Welcome to Old John's blog!

4 May 2009 2:55 AM

It all seems to fit!

Today, when I went out walking, the weather looked lovely but, in exposed areas, it was very cold.  Having said that, as I pulled into the public car park, there were only a few places to park the car and I wondered if there was something going on, that I did not know about, for there were more cars than usual.  In the end, I concluded it must have been the fine weather that had brought everybody out for a walk.

As I kitted myself up, putting on the new boots, that are still chafing me a little, I noticed that someone was staring at me but I took no notice and carried on doing what I always do, when facing the elements, making sure that I had on all the appropriate clothing for the walk.

Out of curiosity, while getting my camera and binoculars, out of the boot of the car, I raised an eye in the direction of the people who were sitting in the car I had seen, when they were looking at me, and the couple were still traversing their glances in my direction.

I looked away and began to think who the people could be.  Eventually, I remembered who the young man was and then it hit me that he was not sitting in the car with his wife. I busied myself, for a while, hoping that the couple would leave and, to tell you the truth, I do not know if they were still there when I made my way across the car park and on to the wood out of sight for I kept my gaze well out of their sitting zone.

As I walked, among tree lines that were now almost full of open leaves, I found it difficult to be able to see through the masses of leaves that were only in bud form a couple of weeks ago. 

I was now almost dependent on the calls of birds because, try as I would, I could not see into the trees. 

Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and several local birds were all calling, as if in competition with one another.

I stood, for a while, listening to all the wonderful sounds, I had missed in the winter months, then decided to move towards a lake.  As I made my way to the water's edge, negotiating two trees that had fallen after the last strong winds we had had, I dodged several small swarms of midges and wondered why I was trying to persevere in the direction I was taking; my experience told me, as the midges started to get to me, that I should turn back.

Never the less, I made it to the side of the lake, had a quick look out over the water and noted that, although hidden to the naked eye, a Coot was patiently and tentatively bringing pieces of reed to an area that looked as though it would eventually turn into a nest. 

I did not feel that I could stand at the side of the water long, for the gnats were finding me out and finding my exposed facial skin, even though I was creamed up for the occasion. 

I moved away from the lake, reluctantly, and as I left the area, I looked up and saw my first Swifts of the year.

I mused, trying to make sure that I was away from the car park as long as I could be so that I did not see the people who were looking at me earlier, then thought out what was going on here. 

Swifts, that sometimes sleep and even mate on the wing, were hawking the open sky to catch as many midges as they could after their long journey. It does not make sense for the birds, after their hard and dangerous journey, to be back in their breeding areas if there is no food for them to come to.  It all works together! 

I have mentioned that Swifts sometimes sleep on the wing but this must be very difficult so why would they want to do such dangerous antics?  The reason why Swifts eat, sleep and sometimes mate on the wing, is because they have long wings, for flying long distances, and very short legs.  If they do go down to ground level, they often find it very difficult to get air born again. 

Once we know why things are done or not done, it becomes obvious why these birds prefer, where possible, to do everything in the air.

Some years ago, while I was doing a bird project, I began to think about birds, such as Swifts, that are specialised feeders.

For a few years, I had walked the same areas and noted that some summer visiting birds always seemed to come back to the same trees or shrubs.  I could not understand why this should be so I extended my project and looked at local birds, some already nesting before the summer visitors came.

The Magpie, which has to have a large nest to hold its large body size, was already established, making a nest, before the Willow Warblers came to the country.  So what you might say?  Well, I deduced, if all the local birds were established, where were the summer visiting birds going to set up their nests. 

The decline in nest site areas and other factors, lead me to think that the specialised feeding birds had to find other types of nest accommodation and the Swift found human habitation to be suitable for its needs.  Swifts, now using nest sites under the eves of our homes, were as safe there as they would have been if they could have found a nest site in wooded areas. 

When I first thought about this, I thought I may be using the wrong hypotheses area but it may be that Swifts were moving into other areas of the world, where the food was, long before static buildings were built.  I will probably never be able to prove my theory but, who knows, someone else may be able to find out whether I am wrong or right.

If my idea, that birds find nesting areas, that local birds do not use, is right, it could then follow that other birds, such as the Rock Dove nest, in the main, on rocks, due to them once being pushed out of traditional nesting sites but what if I am wrong! 

Well, for I have only being studying nature for 40 years, I have also to say what if I am right!

I say this because I once reasoned that Blue Tits, nesting in different areas of a wood I was familiar with, could have been disadvantaged by nesting on the fringes of the woods.  An independent study was undertaken, not long ago, and the results came, more or less, to the same conclusions as I came to.  Blue Tits were disadvantaged by nesting on the fringes of the woodland where there are more difficulties, finding food, than there would be in the middle of the wood.

I am now getting too old to take on such volunteer studies and indeed too old to be able to trudge, sometimes for miles, with cameras, telescopes and all the things needed for an all day study.

To compensate for this, for I love to be out looking at birds and trying to analyse why they behave in the way they do, I have been lucky enough to able to have a garden area, at the side of a park, where we have now planted trees, shrubs and plants that are bringing the birds to me. 

Regular visitors are Collard Doves, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and all the usual garden birds.  A pair of Song Thrushes keep coming to the garden  and I believe they are nesting close by.  A pair of Robins have mated in our garden and a House Sparrow is all ready feeding young.

If there are any questions, about birds and nature in general, you feel you would like to know about, please ask.  If I do not know the answer, I will not try to tell you something I really do not know what the answer is.

By for now,

John.

                     

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