http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Savage-Seagull-Attack-Leaves-Woman-Bloodied-And-Shaken-In-Somerset/Article/200807215030277?lpos=UK_News_Article_Related_Content_Region_13&lid=ARTICLE_15030277_Savage_Seagull_Attack_Leaves_Woman_Bloodied_And_Shaken_In_Somerset
Please check out the caption on that article's picture. I think we should invite the guy who wrote it.
― SB ya later, alligator (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 8 March 2009 18:26 (4 years ago) Permalink
Scary! But yes, great caption.
― Too Into Dancing to Argue (ENBB), Sunday, 8 March 2009 18:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
The url reminds me of the Zoolander speech - no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long so you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way...
― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 8 March 2009 18:35 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090320/twl-environment-us-birds-usa-1202b49.html
good luck usa
― leigh exodus (country matters), Friday, 20 March 2009 18:14 (4 years ago) Permalink
A robin is nesting in an archway thing in my parents' backyard:
― a sweet ballet dancer (ENBB), Sunday, 10 May 2009 03:23 (4 years ago) Permalink
So blue!
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Sunday, 10 May 2009 20:26 (4 years ago) Permalink
What sort of robin? A real robin or yr silly "American robin" which is actually a thrush?
― sorry for british (country matters), Sunday, 10 May 2009 20:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
x-post Aren't they awesome? I got a bunch of cool pics. I keep trying to get one of the mama but she flies away when I get within 3 ft of the nest. :-(
LJ - I don't know, I guess an American one? One of the brown and orange ones.
― a sweet ballet dancer (ENBB), Monday, 11 May 2009 01:26 (4 years ago) Permalink
'real' robin. I'm sure it will be this, the american robin is also brown and orange but larger.
They're nosey little birds, and will get very close to you if you're minding your own business. I think you getting close to their nest is not a great idea. I'm always greeted with friendly robins when I'm out fishing, stealing my maggots.
camping in wales once, i was awoken to a robin that had hopped into our tent.
― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Monday, 11 May 2009 10:04 (4 years ago) Permalink
We have Blackbirds nesting in our garden and they have lovely blue eggs too. I imagine it's a "don't eat me" message to other animals. Not that it stops the bastid squirrels who will eat anything.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 10:13 (4 years ago) Permalink
Thrush eggs are speckled blue incidentally so these are mos' def' robins.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 10:15 (4 years ago) Permalink
Ste is right about the noseyness too, as soon as we start gardening they'll come hopping along and sneak any worms dug up. They get bullied by the sparrows in our garden but they can mostly hold their own.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 10:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
i think i still immediately think of christmas when i see robins, from when i was a kid and seeing them on christmas cards all the time.
― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Monday, 11 May 2009 10:20 (4 years ago) Permalink
xp, yeah i think they stick to the same 'zone' more than most other birds, so when other birds enter their territory they can become very defensive.
― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Monday, 11 May 2009 10:23 (4 years ago) Permalink
The UK Robin is limited to Europe, you don't get them in North America. Those are definitely American Robin eggs too, ours lay 5 or 6 little pale brown jobs.
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Monday, 11 May 2009 10:28 (4 years ago) Permalink
new garden has Coal Tits nesting in a box on a Scots pine
― Jarlrmai, Monday, 11 May 2009 10:31 (4 years ago) Permalink
The robins in our garden are being very charming at the moment. One of them, presumably the male, keeps coming to the feeder to get a sunflower seed, then flying up to a nearby branch to feed it to his mate as a sort of little love offering.
x-post - we've got blue tits, kind of apprehensive about the chicks first few days 'in the wild' what with all the cats round our way (the furry bastards).
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Monday, 11 May 2009 10:34 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, I'm getting confused - when we were talking about american Robins being Thrushes I thought - european thrushes but I see now (having gone to wiki - d'oh) that it's a whole different thing. and quite groovy looking.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 10:47 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, they're smart looking fellers aren't they? Colourwise they're kind of a composite of the body of a song thrush, head of a blackbird, breast of a robin. Every now and again, one will get blown over the Atlantic by a storm and will turn up in a garden somewhere for a few days. Lords knows what happens to them after that.
