Birds that take your breath away.

[Wild-Woman]

We've had a lovely weekend in Bedfordshire, near the Chilterns and we've been lucky to see several birds of prey. I can honestly say that the display that one Red Kite did (for our benefit I'm sure) was absolutely breath-taking. I find all birds wonderful, but I think that Red Kites are just fantastic.I stood there for ages watching it and I could have watched it all day.
Have you got a favourite bird that has the same effect on you?

[aeshna5]

I agree with you about Red Kites- I was so pleased last September to find my first London birds- 3 playing over Ruislip Woods with 2 Buzzards + a Sparrrowhawk.

Hobbies + Peregrines have the same effect + despite usually several sightings each week, Sparrowhawks always enthrall me.

[ChrisJB]

What a tough one! Curlews on the local moors in spring do it for me every time and the local swifts over the back garden on a summer's evening are pretty special too. Something a bit more unusual, black grouse in the northern Pennine dales.

Regards, Chris

[nigel_b]

I'm dreadful because they're all my favourites.

A kingfisher sighting really is a special moment.

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

We've had a lovely weekend in Bedfordshire, near the Chilterns and we've been lucky to see several birds of prey. I can honestly say that the display that one Red Kite did (for our benefit I'm sure) was absolutely breath-taking. I find all birds wonderful, but I think that Red Kites are just fantastic.I stood there for ages watching it and I could have watched it all day.
Have you got a favourite bird that has the same effect on you?

It's the Red Kite for me, too. I just love everything about them - their impressive wingspan, their distinctive forked tails, their calls, their colours, their aerobatics. I also love the fact that they are less wary of humans than most raptors, happily flying low over villages and towns. I've often had them fly no more than 20 feet above me, when I've been walking further west in the Chilterns where they are more common. I see them numerous times each time I go for a long walk in that area, but I still get a thrill every time I see them.

[snake]

For me its got to be watching the Hobby chasing dragonflies across the corn fields on a warm summers evening.
A sight you never forget.

[Madonplants]

I think this is a tough one, too. I might say seeing Kingfishers, although BoP do it in general. When I was a kid, I saw a Golden Eagle at London Zoo, while on a school outing and vowed to see one in the wild one day. Two summers ago, that happened, while we were on a holiday in the Scottish Highlands. I had searched the internet for places to go to try and find one before we left. First time, was a magical day, as soon as we got there, we saw the great bird I had been dreaming of seeing in the wild for over 30 years. I won't ever forget that day, as except for three Herring Gulls, every bird was a BoP, from the Eagle, to Buzzards, to Sparrowhawks, to Kestrels to one that surprised me, a Goshawk, which I wasn't expecting. The daft thing though, went back to the same place two days later and all we saw was two Robins, together!

During the same week's holiday, we were driving over to my SiL's, when an Osprey flew so low over our car, if I had had the sun roof open, I think I could have touched it. Why it flew that low over the road, I will never know! I will never forget that experience to the day I die.

[SamR]

I have worked with captive BOP for 5 years and been a practicing austringer for 3, but I still act like a little kid every time I see a wild raptor. There is nothing like watching a wild one do its thing! whether its a kestrel hovering over the motorway or a golden eagle in the scottish highlands you can't beat them. Kingfishers are pretty special, so are the odd rarities knocking about, but watching a wild peregrine falling out of the sky, seemingly faster than the fastest gamehawk you ever saw to get its dinner will always bring a smile to my face!
ATB,
Sam

[Jaeviatrix]

I'd go completely the other way, and suggest goldcrest, just for being such an endearing little thing! It's cryptic movements, its miniscule size, the several seconds thinking "what's that?" before it (hopefully) pauses to give you the view you wanted.
A red kite on the wing is magnificent though. No-one has gone for the Raven though, so agile on the wing and, excuse anthropomorphism, appearing to take such joy in flight!

Hope all is good

[Naturenutz]

the blue flash of a jay always gets a wow out of me.Another that enthrals me is the screaming swifts of summer.