Birds ...and sometimes other pictures

At this time of the year you sometimes feel like all the song birds have vanished, but they are still there, but they are molting which costs a lot of energy, so they don't sing and rather hide away. You rarely see them, but when you do, you can see that it is a hard time for them - just look at this chiffchaff.

Fully concentrated - this female shrike is on the hunt as there are still youngsters to be fed.

Unhappy baby crow. Mum and dad just walked by and ignored the baby that wanted a snack. Life is not easy growing up.

I think the little ringed plovers in the moor might have been breeding successfully this year as this looks very much like a youngster.

A buzzard in a relaxed state on a fence post.

Today I had an unusual encounter. This little piece of green is usually occupied by two pairs, one pair has two chicks this year, and I always stop by when I am in the area. But today the usual pairs where not there, instead there was a rather large murder of around 40 crows. This is a bachelor flock, but what is highly unusual is the fact that nearly all of these crow seemed to be birds that hatched this year, which you can tell by the look of them - some still had a bit of a baby beak, the eyes still were a bit gray, all where in molt but you could still see lots of brown baby feather. Since it is only the beginning of August, it is really exceptional to see so many youngsters in a bachelor murder. The chicks of this year will usually stay with their parents until the next nesting season starts next spring, some will leave in the winter. So I wonder whether these youngsters have already left their parents territory for good or if they only come together for some adventures. There are some youngsters from my neighborhood pairs that I haven't seen for while, maybe they were in this flock. Some of these crows were rather comfortable with my presence and came quite close like they knew me.

Beak inspection by mother crow.

And here is the second video of this huge flock of starlings - a true murmuration of starlings.

Another video from sunrise in the moor - you have to wait for the end, I was so shocked, I accidentally stop the video a bit too early, so I will post the second one in another post.

This is the sound of cranes in the morning when they leave their roosting place in the moor.

Crows are real sun worshippers. And since birds cannot sweat they open their beak to handle the heat.

Another Savi's warbler trilling his song in the sedges.

The molt hits all birds, like this reed bunting who looks a bit tattered and has lost quite a lot of feathers on his head.

Backlit bluethroat.

Crow dad was just enjoying the sun (yes, in the sun melting crow are actually just sunbathing) when one of the youngsters showed up and ask for some preening in the sun and dad being a good parent did just that.

Hungryyyyy!