Deeside Sparrow
@deesidesparrow.bsky.social
Concerned about biodiversity loss & climate change. Interests: avifauna, plantlife, books, art galleries, museums 🐦🌾📚🖼🎨🏛
It is still 20 days before the Winter Soltice ... this is a glass half-full perspective if I have ever heard one! But all the animals & plants in the Northern hemisphere at higher latitudes do need to go through their regular Winter pause in coming weeks.
December 1, 2025 at 9:04 AM
It is still 20 days before the Winter Soltice ... this is a glass half-full perspective if I have ever heard one! But all the animals & plants in the Northern hemisphere at higher latitudes do need to go through their regular Winter pause in coming weeks.
That's a snap on crow! 😃
December 1, 2025 at 8:19 AM
That's a snap on crow! 😃
I scanned early for a FBOMD. Fairly certain a carrion crow was meteorological winter 1st bird. A pair of covid wings flew high over me under dark cumulus clouds headed to N-E. Difficult to scale but I'd heard crow cawing plus rooks less likely fly solitary so early.
December 1, 2025 at 8:19 AM
I scanned early for a FBOMD. Fairly certain a carrion crow was meteorological winter 1st bird. A pair of covid wings flew high over me under dark cumulus clouds headed to N-E. Difficult to scale but I'd heard crow cawing plus rooks less likely fly solitary so early.
That's an excellent question @dauphne.bsky.social! I should have been on it when posting FBOMD. I will be back shortly (subject to signal vagaries 🙄) with the jackdaw stats. summary.
November 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
That's an excellent question @dauphne.bsky.social! I should have been on it when posting FBOMD. I will be back shortly (subject to signal vagaries 🙄) with the jackdaw stats. summary.
Unpredictability is certainly part of the joy of watching wild birds. 😄
November 30, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Unpredictability is certainly part of the joy of watching wild birds. 😄
I'm pleased you've confirmed this and will keep my eye out for any snippets of "other news".
November 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
I'm pleased you've confirmed this and will keep my eye out for any snippets of "other news".
That's a snap on jackdaws! 😃
November 30, 2025 at 8:47 AM
That's a snap on jackdaws! 😃
🏴 St. Andrew's Day First Birds were three jackdaws on a roof. I would not be surprised if a 4th was out of my sight on the far side! One was gripping the lip of a chimney pot with its passerine grip with its legs at a 45° angle to the perpendicular.
November 30, 2025 at 8:46 AM
🏴 St. Andrew's Day First Birds were three jackdaws on a roof. I would not be surprised if a 4th was out of my sight on the far side! One was gripping the lip of a chimney pot with its passerine grip with its legs at a 45° angle to the perpendicular.
Phew, I'm glad you were forewarned by His Excellency rather than being ambushed and biffed in the line of feeder station servicing duty!
November 29, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Phew, I'm glad you were forewarned by His Excellency rather than being ambushed and biffed in the line of feeder station servicing duty!
Yes, indeed! Yesterday was certainly his day ... I do feel somewhat embarrassed, however, if a previous exchange of posts in which I drew attention to the formula "In other news, ... " had any effect of deterring your Northern mockingbird winterisation updates. I hope not! Sorry if my comment did.
November 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Yes, indeed! Yesterday was certainly his day ... I do feel somewhat embarrassed, however, if a previous exchange of posts in which I drew attention to the formula "In other news, ... " had any effect of deterring your Northern mockingbird winterisation updates. I hope not! Sorry if my comment did.
A pair of jackdaws that were flying lowish down the street and did glorious level glides onto a roof were FBsOMD. This couple must have changed their minds and retraced some of their route as another jackdaw wave up the street went over shortly thereafter.
November 29, 2025 at 8:21 AM
A pair of jackdaws that were flying lowish down the street and did glorious level glides onto a roof were FBsOMD. This couple must have changed their minds and retraced some of their route as another jackdaw wave up the street went over shortly thereafter.
Also, it's notable this event wasn't an "In other news ... " occurrence. His Excellency aced it this year as your First Bird on the day that he 'secured' his winter supplies. Mockingbird 'shock and awe' for your regular little birds from first light!!
November 29, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Also, it's notable this event wasn't an "In other news ... " occurrence. His Excellency aced it this year as your First Bird on the day that he 'secured' his winter supplies. Mockingbird 'shock and awe' for your regular little birds from first light!!
🥁🥁🥁 Gosh, BREAKING, the major Generalissimus winter update. It's so interesting. Don't forget to wear your backyard head protection until further notice. It isn't worth becoming NM collateral damage 😕 whilst putting out refills/taking feeders out after nocturnal mammalian critter avoidance!
November 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
🥁🥁🥁 Gosh, BREAKING, the major Generalissimus winter update. It's so interesting. Don't forget to wear your backyard head protection until further notice. It isn't worth becoming NM collateral damage 😕 whilst putting out refills/taking feeders out after nocturnal mammalian critter avoidance!
