Bird of the day! - Page 62

Deer Stalker · #**1526** (**permalink**) 17-02-2008, 04:30 PM

Didn't expect to see this one, but my bird of the day is a Great Grey Shrike in the New Forest this afternoon.

It perched on top of a group of old Beech trees on some heathland & I managed to get this rather dodgy shot of it.

Kayleigh · #**1527** (**permalink**) 17-02-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Not a great photo, but this Red Kite was definitely my Bird of the Day as I spotted it from the back garden. I've been waiting for a couple of years for Red Kites to reach this part of the Chilterns. I've seen them nearby occasionally (closest sighting was a mile or so away at Whipsnade), but this was the first time I've seen one in my home village. It's a wildlife ambition achieved, and I'm dead chuffed!

You can't beat seeing birds of prey from your back garden..A kite at that..We get buzzards over ours but they are so high its impossible to photograph them..

Gaina · #**1528** (**permalink**) 17-02-2008, 10:54 PM

On Thursday I was in Newcastle and saw a black-headed gull in summer plumage (surely it's a bit early!?).

Then when we were driving back today, when we got just past Donnington Park Dad and I saw a large stocky bird of prey that looked like an Eagle Owl. The bird briefly flew parallel to the car but we couldn't quite see it's head. The wing shape and heavy body were, however distinctive.

Have their been any Eagle Owl sightings around that area?

John · #**1529** (**permalink**) 18-02-2008, 06:04 AM

Hi Gaina

I have been seeing B H Gulls in summer plumage since December.

Regarding the Eagle Owls. You may have seen one as I think there are more around than we think. I know there has been one for a while about 25 miles from me but I can't find out where. Your local County Recorder might help you or perhaps one of our North East members might know.

John

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaina

On Thursday I was in Newcastle and saw a black-headed gull in summer plumage (surely it's a bit early!?).

Have their been any Eagle Owl sightings around that area?

pressld2 · #**1530** (**permalink**) 18-02-2008, 09:59 AM

My bird of the day yesterday was the humble blackbird. Although a contender for the title of Britain's commonest bird, I have always found it quite tricky to get photos of them in their natural environment. They tend to stay in the undergrowth in woods were the light levels are not too great. I can get them on my lawn in the summer just by turning a sprinkler on but have always hankered after a decent shot in the woods. Had a nice and obliging male pose for me yesterday at Lessness Abbey. He was a pretty confident individual and didn't take much notice of the walkers or their dogs...

I'm particularly pleased with these as all black (or all white) birds can make getting the correct exposure a nightmare. Here there's a good amount of feather detail but without an overexposed background.

Dave P.

P.s. thanks to Graham (glsammy) for sorting out the uploads. I managed to get into a bit of a mess with the original uploads of these and think I duplicated them as well as corrupting them!

Greenish · #**1531** (**permalink**) 18-02-2008, 07:27 PM

Mime would have to be this little Robin!

I saw it at school and it made my day!

tufftie · #**1532** (**permalink**) 19-02-2008, 05:36 PM

Bit of a belated bird of the day because i saw them on Sunday. There was a couple of fields full of lapwings - just before Lewes - didn't get a very good look because i was on the trainbut good to see them all the same

GuyF · #**1533** (**permalink**) 19-02-2008, 06:50 PM

Bird of the day for me today was a Woodlark in Wareham Forest, it's the first one I've seen.

However, a pair of Crossbills were also very nice to see!

Guy

Ollie · #**1534** (**permalink**) 19-02-2008, 07:01 PM

A couple of very nice birds there Guy, not every day that you come acroos Woodlark and Crossbill

Mine for today has to be this female Siskin. A first for my garden as well
Roger

outdoorguy · #**1535** (**permalink**) 19-02-2008, 07:44 PM

mine were a mixed flock of chaffinches and yellowhammers.. about 25 altogether.. yellowhammers were stunning.. also my biggest flock of magpies ever.. about 15!! james

tufftie · #**1536** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 01:30 PM

The rookery I walked past today - they were all busy building and repairing their nests. Though I think they could have chosen a more aesthetically pleasing place to raise their families than above the local wc's !!!

