Bird of the day! - Page 60

Pete Collins · #**1476** (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 10:00 AM

That must have been amazing, james! Lucky you! I've had some close sightings of Barn Owls (but not that close!) but I've never been near to a Tawny Owl (though I sometimes hear one in the sycamore tree in the front garden).

On another note, I had Brambling as my 'Bird of the day' about two weeks ago. Since they first appeared in my parents' garden, I've seen them another four or five times.

outdoorguy · #**1477** (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 11:19 AM

there were loads of bramblings at bough beech resoviour last time i went.. flocks of about 30... got some great close up veiws around there feeding station.. i love there colouring.. james

DaiTheDragon · #**1478** (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 12:13 PM

Although I have loads of feeders andgood selection of food the only regular visitars are House Sparrows, Starling, Blackbird. Anyway, I just came home from the dentist, extraction and cap fitted so I am in pain sat down in front of my computer looking out to the garden and I see a bird, realized what it was and run upstairs to get a photo out of the bedroom window.
Two Siskin feeding. A very nice suprise.

Dai.

Gaina · #**1479** (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 01:44 PM

What a lovley treat Dai! I hope your mouth feels better soon

juliejam · #**1480** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 02:39 PM

While coming back from the dog walk this afternoon we made our way though the park and spotted over twenty Redwings walking across the football pitch..

Julie

Reptilian · #**1481** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 04:09 PM

I was at Teifi marshes this morning and managed to see 3 i hadn't seen until today.

Teal, Little Grebe and Curlew. Possibly a forth being Firecrest but the Curlew made my day.

Gill Catton · #**1482** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reptilian

I was at Teifi marshes this morning and managed to see 3 i hadn't seen until today.

Teal, Little Grebe and Curlew. Possibly a forth being Firecrest but the Curlew made my day.

you need to jump up and down a bit in celebration for number 4 - I have only seen about 4 firecrests in my life!

Deer Stalker · #**1483** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 07:04 PM

Doing a conservation task on the Forest today I heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker call & then start drumming. Crossbills also flew over.

John · #**1484** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 10:55 PM

Unfortunately not in the UK but I popped over to France to hopefully see the Wallcreeper that has suddenly appeared just outside of Boulogne.

It took a lot of walking and searching but I got it in the end.

John

Deer Stalker · #**1485** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

Unfortunately not in the UK but I popped over to France to hopefully see the Wallcreeper that has suddenly appeared just outside of Boulogne.

It took a lot of walking and searching but I got it in the end.

John

France is certainly a long way to walk John.

glsammy · #**1486** (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 11:41 PM

Mine today had to be this pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, fighting for access to their food. A rare treat!

rlchew · #**1487** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

Unfortunately not in the UK but I popped over to France to hopefully see the Wallcreeper that has suddenly appeared just outside of Boulogne.

It took a lot of walking and searching but I got it in the end.

John

Well done John!

What a bird! .... you must be so pleased especially as Boulogne is a short hop rather than a trek down to the Pyrenees.

Any photos for us to see?

Richard

rlchew · #**1488** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glsammy

Mine today had to be this pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, fighting for access to their food. A rare treat!

There must have been plenty of flashing black, white and red going on Graham!

I have only seen solitary birds climbing trees, drumming or flying.

Well done in catching some action!

Richard

The Black Rabbit · #**1489** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glsammy

Mine today had to be this pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, fighting for access to their food. A rare treat!

Wonderful stuff Graham!

Thanks for sharing that photo!
Doug

John · #**1490** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 08:31 AM

Sadly not. If I had been younger and fitter I would have carried my scope and backpack around with me but we had to negotiate a very steep descent down some steps to the a very rocky beach. We were walking (or should I say slipping and falling) along that beach for about two kilometres each way before eventually we saw it.

Under those circumstances I was worried that if I fell whilst carrying my scope I might have damaged it (plus it would have been a burden to me which would have made the rock hopping even harder).

John

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlchew

Any photos for us to see?

