Birds in your garden

[faraday]

Nope. Just waiting for everyone to post up some pics.

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Anyone know what the maximum size for uploading images is these days? Last time i tried a few months ago i kept rejecting my upload.

[jak2002003]

On ‎18‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 1:04 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

On my travels to and from Saigon, I pass only one roadside shop which sells birds for eating. It always saddens me to see that Vietnamese catch and eat these lovely birds (Vietnamese seem to eat everything which I why I rarely see/hear birds around in this area of Vietnam); Thais don’t catch/eat them. My Vietnamese colleagues were shocked we don't eat them in Thailand.

 

I love it when we get the these birds in our garden (one walked past me about 1m away the other week, don’t know if it had a eyesight problem or not - it had a broken lower beak so could have been in an accident) – we get so many in the fields around our area.

 

[apologies for the quality of photos - TV seems to have put a 100kb restriction on uploads]

 

 

 

 

 

That is so sad.  I too saw that kind of thing when I went to Vietnam.  I also noticed how bird free the countryside was.  It's worrying because many of these birds they catch are migratory and so they will be depleting the populations of these birds in other countries too, not just Vietnam. 

 

I also saw they had many song birds captured and put in tiny wooden cages everywhere.  With counties like these its no surprise that many birds and animals are becoming rare and extinct.  I wish some wildlife organisation would go over there and try to educated the people about how wrong this thing is, and try to change their attitudes to wildlife.  I can't imagine that is only poverty forcing people to eat these birds....or catch songbirds.  Surely a domestic duck or village chickens would taste a lot better than a skinny egret... and cost less?!!

[jak2002003]

Anyone know if Golden Fronted Leafbirds are to be found in Chiang Mai.... Doi Suthep or surrounding areas, and the best place to see them?  I was told they frequent gardens.. but have never seen them here.  

 

 

 

[Skeptic7]

10 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Anyone know what the maximum size for uploading images is these days? Last time i tried a few months ago i kept rejecting my upload.

TV was suffering some upgrade pains and for a brief while 128kb was the max. All is fixed now and max file size is 100mb.

[Skeptic7]

On 12/7/2017 at 8:32 AM, jak2002003 said:

Anyone know if Golden Fronted Leafbirds are to be found in Chiang Mai.... Doi Suthep or surrounding areas, and the best place to see them?  I was told they frequent gardens.. but have never seen them here.  

 

 

 

Don't have my field guides handy, but Google range map search looks like they should be found there in the proper habitat. Not sure "frequent" would be the correct word for gardens...but rather occasional. 

 

:

This species inhabits deciduous woodland, evergreen broadleaf forest, forest edge, secondary growth (including bamboo), wooded stands in coffee and tea estates and wooded gardens, from plains level to 1,200 m (locally to 1,800 m in Sri Lanka). It tends to be found in the canopy where it forages, often acrobatically, for arthropods, fruits and nectar.   Not a migrant.

[Bredbury Blue]

Since I posted the pictures of the caged birds in southern vietnam, the sad thing is that one shop now has 2 more competing shops in the same kilometre - the sight depresses me everytime i pass on my monthly trip home.

I'm currently home for a few days leave and the birdsong in my garden compared to the almost daily bird silence in my area of vietnam is so noticeable. Here we live next to a khlong with fish fields on the other side of the khlong and love the bird life here. I got quite a buzz from two greater coucals walking along my garden fence yards away from where I was sitting earlier today. Have a very busy koel in the mango tree opposite we watch at sundowners everyday; seems to have a routine of flying to various trees but favours the big mango tree. We've taken to recording its call and playing it back to it for its reaction.

[BLACKJACK2]

On 05/12/2017 at 11:08 AM, Skeptic7 said:

HELLO...Hello...hello. Is there anybody out there?

 

Or is the thread dead???

 

Red-whiskered Bulbul again today. Also Ashy Drongo & Black-naped Oriole.

Love to be sitting watching the birds around the house but have to be away working at present 

Edited December 16, 2017 by BLACKJACK2

[Bredbury Blue]

Just had 3 nights at a very nice riverfront hotel in Amphawa (river maeklong).  Hotel had great and extensive natural gardens with lots of trees. We get Koels in my garden but I've never seen 2 together. I loved sitting outside my hotel room watching a pair of koels sitting together in the tree a few metres away - they definitely weren't wary of people like the ones at my home.

