Birds in your garden

[BLACKJACK2]

Normally hang our fruit they don't seem to care for it on the ground. 

[Speedo1968]

On 1/25/2018 at 4:30 PM, jak2002003 said:

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.

 

 

Something like a Jack Russell, any dog with a short neck so that the rat cannot go for the kill.

[Speedo1968]

On 1/25/2018 at 4:00 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

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.

Woop woop ?    See many birds named this, what bird / s do you mean please.

I see hoopoe's and coucal's here but never feeding from food I put out.   The hoopoe I have seen digging for ants and the coucal running through and on a hedge.    Also seen hoopoe in desert regions of Saudi, no idea what they were eating there.

 

Mynas very wary but a pair are now just starting to bathe.

[jak2002003]

1 minute ago, Speedo1968 said:

Something like a Jack Russell, any dog with a short neck so that the rat cannot go for the kill.

I have 2 small mixed breed dogs.  One is a Chihuahua mix with some kind of terrier.  She looks so sweet, tiny and delicate.. but she is mad for catching and killing rats.   She appointed herself protector of my chickens and hangs around with them most of the day... but if any cat comes into the garden she is after them, and the rats have all gone now.. not see one for about a year... she would catch, kill one and put it on our doorstep as if to show us she was doing a good job.

 

My other dogs is just lazy and does nothing most of the time.  However, if there is a cat she will help the other dog out to cleverly run around the opposite direction to her and corner it.. where they both scare the daylights out of it... funny to see the cat frantically jumping up and down the wall as they realise they can't get out... but the dogs never hurt them... the cat will make a bolt for freedom and jump over the gate.  But the fright they get keeps them away for a few weeks.  (I was having a serious problem with them killing and injuring my aviary birds and quail when I first moved in here).   Both my dogs are great with my other animals, and never bother the wild birds coming to feed.  Since the cats are no longer about the wild birds have managed to raise a lot of youngsters in the garden, before the cats ate most of them.

[Skeptic7]

4 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

Woop woop ?    See many birds named this, what bird / s do you mean please.

I see hoopoe's and coucal's here but never feeding from food I put out.   The hoopoe I have seen digging for ants and the coucal running through and on a hedge.  

Assuming that by Whoop Whoop (woop woop), the Greater Coucal call is the reference.

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Yep my kids have always called coucals we see woop woop birds from the call they make. 

 

We get them in the orchard next to us and they regularly visit our garden for some bread. It's a very common site for us to either see coucals or monitor lizards walking in the residential soi in front of our house.

 

Yesterday we had 4 magpie robins making a racket in the trees alongside side the house. I was probably 3m away (behind the bedroom curtains) at one stage. Enjoyed that brief visit.

[Bredbury Blue]

Today we took a drive for seafood lunch to bangpoo / bangpu and stopped by the forces pier to go feed the brown-headed gull visitors.  I took bread but there's a sign in thai no bread (supposedly they don't like it - find that hard to believe) so we bought two bags of the pork scratchings sold there and had some great fun feeding them - they are amazingly agile and fly within inches. Pics taken by the wife with an iPhone 6 so apologies for the quality.

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

LINE_MOVIE_1517129101462.mp4

[Speedo1968]

Some excellent pictures.

Gulls are fine but have you ever tried living / sleeping in Brighton, England .... ???

[Bredbury Blue]

One of the regular food 'poachers' in my garden

 

 

[Speedo1968]

Do sparrows live in communal nests with their own families and / or with other family groups ?

I have seen birds entering nest at different points.

Do different families join in an original large construction to be used as a communal nest ( i.e. purpose built ) or does another family just attach its own nest rather than build it separately elsewhere ?

Please see attached photo. 

[tutsiwarrior]

On 1/28/2018 at 4:29 PM, Speedo1968 said:

Some excellent pictures.

Gulls are fine but have you ever tried living / sleeping in Brighton, England .... ???

yeah...lived in Brighton fer years near 7 Dials and always a lot of gulls perching on the roof tops and I liked them...

 

tutsi: 'sure are a lot of gulls perching around here...wonder why that is (we weren't close to the seafront)...?'

 

wife's smart assed London friend who doesn't like men, birds or much of anything responds very drily: 'maybe it's because we're close to the sea...'

 

 

[Skeptic7]

21 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

Do sparrows live in communal nests with their own families and / or with other family groups ?

I have seen birds entering nest at different points.

Do different families join in an original large construction to be used as a communal nest ( i.e. purpose built ) or does another family just attach its own nest rather than build it separately elsewhere ?

Please see attached photo. 

Pairs may breed in isolation or in loose colonies...