Richard

John · #**1491** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 08:32 AM

Nice action shots Graham. You were definitely in the right place at the right time for this image

Jiohn

Quote:

Originally Posted by glsammy

Mine today had to be this pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, fighting for access to their food. A rare treat!

GuyF · #**1492** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 02:28 PM

My birds of the day today are Siskins.
Last weekend a pair turned up on the feeders. I was happy enough to see 2 of them, but then on Friday a flock of 7 turned up to the feeders, with the same number yesterday.
Then this morning when I looked up into the silver birches beside the garden there was a flock of atleast 23 Siskins

For the rest of the day I've had large groups visiting the feeders, 14 birds is the maximum number that I've seen on there at one time. Before today the largest number I'd seen in the garden was 3, but today they're the commonest bird out there. I really hope that this flock sticks around (and maybe brings in a few Redpolls

)
I've got some record shots, but they're very poor as they're through the window and it's been dull all day!
Here's a group of mostly female Siskins

And here's a group of mostly male birds, some very colourful!

Guy

sleipnerofasgard · #**1493** (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 06:40 PM

I decided to have a rest from taking pics today and took the dog for a walkand as i was passing some farm machinery a kestrel flew up and disappeared into a tree,as i had seen what i believe to be the same bird around this area almost every time i go out i didn't take too much notice until it flew back in front of me and landed on a grid in a field.well this is where the old fieldcraft comes in handy i thought and so i started sneaking towards said bird till i was eventually lying face down at the edge of the field as close as i dare with the dog throwing the ball at my head and wondering what the hell i was doing

10 minutes later i am trying to sneak up on it as it was now perched in a tree still with dog trying to break my neck with the aforementioned ball by dropping it in my path

oh yes ,i forgot to mention it was very windy and the camera was not very steady even with the IS .so to cut a long story short

my bird of the day after 180 or so shots 177 of which were useless
a kestrel

Pete Collins · #**1494** (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 04:02 PM

Sorry for the very poor quality of the photo. This Water Rail was my Bird of the Day for Saturday. A friend and I had a nice weekend bird watching in North Norfolk (I've written an entry on my blog about it). On Saturday morning, we were walking along the path through the reserve at Titchwell Marsh when, amazingly, this bird suddenly appeared only just about 20 feet from us! It was on a small 'island' in a lagoon, and immediately swam/paddled even closer to us before disappearing into the vegetation at the bottom of the bank we were standing on. Even more amazingly, I had my camera in my hands and switched on at the time (I'd just failed miserably to get some shots of Goldeneye) so it's really disappointing that this very blurred shot was the best I managed.

My Bird of the Day for Sunday would have to be the Sacred Ibis we spotted at Holkham! OK, its a cheat as it's obviously an escaped bird (I've since seen that it's been spotted regularly at Holkham and Stiffkey for a few months now) but it just came as such a shock, seeing it will live long in the memory. My friend just said 'Oh, there's another Little Egret up' (we'd seen 60 come in to roost there the day before) - I couldn't believe it when it turned in the air and I could see its black head/neck and curved bill!

nutmeg · #**1495** (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 06:01 PM

Lapwings, in a field on the outskirts of Boston. Close to the road, but no photos because no camera in the car.

coasty · #**1496** (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 07:58 AM

Mine has to be the Barn Owl that was hunting at along the River bank this morning... I stopped the car on my way to work to watch it,,, They really are ghostly how they float along..

agrumpycow · #**1497** (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 07:41 PM

Another first for me is seeing 2 water rails at a nearby nature reserve. I've heard them plenty of times but they've been very elusive until today!

DaiTheDragon · #**1498** (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 09:28 PM

The Curlew is one of my favourite birds but the only photographs I have are from a distance, until today.
My intention was to try and photograph a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. I decided to check a few other locations first before I settled down to wait fo the GSP. When I spotted the Curlew I couln't believe my eyes, it was about 20ft from me, busy feeding. After taking about 100 shots I went to look for the GSP but I just wanted to get home to see the curlew shots so I didn't get the Woodpecker but what a consoliation prize the Curlew was. One very happy chappy.

Dai