[Speedo1968]

How can I put some questions here about bird behaviour ?

[Skeptic7]

55 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

How can I put some questions here about bird behaviour ?

Just post the questions here, same as you did this one...and we'll do our best to answer/comment/help. 

[Speedo1968]

Sorry the posting is so long, would be grateful of any input / reply.

 

Could anyone give their thoughts as to the following questions please ?

I live in a small gated compound on the outskirts of a village about 45km south of Khon Kaen.

Only five small houses and very quiet, old established gardens ( flowers / fruit etc.), well-kept, all around the houses.

Outside to the north east is open ‘common land’ grazed by buffalo / cows.     The winter wind blows in off the China deserts and “weather” can be quite different here, almost a micro climate.

The house has a partially covered car port ( no car ) and entrance where I put out a number of water trays and broken rice almost every day.     I feed twice a day and water is replaced as required; I skip feeding or vary feed levels so that birds do not become too reliant on handouts.      I have a good view from the lounge windows on to the car port and beyond in to gardens.

I am not knowledgeable about bird species, those that visit the feeding area are various types of sparrows, mynas, doves  / love birds, small birds that are black with a fan tail that they present constantly, a pair of feral pigeons ( recent visitors ).  Other birds seen in the gardens are house crow, hoopoe, greater coucal.  Other birds have visited, nectar feeders, birds that look like a small wood pecker but feed off insects etc. particularly from dead topped papaya trees.     There is a large rat snake in the area but have only seen one bird killed by a snake, not the rat snake.

There is also a budgerigar ( yellow head / green body ) that has been visiting for at least a year.

The owner of the houses has some rabbits that roam freely, many of the birds are comfortable within a metre of the rabbits at feeding time.    An old tom cat that is basically ignored by most birds often sits in the garden.

I have worked in farming since 1960 in different countries hence my interest in animal behaviour.

I apologise for no pictures, those that I have are not very clear ( taken through a window and I am not used to using a camera ).    I also do not have field glasses.

My Questions

# 1 – Saw / heard on a number of occasions some months ago in the early morning, a crow and a heron flying in opposite directions on the same flight path, both birds ‘called out’ as they got nearer to each other.     Was this a warning call about possible collision ?     Do birds communicate this way i.e. outside the norms of territorial claims ?

# 2 – The budgie ( in every shape and form that I know of from England ) first came on its own to feed, a bit jumpy at first but soon settled down.   One day it appeared with a female sparrow, they fed close to each other, flew off together when startled, this went on for some weeks.    The sparrow then disappeared.    A few weeks later the budgie appeared with a bird that looked like a budgie in size shape feathering etc. except the colouring was very plain.    After two days the companion disappeared.    Recently the budgie flies in and out with a young sparrow and has been attempting to feed the sparrow as a mother sparrow would.    The budgie is also protective.    An unusual bond, I have seen with other animals but does this happen with birds ?

 

# 3 – A myna became aggressive towards a sparrow that was feeding, within a few seconds three other sparrows at the same time dive bombed the myna chasing it away.    Is such a combined attack common ?

# 4 – Unable to find any pictures online of the following bird that visits every day.    About the size of a large sparrow, long body, all black feathering except for a flash of white under the wing, a fan tail that it constantly spreads open and flips up and down when standing or perching on water tray, when first seen near or in water it flited in and out of the water, turned and posed its tail over the water, very skittish when bathing.  Now it is used to bathing.  Seen to “compete ?” with another bird, presumably both males.  May have a female partner – a similar looking bird but more dowdy greyish / brownish body no fan tail.    There was one, now two of the same bird.   Does not feed.    What bird is this ?

# 5 – A bird about the size and similar colouring to an English thrush but more rotund has been visiting using the water bath but not feeding.    The bird has yellowish breast feathers.    A smaller bird now comes with the larger one and looks similar but more plain breast feathering.  Cannot find pictures online, any idea what they may be ?

# 6 – Two mynas seen two years ago near small country road.  Birds had yellow head, seen last year almost same place same time of year one myna with yellow head and neck.   All birds in excellent condition, not scrawny like the pictures I have seen online.    I assume from same family only the second years bird was the next step in the genetic selection.   Are they rare ?

