Bird of the day!

[clare]

Today's bird was a male sparrowhawk. It flew in this morning and sat on top of the bird table which is about ten feet from the window. I often see one flying past but never this close.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by clare

Didn't realise they're such a rarity.

I don't think they are particularly rare although I don't see them that often in my garden. I think they're just a bit less obvious than the wood pigeons.

Dave P.

[Sherlock]

Bird of the day - I can not decide so -

it could have been

the two "cronking" Ravens circling above the Tor in Westward Ho! North Devon,

perhaps the Redwings as close as 4 metres away

the Golden Plover 5 metres away

the Lapwing 7 metres away

the Fieldfare 15 metres away

the Curlews flying low overhead about 25 metres away

the Rook 6 metres away

the Meadow Pipits at 4 metres

the Dunnocks at 3 metres

the Wren at 3 metres

a fantastic day here at Ho! and some of the birds were too close to focus a monocular on -

does the cold weather make birds less prone to fly further away?

[Jason Claxton]

A male Blackcap in the garden today.

[aeshna5]

I should have been going to Norfolk today but trip cancelled due to the weather, so instead had a stunning day's birding close to the centre of London at the London Wetland Centre.

Redwings + Fieldfares flying around + quite a few of the former feeding on site. Lots of Goldfinches in the alders, but c20 Redpolls feeding in the birches at close quarters was a fine spectacle- down to 3/4 metres!

A Bittern looked in good nick as it fed in the open in a patch of open water by one of the islands. 6 bitterns had been present earlier in the week + at least 2 today. By the same island was a sleeping Jack Snipe + quite a few of its commoner cousins. There had been a Woodcock but I missed that!

Water Rails were heard squealing + 1 ran out almost from our feet. Kestrel + Sparrowhawk were both antagonised by the local Crows.

Some great birds but the star will have to go to Cetti's Warbler. I saw 2 , but 1 gave me my best ever views as it flew towards us, sat perched in a small sallow looking at us like a Robin would, before dropping into some Typha, still showing + smashing some stems for grubs. Amazing views for several minutes looking just like it does in the field guides. Normally I'm lucky if I see fleeting glimpses of this normally elusive species. It was looking in good condition, so hopefully will survive the polar weather!

[Gaina]

About half a dozen lapwings flew over my house, heading west. I was reading on the 'Autumn Watch' blog that they head west when it gets too cold, and I live in the west if England so I wonder where they are heading and what they are flying away from!

[moonpenny01]

The female Great Spotted Woodpecker returned and finally have a photo!

[LynM]

MY Fieldfare! From the flock that has been around for three days now, one has decided to make my front garden his feeding space. For much of the day he has been feeding on a diet of apples and pears, repelling all comers including my Blackbirds and the Pied Wagtail that has been bullying the smaller birds. I hope he comes back tomorrow, I stocked up on fruit for him today.

[Foz]

A bittern! 100yds away walking across a frozen pond.
I see them (or part of them, usually the head) most winters, but this one strutted across the ice in front of me!
Having a major problem with Gallery uploads so cannot post any pics

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

I stopped at a layby on the A14 just outside Huntingdon about 9.30 this morning (I was way early for an appointment, having allowed extra time for the journey because of the bad weather and then finding that the roads were pretty much OK). There were about half a dozen Redwings feeding on berries right in front of my car, with a couple of Fieldfares too. But my BotD was the Carrion Crow that not only ripped through two paper bags to find some scraps of food (using one foot to hold the bags in place) but also somehow managed to open a little sachet of tomato sauce! A very clever bird (but not that clever - it didn't put the sauce on the food and then eat it! )

Lots of people have told me that a car can make a good hide, but this was the first time I'd really experienced it.

Too true, Pete, I once pulled off the road around dusk to make a phonecall & while I was on, a barn owl flew down & sat on the wooden fence only a few feet right in front of me & proceeded to investigate the grassy edge. Mesmerising!