A flock of black-headed gulls making their way uphill from the river: but not as part of a regimented morning commute and at approximately 90° to most early daylight gull mass movements.
November 28, 2025 at 8:18 AM
A flock of black-headed gulls making their way uphill from the river: but not as part of a regimented morning commute and at approximately 90° to most early daylight gull mass movements.
In this instance I continue to hold that seeing is believing. Pumpkin's 360° turning circle is remarkable & the antithesis of the proverbial supertanker. I think Pumpkin is an adorable feline Houdini. 🌟
November 28, 2025 at 6:47 AM
In this instance I continue to hold that seeing is believing. Pumpkin's 360° turning circle is remarkable & the antithesis of the proverbial supertanker. I think Pumpkin is an adorable feline Houdini. 🌟
FBOMD Red letter day for me! Traipsing out with the recycling whilst it was still fairly dark, a large - nay majestic - corvid flying towards slightly N. of East was to my delight cronking. Yay a 1st Raven 1st bird! 😁
November 27, 2025 at 9:16 AM
FBOMD Red letter day for me! Traipsing out with the recycling whilst it was still fairly dark, a large - nay majestic - corvid flying towards slightly N. of East was to my delight cronking. Yay a 1st Raven 1st bird! 😁
Two jackdaws perched on TV aerials on adjacent houses were FBsOMD. Five more dispersing their overnight roosting overflew under a clear sky, above the frost.
November 26, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Two jackdaws perched on TV aerials on adjacent houses were FBsOMD. Five more dispersing their overnight roosting overflew under a clear sky, above the frost.
Yes, a wonderful sunrise would have ensued on Deeside as well - judging by how much light was already created by the sun still well below the horizon at 07.00hrs in an almost cloudless half of the sky.
November 25, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Yes, a wonderful sunrise would have ensued on Deeside as well - judging by how much light was already created by the sun still well below the horizon at 07.00hrs in an almost cloudless half of the sky.
The whole Eastern hemidome was notably light at 7am. I wondered if a blur as I walked around the corner was a robin. It could have been just a leaf! FBsOMD were two jackdaws arriving on a brick stack 'secret agent mode' suddenly swooping on a low trajectory. [Hemidome not per Merriam-Webster.]
November 25, 2025 at 8:46 AM
The whole Eastern hemidome was notably light at 7am. I wondered if a blur as I walked around the corner was a robin. It could have been just a leaf! FBsOMD were two jackdaws arriving on a brick stack 'secret agent mode' suddenly swooping on a low trajectory. [Hemidome not per Merriam-Webster.]
🤞 Well, hang in there white-throated sparrows, there may be a better day ahead for you on Tuesday!
November 24, 2025 at 3:43 PM
🤞 Well, hang in there white-throated sparrows, there may be a better day ahead for you on Tuesday!
There's a possibility it could have been. Entering that prestigious corvid territory, signalling his crow identity and discreetly withdrawing in advance of the arrival of the jackdaw horde! But it was too dark at the time to get a good look at the early crow to assess the chances it was Roundhead.
November 24, 2025 at 3:40 PM
There's a possibility it could have been. Entering that prestigious corvid territory, signalling his crow identity and discreetly withdrawing in advance of the arrival of the jackdaw horde! But it was too dark at the time to get a good look at the early crow to assess the chances it was Roundhead.
Yep, you got it! 😃 It seemed like the first jackdaw battling with various cross and head winds, the silent one, had more of a struggle than the vocal second one who invoked the motivational assistance of peers and generations of jackdaws past and to come sustaining the battle, overcoming adversity!
November 24, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Yep, you got it! 😃 It seemed like the first jackdaw battling with various cross and head winds, the silent one, had more of a struggle than the vocal second one who invoked the motivational assistance of peers and generations of jackdaws past and to come sustaining the battle, overcoming adversity!
Aw, I hope there's drying conditions for them later during the day.
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Aw, I hope there's drying conditions for them later during the day.
The American analogy which immediately occurred to me was that the second jackdaw struggling to keep on course in the higher up gusty wind had absorbed US Marine Corps drill training ('Full Metal Jacket', 'An Officer and a Gentleman', etc.) singing out to make its arduous task seem less formidable!!
November 24, 2025 at 8:47 AM
The American analogy which immediately occurred to me was that the second jackdaw struggling to keep on course in the higher up gusty wind had absorbed US Marine Corps drill training ('Full Metal Jacket', 'An Officer and a Gentleman', etc.) singing out to make its arduous task seem less formidable!!
Carrion crow on the prominent TV aerial on the house opposite FBOMD, cawed loudly and flew off away from me. At 7.08am it was still too dark to see the crow in detail and whether or not an individual I recognise.
November 24, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Carrion crow on the prominent TV aerial on the house opposite FBOMD, cawed loudly and flew off away from me. At 7.08am it was still too dark to see the crow in detail and whether or not an individual I recognise.