 

The above excerpted from the page below. A lot of info here: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_tree_sparrow

[AjarnNorth]

Bangsaen yard list species #89. Common Flameback. No photo yet, but clear and close looks with bins and with naked eye in trees just over my wall. I heard it pecking yesterday but couldn't get s sight through the foliage. Today, a few clear as day looks. Maybe tomorrow morning I can get a photo. Common resident but the first I have ever seen this close and all other looks have been fleeting and in very wooded areas. Never so close to houses. 

[Skeptic7]

On 2/7/2018 at 7:04 PM, AjarnNorth said:

Bangsaen yard list species #89. Common Flameback. No photo yet, but clear and close looks with bins and with naked eye in trees just over my wall. I heard it pecking yesterday but couldn't get s sight through the foliage. Today, a few clear as day looks. Maybe tomorrow morning I can get a photo. Common resident but the first I have ever seen this close and all other looks have been fleeting and in very wooded areas. Never so close to houses. 

Really hoping u get a snap. Often think about woodpeckers here in the very wooded patch in BKK. Woodies are so common in the SE USA. On any given day in suburbia, up to 4 species are not uncommon! Even 5 or 6 not at all unheard of.

 

Never seen one in Thailand and Flameback ain't happening here (BKK), but am still still always looking and listening for the unlikely possibility of one of the others passing thru. 

[tutsiwarrior]

On 2/2/2018 at 10:23 AM, Skeptic7 said:

Pairs may breed in isolation or in loose colonies...

 

The above excerpted from the page below. A lot of info here: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_tree_sparrow

them house sparrows like them power lines for their nests...our power supply lines to our shop houses run under the roof gables and there's a communal nest there...friendly little fellas, perch on the lines, etc...

 

 

[AjarnNorth]

Me, too, Skeptic. The night after my post the flameback woke my wife and I with it's high pitched piercing call. It was near 4 AM. The following morning I had to go into Bangkok and just got back last night. As yet, no call, no pecking and no visual. One of the reasons I missed the shot is my camera is acting up. I get Focus errors almost every time i turn it on and have to turn it off and on a few times before I can get a shot or two off before another "focus error." It's been dropped one too many times, I think. Looking for a Fuji HS50 now to replace it. 

[Skeptic7]

For only the second time ever here...saw a House Sparrow. First time was in the "yard" here in BKK last year and just the other evening near Bearing SkyTrain station. 

 

In the States, they are an extremely abundant introduced pest...and their reputation on par with Rock Pigeons.

[Speedo1968]

The wild budgie that continues to visit my garden finally managed to give food ( broken rice ) to a young sparrow.

The budgie feeds off grass seeds as well, pushes the stem down walks along it until it reaches the seeds.

The sparrow have a different method, they shake the stem until the seeds fall off.

 

People been out placing nets to catch song birds, they caused carnage some two years ago.   This time the nets have a larger mesh size, are smaller in height and placed at the tops of the bamboo poles.     The location of the trap is different, I expect it is on an evening flight path to a roost rather than scaring roosting birds into the net with a firework. Two dead birds found already in one of the nets.

Last time I contacted, along with photos, the local government department for wildlife, my Thai friend with me, the officer could of course only shrug their shoulders.

I understand I must be careful, both nets have been pulled down into the undergrowth, ideally I would like to cut up the bamboo and burn the nets ( these were made useless by pulling through the undergrowth ).

[jak2002003]

3 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

The wild budgie that continues to visit my garden finally managed to give food ( broken rice ) to a young sparrow.

The budgie feeds off grass seeds as well, pushes the stem down walks along it until it reaches the seeds.

The sparrow have a different method, they shake the stem until the seeds fall off.

 

People been out placing nets to catch song birds, they caused carnage some two years ago.   This time the nets have a larger mesh size, are smaller in height and placed at the tops of the bamboo poles.     The location of the trap is different, I expect it is on an evening flight path to a roost rather than scaring roosting birds into the net with a firework. Two dead birds found already in one of the nets.

Last time I contacted, along with photos, the local government department for wildlife, my Thai friend with me, the officer could of course only shrug their shoulders.

I understand I must be careful, both nets have been pulled down into the undergrowth, ideally I would like to cut up the bamboo and burn the nets ( these were made useless by pulling through the undergrowth ).

I would just keep taking the nets down.  Good for you.  Some nasty people about.

 

If someone complains to you then say the nest are catching your expensive racing pigeons and they will have to pay you hundreds of thousands of Baht if it happens again.  

 

It might be good to tell the people at the wildlife place you are thinking about putting the phots of the nets on facebook with the story about and it would be good for the wildlife departments image for them to show how helpful they are.  

[Speedo1968]

36 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

I would just keep taking the nets down.  Good for you.  Some nasty people about.