# 7 – Do egrets congregate in a group of trees for the night and have a raucous singing session early evening and morning; I can hear them but not see them ?

 

On a separate note I have seen the budgie feeding from grass seeds, it places one foot at the base of the grass stem, slowly walks along it until the stem is flat to the ground then picks off the seeds.

Myna birds I have seen pick up a plastic bag that has food crumbs in it, flick it up into the air and as the bag falls the crumbs drop out.   Repeats procedure until bag is empty.

Have heard woodpeckers but never seen them.

Just over a year ago songbird catchers put up a fine net around some trees, in the night let off a firework which scared the birds in to the net.   All non-song birds were left to die.   A number of owls and hoopoes were caught and various other birds.   Impossible to free them as the net was so fine.    Showed pictures to local government wildlife conservation officer but nothing done.    Same thing happened again late last year in a nearby area.

Sorry for so many questions and prattling on about other things.   My mobility has been limited somewhat recently but I am lucky to have gardens around me.

[Skeptic7]

Bird behavior questions are tough and inexact. Different observers may have different answers to the same query. ID questions are much easier and less subjective, especially with pix. My first suggestion is to get a field guide. Best one is "A Guide To The Birds of Thailand" (Round & Lekagul), but not easy to find nowadays. Next best is "Birds of Thailand" (Craig Robson) and readily available. Go to page 3 of this thread, post 34 to see the book covers.

 

#1. Many birds call out in flight. Some have distinctive flight calls different from usual call. Some also have warning or distress calls. Difficult to determine, but most likely just coincidence. Crows frequently call in flight.

 

#2. Don't know

 

#3. Smaller birds will "mob" larger birds. Sometimes even a flock of mixed species will mob birds of prey or other predators.

 

#4. Not familiar with birds of the NE region but your description, while detailed, still leaves questions. My first thought would be a Fantail species. Though not exactly matching your description,  check out White-throated Fantail and Pied Fantail for starters.

 

#5. No idea, but look into thrushes and robins.

 

#6. Golden-crested Myna. Status: uncommon resident. 

 

#7. Yes

 

Hope this helps. Perhaps others will have more/better info...though this thread seems quite dead of late. That said, please don't hesitate to inquire further. Ask away! 

 

 

[jak2002003]

23 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

Sorry the posting is so long, would be grateful of any input / reply.

 

Could anyone give their thoughts as to the following questions please ?

I live in a small gated compound on the outskirts of a village about 45km south of Khon Kaen.

Only five small houses and very quiet, old established gardens ( flowers / fruit etc.), well-kept, all around the houses.

Outside to the north east is open ‘common land’ grazed by buffalo / cows.     The winter wind blows in off the China deserts and “weather” can be quite different here, almost a micro climate.

The house has a partially covered car port ( no car ) and entrance where I put out a number of water trays and broken rice almost every day.     I feed twice a day and water is replaced as required; I skip feeding or vary feed levels so that birds do not become too reliant on handouts.      I have a good view from the lounge windows on to the car port and beyond in to gardens.

I am not knowledgeable about bird species, those that visit the feeding area are various types of sparrows, mynas, doves  / love birds, small birds that are black with a fan tail that they present constantly, a pair of feral pigeons ( recent visitors ).  Other birds seen in the gardens are house crow, hoopoe, greater coucal.  Other birds have visited, nectar feeders, birds that look like a small wood pecker but feed off insects etc. particularly from dead topped papaya trees.     There is a large rat snake in the area but have only seen one bird killed by a snake, not the rat snake.

There is also a budgerigar ( yellow head / green body ) that has been visiting for at least a year.

The owner of the houses has some rabbits that roam freely, many of the birds are comfortable within a metre of the rabbits at feeding time.    An old tom cat that is basically ignored by most birds often sits in the garden.

I have worked in farming since 1960 in different countries hence my interest in animal behaviour.

I apologise for no pictures, those that I have are not very clear ( taken through a window and I am not used to using a camera ).    I also do not have field glasses.

My Questions

# 1 – Saw / heard on a number of occasions some months ago in the early morning, a crow and a heron flying in opposite directions on the same flight path, both birds ‘called out’ as they got nearer to each other.     Was this a warning call about possible collision ?     Do birds communicate this way i.e. outside the norms of territorial claims ?

