Bird of the day!

[Treehawk]

The only birds I saw today was a Rock Dove . Some people must appreciate the common birds, especially the pigeons, more.

[aeshna5]

Plenty of Green Woodpeckers in Richmond Park today, but I think I'll plump for the Common Tern sitting on a raft with a few Black-headed Gulls.

[Deer Stalker]

Couple of Juvelnile Buzzards calling in the New Forest yesterday morning.

[Stinky Bob]

Kingfisher on his favourite perch by the River Wye near Hole in the Wall

[Sherlock]

Raven observed less than 25 metres away on the Pebble Ridge that borders the blue flag beach at Westward Ho!

[blacknest]

Originally Posted by Stinky Bob

Kingfisher on his favourite perch by the River Wye near Hole in the Wall

Saw one day before yesterday in the centre of Bradford-on-Avon, just by the lovely old bridge.
Many people who I know say they've never seen a kingfisher and are amazed whenever I say I've seen lots
...I tell them that whenever you're by water the secret is to attune your ears to that urgent-sounding "squeak" ...once you get to recognise that sound you find you see lots as they dart by in a flash of blue.

[Stinky Bob]

Originally Posted by blacknest

Saw one day before yesterday in the centre of Bradford-on-Avon, just by the lovely old bridge.
Many people who I know say they've never seen a kingfisher and are amazed whenever I say I've seen lots
...I tell them that whenever you're by water the secret is to attune your ears to that urgent-sounding "squeak" ...once you get to recognise that sound you find you see lots as they dart by in a flash of blue.

I always thought ALan Titchmarsh description of sounding like a bosun whistle to be quite close

[JAYS]

Normally, I understand, a bird of slow and stillwaters, there was a great crested grebe on the Mersey near the middle of Stockport today. It was a juvenile, still showing the stripes on the side of its head and the dark skullcap. I watched it catch and eat what looked like a gudgeon as it swam below the bridge I was standing on. Good to see it there, although I suspect it will soon seek slower waters.

[poohbear]

Originally Posted by JAYS

I don't know whether my birds of the day were rooks or crows. My bird identification is lacking somewhat, and the distance didn't help me much. Near the River Trent, Gunthorpe, there were several hundred of these birds riding a thermal, gradually getting higher and further downstream. Then, suddenly they all individually spiralled quickly down to the ground ( or at least out of my sight). They must have had near closed wings, so quickly did they come down. I have no idea why they did it .
And upstream on the far bank of the river, there were a couple of white, heron like birds in the shallows: egrets?

Those same birds will fly West in what seems a never ending stream to roost in the woods of Wollaton Park (Beautiful Tudor mansion on the outskirts of Nottingham) some 6/7 miles away..They have been seen doing this for many years.In fact the wood in the grounds of the hall has been called crow wood for hundreds of years.Though as has been said these are rooks and jackdaws.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by JAYS

Normally, I understand, a bird of slow and stillwaters, there was a great crested grebe on the Mersey near the middle of Stockport today. It was a juvenile, still showing the stripes on the side of its head and the dark skullcap. I watched it catch and eat what looked like a gudgeon as it swam below the bridge I was standing on. Good to see it there, although I suspect it will soon seek slower waters.

In winter good numbers of Great-crested Grebes are found at sea inshore too.