Bird of the day!

[bornwild]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

well yesterday we went to rspb old moor, which has left me convinced that bull finches have some form of cloaking device which stops my camera from focussing corretly. i managed to get 15 slightly out of focus shots of em.
but we did see 3 at least, one very brightly coloured male, one slightly less strikingly marked and what i assume was a juvenile as it had very muted colours compared with the others. all of them on the feeders at the visitor center. i'm happy though as i'd only managed to see 2 of them before in me life.
we also saw a marsh harrier rise up on the thermals before heading off to the west which gave us a very good view.

then today we went back to malham cove, started the day off watching one of the juvenile peregrines just mooching about on one of the ledges, with one of the adults partly hidden by a tree. but we had a good hour and half watching the 2 of them sat preening and enjoying the view. then just before we packed up an adult and 2 juvenile green woodpeckers appeared up the hill behind us, so we spent a good 5 minutes watching the adult as it moved about searching for food.

What he said as i was also there

[Deer Stalker]

Juvenile Buzzard calling for food & Bullfinches from the Forest today.

[smartie]

Two tree pipits that have suddenly turned up in the garden. We've never had them here before, feeding from the bird table.

[ashley0109]

this morning on my way home frome work i decided to take a detoure through the woods near my house and as i was riding up the path a green woodpecker appeared from the bushes in front of me i stood and watched him for 5 mins before he took of to the trees

ashley

[captaincarot]

well we've all seen kestrels hovering then dropping a little then hovering and dropping a little only to fly off some where else, but today while driving round the m60 i actually saw one hit the ground and presumably make a kill, at the last fraction of a second before it touched down it jabbed it's legs downwards to the ground as if pouncing, then stood over something. couldn't see what it got but it's the first time i've ever seen one actually do this.

[Bwrack]

My bird of the day today...a turtle dove at Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey
great markings...a good spot because I think they are about to go to Africa

[EyeSpy]

The first Goldfinch I have ever seen in my garden! Lovely little bird, hope to see it again soon. It was loving the thistle seeds.

[tombom]

A Tree Sparrow sitting on one of the seed feeders and fighting off House Sparrows trying to force it off. First time I've seen one, hope it sticks around!

[blacknest]

Some hyperbolic poet once said (words to the effect of) "A Man who has never seen a flock of goldfinches feeding on thistledown has not truly lived" ...can't find the actual quote anywhere.
Never mind...I've definitely lived because this morning I saw the biggest flock of goldfinches I've ever witnessed (70 or more) all tightly packed and really excitedly twittering as they swooped down on the waste ground opposite my house. Right now it's a sea of thistledown...so it's golfdfinch heaven.

[Phoebe]

Driving home I saw a Little Owl sitting on a telegraph pole in my lane, the first one I've seen in the wild