) shows a big part of the answer to the decrease in the populations of our birds and illness such as bird flu.
Magpies squirrels and rats are prolific lately due to decrease in budgets all of which eat eggs and baby birds.
Fieldfares and redwings are filling up on the beetles which are easy to catch in your beautifully mown lawn before heading South for the winter.
Mr Buzzard is eating worms sad but true.
Thanks again bud have a great new year and tight lines!
Excellent production Graeme, we only seem to get pigeons these days, and occasionally a few sparrows.
Some nice footage there. I lived most of my life in SE London then recently moved to rural Kent Surry borders. Back in the day, in the 70's I can remember hundreds of Stalin's on my Mum's lawn and Hedgehogs in the garden at dusk. I have not seen one of those for ages. Seems to me the insects have greatly decided and spiders. We have a lot of Blackbirds here but I font dee finches or times or Wrens at all. Plenty of Geese, Raptors and those of the crow family. There are some small birds living by yhr River Eden I can't identify but generally I think there is a distinct lack of lots of the wildlife that used to be around.
Thanks for the great video. Well put together in my opinion. I understand that a lot of farmers are now being paid to divert some of their land to growing food for wild birds, perhaps that is having an impact on garden feeding.
Love this bird film, Graeme. I was transfixed from beginning to end. Although you have that fabulous meadow beyond your garden, I do feel that generally there is less traditional farming and at the same time less wildlife, unlike when I a kid in the 60's and 70's.
I think the same....I guess we had the best of it back then but maybe didn't know it would change so quickly.
#1 reason for declining birds is loss of habitat #2 is free ranging house cats localized drop in numbers can be diseases but that usually resolves itself.
I always enjoy and look forward to all your videos. So thank you for doing them. I also love the long music at the end of your videos. It sounds so good! Who is playing those country guitars? I would love to hear the whole song of that group! Please let me know what the song artist name is. Thank you so much for your great videos. ATB Rob
I know in the States , here in
Montana, we have seen a drop . One thing I think here a few years ago that caused a hug loss was the large and lengthy wild fires we had and neighboring states had . When they tried to migrate to the west and south, they couldn't take the smoke, heat , and tried to go around it through the desert country, which had little food . We lost a good 150 barn swallows , and we count on them to keep the mosquitoes thined down . But Robin's, cedar wax wings , black birds , etc, are low or not here . 😮 our migratory birds that stop by are thining down or don't show up at all . No problem with doves , starlings , there are way to many of them .
That's interesting,thanks for the comment.
Occasionally see Hen Harriers hereabouts. They seem to disappear for a few years, and just when you think they've gone for good, they'll pop up again. No shortage of cormorants, a nesting pair watched over one of my favourite swims last year. Plenty of Lapwings, too, but the main inhabitants are corvids: Jays, Jackdaws, Magpies, Rooks and Crows. Last year I got a photo of a Jackdaw hitching a ride on a sheep's back. Can't say I've noticed a drop off in numbers, but will keep my eyes open.
I love everything in TA Channel
Bird Flu has taken its toll I suspect as well. I’m in the west of Scotland and there is a very noticeable increase in Nuthatch numbers, also seeing a lot more Jays. Great stuff btw.
Great video Graham enjoyed watching it as i feed birds in garden down in Kent, looks lke you have redwings and fieldfares, towards the end the sparrow bird is a dunnock i get these plus alot of the other birds you get no kites or buzzards tho, all interesting to watch .
The fields around our rural allotment site were full of nesting Skylarks.
Then the farmer cut the grass to feed his indoor cows, then cut them again and again.
No more Skylarks.
I have big fields outside my property, used to be skylarks but as more people arrived and started running their dogs off leads then no more skylarks...Has to be human habitation moving in I reckon. Field is only cut once a year ,as per in the film.
Hi Graeme,
The small bird with the deformed leg, near the beginning of the video, is a Chaffinch. The Green Woodpecker is a lover of ants and dig in the grass for them. You are correct the upside down feeding bird is a Nuthatch.The Pied Woodpecker you refer to is a Great Spotted Woodpecker. You will see Blackbirds running around and they are simulating rainfall to encourage worms to come to the surface and then they pick them off.
