Favourite Birds

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Talking to various people its amazing to hear the differing opinions on birds, some people love one type while others aren't fussed. Was thinking of my favourate species of Birds, the ones i just love to see and hear and came up with the following

B.O.P - Sparrowhawk, Amazing to watch them hunt
Small Bird - Bullfinch, Lovely colours on such a secretive bird
Large Bird - Magpie, Intellegent and always looking for trouble
Song - Song Thrush, Such great variety in the noises they make


Whats in everyone elses list?

[Tornado]

My favourites are as follows


B.O.P. Red Kite: fantastic looking bird with such a striking eye.
Large Bird. Jay: Sounds noisy and boistrous but really is quite shy (just like me)
Small Bird. Wren: Quick and quirky tiny but very loud!
Song. Blackbird: The soothing melodious sound of summer.
Tornado

[canonman]

Hi
I'm in the second group of people, I like all birds, each one has something special, I’m always amazed at some of their antics
Mick

[jezlee]

Interesting idea, this .... let me think ....


Bird of Prey:
I haven't seen that many BOP in the wild ... Red Kite, Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk .... but I have to admit a sneaking admiration for Falco tinnunculus, aka the Kestrel, as he/she hovers in the wind, head down, watching intently, waiting for the right moment to swoop .... and, of course, the Kestrel is one bird who has adapted to creeping urbanisation and the building of so many new roads - how often do you travel far down A Roads or Motorways these days without seeing a Kestrel hovering over the vegetation at the side of the road?

Big Bird:
More difficult this - most of the big birds I see regularly (Wood Pigeon, Crow, Rook, Magpie) I don't really have feelings one way or the other, then suddenly I thought of another big bird, much maligned by gardeners/fish keepers/fish farmers etc, but one I have to admire not only for its plumage, but for the way it glides stealthily through water on its long legs, or stands motionless in the reeds at the edge of the lake before striking in a moment with its long, dagger-like beak .... of course I am talking about Ardea cinerea, the Grey Heron ....

Little Bird:
Like Tornado, I have to admit having a soft spot for little Jenny Wren .... as he says, such a little bird, but such a loud voice! But, on freflection, I think I would have to plump for my little red-breasted friend that comes and perches on the arm of my garden chair if I have mealworms available ... Erithacus rubecula, Mr Cheeky himself, the Robin ....

Song:
No question here, as Tornado says .... the sound of warm summer evenings for me, and I suggest a lot of other people too .... I give you the beautiful, melodic, dulcit tones of your friend and mine, Turdus merula, aka the Blackbird ....

[Gill Catton]

Hmmmm this is a tricky one and changes regulalry but at the moment........

BOP: Stella's Sea Eagle - never seen one but would love too. But it's obviously not British so ummm Barn Owl for their gorgeous soft feathers and unearthly noises in the night that make my hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

small bird: Difficult.... Um I do like bullfinches a lot too but I think it's spotted flycatcher at the moment for being pale and unoticed until swooping acrobatically out in front of you before vanishing again a moment later!

Large Bird: Again I do like magpies a lot, have always dreamed of seeing a harlequin duck but again not British but as ducks overall are my favourite birds, I think Teal - although are they really that large? Just for being so cute and having a call I can recognise at some distance!! Oh or Avocet??

Song: Currently NIghjar again for it's nocturnal unearthly sound. Or Curlew for that beautiful piping. Or NIghtingale for making me want to set up camp all night under it's favourite singing tree.


Too hard I tell you!!!

[Alan]

I’m not sure I can answer the question because my mind can change from day to day, depending on the species I’ve encountered lately.

But if you go by seasons, some of mine would be as follows:

Spring - the sight and sound of the Cuckoo, one of the signs of the turn of the year. The Wren and it’s far carrying voice.

Summer - the Swift, memories of summer evenings spent looking up and listening to them screaming about! The sound of the Skylark as it hovers over the summer meadows.The sight of the Barn Owl floating accross the misty dawn fields.

Autumn – the arrival of the migrants such as large flocks of Golden Plover or Black-tailed Godwit as they gather on local estuaries preparing for the coming winter.

Winter – the experience of seeing Ptarmigan on a snow covered Scottish mountainside. A Golden Eagle skimming a mountain ridge. Large flocks of Starlings as they weave about ready to go to roost.

Great stuff!

[Gill Catton]

clearly cheating though . That's clearly your favourite avian seasonal moments rather than you fav birds......
what are you going to do now when the 'what are your favourite season moments thread comes along eh?

[kite1035]

Here are my favourite list


Bird of Prey – Red Kite for my money the best bird of prey we have

Large Bird – Jay the best of the crow family

Small Bird – Firecrest smart looking bird

Song Bird – Nightingale takes some beating


Kite1035

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

clearly cheating though . That's clearly your favourite avian seasonal moments rather than you fav birds......
what are you going to do now when the 'what are your favourite season moments thread comes along eh?

What's the difference?

The atmospheric moment the bird conjures up, is just as important to me as the bird itself. To take the bird out of context of it's environment or season is like caging it to me!

I guess I'm just too deep sometimes

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by Alan

What's the difference?

The atmospheric moment the bird conjures up, is just as important to me as the bird itself. To take the bird out of context of it's environment or season is like caging it to me!

I guess I'm just too deep sometimes

Don't tempt us ....