# 2 – The budgie ( in every shape and form that I know of from England ) first came on its own to feed, a bit jumpy at first but soon settled down.   One day it appeared with a female sparrow, they fed close to each other, flew off together when startled, this went on for some weeks.    The sparrow then disappeared.    A few weeks later the budgie appeared with a bird that looked like a budgie in size shape feathering etc. except the colouring was very plain.    After two days the companion disappeared.    Recently the budgie flies in and out with a young sparrow and has been attempting to feed the sparrow as a mother sparrow would.    The budgie is also protective.    An unusual bond, I have seen with other animals but does this happen with birds ?

 

# 3 – A myna became aggressive towards a sparrow that was feeding, within a few seconds three other sparrows at the same time dive bombed the myna chasing it away.    Is such a combined attack common ?

# 4 – Unable to find any pictures online of the following bird that visits every day.    About the size of a large sparrow, long body, all black feathering except for a flash of white under the wing, a fan tail that it constantly spreads open and flips up and down when standing or perching on water tray, when first seen near or in water it flited in and out of the water, turned and posed its tail over the water, very skittish when bathing.  Now it is used to bathing.  Seen to “compete ?” with another bird, presumably both males.  May have a female partner – a similar looking bird but more dowdy greyish / brownish body no fan tail.    There was one, now two of the same bird.   Does not feed.    What bird is this ?

# 5 – A bird about the size and similar colouring to an English thrush but more rotund has been visiting using the water bath but not feeding.    The bird has yellowish breast feathers.    A smaller bird now comes with the larger one and looks similar but more plain breast feathering.  Cannot find pictures online, any idea what they may be ?

# 6 – Two mynas seen two years ago near small country road.  Birds had yellow head, seen last year almost same place same time of year one myna with yellow head and neck.   All birds in excellent condition, not scrawny like the pictures I have seen online.    I assume from same family only the second years bird was the next step in the genetic selection.   Are they rare ?

# 7 – Do egrets congregate in a group of trees for the night and have a raucous singing session early evening and morning; I can hear them but not see them ?

 

On a separate note I have seen the budgie feeding from grass seeds, it places one foot at the base of the grass stem, slowly walks along it until the stem is flat to the ground then picks off the seeds.

Myna birds I have seen pick up a plastic bag that has food crumbs in it, flick it up into the air and as the bag falls the crumbs drop out.   Repeats procedure until bag is empty.

Have heard woodpeckers but never seen them.

Just over a year ago songbird catchers put up a fine net around some trees, in the night let off a firework which scared the birds in to the net.   All non-song birds were left to die.   A number of owls and hoopoes were caught and various other birds.   Impossible to free them as the net was so fine.    Showed pictures to local government wildlife conservation officer but nothing done.    Same thing happened again late last year in a nearby area.

Sorry for so many questions and prattling on about other things.   My mobility has been limited somewhat recently but I am lucky to have gardens around me.

Thank you for you questions... they make very interesting reading.  I love to hear others experiences with feeding and observing birds here.  I think I can help with some of your questions.... but just my personal opinion.

 

1.  The crow and heron where probably calling to each other... maybe nothing to do with warning about a collision, but rather just letting each other know they are there.

2. I keep and breed budgies.  Have had some new ones turn up and I was able to catch them and add them to my aviary.  In the UK even saw 'feral' budgies quite often.  They do seem to like to join up with a flock of sparrows usually.  I think this is because the behaviour of the sparrows is so similar to that of budgies in the wild... they live in a flock, they are noisy and playful, they are very sociable.  By joining up with sparrows the budgies gets the protection from the flock from predators, and also they flock will lead the budgies to food and help it survive.  

3.  The sparrows attacking the aggressive mynah bird is a normal thing if the sparrows have young about.. they are just being protective of their young.

4.  Sounds like a magpie robin.  Have a look of your tube.

5.  Sorry, no idea without a photo.  Sounds like a laughing thrush of some kind

6.  Golden crested mynah?  

7.  Yes egrets congregate in trees to roost.  However, they don't 'sing'.  They sound like crows or ravens crowing.  Chattering singing birds are likely to be white vented mynah birds.

