Birdwatching

The little Red House bird feeder in the cemetery has stayed in place since its last return; and the birds seem to appreciate it. The ones using it that I've managed to identify so far are Great Tit (very common around here), Bullfinch and (I think) Greenfinch. *

Not much use trying to capture any of them with my phone; but yesterday when I had my other camera, I managed to zoom some in from a "respectful distance".

* (Swedish: Talgoxe, Domherre, Grönfink.)

 

 

Watching the Birds

The temperature has dropped quite a bit over the past few days, from over 30°C last week (and too hot) to around 16°C today (and a lot of sudden rain showers pouring down every now and then).

Yesterday afternoon offered a rare interlude of neither too hot nor too cold; and then I went for a walk into the city and back (for no special errand), and on my way home sat down for a while on a bench in the old cemetery, close to this little fountain.

After a while, I had the company of a white wagtail - female, I think. She seemed to be trying to figure out how to get to the water, but I think this pool is not designed for birds (rather the opposite). But she seemed to enjoy hanging around listening to the sound of the water anyway - just like I did. And as I know that there is water to be found elsewhere in the cemetery*, I just enjoyed watching her. *(In the past, I used to wonder why all the taps where you fill the watering cans around the cemetery are always left leaking a little... But then as some point in time, I figured it out!)

 

 

After a while, she got bored with just sitting, and went to explore a stone with an inscription nearby. The text is a verse from an old hymn. If she can read, she'd probably appreciate it.

"As the bird enjoys the light of the day, so shall I one day enjoy entering the kingdom of light, while listening to the sound of harps playing and angels singing, and watching the dawn of eternity."
(free translation by me)

 I also met an "old friend": The magpie without tail feathers.

I've posted about this bird before, and then thought it must be moulting. Checking now, I almost can't believe how long ago that was - back in mid April! I have seen this bird a few more times since then - always on the ground - and have had to retract my moulting theory. It still hasn't got any tail feathers. Maybe it lost them in a fight or something?? I don't know; but it seems the cemetery has served as a safe place for it, as it has managed to survive so far.

By the way, if anyone is wondering what happened to my Blue Tits (nesting in a vent in the wall of my building) - so am I! Not long after I had posted about their comings and goings to feed their hungry little ones, I noticed one day that it was very quiet... Obviously they had taken the opportunity to move out one day when I was not looking - perhaps on some early morning. Exactly how they went about it, to get the young ones out of there on their very first flight, I'll never know! 

Comings and Goings

In some Swedish newscast recently, it was said that more people than usual here have been getting pets lately - since the corona-related 'social distancing' rules for humans. Not only dogs to take walking, but also small ones like birds and hamsters. (They interviewed one pet shop owner who said they had actually completely run out of hamsters...)

Personally, I've never really been a "pet person"(?); but at the moment, I have birds. Well - I don't really have them. We're just very close neighbours. Mr & Mrs Blue Tit have found their own place to live, and we just share a balcony rail. Which I used to call "mine", until they started to use it as their landing strip/runway - except when I'm out there, in which case they often make a sudden sharp turn and try a different, probably more difficult approach to reach their own doorstep. Which is here:

At first, I just watched them through the window, and noticed how often they seemed to land on almost the exact same spot on the rail every time, only to take off again seconds later. In the beginning, I could only guess; but then one afternoon when I was sitting out on the balcony for a while (and sitting very still), I was able to collect evidence. Their nest is in a vent on the wall next to my flat; and the main entrance seems to be the second slot from the bottom.

Hi kids ... Mummy's home! (...or Daddy, I'm not sure who's who...)

Just checking to see if anyone is watching me before I enter...

Even though I've seen them do it often enough now, it still seems like a magic trick to me. The actual disappearing act is just too quick - not only for my camera, but even for the human eye. 

They don't usually stay in there very long though - just to deliver food to the little hungry ones inside. Then they set off out again.

Wait for it...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Magpie

On one of my walks around the old cemetery recently, I met a magpie (Eurasian magpie). I zoomed it in from a distance, and when I got the photos enlarged on my computer screen back home, I was amazed by the colours. (Usually thinking of this bird as black-and-white!) I also noticed that its feathers seem rather short - especially the tail. I got curious and started googling... My conclusion is that it must be in the process of moulting, i.e. shedding old feathers and producing new ones. (Any bird expert who disagrees is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong!)