Your Wildlife Sightings!

Fingers crossed Johnie

 

Yes Johnie really hope somehow it is fixed

 

All the species you have mentioned will be on their breeding grounds right now Johnie, perhaps in the Scottish Highlands, northern Europe or Iceland?? Mind you those 2 Whimbrel you got are pretty cool, they are running late on migration, cool birds, similar to Curlew but smaller and have a lovely Wee Wee Wee call

 

Thanks Bhoys

Cheers Pete, i realise there are a few species returned to their breeding grounds alright, i just don't remember it being this quiet before, i haven't seen a Cygnet, a Duckling, or any young water fowl at all this year, i've been going to the same sites for a few years now and never saw it as quiet, maybe i'm expecting too much as i've been so lucky in the past.

 

Maybe they are still all hung over after the Bhoys winning the title

 

Your pictures are outstanding as always.

 

Update on our Robin and her chicks is that the chicks are really getting close now I think to leaving the nest and taking flight.

On another note here in Chicago we are just at the start on an insect invasion by Cicadas. This year is the 17 year version. They literally crawl out of the ground and swarm all over trees and things like that. They make an unreal racket of noise as well.

 

My son was in Washington last Thanksgiving Day. He saw only a few of these Cicadas. He says the noise was unbearable at night. The sound millions of them make must be ridiculous.

 

John,
It is crazy and its all day as well. They come in different phases every certain number of years and this year the Chicago area is in the firing line of the really big numbers of them. The noise is constant and so loud its just crazy. The other day I went for a walk with my wife and large parts of the footpath anywhere near or under trees the whole ground is just covered with them.

 

Well our chicks have indeed taken flight. It was pouring rain all morning here but 3 of the four chicks were out of the nest and over a few hours they each eventually took flight flying from one tree to another with mom flying back and forth to encourage them to go for it. There is still one in the tree outside our living room window but all good with our baby Robins.

 

Great news there Marc

Great news there Marc

 

If you have IPTV and can get RTE 1, check out Birdsong, it's a documentary about a young mans quest to record the song of every bird species in Ireland, it's absolutely fascinating.

 

All the chicks took flight in the end. The fourth one seemed reluctant and it wasn't until Sunday evening before it started getting up the courage first by flying around from branch to branch in the tree the nest is in but eventually she made it to other trees around the garden and we were treated Sunday evening to all the siblings practicing flying going from one tree to another.

The cicada's are in full invasion mode now. When your outside if your standing near or under a fully mature tree you can hardly hear yourself so loud is the constant droning noise they make.

 

Sounds awful eire. How long does the invasion last?

 

I was just saying to my wife as we were on a walk that anybody coming over here for a visit would be blown away and probably not able to get the constant droning noise out of their head but when you have lived here a while you get used to it. Its at its peak now and that will last till about the middle of June. Then it will taper off and be gone altogether by about this time next month.

 

Could you post a wee video Marc?, it must be some sight at its peak.

 

I was thinking about that there a bit ago while I was outside watering. The noise was so loud around me. No idea how I would do it though. I only have my mobile and how would I be able to upload that on here? Sorry I am not completely clueless when it comes to technology but pretty close

 

My son was saying the same thing. His in-laws didn't notice the noise. They were used to it. He couldn't sleep for days though.

 

I am loving the return of Springwatch!!!

 

I've only very recently learned how to upload video Marc, it's really pretty easy if you have a you tube account, if you like i could help you.