Your highlights

FUDGEY · #1 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 06:51 AM

Some of us will be new to bird watching and others will have been at it many years, but we will all have a moment that has stuck in our heads. Mines was when I was out in the middle of a remote loch fishing alone at 6am one Summer morning. The morning was beautiful, not a breathe of wind and the loch was flat calm. There was not a sound to be heard when all of a sudden I heard a whistling noise. I looked up and what I saw will stick in my head forever more. In the distance over head I seen two birds heading towards me at considerable speed. It was a Peregrine in hot pursuit of a Teal Duck. I honestly thought it was coming straight for me and at the last second as the Peregrine was inches away from the Teal it crashed into the water 6ft from my boat and the Falcon just missed the water and swooped back up in the air and flew off. The duck was in a state and I could see the fear in his eye. He swan next to me in the boat for a good hour before he flew away in safety. A thrilling experience. Whats been your high light so far?

Fieldfare95 · #2 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 08:36 AM

Do you know it is only yesterday that I thought of starting a thread of favourite experiences!
Anyway my highlight has got to be when I woke up one morning and my mum said there was a Kestrel in the garden, I went down and underneath the window was a hen merlin sat there eating a starling! Poor thing had crashed into our window whilst being chased.

FUDGEY · #3 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 09:47 AM

Great minds fieldfare ;-) great story & pics! Wow! Only ever seen a handful of merlin. Never that close. Amazing

Fieldfare95 · #4 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

Great minds fieldfare ;-)

Only one I've ever seen.

NJP87 · #5 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 01:40 PM

My best experience so far has to be yesterday when i spotted and photographed my first ever Peregrine.

aeshna5 · #6 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fieldfare95

Do you know it is only yesterday that I thought of starting a thread of favourite experiences!
Anyway my highlight has got to be when I woke up one morning and my mum said there was a Kestrel in the garden, I went down and underneath the window was a hen merlin sat there eating a starling! Poor thing had crashed into our window whilst being chased.

A fabulous garden tick- where abouts are you?

Fieldfare95 · #7 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 04:14 PM

I'm in St Helens, merseyside.

Jim Ford · #8 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 04:32 PM

Lucky sighting - I've never seen one.

I've taken the liberty of 'grabbing' one of your images and adjusting it. The image size and resolution is low, so I couldn't do a great deal with it. I also didn't try to do anything with the window reflection. See what you think:

Jim

bobbarber · #9 (**permalink**) 28-05-2009, 01:41 AM

My unforgettable moment occurred over 60 years ago and did not involve a rare or exotic bird. I was bird watching in my local woods and decided to go to a glade that I knew of to eat my sandwiches and drink my Tyzer. There in front of me were two Green Woodpeckers `anting` in the grass about 4 feet away.They took no notice of me for about 3 minutes and then they flew away. I had seen Woodpeckers before but never as close as that, and as an 8 year old it was a great thrill...Bob

Fieldfare95 · #10 (**permalink**) 28-05-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Lucky sighting - I've never seen one.

I've taken the liberty of 'grabbing' one of your images and adjusting it. The image size and resolution is low, so I couldn't do a great deal with it. I also didn't try to do anything with the window reflection. See what you think:

Jim

Thanks very much, it does look a lot brighter