 

And that is very sad to hear about the net.  I would keep a look out and next time rip the thing down.  You could free the birds by cutting them free with scissors.  Have seen people catching birds in my area too.  Even though its illegal... there were huge nets stretched out in the daytime along a busy road in view of everyone, and no one did anything about it.  

 

 

[Speedo1968]

On 1/15/2018 at 7:52 PM, Skeptic7 said:

Bird behavior questions are tough and inexact. Different observers may have different answers to the same query. ID questions are much easier and less subjective, especially with pix. My first suggestion is to get a field guide. Best one is "A Guide To The Birds of Thailand" (Round & Lekagul), but not easy to find nowadays. Next best is "Birds of Thailand" (Craig Robson) and readily available. Go to page 3 of this thread, post 34 to see the book covers.

 

#1. Many birds call out in flight. Some have distinctive flight calls different from usual call. Some also have warning or distress calls. Difficult to determine, but most likely just coincidence. Crows frequently call in flight.

 

#2. Don't know

 

#3. Smaller birds will "mob" larger birds. Sometimes even a flock of mixed species will mob birds of prey or other predators.

 

#4. Not familiar with birds of the NE region but your description, while detailed, still leaves questions. My first thought would be a Fantail species. Though not exactly matching your description,  check out White-throated Fantail and Pied Fantail for starters.

 

#5. No idea, but look into thrushes and robins.

 

#6. Golden-crested Myna. Status: uncommon resident. 

 

#7. Yes

 

Hope this helps. Perhaps others will have more/better info...though this thread seems quite dead of late. That said, please don't hesitate to inquire further. Ask away! 

 

 

Many thanks Skeptic7 for the information you sent on my questions about birds in my garden.

 

Birds call in flight, for various reasons, I have heard before.   The difference on these occasions were that it happened on consecutive days, around the same time of day and on the same flight path.  No doubt warning calls but, for me, was interesting to hear rather than the sounds made as warning calls given when there are predators about.

 

The budgie is still about and I can now sit outside within a few metres without it flying off.

 

Mobbing, even the budgie has had a go at a myna.  

 

The bird ( fantail and black ) looks to be a male “White throated fantail” – see photo.  My uncertainty was that the first such bird to visit had no white on its body other than a small flash on the wings near the body.    A second bird came to an adjoining water point, no doubt in competition, this bird had typical white throated markings.   The call of this bird is a continuous raucous sound, almost tuneless.

A third male, probably a young bird has turned up.   All disappeared for over a week but one showed up today Sunday. This leads to my question #5 from last time.

 

The dowdy but multi coloured shading bird could be a female white throated fantail – see photos.  I have seen two different ones bathing.   They have been absent for over a week, same as the male white throated fantails, just came back today Sunday.   Have attached photos, would this be a female fantail ?

 

Have attached some photos.   I only have a small pocket camera and it’s difficult to use through an open window, as any movement puts some of the birds to flight.  

 

The netted birds, I counted over 15 trapped birds.    The net must have been made especially for trapping, it was so fine that the line cut in to many of the birds flesh.    Only two birds were alive when I found the net ( strung across a group of trees on bamboo poles about 4 metres high ).    The discarded trapped birds varied in size and species.    The two that I tried to free died of shock.     I pulled down the net, took it away and destroyed it.

 

A further two questions.

#1 – Two feral pigeons now visit every day ( before it was a flock, these no longer stop off for a feed,  these may be city pigeons that commute from their countryside roost to spend the day in town  ).    One is all black, sleek feathering, rounded body.   The other is mottled grey / black, slimmer.    There seems to be no body language.  Which is male / female ?

#2 – Also a pigeon.    All white, sits on the roof of a bank in town.    In the dry season, after some rain, the bird washed then raised a wing in the air for several minutes.    Was it drying itself off ?

 

I expect you know already but there is an eclipse of the moon on 28th January, seeable in Thailand.    The one in 2012 was interesting.   I was in Thailand and spent the whole night watching.    All the animals and birds fell silent, no frogs croaking, no birds singing, no dogs barking.    I wonder if the nocturnal birds just stop singing or stop flying too.

 

[Speedo1968]

On 1/16/2018 at 10:58 AM, jak2002003 said:

Thank you for you questions... they make very interesting reading.  I love to hear others experiences with feeding and observing birds here.  I think I can help with some of your questions.... but just my personal opinion.

