Hide the Birdie

There are many changes a foot at the minute amongst our wildlife, it is the season for change or at least the start of it. It can be a time of great excitement or even heartbreak as all the effort comes to nothing, one thing however that is certain it’s never dull.



The 'Look'

The dreaded mother in law asked the other week, “there are no birds in me garden and I’ve seen that blasted hawk about again”. Quick as a flash I said, “well he mustn’t have eaten them all because he’s still hanging around”, there was no reply just, the ‘look’.

There is of course a much simpler motive behind the perceived lack of activity in grannies garden and the bird world in general than an overly voracious sparrowhawk. Even with the abundance of recently fledged youngsters about at this present time, blackbirds, blue tits, all the birds common to our back gardens, all looking like untidy school ruffians at this time of the year they all but disappear.



A slightly damp baby blackbird in the garden this summer

 But why do they all suddenly vanish for a few days at this time of the year, 'simples' they are moulting, that is they are all at the tailors getting a new suit. When the time is nigh they loose their flight feathers, the ones on the wings, they skulk about in thick cover avoiding detection as they cant fly away until the new feathers come through, until this occurs they stay well hidden from preying eyes.

This week however, all seems well my garden, a mass of multi-coloured blackbirds in half and half uniforms, hordes of marauding tits pillaging all the insects they can find amongst the last of the flowering heads and vegetables. They add colour and noise to an often drab and somber late summer garden.


Late broods of swallows

Elsewhere it is a time of exodus with the first summer migrants like the swift have already gone, the warblers too, are mostly winding their way south and last to leave will be the swallows and martins who hang on until late September and sometimes early October before departing.

All in all considering all the hardship bird species in general face I think they have had a pretty good breeding year, with lots of young visible in and around most locations. I can’t remember so many blackbirds and tits around the garden for many years which is great for future numbers. This week on my travels I saw several late broods of house martin and swallows still in the nest other species too like blackcap, whitethroat, sedge warbler and chiff chaff all seem to have done well this year too, I saw several family groups around the hedgerows in the past week.


Sedge warbler letting rip from a hawthorn

They will need these extra numbers too as harsh times lie ahead on migration, not least of which will be running the gauntlet of the Sahara desert and the even more more problematic hardships on many Mediterranean islands and some countries to such as Spain, France and Italy. Here ‘hunters’ lie in wait with gun net and glue to ensnare millions of birds, not just songbirds but every species that migrates. We spend millions on wildlife protection and habitat enhancement across northern Europe only for the benefits of this to be taken away in seconds as the birds migrate over Cyprus, Malta and Italy et al.

I took my own personal stand this year and cancelled my holiday to Cyprus, I have never been to Cyprus I really fancied going too as I like the Med. But after consideration that up to 1.4 million songbirds are killed for an illegal food delicacy each year; I said no and cancelled and let them know my reasons why.



Utterly deplorable situation in Cyprus and other Mediterranean countries


Not sure what good my individual stance may have but at least I have made it! I find it both tragic and appalling that we allow this wanton slaughter to continue in the EU when in certain circumstances such as Cyprus it is so blatent. I despair at times when such stories come to light what hope do we have. I often have a moan about our own UK fallibility's but even the blatent destruction of hen harriers and other predators on grouse moors pales into insignificance against this mass slaughter year in and year out.

So that's me off to Bognor Regis then, 'bon voyage', well Turkey actually but that's another store.