The Sparrow is a Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow. Like you I am not a 'Twitcher', I just love birds. Great Video. Thank you.
Barry
I've watched birds in my south London garden for 44 years and have seen 37 species. My experience is patchy. Some birds are the same eg robin, blackbird, starling. Some are new eg sparrowhawk, parakeet, house sparrow. Some have increased eg crow, magpie, woodpecker (green and greater spotted). Some have declined eg long tailed tit, goldfinch, heron. Some have gone eg dunnock, greenfinch, chaffinch. The redwing and fieldfare are Scandinavian thrushes that spend the winter here. I get them in my garden only in the worst winters. I have apple trees and I leave the fallen apples for the birds in winter. Thanks for your interesting channel.
Glad you liked the film,just something a bit different. Hopefully more to come.
Hi Graham, I too have noticed the decline in bird life (and fish!) locally. I remember my father taking me on fishing trips, always very local to your area in the 70's.
My job was always to clean the car windscreen and remove all the dead insects which had to be done weekly in the summer.
Now, I rarely clean my windscreen.
Probably many reasons but could be changing farming practices leading to less insect life.....?
Fantastic video..Wonderful Greame...Had my bird book out cross referencing because i wasnt sure either ..some of those ive never seen before. thankyou.
No problem. I thought I might as well use it while I have it. I think it gives a good reference on an amateur level on some of our birds.
Graeme, good point, I think also maybe the large kites, buzzered maybe, I mean love the bug birds, but even my bird station is more quiet than usual, all the best mate.
Last year I was walking my dog in the local park when I came across this big green parrot 🦜
I couldn’t believe my eyes!
I said to the dog “what the bloody hell is that doing here!” He looked equally as confused. It was an incredible sight.
The funniest thing was that it was standing with a bunch of crows 🐦⬛ and then they all just took off and flew away together.
What ???...The dog ????
@@TAFishing 😂
Great compilation and excellent narration. Thankyou👍
I enjoyed getting all the clips of different birds together..pleased you enjoyed it.
Some really good footage , have you ever seen how fry react when a bird say flies over a canal , how they scatter.
Great to see the birds that visit your garden, the kestrel was a good spot to capture on film as they don't seem to spend much time on the ground. The finches were cock and hen Chaffinch the woodpecker was a great spotted and the wagtail was a grey as opposed to the yellow, both have yellow fronts but the yellow has a brown back and the other grey. Also the chap with the grey neck was a Dunnock but to us up in the North will always be called a hedge sparrow. Thanks for posting this video and tight lines .
Thanks for the I.D. comment. Always something to learn.
Hi Graeme, a long long time ago when I was about sixteen (I am now seventy three) I was working on the night shift at a MOD site that had train tracks about I quarter of a mile long and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up, I turned around and a beautify white owl went gliding along without a sound, its wings were about seven feet across and I will remember that for ever. I never saw it again, but it was a beautiful sight.
Barn Owl I guess. I have seen a few while working around dusk,they are so silent and ghostly looking.
Great Video Graham, We have definitely noticed a large decline in the number of finches in our garden that’s for sure , 👍
Excellent video Graham. The leg problem in those finches is called "papillomatosis" and is a skin disease.
The magpies love pinching the food for the hedgehog.I have to say that being rural, you have some good bird variety , i live in a city we dont get the variety you get .
Red kites were down to about six birds in sw Wales in the 1930s, they recovered slowly in Wales with no introductions but birds from Spain and Sweden were introduced to the Chilterns in the 1980s and later in Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and Scotland where the habitat was much better than in Wales and there are now several thousand pairs.
This year, in Spain, they tracked a bird bought to wakes 29 years ago. I thought that was brilliant!
Hi Graeme,
The Yellow Wagtiail you refer to is in fact a Grey Wagtail although it does have yellow on it. The Yellow Wagtial has a lot more yellow on it. They love water, especially running water. Compare the two and you will definitely see the difference. I hope you have found some of my comments useful.
