Bird of the day!

[Deer Stalker]

Hawfinches again. While doing some voluteer work in one of the Inclosures in the New Forest 2 males were singing & calling for most of the day.

[badgerwatcher]

My bird of the day today is a little wren. A really common bird, I know, but one I haven’t seen here in my garden before, so I’m very happy to see him. He sat in the ash tree, in the blustering wind, and pouring rain, and sang me such a pretty song as I filled the bird feeders, a song from childhood, that you don’t realize you’ve missed until you hear it!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

My bird of the day today is a little wren. A really common bird, I know, but one I haven’t seen here in my garden before, so I’m very happy to see him. He sat in the ash tree, in the blustering wind, and pouring rain, and sang me such a pretty song as I filled the bird feeders, a song from childhood, that you don’t realize you’ve missed until you hear it!

oh do you know what, that's a species I haven't seen in my garden yet either!! Lucky you! - I suspect my hedge isn't thick enough..... perhaps I'll bulk it up a bit!

[colincurry]

This was yesterday, but I suppose it qualifies as "Bird of the Day", a day late.

I went cycling to and then walking along the Ouse Valley Way with the intention of trying for a Barn Owl elsewhere and later on as another test for my borrowed 1.4 converter. These two shots were snapshots in the truest sense. I came past a pumping station and spotted the kestrel atop the pole about 40 yards away. I managed two quick stationary snaps, and off he went - I was just able to catch him just after take off. I followed, but he was long gone. I did also see a barn owl a bit further downriver, but he was too elusive. I also took a shot of a Great Spotted Woodpecker right in the middle of thin branches that was interesting because of how it was placed.




Colin

[vinnychameleon]

Mines a goldfinch Its the first one i have seen in my garden since i moved here

[wyevilla]

After having a nijer feeder in the garden for 4 months (unsuccessfully), I decided last week that it had to go. Anyway, I decided to clean out the old, damp germinating seed, wash it out and put it away. However I then found in the back of the shed a half bag of seed that seemed to have escaped the mice. I decided to use it up. I refilled the specialised feeder and added a few leftover nijer seeds to the bird table and other seed feeders.

I raised the nijer feeder higher than before into a young beech tree and started to forget about it. Today, you guessed it, 2 Goldfinches on it this morning and one again at lunchtime. Unbelievable. Yes, my bird of the day but also a tip to all those disillusioned with the nijer feeder - keep it clean and fresh and high enough for the birds to find it!

[dav56]

Mines a barn owl which flew along side me as I drove to work early this morning
I am glad the road I was driving on was staright, with no other cars on it, as watching a barn owl flying along side you when you are half asleep is very distracting

[aeshna5]

Walking through my local park to get a bus this afternoon I had 3 species of free-flying parrot!

As I entered the park a Sparrowhawk may have gone through as pigeons, Starlings + finches were all up + then this small parrot, which from it's call I recognised as a Senegal Parrot- about a year ago a pair of these birds regularly visited my peanut feeder, so became very familiar with them. I think something happened to one of them + the other visited less frequently. I suspect this is the same bird.

We've also got a pair of Monk Parakeets which have been around for a few months (there's 2 small colonies around London) as well as the regular Ring-necked Parakeets. It will be interesting if the Monks decide to breed as they're quite lovey-dovey at the moment. Unlike other parrots they build a large twig nest. Though they come from South America, they are established in US + there's many in southern Spain- I remember John posted some fine shots of these in his Spanish travelogue.

It all felt a little surreal- it's amazing how many species of parrots seem to thrive here!

[jennyb]

Guess who visited my garden today! I was in my office working when this red kite swooped down outside my window. I grabbed my camera, rushed outside and got these pictures - not gallery quality but my best yet.





So majestic!

Jenny

[John]

Now that's what I call a garden bird. Brilliant. I am dead envious.

Congrats on getting the photos so quickly.

John

[Kev Lewis]

I spent the afternoon in the company of two Short-eared Owls I've uploaded a few to the gallery and another 20 or more images to my website lol. Fantastic to see the SEO hit a vole right in front of me. Don't think the vole was too happy though

[smartie]

Originally Posted by Kev Lewis

I spent the afternoon in the company of two Short-eared Owls I've uploaded a few to the gallery and another 20 or more images to my website lol. Fantastic to see the SEO hit a vole right in front of me. Don't think the vole was too happy though

That stuffed owl you bought is giving you hours of amusement, isn't it?

Great pictures as always.

[Kev Lewis]

Originally Posted by smartie

That stuffed owl you bought is giving you hours of amusement, isn't it?

Great pictures as always.

stuffed??? I dont know what you mean

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by jennyb

Guess who visited my garden today! I was in my office working when this red kite swooped down outside my window. I grabbed my camera, rushed outside and got these pictures - not gallery quality but my best yet.