Paul mabbott · #**1537** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 01:42 PM

Something I've never seen before yesterday - in the fog - two wrens. Don't see wrens that often but have never seen two - since they weren't squabbling I imagine that they have paired up.

smartie · #**1538** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 04:57 PM

Mine today was the first blackcap I have ever seen in my garden. Cheered up an otherwise dismal day attempting to tidy the garage

It appeared and disappeared for most of the day so I'm hoping it plans to stay a while.

The Black Rabbit · #**1539** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deer Stalker

Didn't expect to see this one, but my bird of the day is a Great Grey Shrike in the New Forest this afternoon.

It perched on top of a group of old Beech trees on some heathland & I managed to get this rather dodgy shot of it.

Nothing dodgy about that shot.
What a nice surprise - dyou get many Shrikes in the New Forest Deer Stalker?
Doug

Gaina · #**1540** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 05:40 PM

I would like a moment of silence for Mr and Mrs Dove.

Last Tuesday, we discovered two piles of collared Dove feathers and some spots of blood in the garden within a few hours of each other. The doves - who visit the bird table at the same time every day - have not returned since then. I suspect Mr Sparrow Hawk was the culprit, because I inspected the feathers and they had been cleanly plucked out rather than ripped out courtesy of a cat or Fox.

It's a shame, but at least they ended up as a much needed meal for another creature

.

Paul mabbott · #**1541** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 06:03 PM

I hadn't considered that. I found a big scattering of feathers this morning but no blood, flesh or whatever. Another intriguing thing is that all the feathers were white-cream with no dark areas or patterning. I suspect it may have been a long-tailed tit? So the sparrowhawk answers another qestion of, 'What was it doing on the ground?'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaina

I would like a moment of silence for Mr and Mrs Dove.

Last Tuesday, we discovered two piles of collared Dove feathers and some spots of blood in the garden within a few hours of each other. The doves - who visit the bird table at the same time every day - have not returned since then. I suspect Mr Sparrow Hawk was the culprit, because I inspected the feathers and they had been cleanly plucked out rather than ripped out courtesy of a cat or Fox.

It's a shame, but at least they ended up as a much needed meal for another creature

.

matt_xyz · #**1542** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartie

Mine today was the first blackcap I have ever seen in my garden. Cheered up an otherwise dismal day attempting to tidy the garage

It appeared and disappeared for most of the day so I'm hoping it plans to stay a while.

I also saw a Blackcap in my garden for the first time today, it was in and out of the garden for most of the day. I also saw a Brambling - I couldn't believe my eyes. It must be the recent cold weather. I managed to get a shot of the Blackcap although it was very wary and wouldn't let me near it. I didn't manage to get a shot of the Brambling, it fed on the ground under the feeders for a couple of mins but then disappeared. It must have just been passing through the neighbourhood.

Matt

Pete Collins · #**1543** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 07:22 PM

I nominate the humble Wood Pigeon as my Bird of the Day! Or rather Birds of the Day as there were 300-400 of them, the largest flock of Wood Pigeons I think I've ever seen. They were near Hambleden, Buckinghamshire.

pressld2 · #**1544** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 10:30 PM

Pintail for me today. Seen at Elmley Marshes from the Wellmarsh hide. I saw one at the WWT's Welney reserve a couple of years ago but there were at least three at Elmley today.

Dave P.

sleipnerofasgard · #**1545** (**permalink**) 20-02-2008, 10:31 PM

My belated bird of the day is this nuthatch who was very accomodating

Kayleigh · #**1546** (**permalink**) 21-02-2008, 03:05 PM

Mine was a little egret flying across a field this morning, I was on my way to work so couldn't stop and watch it..

GuyF · #**1547** (**permalink**) 21-02-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ollie

A couple of very nice birds there Guy, not every day that you come acroos Woodlark and Crossbill

Thanks Roger, I was so pleased to finally see a Woodlark, and the Crossbills were very nice too.
Today my birds of the day are Woodlarks again, I returned to the same place and found a pair of Woodlarks, one of them performing their lovely song.
I managed to improve on my last shot this time.

No Crossbills this time, but there were loads of Dartford Warblers, none that would let me take a good photo though! This is the best that I got.

Guy

aestarte · #**1548** (**permalink**) 22-02-2008, 09:30 AM

YAY my bird of the day is collared dove, we have a pair that come every year and they turned up this morning all loved up on an old antiquated birdtable that we dont use anymore but we do for the doves so i have put loads of food on it for them to have a romantic meal. Fi. X X X X