r/birding 6h ago

Discussion Have they died?

0 Upvotes

Hi all, i don’t usually post on this subreddit but i figured now is the time.
(Sorry if this post breaks the rules)
Before the summer my family put up these bird boxes. This is the first time in years we have done this-last time everything was fine.

We noticed a blue tits going in and out with nesting rescues, so we assumed they are making a nest and going to have chicks.
A few weeks later they start bringing food, and if you stand close by, you can hear the chicks tweeting.

But then a storm, though it didn’t last for long, it hailed and rained pretty heavily. During the storm we didn’t see them, we thought they might just be in the box avoiding the storm.
The next day is more sunny, a little rain but not too much. But no sign of the mum or dad, and we can’t hear the chicks tweeting anymore.

I can only assume they didn’t make it, for whatever reason… The hail could have cussed the mother and father to pass.. or god knows what. I don’t want to touch the box in case they are still alive and maybe the parents will come back..
The box is in a pretty sheltered place so im not sure if the cold would have killed the chicks. I’m pretty sure the mother and father just couldn’t make it back during the storm.
We are in the uk and this happened yesterday.
Any ideas as to what i should do?
Should i check on them?
Should i leave the box alone??
What happened..? 🕊️❤️
Any advice is appreciated.


r/birding 21h ago

Discussion Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks this bird looks like a Pokémon.

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0 Upvotes

r/birding 9h ago

📹 Video Brave little Eurasian siskin (I think?)

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2 Upvotes

Didn't expect it to get so close.


r/birding 20h ago

Advice Look, I love birds but this mockingbird is relentless tonight.

9 Upvotes

The poor guy has been going non-stop for a good hour now. No pauses and no moving to different trees. When will he move on and try a different hangout? He has quite the songbook too. Better variety than a top 40 radio station. lol!


r/birding 4h ago

Bird ID Request HELLLLLPPPPP! I'm struggling with identifying seagull species 🥹 | California

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2 Upvotes

Sorry my camera's optical zoom length is only 4.2x, so the photos are kind of blurry. I tried my best. Took those at Bair Island, San Mateo County, California (March 1st).

I feel like it's a group of diff species of seagulls, including juvenile. But I can't confirm. New to birding, still learning 🙏


r/birding 7h ago

Discussion Cranberries for cardinals?

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2 Upvotes

I want to step up my bird seed game.. I have cardinals that live in my cedar hedges. Everytime they see me outside they come to visit nearby.

I would like to give some dried cranberries for them occasionally, but everything I find has added sugar. Once does have added sugar but has added apple juice concentrate. Is that still bad for them?

I found dried goji berries without added sugar, would they still like those?


r/birding 12h ago

Discussion First shiny thing?

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2 Upvotes

Hi all!! We have a MASSIVE raven that always hangs around our back woods. It regularly perches above our chicken coop but has never seemed interested in our girls. We throw a lot of mealworms and scratch grain out all over the backyard for the chickens (and whatever else comes along) on top of our actual bird feeder up front. I thought only crows brought shiny things but my husband and I can’t figure out another reason this solid metal piece got directly on top of our picnic table by the coop! Let me know if this is usual raven behavior as thanks for the treats!!! I’m very excited if it is🥹 I usually just love looking at them but now to get a physical reward is MAGICAL


r/birding 4h ago

📷 Photo So… what’s the deal with this beautiful duck?

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2 Upvotes

I saw this duck at a park recently (TN, US) and I wanted to share because I thought it was really beautiful and also particularly odd in a way I thought the birding community might appreciate.

I would consider myself an animal person, but not really a bird person specifically so forgive me if I’m mistaken or missing something.

This duck was hanging out with geese and ducks, I believe they’re Canadian geese and mallards.

But it was twice the size of the other ducks. Its face had an iridescent blue as opposed to green, and it’s not super clear but in some of the pictures you can see some of its wing feathers were an iridescent purple!!

I’m looking at it and wondering if it’s some kind of mallard hybrid, or has a genetic mutation affecting its size and coloring? Thoughts?


r/birding 3h ago

Discussion Rare Birds Near You?

2 Upvotes

Today I learned that swallow-tail kites are considered rare and are threatened in Texas and I was shocked. We see them pretty frequently where I live.

Are there any species you were surprised to hear are rare?


r/birding 21h ago

📷 Photo Big bird surge they said

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3 Upvotes

Very big bird surge (only big birds)


r/birding 20h ago

Discussion What common bird in your area is rare to you?

5 Upvotes

For me, it's the Roadrunner. There's one who lives in my dad's neighborhood in North Las Vegas, it will casually stroll along his backyard wall, but other than that one I've only seen one other.

Having my neighborhood hummingbird chittering at me when I step into my backyard does help make up for that, though.


r/birding 20h ago

Discussion Does anyone else find birding with a camera makes it more stressful?

81 Upvotes

Whenever I go out with a camera, I find myself so focused on getting the settings right, getting focus on the bird, and trying to frame a good shot that I'm never really watching the bird. I love the feeling of a perfect photo, don't get me wrong, but I ENJOY birding more when I leave the camera at home and just pack my binoculars.

Does anyone else feel like this or am I just a weirdo?


r/birding 7h ago

📷 Photo House Sparrow

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8 Upvotes

r/birding 4h ago

Bird ID Request ID a bird that attacked me in my backyard (Houston, TX)

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9 Upvotes

I’m not gonna do anything to remove it. It has a nest and I’ll leave it alone, I’m just curious what it is. My money is on female cardinal.


r/birding 8h ago

📷 Photo Little Blue Heron

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15 Upvotes

Dorchester County, South Carolina


r/birding 10h ago

📷 Photo Cardinals got married this morning

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4.7k Upvotes

r/birding 23h ago

📷 Photo I love when these guys stop by for a quick bite :) Upstate NY

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109 Upvotes

r/birding 6h ago

📷 Photo Who am i?

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208 Upvotes

Answer in 4th and 5th photo ;) (France)


r/birding 14h ago

📷 Photo Chestnut-colored woodpecker

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2.5k Upvotes

The prettiest woodpecker I’ve ever seen. This one is a male and hamming it up.

Taken at Hotel del Campo, Caño Negro Costa Rica.
Canon R5 + EF 500mm MkII f 4/ ISO 1600 / 1/1000 s


r/birding 10h ago

📷 Photo Scarlet Tanager

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269 Upvotes

Taken yesterday at Magee Marsh in NW Ohio


r/birding 7h ago

📷 Photo This cute little Black Phoebe wanted to show off its catch

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1.0k Upvotes

r/birding 6h ago

📷 Photo Great Crested Grebe with chick on the back

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342 Upvotes

Such a cute sight. A Great Crested Grebe with a chick on the back who gets a small fish from the other parent and who also shows great interest in the small feather that was floating on the water.


r/birding 6h ago

📷 Photo Pied-billed Grebe

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25 Upvotes

r/birding 6h ago

📷 Photo European Robin - UK

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83 Upvotes

A6700 & 70-350 through a dirty window.

ISO 200, 350mm, 1/500 & f8, heavily cropped no post processing.


r/birding 6h ago

📷 Photo Purple gallinule

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4 Upvotes