 

1.  The crow and heron where probably calling to each other... maybe nothing to do with warning about a collision, but rather just letting each other know they are there.

2. I keep and breed budgies.  Have had some new ones turn up and I was able to catch them and add them to my aviary.  In the UK even saw 'feral' budgies quite often.  They do seem to like to join up with a flock of sparrows usually.  I think this is because the behaviour of the sparrows is so similar to that of budgies in the wild... they live in a flock, they are noisy and playful, they are very sociable.  By joining up with sparrows the budgies gets the protection from the flock from predators, and also they flock will lead the budgies to food and help it survive.  

3.  The sparrows attacking the aggressive mynah bird is a normal thing if the sparrows have young about.. they are just being protective of their young.

4.  Sounds like a magpie robin.  Have a look of your tube.

5.  Sorry, no idea without a photo.  Sounds like a laughing thrush of some kind

6.  Golden crested mynah?  

7.  Yes egrets congregate in trees to roost.  However, they don't 'sing'.  They sound like crows or ravens crowing.  Chattering singing birds are likely to be white vented mynah birds.

 

And that is very sad to hear about the net.  I would keep a look out and next time rip the thing down.  You could free the birds by cutting them free with scissors.  Have seen people catching birds in my area too.  Even though its illegal... there were huge nets stretched out in the daytime along a busy road in view of everyone, and no one did anything about it.  

 

 

Thank you JaK20022003 for your information.

Have attached some photos with this post, my camera is pocket size and it’s difficult for me to take photos from the lounge window.   Maybe they will help with the identification ?

My life in farming has made me very aware of natures ( all aspects ) and farmed animals’ warnings.

I remember in 1950’s London many people kept budgies for company.   If the bird escaped they stood little chance of survival due to city pigeons.    I understand and agree 100% on your points about the advantages to all of maintaining strong social links.

The sparrows are the main species now as most other birds seem busy with their own young or have finished rearing and moved on.   Originally had three identifiable family groups.   Species are the house and Eurasian tree sparrow.   Online pictures seem to show three different species of tree sparrow.   Do they interbreed or are the differences I see now due to dominant genetic traits within families ?

Looked at pictures of the magpie robin, the tail is not the same as the bird that comes here and I am now sure it is a white throated fantail.    My uncertainty before was that the first such bird to visit had no white on its body other than a small flash on the wings near the body.    A second bird came to an adjoining water point, no doubt in competition, this bird had typical white throated markings.    The call of this bird is a continuous raucous sound, almost tuneless.   A younger male visited for a short time.

 

The dowdy coloured bird may be a female white throated fantail, although they do not come to bathe at the same time.    However they are often seen appearing in succession with the male bathing first.

 

Golden crested myna, have not seen this year, I think I was just very lucky to see them the two previous years.

Roosting birds, I have seen egrets flying in the direction of the trees but never landing.    I have seen, rarely, a white shape in the trees ( they are some way off ) but never seen mynas.    Have listened to egret calls online, yes, same sound I hear from the trees.

Have attached photos of net trapped birds.    The net must have been placed during early evening; I walk my friends’ dogs about 5pm.    I passed the net the next morning about 9am.    I was deeply saddened by what I saw, the look of hopelessness in the eyes of the owls, especially the ancient one ( 3 altogether young and old ).    I too felt hopeless when trying to free the only two “surviving”, sic, birds.    

I expect you know already but there is an eclipse of the moon on 28th January, seeable in Thailand.    The one in 2012 was interesting.   I was in Thailand and spent the whole night watching.    All the animals and birds fell silent, no frogs croaking, no birds singing, no dogs barking.    I wonder if the nocturnal birds just stop singing or stop flying too.

 

 

Would be grateful of any comments.

A further two questions.

#1 – Two feral pigeons now visit every day ( before it was a flock but the rest now don’t stop ).    One is all black, sleek feathering, rounded body.   The other is mottled grey / black, slimmer.    There seems to be no body language.  Which is male / female ?

#2 – Also a pigeon.    All white, sits on the roof of a bank in town.    In the dry season, after some rain, the bird washed then raised a wing in the air for several minutes.    Was it drying itself off ?

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

^Nice pics and interesting posts.

