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Season events, grapes done, now olives to pick...

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:00 pm

First topic message reminder :

Spotted (and heard the compressor) our first olive nets yesterday. Another of the yearly events, festa gone, grapes picked and now the olives to harvest. Yes there are the sounds of guns also, but not heard so many (yet) this year. But it's so enjoyable to pick up the sounds of frogs migrating back for winter, blue tits, finches and redstart returned and cicada gone for another year.... Trees turning yellow with even a touch of red... Would be nice for people to add their own as and when "spotted" events that often go without comment....  Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:06 am

Thanks Angela, I'll listen for that.I can actually tell the difference, but it's difficult, added to what I said and you have just mentioned, we also have many, many Jays!

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:12 am

Well Angela I can see what you mean, but it's pushing it a little...  Smile  Smile  Smile  RSPB Link with song

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Post by Angela Fuller Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:35 am

For me the Golden Oriole song like the cuckoo's song Steve is unmistakable....once heard never forgotten.....when they migrate back I know summer is coming to an end....when they arrive I hang up the hammock !
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:49 pm

Angela Fuller wrote:For me the Golden Oriole song like the cuckoo's song Steve is unmistakable....once heard never forgotten.....when they migrate back I know summer is coming to an end....when they arrive I hang up the hammock !

Angela, do you have nightingales as well?

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Post by Angela Fuller Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:47 am

Yes Steve, we do have nightingales.  We also have redstarts nesting under the portico who come every year.  The sunflower seeds in the bird feeder are disappearing fast.
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:07 am

Yes Angela, we too have both Redstarts. A pair of Black Redstarts nested here our first 3 years, but unfortunately we had to remove both the nesting spots they picked; above the bomba and in an old pipe hole in the side of the house (of course only in winter after they had long gone). We now have a pair of each who feed around the house and fight each other all the time....

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Post by Angela Fuller Fri Apr 25, 2014 6:10 am

Redstarts are beautiful birds Steve....you are lucky having so many.  I feel a little sad as one of my cats did what cats do and killed one last week.....left its perfect body in the bathroom for me t find....now mice I don't mind but birds......  However, just been outside and heard the cuckoo for the first time this year....a little late but the weather has not been cuckoo friendly of late.
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Post by Gala Placidia Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:15 am

We only have a few humble blackbirds, but they have several nests and it is lovely to see and hear them. I do hope that they will be there when I go back in May. My only worry is the neighbour's new cat... he was an adorable kitten a few months ago, but I fear that he may have turned into a vicious hunter  Sad
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:23 am

Angela, we have not heard a cuckoo here ever! Sorry, but I'm not too keen on cats for that very reason. I do get concerned about the redstarts here as there are a number of cats that pass by as one of the neighbours feeds them all. Surprising they have not gone already as when fighting with each other they seem to be aware of nothing else. Also they love sitting on the garden poles and swooping down for spiders and little crickets.

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:14 am

We actually spotted a Blackbird yesterday and I now suspect we have a few in the valley below us. I say suspect as I can't really believe the lack of sightings we have had of them since being here, perhaps only 2-3 and none ever around the house. Obviously they are still very aware of avoiding the humans pot!

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Post by Angela Fuller Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:47 am

Not many blackbirds here, but do see thrush's who kindly keep down the snail population.  I was reading about the horrors of slug and snail pellets....an issue to always be flagged up....Whatever they contain not only kills slugs and snails but birds that eat the slugs and snails and also cats and dogs who, as they contain an ingredient to make them extremely tasty cannot resist them.... A friend lost her Norfolk terrier due to her neighbours use of  said pellets.....there are friendlier potions to use if you can spend a few extra euros !
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Post by Flip Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:16 am

Heard our first Cuckoo here today, and rescued a young Swift (who looked completely knackered) who was lying on the floor; so put him in my shed for an hour then helped him fly off down into the valley before the local mangy cats had a second breakfast. We have a resident pair of Redstarts who pop by our widow continually flickering their tails looking for spiders; waiting now for the Hoopo's now and their wonderful songs and displays, then we know Summer is nearly here.
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Post by Angela Fuller Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:10 am

Thats funny Flip, you hearing your first cuckoo today too....and we are far apart.....Have heard the hoopoe too this week but still waiting for the golden orieles....then for me, summer is on its way.
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:15 am

Hoopoe arrived here about 2-3 weeks ago, but have not been around the house quite so much this year....

