Spring Watch πŸ¦‰ from your living room or garden 🐝

13

Comments

  • SmellyBin
    SmellyBin Community Member Posts: 664 Empowering

    @Holly_Scope I still haven't made up my mind with the hedgehog house. I don't have a disability allowance, but wouldn't mind spending my birthday money on it. And I do a tiny bit of surveys and microtasks online and this week I had a really good earnings. On the other hand, life is expensive and it would be nice to spend it a bit on books. Decisions, decisions, decisions, right?

  • Holly_Alumni
    Holly_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 6,534 Championing
    edited May 22

    Oh absolutely @SmellyBin! It can be really difficult and I suppose with books, it gives you something to do. I've heard of the surveys before but wasn't sure if they were real or not. It's good you're able to make some money off that. 😊

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing
    edited May 24

    As the crow flies…revised down to 15 feet from the nest and definitely two chicks.

    What drama from my crow family!

    Yesterday (Friday now) was like any other day; lots of feeding, preening, wings flapping over each other and looking rather crowded while an adult called them on another branch and they stayed put. This morning the nest was empty.

    Later on, I thought I recognised a caw and it was a chick a bit further down the tree calling for help. Suddenly it tumbled right through the branches and leaves while the adult swooped down after it. They continued calling each other for a while..

    • another mention that a newly hatched chick is called a corbillat
  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    Hi @WhatThe I hope the corbillat that had a tumble managed to land safely.

    Have all the crows gone now or do they still visit the nest?

    I hope you are enjoying the lovely weather.

    Take care.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127371#Comment_1127371

    It landed on grass but I don't think it managed to get back onto the tree, no 😢

    It was so quiet last night without them. This is London, mind, absolute silence in the early hours as I sat up enjoying the cool rooms. I was thrilled that I'd been able to recognise these birds' calls. I hope they return next year or even for shelter before then. I will miss them as I've really enjoyed my birdwatching.

    Springwatch 2026 starts tomorrow at 8pm - no clash with EastEnders like last time

  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    Thanks for the reminder for Springwatch tomorrow.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    Happy news 😍

    I heard a familiar call and one of my little crows has found a perch a couple of trees along and higher than the nest so it can fly a bit. It is still begging for food and being watched from below by an adult who is calling its mate to lend a hand claw - 6 to 8 loud, rapid caws at a time.

    I've not seen any other crow activity in these trees so I'm sure it's one of the two which disappeared yesterday.

  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    That is brilliant news @WhatThe I am so glad at least one has survived.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    Change of circumstances…

    It flew back over to the top of tree#1 and called for ages. It's now in the middle tree, halfway up - neither up nor down - and looks stuck or possibly injured. Both parents were in attendance, one checked the nest and continued to feed it but it's stopped calling for them now.

    They were preparing to fledge and fell out prematurely. Perhaps the chick is just having a rest before trying again 🀞

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    (easier than editing)

    It's in tree#1 so it knows where home is but the nest is a few feet higher and it's not even trying to move from that spot.

  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    Hopefully the parents will know where it is and encourage it to move once it has had a rest. @WhatThe

    Fingers crossed it starts calling again.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    Bluebell, I've seen and heard my little crowlet this morning πŸ˜ƒ

    It is hopping between branches and exercising its wings in a small clearance so the leaves aren't restricting its movement now.

    I was reminded of the first time my daughter went around the block on her bike without me - it felt like an age but was only minutes before I saw her back safely and of course, she thought I was being ridiculous!

  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    That is good news @WhatThe I am so pleased the little crowlet is ok.

    Enjoy your day.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing
    edited May 25

    I had the bright idea of placing a clear plastic crate (sterilized) of cold tap water outside my window for refreshment or bathing 😊

    Right now my crowlet is about 7 or 8 feet away near the top of a tree so it's getting stronger and climbing. Both parents are looking after it.

  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing
    edited May 25

    Sorry posted on wrong thread.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    Tonight was amazing watching Springwatch to my right and crowlet to my left. I'm sure it can see me.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    More good news:

    At least one chick has found its way back to the nest. I can't see a second one yet but it's quite noisy at feeding time so I'll keep checking. What a clever crow!

  • Bluebell21
    Bluebell21 Community Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    Brilliant, hopefully the other one will pop up soon.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,313 Championing

    My crows have claimed this whole row of Sycamores as theirs and are hardly ever bothered by other birds. Last year, it was parakeets and I think I prefer the quieter birds lol! There is one surviving chick, now a juvenile still being fed by its parents. During recent heavy rainfall, I've seen both the crowlet and an adult take refuge on the nest.

    I just love hearing its little croak 😊

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 9,442 Online Community Team

    That sounds lovely @WhatThe. We got a lot of parakeets in my last garden and they're noisy little blighters and quite destructive at the bird feeder! Definitely prefer the quieter birds too, although they are beautiful to look at. Do you think your crowlet is far off fledging, or has it still got a way to go?

    I've been watching a young fox in the garden over the past few days. When I first saw him, he wasn't using his front leg and was quite skinny, so I left him a few scraps to make sure he could get some food. I was worried about him at first but his leg already seems a lot better and he's putting weight on it now. I left him an egg yesterday which he gladly took.

    He upsets our resident magpie family though, they get very loud and shouty when he's about and probably for good reason! I'm sure he'll be a menace to them when he's back on all four legs.

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