 

When I started this thread a few years back, I daily fed the birds in my garden - usually nothing more than bread though occasionally I bought bags of birdfeed (my isaan mother-in-law when staying, used to throw out rice but the birds preferred the bread hence she called the birds in our garden 'nok farlang'  ). I've been away for the past 16 months working overseas with monthly visits home, the wife stopped throwing daily food in to the garden for the birds and they've stopped coming - we get some, but nothing like the masses of daily visits we used to get. I will recommence now feeding the birds and it will be interesting to see how long it takes until they recommence regular daily visits.

[Skeptic7]

Deleted double post

 

 

Edited January 22, 2018 by Skeptic7

[Skeptic7]

@Speedo1968

In answer to your 2 further queries...

 

#1. Rock Pigeons or Rock Doves are mono-morphic, so determining sex by plumage is impossible. However...e-z by further observation. When courting...walking around facing each other, heads bobbing up and down, some possible grooming, etc...and preparing to mate, the female will hunch down and slightly spread her feathers. The male will briefly mount her back while flapping to keep balance. See it here in BKK almost daily.

 

#2. Birds do all kinds of interesting things. What you observed was most likely drying, since it had just bathed. However, have seen many species do same when totally dry...called sunning...usually appearing in a trance and crouching/lying down with both wings spread, but sometimes only one. 

 

They also take dust baths and a bizarre act called "anting"...where they squat near ants, pick them up with their bills and rub the ants over their feathers and skin. Seen woodpeckers do this in the USA.

 

About the other Fantail, possibly a juvenile White-throated, Juveys can show less white. There is also a less common blackish-chin morph, based on Robson...Birds of Thailand.

[Skeptic7]

FYI...the full lunar eclipse (blood moon) is on 31January, not 28th. 

 

[Speedo1968]

15 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

FYI...the full lunar eclipse (blood moon) is on 31January, not 28th. 

 

Apologies for wrong date

[AjarnNorth]

The Fantail in the last picture is a Pied Fantail. No supercilium. Black breast band and pale underparts. Or has that already been covered? I am a bit lost in the thread here. 

[Speedo1968]

8 hours ago, AjarnNorth said:

The Fantail in the last picture is a Pied Fantail. No supercilium. Black breast band and pale underparts. Or has that already been covered? I am a bit lost in the thread here. 

Thanks for that AjarnNorth.

Any idea what the mustard colored dowdy feathered bird bathing is ?    Could it be a female Fantail ?

[Speedo1968]

On 1/22/2018 at 2:13 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

^Nice pics and interesting posts.

 

When I started this thread a few years back, I daily fed the birds in my garden - usually nothing more than bread though occasionally I bought bags of birdfeed (my isaan mother-in-law when staying, used to throw out rice but the birds preferred the bread hence she called the birds in our garden 'nok farlang'  ). I've been away for the past 16 months working overseas with monthly visits home, the wife stopped throwing daily food in to the garden for the birds and they've stopped coming - we get some, but nothing like the masses of daily visits we used to get. I will recommence now feeding the birds and it will be interesting to see how long it takes until they recommence regular daily visits.

I feed two kinds of broken rice.   The very small pieces, possibly used for rice soup, and basically the left overs from many bags is ideal for smaller birds, costs 10 baht kilo.    A larger broken rice costs 14 baht kilo.   Prices are for 50kg delivered.     I feed half kilo per day over two feeds, around 5am and 5pm.   I vary the amounts depending on weather and skip feeds so that birds do not become too dependent.    The larger rice is better in the rainy season, the smaller one in Winter / Summer. The larger rice suits myna's, doves, and birds of similar size; the rabbits eat it as well.

I have very few food scraps.    I have tried fresh shredded coconut and very ripe bananas but the birds don't like it, I think it sticks to their beaks.    The rice that your mother-in-law threw out may have been too sticky for the birds, however she may well consider throwing out uncooked rice a waste, bread perhaps not ....

 

Water is refreshed through out the day in the trays shown in photos.  Trays cleaned daily.   As with birds grown for eating ( farmed birds ), chickens, ducks, turkeys etc ( I have been in farming since 1961 ), wild birds are colour conscious too.   Chickens like red, ducks yellow, turkeys green and wild birds pink - pinkish red.     I tried blue and green trays but the birds would not use them, even red they were wary, however pink is fine.