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Monday, 11 May 2009 10:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
So to sum up...(to get it clear in my tiny brain)
European Robin (with eggs)
American Robin (see above)
European Thrush and eggs
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 10:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
I like the way that those robins painted a picture of a church in their spare time.
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Monday, 11 May 2009 11:06 (4 years ago) Permalink
They seem to have rigged up an electricity for the nest as well
― Jarlrmai, Monday, 11 May 2009 16:14 (4 years ago) Permalink
Oh, they're clever.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 16:24 (4 years ago) Permalink
with all the topics on ILX that turn into US/UK comparison threads, I'd still never have guessed "robins" was one of them
― nabisco, Monday, 11 May 2009 16:43 (4 years ago) Permalink
the poster responsible...less of a surprise
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 16:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
I retract "silly", although I maintain that calling it a robin is a big fat misnomer
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 16:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
― the Member for Paisley (gabbneb), Monday, 11 May 2009 17:05 (4 years ago) Permalink
we see your fancy britishes robin and raise you a california condor
― the Member for Paisley (gabbneb), Monday, 11 May 2009 17:13 (4 years ago) Permalink
my backyard in SF is populated by Anna's hummingbirds:
and Stellar's Jays:
― the table is the table, Monday, 11 May 2009 17:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
and occasionally the fearsome Common Raven, western:
these guys actually scare me. they're big as fucking gulls, and i'm used to crows.
― the table is the table, Monday, 11 May 2009 17:19 (4 years ago) Permalink
I retract "silly", although I maintain that calling it a robin is a big fat misnomer― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 11:55 (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 11:55 (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
I spent most of this winter complaining about these texas-sized robin imposters. Turdus Migratorius indeed.
― Prince of Persia (Ed), Monday, 11 May 2009 17:22 (4 years ago) Permalink
Genus Erithacus or nothing, mate. Red breasted bastard thrush.
― Prince of Persia (Ed), Monday, 11 May 2009 17:24 (4 years ago) Permalink
My dad had a big, barrel-shaped barbeque grill used for smoking meats. It had a little chimney with a latch that could open or close access to it. My dad had left it open and some robins built a nest in it. My dad wanted to remove the nest so he could cook on it, but naturally his three daughters greeted this with protests and tears. This debate happened every few days until the birds left the nest.
― fillibustar superstar! (Abbott), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:15 (4 years ago) Permalink
british robins are very territorial and will fight to the death to protect their territory.
― djh, Monday, 11 May 2009 18:16 (4 years ago) Permalink
The national aviary here in pittsburgh one of these
a pygmy falcon, which would probably loose in a fight with an territorially aggrieved robin.
― Prince of Persia (Ed), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:22 (4 years ago) Permalink
omg such conflicting and confused thoughts about that bird
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:24 (4 years ago) Permalink
They have one of these too
For a so-called national aviary it is very small, I think someone built the national aviary of Liechtenstein here. They have a sloth as well which is rather delightful but not strictly a bird.
― Prince of Persia (Ed), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:28 (4 years ago) Permalink
Is that a pygmy owl? I know such a breed exists.
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
Ah, so it is. URLs are so helpful.
There are several breeds, I really want to got to the dessert to see the cactus dwelling ones
― Prince of Persia (Ed), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:33 (4 years ago) Permalink
That Condor is more goth than Bimble.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 18:37 (4 years ago) Permalink
Bimble needs to up his game and start wearing some identification tags around his arms imo
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:45 (4 years ago) Permalink
I know I put this somewhere else but I'm very pleased with it.A Partridge On My Patio.
― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 11 May 2009 18:48 (4 years ago) Permalink
― high (latebloomer), Monday, 11 May 2009 18:59 (4 years ago) Permalink
but not their good names, apparently
― nabisco, Monday, 11 May 2009 19:14 (4 years ago) Permalink
i like how their brazen hardness is perceived as cuteness.
― djh, Monday, 11 May 2009 19:32 (4 years ago) Permalink
i like to get on with birds<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carljgodwin/2707309584/"; title="Hello there! by carljgodwin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2707309584_ca294bb2ca.jpg"; width="333" height="500" alt="Hello there!" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carljgodwin/2707319866/"; title="At one with nature... by carljgodwin, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2707319866_973405e1c8.jpg"; width="500" height="333" alt="At one with nature..." /></a>what are these btw?
