Bird of the day!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

Do you know, that is what I thought. But there seemed to be a couple of more experienced birders there who were insistent that it was a Tawny. Actually, in some ways I'm even more chuffed that I got a close-up of an SEO (well, relatively close up). Thanks for the clarification Guy.

Matt

There's an awful lot of bluffing in birding Clearly a SEO and yes you should be very excited at the shot I have easily seen ten times (if not more) as many tawnies as short ears.

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

There's an awful lot of bluffing in birding

I'll bear that in mind Gill in the future. I have very little experience of IDing owls so had little confidence in my own ID, but something told me it wasn't a Tawny.

Matt

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Oscar2006

Maybe we did avoid you!
We certainly noticed the large group, "it" was wandering back towards the centre as we were heading out to see the sea and seawatch you see.
Were you the ugly one in the blue hat or the skinny one with green wellies?
Hope you had as much of a great day as we did.
Boddie and Fourwings took some great images to remember some of the more interesting moments by.
Just did not manage to get an image of "the triangle's" speciality! - a no show for us again!

No hat or green wellies, but yes a good day, though fresher on the beach than I was expecting- no skinnydipping! Sea was a bit disappointing-just handful of Goldeneye + R.b Merganser with 1 Eider in flight, but great to see the numbers of birds on the reserve- thousands of Golden Plover + Lapwing wheeling around. Guess I'll have to get a WAB badge.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I'll bear that in mind Gill in the future. I have very little experience of IDing owls so had little confidence in my own ID, but something told me it wasn't a Tawny.

Matt

There's also quite a few birders who do a good line in incredulity - for example that you didn't know that they only get black tailed godwits at that side of the cove not bar-tailed.....

Or how could you possibly /not know that some swallows over-winter in Spain / have missed the peregrine that whizzed accross the horizon / not see the tiny jack snipe in the reeds perfectly still and perfectly camoflaged .... etc... etc..

They might be a minority but they are the reason I rarely hang out with serious groups of birders!!!

[vinnychameleon]

It might be an LSW as i heard one calling and drumming and then saw a small bird hop up a branch. It flew off before i could tell whether it was an LSW or not . Anyway i definetely heard one calling and drumming today so that is my bird of the day. Followed second by a treecreeper.

[GuyF]

Today mine is a Stock Dove. One flew in over the garden but then decided not to land. I used to have a pair that were regular visitors to the feeders so hopefully they will rediscover the garden and start visiting again. If they do I should get some photos to show you.
Guy

[Garden Carpet]

I have had a good bird day.. this morning a Little Egret on the back road. A mixed flock of Oystercatcher, Curlew and one I couldnt make out as we passed on the river bank. This afternoon my possible first sighting of a Goldcrest... only saw it flash across in front of the car but it certainly had a bright yellow flash on the head. Took my friend back to her place, pulled up at her gates and infront of us in the trees was a female SparrowHawk!! One my way home I saw something on the road and it was a grey squirrel who moved off and sat by the tree.. about five feet from me...we watched each other for about three minutes before I wound down the window and he decided that was enough. I bet you know what I am going to say next. No Camera!!! I will carry it for weeks on end and not see anything.. but each time I leave it behind I have sightings galore!
Happy day
jaki

[colincurry]

I was biking back from the shops today when I saw a raptor overhead. I tuned into my road and stopped to get a better look. I followed it along the road when it flew close to a large ash tree on my right. It spooked a collared dove roosting in the tree and in the space of 50 yards had overhauled the dove and took it to ground behind a 20 foot fir hedge. I identified the raptor as a female sparrowhawk by its stature and demeanour. Is it a universal fact that females are larger and more aggressive than males?

Colin

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by colincurry

I was biking back from the shops today when I saw a raptor overhead. I tuned into my road and stopped to get a better look. I followed it along the road when it flew close to a large ash tree on my right. It spooked a collared dove roosting in the tree and in the space of 50 yards had overhauled the dove and took it to ground behind a 20 foot fir hedge. I identified the raptor as a female sparrowhawk by its stature and demeanour. Is it a universal fact that females are larger and more aggressive than males?

Colin

The male is considerably smaller than the female, also a different colour, with blue-grey back whilst the female is grey-brown..here's a female I took yesterday, from our bedroom window.

[PMG]

Is it a universal fact that females are larger and more aggressive than males?

This is also true of sparrowhawks . . . !Oh - you WERE talking about sparrowhawks then!

Sorry just couldn't resist...........

Pauline