 

The birds seem to have fairly regular times through out the day for bathing, it can be individual birds such as the  fantails or a group / family of sparrows, sometimes 5 or more to a tray.    They even fly direct in to the trays.    Mynas are very wary and take a few minutes to even decide to drink; as for bathing its only a quick splash then out.    Doves do bathe but rarely.    The fantails often and will if necessary share with a sparrow.      Strange for me to see but sparrows will bathe around dawn even in Winter.

 

Good to read you will be out feeding your visitors, depending on your location birds will appear very quickly at a new place.    Here I had to adjust feeding times as a group of feral pigeons were dropping in before heading off to their normal feeding grounds.       

[Skeptic7]

4 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

Thanks for that AjarnNorth.

Any idea what the mustard colored dowdy feathered bird bathing is ?    Could it be a female Fantail ?

The other bathing bird...brown w/light yellow under tail...is a Streak-eared Bulbul. One of the more common species in Thailand.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Skeptic7

[jak2002003]

I stopped feeding the birds with rice and seeds.. simply because we were getting overrun with sparrows and doves, which are not the most interesting birds.

 

I now put out peeled ripe Thai bananas (the short fat kind), cut up papaya, cut up oranges and live mealworms.  I put some of the fruit on the ground on a slab of rock, and some of the fruit I spike onto a dead tree.  

 

I now get different species of bulbul, flower peckers, magpie robins, white rumped shama thrush, leafbird, white vented mynah, some kind of small sandy brown bird with long tail, Asian koel, greater coucal, pied and collared starlings.  

 

Thankfully the number of sparrows and doves have reduced.. although I still get a few which scavenge the seeds by budgies throw out of their cage.

 

We are now building a small shallow nature pond (with no goldfish or koi).  I hope to get the water hens, kingfishers and pied wagtails which I got at our old house.  Also we have hundreds of lesser whistling ducks flying around the area this year, so might even attract a few of them.  

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Couple of days of putting out bread.  Doves first to find it (not sure they ever stopped coming) and of course sparrows. Waiting for the mynahs to come and the wary woop woops.

[Bredbury Blue]

Couple of people have mentioned putting out banana for the birds. I've done that in the past with some success but im wary of that as I know banana is a food of choice of the field rats around my place (I know that from a rat visitor to my kitchen on two nights when all it ate were the bananas we had..left everything else alone).

 

I don't put out water as I live next to fish fields and alongside a khlong but I guess in the hot dry months maybe I should.

 

I one hung one of those net bird sock feeders from one of my mango trees. Didn't seem to attract much apart from the squirrels (buggers nibble a mango and move on to the next).

 

Wife and mother in law think it's just typical farlang madness to put out food for the birds (I've done it since a kid) and be interested in birds. 

[jak2002003]

10 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Couple of people have mentioned putting out banana for the birds. I've done that in the past with some success but im wary of that as I know banana is a food of choice of the field rats around my place (I know that from a rat visitor to my kitchen on two nights when all it ate were the bananas we had..left everything else alone).

 

I don't put out water as I live next to fish fields and alongside a khlong but I guess in the hot dry months maybe I should.

 

I one hung one of those net bird sock feeders from one of my mango trees. Didn't seem to attract much apart from the squirrels (buggers nibble a mango and move on to the next).

 

Wife and mother in law think it's just typical farlang madness to put out food for the birds (I've done it since a kid) and be interested in birds. 

When feeding the birds any fruit or seed, it's important to keep things clean and tidy so no rats are attracted to your property.

 

Only put out enough food that they birds will eat in a few hours.  Don't leave leftover food laying about on the feeder overnight.  Clean up any spilt food from the ground - that is easier if its on a concrete area rather than lawn or dirt. Keeping things clean and not allowing fruit and other foods to lay about for hours going bad, is also important to control disease and stop birds getting sick.  Having the seeds and fruit on a tray or in a feeder is much better than throwing it on the ground.  

 

Also never leave any food out overnight... this is when the rats like to visit the most.

 

 

 

 

[jak2002003]

Forgot to mention.... I found owing a dog is a great way to keep the rats away (so long as you leave the dog in the garden regularly). 

 

And, if you have cats... please don't feed the birds!!!!!!!  You are just providing a snack service for the cats.