Barry
Thanks, I will see if I can spot the difference with the Yellow Wagtail.
I have to agree with you Graham, here close to Taunton in Somerset we have noticed a real decline in numbers of garden birds just this last year, for about 3 months before Xmas we saw barely 2 a day on our bird table that usually gets numerous birds of all varieties all day long, the only ones left in that period was a few blackbirds and one robin who passed through every morning, only since the frosts of this last month have we seen small very small numbers of tits etc returning. On the point of the birds constantly turning their head sideways it is, I’m fairly certain, an observational trait as you surmise they have to be constantly aware of their whole surroundings to avoid predators both airborne and ground attack predators ie: hawks and cats
Watched this video from beginning to end Graeme, super relaxing and very interesting with great narration as always 👍
I was worried it might be boring,and probably is to some people so it will never get great views,but I have been amazed by the number of comments.
Happy new year Colin, realy enjoyed that one Graeme, thank you .
Excellent video Graham.
The bird at 53.57 was a Mistle Thrush. You are more or less right about the others except the ones you were questioning being Bullfinches were actually Chaffinches-the males have a pink breast the females are brown/grey in colour
Hello Graham, the dove is a collar dove, the small brown bird with the grey head is a dunnock
hope this helps.
Thanks for the comment.
The sparrow-like bird at 55:30 is a Dunnock!
Thanks for the I.D. that's why I ask in the film so I can learn...
Lovely video Graeme, I think the bird that looks like a Sparrow @56:00 is a Dunnock.
Yea I agree I'd say a Dunnock
Also known as a hedge sparrow
@@robmtnet3000 well I learnt something new today, every day is a school day
I’m no expert but the buzzards feed on worms quite a lot as well as other insects and carrion. You also had a nice selection of fieldfares and redwings. Definitely a reduction in birds here too, on the Isle of Wight.
I've not seen a bullfinch for years, used to be very common in norfok.
The kestrel hunts by hovering, the bird that zips through woodland taking small birds etc is a sparrow hawk or goshawk , kestrels can see in almost ultraviolet, when hovering they’re looking for voles , the vile leaves little drops of urine every few feet , the kestrel can see the urine drops and tracks the voles by it
When I was a lad growing up in Galloway the Fieldfare were known as skittery felties from the way they had that nervous flight and the felt like colour of their heads
Hi Graham great video as usual re sparrow the one in the video was a hedge /tree sparrow or dunnock most common is the house sparrow
They aren’t buzzards, which tend not to have feathers on their heads. It serves to keep them safe as they clean up the dead. They do look like a type of hawk or falcon. Interesting video. We’ve also noticed a decline in birds here in Florida. Mostly I think it’s from domesticated cats people let outside.
They are common buzzards. The things you call buzzards in america are turkey vultures
Buzzard in the US and buzzard over here are different birds - I found this out recently. Over here the buzzard (Buteo spp.) are hawks, while I believe you guys call certain vultures buzzards? Correct me if I'm wrong
Enjoyed this, thank you. A significant portion of British insects, perhaps around 30% to 50%, start their life in the water. I'd go with this as a starter. I've sat by the Wye in July, for a full day and not seen one insect or bird.
I know they say the Wye has problems,but I'm fairly new to it and had lots of Barbel and Chub. Way better than the Hants Avon I used to fish. But I know what you are saying. I felt last season there were less minnows in the shallow and way smaller. Hopefully the Signal Crayfish don't get in there.
@@TAFishing Thanks for replying. I've visited for years and really fear for its future. There is now a coating of brown slime over the bottom gravels and no more ranunculus weed. I'm surprised it has a head of fish anymore. I generally net the 'minnows' whilst fishing, out of interest. They used to include tiny chub but not for the last three seasons.
Great video ,you have a great variety of song birds around you ,unfortunately modern farming practices don't help them much ,seems to be more corvids around than ever before
Since we've used organic bird food and homegrown seeds and filled coconut shells ourselves, our bird visitirs have returned. The siskins seem yo have appeared earlier since we've put out organic sunflower hearts.
