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Post by YorksherLass on Jun 17, 2020 8:28:24 GMT
from me too, as very heavy rain happens with most of these vicious storms.
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 17, 2020 8:57:30 GMT
Thanks for all the good wishes guys.
I would like to think that birds can have some idea of what the weather's going to be, because if they do, I don't think they would be going today. Our forecast (not that you can really trust these meteorologists - they are experts at telling you what weather you've had and what you've got now, but as to 24 hrs in advance ???????) is rain from around 1pm till darkness and beyond, so if they go today they are not going to enjoy their first day in the BWW, and if they get drenched they could well be forced to the ground and perish.
It won't worry me if they stay another day - after all they are mostly only 19 days' old anyway, so they're not really overdue. I've got enough mealies to feed them for another couple of weeks!
Fingers are very much crossed!!!
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Post by Taz on Jun 17, 2020 11:43:44 GMT
Fingers crossed for nice weather for your fledging 🤞🌞
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 17, 2020 14:09:37 GMT
Waiting for the rain to stop.....?
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Post by sammi on Jun 18, 2020 6:45:57 GMT
Hope they find a break in the weather to safely fledge. The longer they stay the stronger they'll be hopefully. I wonder if their feathers are fully waterproof at this age?
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 18, 2020 7:39:06 GMT
What a time for weather forecasters to get it right! It's bucketing it down here and will be for only the next 3 hours - hope they are right about that! - then it will be light rain and a gentle breeze for several (?) hours.
My 5 GTs are keen to get out there, but mum and dad have other ideas. Both were feeding inside the box for quite some time just after 6am and Meg has kept up a steady supply since then, despite looking washed out. This is not the behaviour usually seen on Fledging Day - they usually curtail feeding inside the box, offering morsels from the entrance hole, or offering food, but not letting go. We've had none of that!
Sammi, if you see your chicks in the box during their last few days before fledging when they get out of the cup and move around the nest area, they are often preening as well as exercising their wings. Well part of the preening exercise will be to waterproof their feathers, there is a gland on their back near the tail which secretes an oily compound which they get on their beaks and spread it over all the areas that matter - so yes they will be pretty well defended against the weather (to a degree).
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Post by blueeyedchick on Jun 18, 2020 8:27:49 GMT
Good luck to your second brood Beechnut when they finally fly the nest. It's bucketing down here again so don't blame them if nature says stay put for a while!
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 18, 2020 8:59:56 GMT
It's much the same here Kathy - I'm hoping for light rain later on, there may be a possible fledge then - Meg has really been working hard this morning, luckily with the newly filled Scottie only about 12m away, the furthest she has to fly is when she dumps a poo-bag, but she's still pretty damp looking. Here she is completing another visit with a little nest cleaning!
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Post by suep on Jun 18, 2020 10:36:22 GMT
Hope you do get a break in the weather for your chicks to get air born Beechnut. If you wouldn’t mind sending the rain this way it would be much appreciated (by me anyway), we have had so little rain over the past few weeks that everything is parched. Not far away they have had rain but here we have had only tiny bits of patchy light rain, not enough to do any good to the gardens at all. Good luck for your little ones, hopefully the parents will know when the time is right. Sue
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Post by YorksherLass on Jun 18, 2020 11:26:45 GMT
Bucketing down here, - for once our forecast is right as we've had no rain for the last six days & garden was parched! Your little birds ought to take notice of their parents, best leave flying the nest until tomorrow or the weekend.
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Post by suep on Jun 18, 2020 11:37:41 GMT
Well that was quick work Beechnut - no sooner had i said send a bit our way than the heavens opened up and we have a bit of a storm. Sue
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Post by WildlifePaul on Jun 18, 2020 12:26:59 GMT
We've had the worse thunder showers the last 3 days my garden truly flooded every night after them, And today well its been none stop rain since 8am on until 7pm the joys of Liverpool! Glad everything is going well Beechnut!
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 18, 2020 18:19:00 GMT
Well the Famous Five finally quit the nest in the sunshine this afternoon, starting just after 3pm, the final chick fledging at 3-31pm. The time would have been shorter but for the fourth one out who stayed motionless in the hole for almost 10 minutes before taking the plunge!
I'll be putting the usual vids up when I've sorted them all out.
In the meantime I'll leave you for now with a pic of the almost empty nest - the recent occupant (at 3 o'clock) breezed or should I say buzzed in just as I took the photo.
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 18, 2020 18:20:47 GMT
Wish it was that easy Sue.
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Post by WildlifePaul on Jun 18, 2020 20:50:08 GMT
Brilliant result Beechnut!
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Post by sammi on Jun 18, 2020 21:37:54 GMT
Great news.
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Jun 19, 2020 4:28:12 GMT
Ah that's great...what a wonderful season you've had!!
Congratulations!
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hardy
Senior Member
Posts: 166
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Post by hardy on Jun 19, 2020 12:24:48 GMT
Great result Beechnut.
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Post by suep on Jun 19, 2020 12:33:06 GMT
A fantastic season for you Beechnut. So pleased they all got away safely. Sue
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 19, 2020 13:47:04 GMT
Thanks All - a couple of interesting bits on the outside fledge, which I'll try to get out later, but for now here is (I hope) the fledge from inside - not the best of editing, but covered all the departures and the miscalculated last visit by Meg to check the nest was empty!
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Post by YorksherLass on Jun 20, 2020 8:51:05 GMT
Wonderful news that they all got away safely, so a very successful year for you. Enjoyed the video clip of them still in the nest, so looking forward to the next one.
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Post by blueeyedchick on Jun 20, 2020 13:11:17 GMT
Pleased for you Beechnut great ending to the season.
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Post by Ann70 on Jun 20, 2020 13:18:26 GMT
Great season Beechnut, they were keen to go. you will miss them, but I'm sure they will be in and around your garden
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 20, 2020 15:24:19 GMT
I have posted the outside fledge despite the quality being not that great, due to the fact that the box is on a north facing wall which is enveloped in shade by 3pm and for the rest of the day. Normally most of my departures have been before noon, but although I'm sure mine would have gone in the morning, the weather dictated that it was not to be! A couple of things to look out for - the fourth out took about 20 minutes to get off the hole, but when it did, a sparrow decided to alight on the bracket, causing confusion for both, and an exchange of expletives, which alerted Meg, who was on the other side of the lawn, and she Zoomed across and told the sparrow where to get off. Unfortunately the chick was so confused that he lost his footing on the bracket and was left hanging by one claw (just visible) for a short time before finally falling down to the ground. Mum was quickly down to him and soon cheered him up and dusted him down and he flew up to the fence to the left behind the conifers. If you are sharp eyed you may catch sight of him flitting up and through at the bottom left hand side of the frame, just before the end. studio.youtube.com/video/G9PrsTpwjmE/edit
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 20, 2020 15:26:15 GMT
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