#icterine warbler

[besidethepath]

The Icterine Warbler is back from its wintering grounds in southern Africa and, after its long journey, is once again singing its astonishing songs here. And successfully hiding from photographers ;-)

[birdstudies]

August 4, 2021 - Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina)

Breeding in much of northern and eastern Europe and wintering in Africa south of the equator, these warblers live in forests, gardens, and parks. They eat insects and other invertebrates, along with some fruit and berries in the late summer. Breeding between late May and July, they build cup-shaped nests from grass, plant stems, moss, twigs, bark, lichen, flowers, spiderwebs and other materials in forked branches of trees or bushes.

[besidethepath]

The weather was terrible today. On a short bike ride, I met a wonderful little singer — a Icterine Warbler. It was worth getting completely soaked.

[ifelten]

Gulbug (Hippolais icterina)

Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina)

[madmelon]

zaganiacz by Lena Hadder Via Flickr: Hippolais icterina

[covergap]

Icterine warbler (Hippolais icterina) by eskorantanen

New Post has been published on http://www.covergap.com/icterine-warbler-hippolais-icterina-by-eskorantanen/

Icterine warbler (Hippolais icterina) by eskorantanen

[parus-caeruleus]

Icterine warbler in our garden. Warblers are tricky. Some of them are very similar to each other and it's not easy to recognize them on the spot especially when they move.

Also cetti's warblers come sometimes. But they are too quick and stay just few seconds so we haven't managed to take close pictures of them yet. But what we have done was photographing this little bird. About who it was we're not sure. It can be cetti's warbler but pictures aren't clear enough to be certain.

Firstly we thought it could be nightingale. Though now it's almost obvious that it is not here's the article about decreasing number of nightingales in the UK which is surely depressive: Nightingales don't have much to sing about. Well, the problem is I think that decreasing number of species on our planet are impossible to stop. However, ornithologists and nature protectors do their best. It's not easy since they face an absolute indifference every day and even hostility sometimes. People are not afraid of birds and animals die, they're only afraid (and I'd like to underline it) because of what other people may say or what they may not like. Some selfish bastards aren't even interested in their own children push the world to being deserted but they don't care.

Look at the situation we're in. We temporarily live in a different city. As it's winter we put bird feeder in the garden. One freaky women in all the 5-storeys building doesn't like it. As she mentioned dozen of excuses for her strongly dislike - all unreasonable and even funny - we've understood that she just doesn't like it as she hasn't got used to it and isn't going, too. We've been fighting hard. Though public opinion is on our side as people like that feeder, we haven't win because she's against it. She's against it and all the people in all the building prefer to put up with it because they're to afraid and too respect their still lives to ruin them discussing things over. Here's an example of how to survive in our beautiful world - be bastard on the very basic level. Be bad - people won't disturb you ever. They'll feel disappointed because of your behaviour but will never say a word to you, they're afraid. 

Indifference really kills. Planet may be in danger, stray cats may day in your yard, birds may freeze during winters, children in different parts of the world may starve and it will continue forever because PEOPLE DON'T CARE AND TOO AFRAID TO CARE AS THEY'RE AFRAID OF OTHER PEOPLE. That's all, I think. Dixi, as it were.

[parus-caeruleus]

What we've done so far without a camera:

1. We've met three hedgehogs one by one during 2-3 hours. We gave one of them some cat food we always keep with us for a stray cats and it picked one kibble but wasn't impressed when tried. I was upset that we didn't have milk with us but later I found that milk isn't good for hedgehogs (and kittens) as may cause diarrhoea.

2. Another beech marten ran across the road one summer evening - and I'm pretty sure it was as fast as rabbit or hare.

3. Small bird which species I struggled to recognize was chirping above our heads in tree branches. Maybe, it was icterine warbler or green warbler or some warbler because of a great similarity (birds guide book pictures), but I'm not sure.

4. Young blackbirds (greyish with yellow beaks) were jumping during ten minutes or so on the tree in our yard.

5. Young yellow-legged gull (read: not yellow-legged, with grey beak, legs, and many gray spots on the body; here's an example) flew above our heads while we were swimming. The wind was intense, but it manoeuvred anyway, of course. Gracious and strong bird, though noisy and sneaky (another example). But that sneakiness makes them human-like, isn't it? I'm captivated by the way yellow-legged gulls think up something new to steal some food.

6. Met black-headed gull at least. We wondered for some time - if those we'd met so far were yellow-legged, how black-headed looked like? Now we know and we're going to take some pictures of it (them) as soon as we can.

7. Few robins came in a garden. But covered by tree branches and quick, they haven't given us a chance to take a photo. They sang amazingly, though it was just a call sound, check, repeated. I want to hear their described as "especially melodic" in a birds guide book song now.