― not_goodwin, Monday, 11 May 2009 21:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
nooooo!i like to get on with birdswhat are these btw?
― not_goodwin, Monday, 11 May 2009 21:18 (4 years ago) Permalink
thats better
choughs
― sorry for british (country matters), Monday, 11 May 2009 21:20 (4 years ago) Permalink
nightingale:
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:19 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
Hummingbirds showed up here 3 weeks ago and have been freezing their asses off.
― What makes a man start threads? (WilliamC), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:24 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
it's the repetition inside each line that's the big difference to my ears. the song thrush is all dat-dat dat-dat dat-dat weeeee, whereas nightingale is just all over the place in a brrrrrrrr-brip-be-bap-deeeeet--zuuuuuel kinda way xp
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:25 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
do you feed the hummingbirds wmc?
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:26 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
here's the thing, though - the bird I saw (and you can just about see it in the video) didn't seem to have any markings on its underside
― have a nice Blog (imago), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:26 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
next time I'll have my binoculars on me
― have a nice Blog (imago), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:30 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
Nick -- yes, we have feeders on the back deck and outside my office window.
― What makes a man start threads? (WilliamC), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:34 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
must be amazing, would never get any work done if i were at your desk
lj - guess it'll be there again tomorrow, same time, same place. always think of nightingales as very secretive things, would be nice to get a good sight of one. on our dog walk today we had whitethroats dodging around in the gorse. swifts have come back too, best birds ever
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:41 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
this is better nightingale film btw, this one sounds really goddamn song thrushy too i'm getting more confused the more i listen:
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:45 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
maybe you have to see them live or something but in a way they're a bit overrated imo, i reckon robins and dunnocks have far prettier songs. best one i hear regularly though is the wren. really long complex energetic lines, they're like the john coltranes of the bird world doing this sheets of sound thing. really blast it out for such diddy fuckers too:
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:57 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
otm, wren song has been avant-garde for millennia
― have a nice Blog (imago), Monday, 6 May 2013 09:25 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
was definitely drawn out of my way to the nightingale/curiously unspotted songthrush tho. something about the song was arresting and alien - I was, as they say, compelled from my orbit, and the dog had to sit patiently while I drank it in, not at all feeling like I was riding the Romantics' steez
― have a nice Blog (imago), Monday, 6 May 2013 09:27 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
A gila woodpecker has made a nest at the top of a saguaro in my front yard. This is very exciting to me! This hole 16 feet up constantly emitting baby bird rasps with a mom periodically flying in and out.
― I wish every slot machine had EAT THE RICH printed on it (Crabbits), Monday, 20 May 2013 01:45 (5 days ago) Permalink
A dove has taken up residence in our back yard. It doesn't seem injured, but it spends all its time on the ground, just hanging out, nestled down in the lawn except when our dog it out doing his business and barking at oxygen molecules. I wondered if it's a fledgling that doesn't quite know where to go next, but my daughter says she's seen its mate come around to it a few times a day.
― WilliamC, Monday, 20 May 2013 12:58 (5 days ago) Permalink
our neighbours have installed a nest-box roughly 1 metre away from our bedroom window, currently occupied by a family of Great Tits. the parents approach the box cautiously, hopping all the way down the fence to a chorus of wheedling. needless to say, we're enthused
― bleeding like a stoke pig (imago), Monday, 20 May 2013 13:09 (5 days ago) Permalink
turkeys outside my window at 5:00 this morning. lobblelobblelobble. they've gone all huge, fat and wattley for summer. it's shooting season, so all the little country stores are selling "turkey supplies". by which they mean things with which to murder the beasts.
― controversial vegan pregnancy (contenderizer), Monday, 20 May 2013 13:12 (5 days ago) Permalink
Went for a walk down the Thames foreshore at lunch and there were 2 Canadian geese with 3 goslings, so cute. Loads of geese around today, 3 different types. They're pretty tame, we were walking by really close and they just eyed us a bit and went back to napping.
― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Monday, 20 May 2013 13:16 (5 days ago) Permalink