Birds pick spiders from gravel.
Fungus can cause the birds foot to fall off, last year we had a one legged chaffinch.
Think Colin might be Connie! The bigger kites are females. Wonderful videos. We really enjoyed them thanks.
You’re right nuthatch feeds down a tree whereas a treecreeper feeds up a tree
Hi again if you look at (22:20) you can see a shadow of a bigger bird flying over, possible predictor so I think he is looking up so he doesn’t end up as dinner.
I also feed the birds, and we get a lot of bluetits, greenfinches, blackbirds and, of course, wood pigeons. There seems to be a decline in species diversity, so I rarely see anything more than the birds I've mentioned. I clean our bird feeders with a DEFRA approved product these days, as I'm worried about salmonella and other nasties!
Hi Graeme
I live in North York's and until a month ago I couldn't put enough feed out on our bird station and we had loads of different species but now I hardly see any and all the feed goes rotten , it's v strange .
I think they are all turkey's! Great vid!
That blue jay feather is used in an Invicta
One of the Sea Trout patterns if I recall.
More of a general sedge imitation for browns although it does also take sea trout as part of a team of three wets
You’re absolutely right where have they gone haven’t seen a Thrush in years. Whey fishing I the 60s and 70s used to see plenty of lapwings not any more. Seems to be an abundance of wood pigeons. I do know they do not suffer from bird flu
Agree about the Lapwings,I haven't seen any in ages. I think we used to call them "Peewits",for the sound the make ? Or maybe I'm having a senior moment.
@TAFishing I took a picture of a lapwing this summer gone whilst fishing. First and only time I've ever seen one and had to Google what it was. What an amazing creature and heartbreaking that they were once a common sight
Really enjoyed watching this something different why not
I pretty sure it a Dunnock which is often called the hedge sparrow
Thanks for that,I was just asking if someone knew what that one was..I haven't seen one since so I don't know if they are maybe regional,or common as muck and I have just not seen one before.
I live in pembrokeshire feed sunflower seed and i have a black cap feeding male and female in all the 30 years iv live its my first time seing one so id say birds are on the up its the magpies and grey squirrels that will make the numbers drop dramaticly
You’re right about the green woodpeckers
Come to my garden in the highlands of Scotland, I can't keep up with the little buggers have to put food out every 2 days into 4 feeders
the general licence has been introduced !! stopping the control of magpies & other corvids unless you have a reason, predation on song birds etc is not a reason apparently
both herbicide and increase in temperature + pollution means way fewer insects. i guess more extreme weather also means small birds like robins don’t fair as well
The bird you thought a hedge sparrow (we used to call them that) is nowadays called a Dunnock
it's all for the birds.... where have they gone?
have a great day
I'd say it's the -15c temperatures we're getting in some places although your hotel and breakfast helps it won't help those temperatures but luckily they can fly to France without a passport
Hi Graham you ok pal, it has got to do some thing to do with chemicals??? All the best from GRIMSBY
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
(supplementary)
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss,
Eleven for health,
Twelve for wealth,
Thirteen beware it’s the devil himself.
Also ..... I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mate, I'm only plucking pheasants cos the pheasant plucker's late !
the one you said was a pied woodpecker is a great spotted woodpecker.👍👍
that buzzard was takeing worms and beatles.
Small grey bird is a dunnock sometimes called a hedge sparrow
I'm sure we would all love to see some nature videos thrown into the mix of video Uploads. 👍👍👍
I have 4 trailcams refurbed,re-batteried and out in Mike's woodland in various locations I think creatures might be.Will be interesting to see what I get..Quite exciting..a bit like fishing as it has the expectation of the unknown.
@TAFishing sadly I gave up the fishing due to health reasons so I've started reliving my childhood again seeking whatever nature I can find to get some pictures or footage of. Loving every second of it. 👍👍
Can't wait to see the findings of your hidden cameras 👍👍
Another cause of warty growths is the Fringilla papillomavirus which affects Chaffinches and Bramblings. These growths may vary in size from small nodules to larger warts that engulf the whole leg. The warts develop slowly over a long period and affected individuals may otherwise appear quite healthy. Some individuals may become lame or lose affected digits.
