Whats the best bird you have ever seen?

[smartie]

Like Gill, I've had to think long and hard about this, and have decided my favourite has to be the lapwing. It is the first bird I was consciously aware of as a child - hearing their piercing call from the windows of our house and sitting in fascination by my bedroom window watching them display in the field on the other side of the road. And they are such a beautiful, irridescent bird. I never tire of seeing them.

[James_Owen]

Best bird? Very difficult to pick just one.

Climbing in my charts is the one Rough-legged Buzzard I saw at a watchpoint in Notts, because in the ten years since then it seems to have become a far rarer vagrant, so it might have been my last chance.
Perhaps number one is the Spoonbill we saw at Blacktoft Sands many years ago. I was still fresh to birding so my ID skills were somewhat nascient. I ooed and ahhed, wandering what this enormous white wader with its head tucked in might be, finally plumping for an egret. You can imagine the surprise when the bird lifted its head and suddenly displayed that fanciful bill. That was memorable.

[colincurry]

A difficult question, and it depends very much on the location.

In the garden, a family of spotted flycatchers;
Along the river, a kingfisher;
In the fields, a barn owl;
In Zambia, a Pels fishing owl.

Colin

[svenrufus]

For what it's worth, my favourite will always be the starling.

I know, I know, common as muck, but as is sometimes said, 'The best hiding place is out in the open' and I think that the beauty of the starling is hidden by it being so in our faces all the time. Not for me these flashy johnny-come-latelies that distract us from what's on our doorstep every day.

We have talked elsewhere about starlngs flocking which is obviously stunning, but that's not the only reason for rating them. Take a closer look - the plumage shimmers with opalesence, studded with white sparks. There's nothing else like it on these shores.

I love the confidence they strut around with, I love their bickering over food. The juveniles are hilarious as they chase the parents round at fledging demanding to be fed.

But it is the song that clinches it. I have a 'sub-flock' that gathers outside my window at this time of year, and the racket they make is extraordinary, The ones closest to me though, you can pick out their individual notes, the chirrups, the swooping whistles, the chatter and then trying to figure out what that particular clause is copied from. There is nothing like it.

Two days ago, I was walking home from town and saw two starlings on their own on a telephone wire. They were performing a duet. The first would do some elaborate notes, sounding like some tropical bird, followed by a bit of chatter. The second then cut in with what sounded like a car alarm, and his own improvisations. I stopped and watched them for about 5 minutes, laughing out loud at times at the interplay of voice. A group of people looked at me oddly as they walked past, but who cares. Starlings give you special moments at unexpected times, I think they are great.

[John]

Originally Posted by svenrufus

Starlings give you special moments at unexpected times, I think they are great.

I can't disagree with anything you have said about Starlings. I too count them amongst my favourite birds.

John

[Kayleigh]

Hi Svenrufus,
A young starling was on the lawn when it noticed the pond, It ran streight into the middle and flapped about trying to get out. It looked a bit shocked. But you a are right they give hours of pleasure.

[Wild-Woman]

I suppose it would be a Peregrine Falcon dropping through the sky like a fighter pilot. Amazing stuff.

[Nicola Main]

The best bird I have ever seen was a male Snowy Owl not far from Loch Ness in July 2004. That is the rarest bird I have ever seen and what an experience it was to see it! It was on a lonely moor at dusk and it glided around the moor a few times before dropping into the long grass after prey. I will always remember that, it was very atmospheric. Nicola.

[Gaina]

I have a few.

Most memorable bird contact - Gatwick Zoo, where I came nose to nose with the owner's Kestrel when I was 7.

The first time I saw wild buzzards when I moved to Somerset

The funniest encounter was about 3 years ago. I watched a Jackdaw in town, wandering around talking to himself and making mobile phone noises.

[coldun]

So many but...

Barn owls!
Swallows as they fly and nest in the farm buildings (they mean Summer is here) and their chattering is delightful.
Shelducks --the 1st birds I ever indentified all by myself when I got into bird watching and moved to Cumbria.
Longtailed tits for their beauty,acrobatic skills and their musical tinkling sound.

Coldun