Bird of the day! - Page 3

badgerwatcher · #51 (**permalink**) 26-01-2007, 11:59 PM

Ah, Graham! He looks really fed up that you've got him at last. He was obviously enjoying the game!

My bird today was a beautiful song thrush, who sat on the bush outside my study and sang to me, and then sat on the edge of the new birdbath, and had a drink while watching me through the window. So pretty, and new looking.

Mandy · #52 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 12:10 AM

My birds of the day were siskins, another first for me, about 20 or so seen over a couple of hours.

badgerwatcher · #53 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 12:20 AM

That's lovely Mandy.Do they eat alder seeds? I've never seen a siskin to my knowledge.

Mandy · #54 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

That's lovely Mandy.Do they eat alder seeds? I've never seen a siskin to my knowledge.

Hi yes they seem to enjoy them! I was aware that they are often seen with Redpolls and Goldfinches in alder trees, I saw redpolls and goldies the other day on the trees so went back today and was delighted to see the Siskins - beautiful little birds and really quite vocal

Mandy

badgerwatcher · #55 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 11:07 AM

Oh, that's great, Mandy. I'll get myself an alder tree. They are lovely trees altogether, aren't they, with their 'mock' catkins and 'mock' cones. I love their silhouette against the dusk sky.

Garden Carpet · #56 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 12:08 PM

I cant make up my mind on this today.. it could be the female Sparrow Hawk sitting on a post at the side of the road... or it could be the wren which appeared right infront of me while I was doing the garden bird count. Either one is special.
jaki

wyevilla · #57 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 02:17 PM

Mine is the Male blackcap pulling off ripe ivy berries (black) and swallowing them hole. Shame he didn't turn up in during the RSPB hour. Typical!

aeshna5 · #58 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 03:16 PM

My bird of the day is also a Blackcap- a female in a shrub by one of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens, my first of the year.

Runners up at same place was the flock of 60+ Redwing feeding on berries (seen so few this winter it was good to connect with a good flock again) + the 10 Golden Pheasants that were chasing each other + displaying in the wood.

badgerwatcher · #59 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 05:26 PM

That would be a great day for most of us, Aeshna 5!

I've seen no redwings this year!

colincurry · #60 (**permalink**) 27-01-2007, 07:00 PM

I went for walk near the village this afternoon as the sun was out and supposed to stay that way. Just as I got my camera out, the sun went in and refused to come out to play. I was looking for a barn owl and decided to persevere. I am so glad that I did. One shot across the farm road in front of me and I managed to get a couple of snaps. He then disappeared up the road, and I followed. When I came round the bend (literally and metaphorically), I saw two barn owls, one of which came towards me patrolling the ditch alongside the road. I took several pics and the sound of the shutter finally caused him to veer away.

I also saw a mistle thrush, herds of yellowhammers and some corn buntings - but there was only one bird of the day. I would hope to post a couple of the pics in the gallery, but haven't had time to look at them on the PC.

Colin

Susie · #61 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colincurry

I went for walk near the village this afternoon as the sun was out and supposed to stay that way. Just as I got my camera out, the sun went in and refused to come out to play. I was looking for a barn owl and decided to persevere. I am so glad that I did. One shot across the farm road in front of me and I managed to get a couple of snaps. He then disappeared up the road, and I followed. When I came round the bend (literally and metaphorically), I saw two barn owls, one of which came towards me patrolling the ditch alongside the road. I took several pics and the sound of the shutter finally caused him to veer away.

I also saw a mistle thrush, herds of yellowhammers and some corn buntings - but there was only one bird of the day. I would hope to post a couple of the pics in the gallery, but haven't had time to look at them on the PC.

Colin

Wow - well I can't top that.

My bird of the day is the goldfinch as I have had the first ones in the garden today since moving here.

Chris Hawes · #62 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

Wow - well I can't top that.

My bird of the day is the goldfinch as I have had the first ones in the garden today since moving here.

My bird of today is the goldcrest. Before today I had seen a grand total of 2 of these little birds in my whole life. Today, on Frensham Common in Surrey, I must have seen 20-25!

What surprised me most was that most of these were in small groups of roughly half a dozen birds. I had thought they were mainly solitary, but these were moving in small groups from tree to tree, in the same way that groups of long-tailed tits move about. No chance of a phgoto though - they were much too quick for me!

Susie · #63 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 05:12 PM

That's lovely. I've never seen more than a couple together at the same time. It must have been a lovely sight.

vinnychameleon · #64 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 05:37 PM

Mine are out of the Great crested Grebes I got some pics of or the Kestrel that sat in my tree for the hour while I did the RSPB birdwatch and then procceded to eat a mouse in my Walnut tree.