The loss of Green Finches has been blamed on Bird Tables spreading disease. The bird that was common where I live and seems to have disappeared are Rooks. We see Ravens that have returned and all raptors are doing well. Many pheasant shoots have stopped since Bird Flue I live 40 miles north of Graham.
I wanted to know how long songbirds etc live for ?? but nobody seems to have picked up on that yet. I know Seagulls have been recorded at well over 25 years if I recall.
Most birds migrate to warmer places,or nest in old abandoned buildings,or parking garages looking to stay warm.
Very interesting, thankyou.
I've noticed a massive decrease with small birds in my area (Surrey Hills) since a massive increase of Magpies, rooks, crows and squirrels all of which are decimating the eggs and chick's of the smaller birds.
Certainly a contributory factor , the Magpie population seems epidemic proportions and soon adapt and move into human habitations where the food source might be.
The Hedge Sparrows here in Norfolk is known as the "Dunnock"
The one you thought was a yellow wag tail is a grey wag tail .👍👍
Thanks for the I.D. I never even knew there was a Grey wagtail.
That bird in among the sheep is a rapture bird of some type, hawk, kite, etc. buzzards usually have a bare head, not sure if you have turkey vultures there!
have a great day
Don’t suppose you fancy a trip down to Brighton?
I noticed a red wing along with the field fare, 👍👍
I love goldfinches ,only ever seen one in my area and it qaa dead unfortunately.
I feed my robins live or dried meal worms, so imagine they love maggots too .
yes i agree we have hardly any birds in the garden i have 3 feeders plus suet balls which about 3 years ago i filled at least twice a week. Now the seed rots in feeders and nothing eats the suet , have a so much seed in bins that i think will have to dump. i live close to a bird sanctuary and even there they dont have so many?? if u find out why they have all gone let me know..
That's pretty much what I have been finding.
GOOD VIDEO GRAEME, SORRY, BUT YOUR YELLOW WAGTAIL IS A GREY WAGTAIL. SEE THEM REGULARLY ON MY LOCAL RIVER IN SOUTH WALES.
It has been said in previous comments ,thanks for the I.D. though...always something new to learn.
I know it would not be fair to lay the blame for the reduction of bird number down to any one factor, but we must never underestimate the number of birds killed by Cats , i know its " never my little fluffy " but im afraid to say it is ! Anyone can buy a cat but i don't think its so easy to buy a gold finch !
Brilliant Stuff
I can honestly say, you don’t know your birds or nothing about them 😀😀but you take interest, and that’s all that matters 🙂👍
I'm sorry I don't recall saying I was some sort of expert ?? I thought I was just putting something up to interest the general public as many will have a bird feeder . It took me a long time to get all the shots,but feel free to invest in some camera equipment,editing software yourself and put your own film up on birds,that way I will be learning from an expert. I wasn't aware it was some sort of competition of who knows the most. I certainly don't.
Gurka soldiers guarded the Red Kite breeding pairs in llanybydder near Lampeter, in the 1970s. They helped keep native birds alive. We've got loads of red kites, they land on our shed roof to pick up the meat we put out.
Birds hop to simulate rain abd bring the bugs to the surface. It's a collared dove not a turtle dove.
Norway and Australia have currently got a ban on the keeping of cats as pets, as they believe they are responsible for the declining numbers of wild birds.
Whereas on the Greek Islands (Zakynthos and Kephallonia for example) they are living in the wild and can be regularly seen in the towns and villages.
I see quite a few of the comments say cats take a lot of the birds.
A lot of our winter starlings come from the continent and return there in the spring
The one you said was a turtle dove is a collard dove .👍👍
Live in Liverpool and I keep pigeons and a bird shed keeping canary’s the sparrow hawks r a pain in the arse mate in a city am based and there nothing in years