 

If someone complains to you then say the nest are catching your expensive racing pigeons and they will have to pay you hundreds of thousands of Baht if it happens again.  

 

It might be good to tell the people at the wildlife place you are thinking about putting the phots of the nets on facebook with the story about and it would be good for the wildlife departments image for them to show how helpful they are.  

 

Good idea about Facebook     Although not a member of the Facebook crowd it is something I could possibly do via a friends account.

Sorry a bit off topic - Having been in farming since the early 60's ( the good side wherever possible ) I did once photograph a cow in a local field that had collapsed.   The owners did try to provide shelter and if somewhat foolishly try to get it to stand.   After a couple of days the cow was in obvious distress.   I did not enter the field.   Took photos to government office, the same morning a vet checked out the cow and put her to sleep. the body was then transported to the local abattoir.    It seems that the owners said they could not afford a vet, I doubt this ( perhaps I am a little cynical ).   It may have been a case of the owners being worried the cow would be found sick with a form of communicable disease and hence face other issues.   I could only hazard at the cause, milk fever, toxin from drinking water but, no bloat, if it had been I would have got out my penknife had the cow been smaller.   The owners greeted me with smiles the next time they saw me.

[overherebc]

This morning my wife was out in the back garden with the spray gun and two very small brown birds came out of one the trees she was spraying. She moved the spray and we were surprised to see both of them fly into and follow the spray and appeared to play in it for a little while before flying back to the tree. Almost like enjoying a shower.

They are really small, two inches max beak to end of tail and quite fast, just plain brown.

Edited February 20, 2018 by overherebc

[AjarnNorth]

Overherebc: At a pretty random guess, one of the Munia species, possibly juveniles if seemingly all brown. Check the inside the trees she was spraying and you may find a ball like nest. 

[Briggsy]

A large-billed crow has taken to perching on the balconies of my condo building. This is the first time in 7 years a crow has visited. The pigeons, the permanent residents, definitely are not comfortable being near the crow and fly off en masse to the other side of the building. I rather hope the crow is predating the pigeons' eggs and young.

 

Some other birds nest on the balconies of empty rooms. Scaly-breasted munias and common mynas on the 17th floor! House swifts also.

 

Many more just visit like the large-billed crow. A standout memory was an olive-backed sunbird pulling a purple thread from an item of my washing hung out to dry.

[overherebc]

5 hours ago, Briggsy said:

A large-billed crow has taken to perching on the balconies of my condo building. This is the first time in 7 years a crow has visited. The pigeons, the permanent residents, definitely are not comfortable being near the crow and fly off en masse to the other side of the building. I rather hope the crow is predating the pigeons' eggs and young.

 

Some other birds nest on the balconies of empty rooms. Scaly-breasted munias and common mynas on the 17th floor! House swifts also.

 

Many more just visit like the large-billed crow. A standout memory was an olive-backed sunbird pulling a purple thread from an item of my washing hung out to dry.

I would love to have a couple of crows around.

Last visit to Yangon there was one that would land close when you were eating poolside and look at you with it's head on one side. If you held out a bit of food, I know I shouldn't have, it would take it but only if you weren't making eye contact. Sort of on the lines of steal it but didn't want to be fed it, if you know what I mean.

[F4UCorsair]

I haven't read all 38 pages of this thread, so I may have missed something, but what a pleasure to read a thread subscribed to by common interest people.

It makes such a change from the trolling, baiting, flaming and bickering on other threads, with points scoring seeming to be the main aim, rather than contributing something worthwhile, and of interest to others.



Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[overherebc]

On 16/02/2018 at 3:56 AM, Skeptic7 said:

For only the second time ever here...saw a House Sparrow. First time was in the "yard" here in BKK last year and just the other evening near Bearing SkyTrain station. 

 

In the States, they are an extremely abundant introduced pest...and their reputation on par with Rock Pigeons.

We have about 6 that sit on the wall outside the kitchen door every morning waiting for the sticky rice my wife puts on the wall for them.

[overherebc]

Got one nest in the garden with two eggs in.

I will try to catch a photo of the eggs tomorrow when he/she flies out.

Cant photo the bird, she's too fast.

 

[overherebc]

12 hours ago, overherebc said:

Got one nest in the garden with two eggs in.

I will try to catch a photo of the eggs tomorrow when he/she flies out.

Cant photo the bird, she's too fast.

 

Nest about 3 inches wide.

Bird is similar to this but not so much yellow, back is almost all brown.

Edited February 21, 2018 by overherebc

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

Nest about 3 inches wide.

Bird is similar to this but not so much yellow, back is almost all brown.

I think is it. Wish it would sit for more than a second some where so I could get a photo. ?

 Bulbul.

Edited February 21, 2018 by overherebc
nest photo from google