Susie · #65 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 05:43 PM

I love watching Great Crested Grebes when they do their courtship dance.

badgerwatcher · #66 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 08:49 AM

Oh, so do I, Susie. Aren't they amazing?

Susie · #67 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 12:03 PM

They really are.

I don't know where to start today! I had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours at Warnham Nature Reserve and saw loads of birds. There were a few that stuck in my mind though; there was a nutty nuthatch that thought he ruled the feeders and was giving all the other birds a hard time. There were stacks of Reed Buntings (making me think of the Sparrows at the Masked Ball reference and Eeyore's smashing photo). I had super views of Teal. But the two main highlights were both new to me if they were what I think they were. One was a female Yellowhammer, and the other was a male Tree Sparrow.

Anyway, a smashing morning and it gave me a real buzz.

P.S. Oh, and the reeds were full of female Partridge, what were they doing there?

davewalker · #68 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 05:41 PM

That's what you call a day out,relaxing and suprising.

My bird today is a Meadow Pipit that has visited the garden for several years, and defies all my attempts to get a good photo,he moves so quickly.

davew

aeshna5 · #69 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 06:11 PM

Dave, that is an unusual garden visitor- is your garden very open or by fields?

My bird of the day was probably the male Kestrel sat on the top of an oak with 6 Greenfinches sat behind him, a few feet apart. There was also a male Chaffinch perched just below him + a couple of times flew up + made a couple of feeble attempts to mob the Kestrel, which seemed totally oblivious to these efforts!

This was on Hounslow Heath on flight path into Heathrow, but was amazed to hear no less than 10 singing Song Thrushes, so good to see them doing so well here. Yes they're thiving with Sparrowhawk, c20 Magpies + c10 Jays all seen as well. If you have good habitat the songbirds thrive.

Susie · #70 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Dave, that is an unusual garden visitor- is your garden very open or by fields?

My bird of the day was probably the male Kestrel sat on the top of an oak with 6 Greenfinches sat behind him, a few feet apart. There was also a male Chaffinch perched just below him + a couple of times flew up + made a couple of feeble attempts to mob the Kestrel, which seemed totally oblivious to these efforts!

This was on Hounslow Heath on flight path into Heathrow, but was amazed to hear no less than 10 singing Song Thrushes, so good to see them doing so well here. Yes they're thiving with Sparrowhawk, c20 Magpies + c10 Jays all seen as well. If you have good habitat the songbirds thrive.

Surprised you could hear anything on Hounslow Heath apart from jumbos!

aeshna5 · #71 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

Surprised you could hear anything on Hounslow Heath apart from jumbos!

It can be a problem Susie- it seemed a lot worse at top end of site, less of a problem by the railway. Fortunately Song Thrushes know how to sing loud. It is frustrating when you go in the spring + you're trying to pick out all the different warblers singing. You just tune into a sound + then there's this almighty deafening roar. Fortunately people can't hear me swearing when this happens!

Wild-Woman · #72 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 07:36 PM

My bird of the day has to be a little blue tit that was on a feeder in the school grounds.It was keeping me awake as I sat in on a SDD (staff development day) training session.
My eyes are hurting now from looking sideways watching it and keeping my head forward so it looked like I was paying attention.

eeyore · #73 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 08:21 PM

my bird of the day would be a buzzard - as i was driving over compton down towing a stolen car (long story -

) one shot over closely mobbed by about 40 crows

davewalker · #74 (**permalink**) 29-01-2007, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Dave, that is an unusual garden visitor- is your garden very open or by fields?

My bird of the day was probably the male Kestrel sat on the top of an oak with 6 Greenfinches sat behind him, a few feet apart. There was also a male Chaffinch perched just below him + a couple of times flew up + made a couple of feeble attempts to mob the Kestrel, which seemed totally oblivious to these efforts!

This was on Hounslow Heath on flight path into Heathrow, but was amazed to hear no less than 10 singing Song Thrushes, so good to see them doing so well here. Yes they're thiving with Sparrowhawk, c20 Magpies + c10 Jays all seen as well. If you have good habitat the songbirds thrive.

we have fields behind us, and an old orchard.Have been very suprised that a) he came b) he keeps coming back.I have to suppose it is the same one,as I have only ever seen him on his own,

davew

Susie · #75 (**permalink**) 30-01-2007, 11:51 AM

I had another great couple of hours at Warnham today and saw lots of wonderful birds - but my highlight was a pair of tree creepers. I have only seen tree creepers twice before.