We don’t have greylags, though I have seen them in zoos. But for any biologist, the mention of greylags immediately brings to mind Konrad Lorenz and his work on greylag behavior, for which he received the Nobel prize along with Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch. I was an undergrad and taking an animal behavior class when the Nobel Prize was awarded for the first time to animal behaviorists. We were thrilled.
Great post Lev- lifted the spirits on a very cold snow-dusted morn. Also nearly splurted out my coffee at the “cheese dream of a bird” greylag goose description 😅
Scrub jays have an amazing trick that I never saw any other bird do. One morning after we'd had about four inches of snow, I was watching out the window when a small flock of scrub jays arrived, attracted by a few clumps of tall grass whose seedy tops were sticking out of the snow. Four of them attacked a particular clump, hovering in a tight circle and beating the clump with their wings. This bared the immediate area of snow and apparently loosened the seeds. They alit and ate, then flew to another clump. Other subgroups in the flock were doing the same.
It was a feeding activity that benefited the whole group, not just a single foraging bird.
Lovely stuff! I was sat at our dining table earlier wondering about birds getting a drink in this weather. This was as I watched sparrows, chaffinches, robins, blackbirds & the like feeding from the seeds we put out. Over the past couple of days I had seen a few blackbirds pecking the same patch on the ground where the snow had been cleared. Plainly not drinking. So, I thought about humans grabbing & eating a handful of snow & whether or not birds might do the same. Then a few minutes later, I saw a blackbird pecking a pile of snow on the garden wall, & a second doing the same to another pile. So, they do ‘drink’ by eating snow! How pleasing was that.
Ok, I've got a new game. I'm going to call it Jimmy Carter's Smile and it'll be a challenge to get people to do that smile by somehow asking them to recall a bird/nature memory. I'm shit at small talk and gossiping and talking about the weather make me want to punch things.
I really empathise with your comments on ‘the list’ - I would add that my year list acts as a reminder of places and habitats that I haven’t visited for a while ‘missing lots of wader species - I need to get to an estuary etc’.
I’ve been so looking forward to this. I’m determined to learn to distinguish between more than three different birdsongs. And now I can’t stop saying Goose Goose Goose
You can do it. I always thought I just can’t do birdsong, but after reading Simon Barnes Birdwatching with your eyes closed & with amazing online sources like Lev’s posts, Shriek of the week & BTO videos and courses I’m so much more confident now (always still happier if Merlin app agrees with me though!). Good luck
I’m glad you added the Robin caveat. I always feel bad that they annoy me. Within two minutes of digging at the allotment he turns up. Just out of my eyeline, my first thought is always ‘a rat’. And then I think you’re only here for the free lunch. Worm pie. Bloomin scavenger
Excellent post! The Painted Bunting is a gorgeous bird!
I also keep a list of birds every hear, the first I saw this year was (as usual) a feral pigeon. Raven was my 21st, seen on New Years Day on Edinburgh's Arthur's Seat, where they breed. Always amazing to see them there
Ah the Arthur's Seat fulmars! I've not seen them for several years and I'm not sure that they do still breed there, but I do keep an eye out just in case.
I like Nick Acheson's description of Greylags call. Sounds like a grumpy old man getting up on a Sunday morning.
I am writing about my annual bird list in Birds and Boots. Do have a look.
We don’t have greylags, though I have seen them in zoos. But for any biologist, the mention of greylags immediately brings to mind Konrad Lorenz and his work on greylag behavior, for which he received the Nobel prize along with Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch. I was an undergrad and taking an animal behavior class when the Nobel Prize was awarded for the first time to animal behaviorists. We were thrilled.
Great post Lev- lifted the spirits on a very cold snow-dusted morn. Also nearly splurted out my coffee at the “cheese dream of a bird” greylag goose description 😅
Thanks Katie!
Love this, Lev!
My friend has a goose tattooed on his back, for magical reasons
Scrub jays have an amazing trick that I never saw any other bird do. One morning after we'd had about four inches of snow, I was watching out the window when a small flock of scrub jays arrived, attracted by a few clumps of tall grass whose seedy tops were sticking out of the snow. Four of them attacked a particular clump, hovering in a tight circle and beating the clump with their wings. This bared the immediate area of snow and apparently loosened the seeds. They alit and ate, then flew to another clump. Other subgroups in the flock were doing the same.
It was a feeding activity that benefited the whole group, not just a single foraging bird.
That’s fantastic. Corvids, eh?
It’s easy to take robins for granted but we introduced a friend from Taiwan to them and she was very impressed.
Yes indeed. I well remember the Beijing robin from a few years ago.
Lovely stuff! I was sat at our dining table earlier wondering about birds getting a drink in this weather. This was as I watched sparrows, chaffinches, robins, blackbirds & the like feeding from the seeds we put out. Over the past couple of days I had seen a few blackbirds pecking the same patch on the ground where the snow had been cleared. Plainly not drinking. So, I thought about humans grabbing & eating a handful of snow & whether or not birds might do the same. Then a few minutes later, I saw a blackbird pecking a pile of snow on the garden wall, & a second doing the same to another pile. So, they do ‘drink’ by eating snow! How pleasing was that.
Excellent observation.
Ah, Jimmy Carter. I'm glad I was alive during his presidency. He was the ultimate Washington outsider and the one with heart.
Ok, I've got a new game. I'm going to call it Jimmy Carter's Smile and it'll be a challenge to get people to do that smile by somehow asking them to recall a bird/nature memory. I'm shit at small talk and gossiping and talking about the weather make me want to punch things.
Oh I could definitely get into this game.
Haarrrkk haarrkk haarrkk
I really empathise with your comments on ‘the list’ - I would add that my year list acts as a reminder of places and habitats that I haven’t visited for a while ‘missing lots of wader species - I need to get to an estuary etc’.
Yes, that’s a very good point.
I once took a photo of 41 sparrows arranged along the top of a field hedge, the noise was deafening!
I’ve been so looking forward to this. I’m determined to learn to distinguish between more than three different birdsongs. And now I can’t stop saying Goose Goose Goose
Thank GOOSE you GOOSE so GOOSE much GOOSE Jo.
You can do it. I always thought I just can’t do birdsong, but after reading Simon Barnes Birdwatching with your eyes closed & with amazing online sources like Lev’s posts, Shriek of the week & BTO videos and courses I’m so much more confident now (always still happier if Merlin app agrees with me though!). Good luck
Thank you for the encouragement Hilary!
I’m glad you added the Robin caveat. I always feel bad that they annoy me. Within two minutes of digging at the allotment he turns up. Just out of my eyeline, my first thought is always ‘a rat’. And then I think you’re only here for the free lunch. Worm pie. Bloomin scavenger
Excellent post! The Painted Bunting is a gorgeous bird!
I also keep a list of birds every hear, the first I saw this year was (as usual) a feral pigeon. Raven was my 21st, seen on New Years Day on Edinburgh's Arthur's Seat, where they breed. Always amazing to see them there
An Arthur’s Seat walk on New Year’s Day is a civilised way to see in the year. Are there still fulmars breeding there?
Ah the Arthur's Seat fulmars! I've not seen them for several years and I'm not sure that they do still breed there, but I do keep an eye out just in case.