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Post by Vicino Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:14 pm

Hoopoes arrived here near Serviligiano about three weeks ago, still waiting for the Golden Orioles (oh and the fire flies)

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:33 pm

Vicino wrote:Hoopoes arrived here near Serviligiano about three weeks ago, still waiting for the Golden Orioles (oh and the fire flies)V

This year is the earliest we have spotted the fire flies and I wondered if their arrival and the arrival of the swifts is linked.... The swifts are still flying quite high as they seem to do in the first few weeks of their arrival, but we have already had one or two of their low level squeal fly-by's... Of course the swallows who arrived a few weeks earlier are well at home skimming the "lawn" where we sit out (rare in the last week or so...).  Shocked

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:05 pm

Oh dear, just spotted my first snake of the year... We have a roof tile covering a tee tap to split off a hose. No gloves, shorts, both rare for me... Went to check under tile to switch  on one of the taps... Yikes!!! A lovely looking jst black snake curled up guarding the tap.... I carefully replace the tile and retreated a little bit... Strange thing is that it did not really seem bothered, ok it flicked its tongue out once or twice, but made no other move whatsoever until the tile was down...  affraid  affraid

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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:20 pm

Well the bird I heard the other week was definitely a Golden Oriole, just stood on the balcony and heard it again, came in whistling it and played it on the RSBP site, OH thought it was me... (so I must be ok at it)... Mind still not spotted it, despite it sounding only a few meters away  Surprised  Surprised  Surprised

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Post by Geotherm Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:58 pm

Have also seen the first snake of the year thismorning, a viper swimming in the pond. It was after the baby frogs, a usual thing here. Frogs have been very raucous the last few days, but nice, as a reminder of the sound pf the tropics to hear them.
A few days ago, 2 young deer were battling it out at the top of the garden. Lovely to see them going head to head, even though the dogs were barking, but could not go after them due to the fence.
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Post by Angela Fuller Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:03 pm

Very shy birds, Golden Orioles, but easily recognised with their golden bodies and black wings....we often see them flying from tree to tree....but they do prefer certain sorts of trees.......very picky birds......still havn't heard one........hopefully soon......
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Post by Angela Fuller Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:12 am

Geotherm wrote:Have also seen the first snake of the year thismorning, a viper swimming in the pond. It was after the baby frogs, a usual thing here. Frogs have been very raucous the last few days, but nice, as a reminder of the sound pf the tropics to hear them.A few days ago, 2 young deer were battling it out at the top of the garden. Lovely to see them going head to head, even though the dogs were barking, but could not go after them due to the fence.


No sign of snakes here as yet but will no doubt see a few squashed by cars in the lane sometime soon.  No croaking frogs either but that is probably because we have no pond.  But, I did hear a clattter of hooves and watched 2 young deer run down the lane always nice to see them especially when the Bella dog is behind the seperating fence.  Neighbours field full of orchids, we had 2 as usual but stupidly one got strimmed !
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Post by Angela Fuller Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:23 am

Just been outside and have heard the first Golden Oriole of the year !  Summer is coming....
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Sat Apr 26, 2014 7:30 am

Never seen any deer here, signs yes but not a one spotted. Then again we have only ever seen them on our travels elsewhere in Italy when we got up early in the morning (very rare these days). Frogs we have many,many and are one of the reasons it is hard to hear the birds. Two ponds both about 500M away in different directions and there must be 1000's of the critters and what a noise echo's the entire valley below us. Nice thing is they attract lots of herons and being quite high on a hill it's like you can almost touch them flying over...

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Post by Flip Sat Apr 26, 2014 7:56 am

We have loads of deer near us Steve, see them every morning when I take the dogs for their walk in the woods,so used to seeing us they hardly react now. At the moment the woods are full of the Roe deer males 'barking' their mating calls and challenges.
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Post by stevegwmonkseaton Sat Apr 26, 2014 8:12 am

Flip wrote:Roe deer males 'barking' their mating calls and challenges

...thanks for that Flip, I forgot that unmistakable noise, we definitely don't have Roe!

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