So majestic!

Jenny

WOW!!!!!!! That's fantastic must have made your day / week?!

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

WOW!!!!!!! That's fantastic must have made your day / week?!

Actually, 2 of them came back again yesterday and flew really low over the house I must improve my camera skills - I am fairly hopeless even when the target is not moving!

Jenny

[Susie]

I had a cracking day yesterday at the RSPB reserve at Pulborough, with a lot of great birds, but that was totally eclipsed for me this morning by two nuthatches in my front garden. One of them was on the sunflower seed feeder which is only a couple of feet away from the front windows.

[John]

Originally Posted by Susie

I had a cracking day yesterday at the RSPB reserve at Pulborough, with a lot of great birds, but that was totally eclipsed for me this morning by two nuthatches in my front garden. One of them was on the sunflower seed feeder which is only a couple of feet away from the front windows.

You jammy so and so. That is a bird I have always wanted in my garden. I have heard them on the odd occasion but never seen them anywhere near the garden.

I did once have a very fleeting visit by a Treecreeper that was shimmying up the side of a Silver Birch at the bottom of the garden. That lasted all of about 20 seconds then it was gone, never to be seen again.

John

[John]

Hey, hey!! Just as I finished my reply to Susie I turned and looked in the garden and there was my first Blackcap of the year on the Bird table.

Whey hey!! I can do with more of that.

John

[Susie]

Excellent stuff, John. I hope it returns to your garden soon. I have yet to have a blackcap here.

It was really smashing to see the nuthatches because the first one (on the feeder) flew off to join its companion on the oak in the front garden and they ran all over the trunk and branches for a good ten minutes before eventually flying off. I have my fingers crossed that they will be back.

[aeshna5]

Just back from a good day at Titchwell. The Avocets seem to be back early + the most numerous duck on site was surprisingly Pintail- c80 of these glorious duck.

The highlight of the day came at the end when sitting 2 metres away on a mossy branch on the ground under some scrub was a magnificent Woodcock- the camouflage, the large eye looking at us feeling secure in its cryptic plumage. In the end it had a crowd of c40 admirers.

Soon after leaving we had good views of a Barn Owl hunting over a field.

Now I'm tired, sated from fish + chips + a lovely day to reflect on. Up early tomorrow to do WeBS counts!

[GuyF]

Today mine would probably be 7 Spoonbill at Arne, although I also saw 2 GN Divers, 1 Black-Necked Grebe, a few Avocets and Pintails and a displaying male Goldeneye. However, I once again failed to see the Long-Tailed Ducks that are there, one day I will see them!
By the way, Aeshna, what is a WeBS count, because I have heard of them before and they seem to be a kind of species and numbers count but I've never known.
Thanks
Guy

[John]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Just back from a good day at Titchwell. The Avocets seem to be back early + the most numerous duck on site was surprisingly Pintail- c80 of these glorious duck.

The highlight of the day came at the end when sitting 2 metres away on a mossy branch on the ground under some scrub was a magnificent Woodcock- the camouflage, the large eye looking at us feeling secure in its cryptic plumage. In the end it had a crowd of c40 admirers.

Soon after leaving we had good views of a Barn Owl hunting over a field.

Now I'm tired, sated from fish + chips + a lovely day to reflect on. Up early tomorrow to do WeBS counts!

There is a possibilty that you may have crossed paths with Boddie, Fourwings and Oscar2006 as they were there today also.

Was the Woodcock by the side of the path between the car park and the visitors centre as there has been one there for the last two years around this time of year.

John

[John]

Perhaps I ought to sit at my window more often. The weather, although better today, has not put me in a mood to go anywhere so here I am, sitting at my PC (when I should actually be out in the field) looking at my garden.

I saw a bird drop into some foliage at the bottom of my garden and even though it dropped like a stone there was something about it that caught my eye. I got my bins out and scanned the area. Every now and again some foliage would move, then it came out. A stonking male Reed Bunting. Another bird I don't get that often in the garden.

John

[colincurry]

I was out yesterday walking part of the Ouse Valley Way. I saw some smallish brown birds with a buff belly that I eventually identified as meadow pippits. I find the smaller birds very hard sometimes - but I continue to learn and am a (very) late devloper. After coffee in Holywell churchyard, I carried on across the partially flooded fields to the river bank and spotted what I originally thought were two widely separated pairs of greylag geese. On closer inspection, one of the pairs turned out to be egyptian geese. Definitely a first for me in this country. In one of the flooded fields, I also saw about 20 shoveller ducks - the male is so elegant.

Colin

[colincurry]

PS I also followed a muntjac for about a quater of a mile along the path; but could not get a decent picture. I did finally catch up with it when it was skulking in the undergrowth at the side of the path. I got a good sighting but no snap. Not a bird - forgive me.

Colin