[Wild-Woman]

It's difficult when all brilliant. So think mine would be...

BOP-Perregrine falcon
Large bird-heron
Small bird-siskin
Song bird-nightingale

[Nicola Main]

My favourites are:

BOP = Golden Eagle. Just for its sheer mastery of the air and wildness. Everytime I think of Golden Eagle I think of Scotland

Large Bird = Mute Swan. Majesty and elegance combined with sheer power. A glorious bird!

Small Bird = Swift. Always makes me think of summer and I love to watch them chasing each other and screaming around the houses where I live.

Song Bird = Probably the Robin. I love listening to him at the bottom of the garden in spring claiming his territory.

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Everybody keeps on throwing other birds i love into the mixer forgot how wonderful the Nightgale song is and how much i love watching Siskin on the Alders during the winter think i'll stick to my original choices though

[Wolfhill]

BOP-Osprey as I think they are amazing to watch hunt on the lochs.

Small Bird-Tree Sparrow as I have a colony living in my garden, they are a pleasure to watch, plus they are quite rare now-a-days....

Large bird-Red Grouse/Ptarmigan can't choose between the two, as they are both beautiful birds these are my two overall favourites. Not sure if they count as large birds though I'd probably call them middle sized lol.

Song-Again can't choose between the Red grouse or Ptarmigan both have facinating calls espeacially the Ptarmigan!!
Fergus

[Mark43]

All Raptors for me

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Mark43

All Raptors for me

Ok then favourite large raptor, favourite small raptor and favourite raptor call.......

[Mark43]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Ok then favourite large raptor, favourite small raptor and favourite raptor call.......

Golden Eagle,Kestrel,Marsh Harrier

[Gill Catton]

I think I like the call of the red kite. So distinctive

[hobie]

Favourite BOP Kestrel magic in a hover

Small Bird Blue Tit

Large Bird Heron (unless it is attacking my fish pond then it is the biggest criminal on earth):

Song Again the Blackbird especially the one who sits on the telegraph pole by my front gate. It has ends each series of song with a wolf whistle !! It is about the only thing that does wolf whistle me these days lol

[Ollie]

Favourite BOP has to be the Marsh Harrier, I can still remember the thrill of my first sighting of one at Blacktoft Sands RSPB reserve.

Small bird has to be the Yellowhammer for me with it's little bit of bread and no cheese song.

Large bird, the Grey Heron, so gracefull in flight for a large bird I think.

Favourite song bird, the Song thrush for me every time.
Roger

[Jonny]

Bop..........Got to be the buzzard for me, soaring on the thermals, and for me the best looker.
Large bird..........Hmmmmm, I would like to say raven, but I don't know much about them, love to watch the common terns fishing, love the sight and sounds of a large rookery, admire jackdaws, for being able to get in and out of a nest 6 foot down a chimney, but I think I am going to have to go for the jackdaw, very clever birds.
Small bird..........Easy one, the long tailed tit, just gorgeous, and those nests......
Song bird...........Think its got to be the robin, hearing it singing away in the middle of the night is something special and slighly weird...................Jon

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Jonny

Bop..........Got to be the buzzard for me, soaring on the thermals, and for me the best looker.
Large bird..........Hmmmmm, I would like to say raven, but I don't know much about them, love to watch the common terns fishing, love the sight and sounds of a large rookery, admire jackdaws, for being able to get in and out of a nest 6 foot down a chimney, but I think I am going to have to go for the jackdaw, very clever birds.
Small bird..........Easy one, the long tailed tit, just gorgeous, and those nests......
Song bird...........Think its got to be the robin, hearing it singing away in the middle of the night is something special and slighly weird...................Jon

Ooooh yes Ravens I'd forgotten about them, that fantastic, far-carrying, harsh bark and I'll never forget driving around forest tracks in south wales and truning a corner to be faced with a towering flock of them all paired up and apparently displaying as the pairs would fly up and then spiral tumbling down together, it was absolutely amazing and they have the whole mystical thing too. Ace bird better than Teal though? Not too sure he he.
Did you know jackdaws can be taught to talk? I met one that said hello once at a sanctuary I was rather stopped in my tracks!!!

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Ooooh yes Ravens I'd forgotten about them, that fantastic, far-carrying, harsh bark and I'll never forget driving around forest tracks in south wales and truning a corner to be faced with a towering flock of them all paired up and apparently displaying as the pairs would fly up and then spiral tumbling down together, it was absolutely amazing and they have the whole mystical thing too. Ace bird better than Teal though? Not too sure he he.
Did you know jackdaws can be taught to talk? I met one that said hello once at a sanctuary I was rather stopped in my tracks!!!

Lol..........I didn't know that about jackdaws, but it doesn't surprise me. I would love to see ravens in the wild and study them. I think your right about the mystical thing, there is a good kids programme on at the mo called raven, with a raven that turns into a man with a great accent. The stranglers had an album called raven.
Teal are a good bird, best duck, I love to watch them fly, you can tell they are teal from a long way off.
I forgot about the barn owl though and am wondering which bop I prefer, I think it would be the silent hunting barn owl, always an experience to see..............Jon

[Alan]

Ah the old mystical thing eh!

So I'm not the only deep one after all

[Boddie]

I like puffins. Always have.

I think they are cool and I particularly like their beaks