Topic: Bird watch

[reddebs]

there's a bigger problem too because the majority of people don't even notice wild life

they don't stop and stare - the only thing they care about are playful kittens on their phones and that's about as much wild life the seem to show any affection for

'we' are a nation of dog lovers (apparently) but when it comes to other animals we don't seem to give a shit

adverts show dogs and cats in poor health or who have been mistreated by the dregs of society but they don't show habitat loss or the underhand way building companies flout the 'laws'

when i see people walking in the park they don't hear the willow warblers, they don't hear the blue tits or the chiffchaffs - the only birds they see are the mallards down at the lake

but wildlife encompasses everything, all animals including insects, plants, fungi etc

people will watch a wildlife programme and then go and sit in their back gardens with their artificial grass, their paved-over areas and their decking with the usual man-cave built on it, no bird feeders 'coz they attract rats' and no trees or bushes for them to nest in

kids go to the countryside on school trips and bemoan that 'there's nothing to do' and 'trees are boring'

when another animal goes extinct in this land no one will notice - because it will be not with a bang but a whimper

I agree mate.

I'm a member of a couple of online gardening groups and it annoys the hell out of me when people post up pics of various creatures asking "what the hell is this and how do I get rid of it"!?!

I love everything in my garden.  Birds, insects, bugs, mammals, it doesn't matter.  I do whatever I can to encourage as much biodiversity as possible.

One of my favourite parts of the garden is a huge fallen willow that's dead and decaying in places but still growing new shoots too.  It's full of insects, fungi, birds especially woodpeckers, lichen, ferns, moss. 

My garden is my haven and a haven for anything else that wants to live in it.

[liverbloke]

I agree mate.

I'm a member of a couple of online gardening groups and it annoys the hell out of me when people post up pics of various creatures asking "what the hell is this and how do I get rid of it"!?!

I love everything in my garden.  Birds, insects, bugs, mammals, it doesn't matter.  I do whatever I can to encourage as much biodiversity as possible.

One of my favourite parts of the garden is a huge fallen willow that's dead and decaying in places but still growing new shoots too.  It's full of insects, fungi, birds especially woodpeckers, lichen, ferns, moss. 

My garden is my haven and a haven for anything else that wants to live in it.

that's great 

thing is, even with the possibility of moving to a plant-based diet has its problems as farmers will mass produce field upon field of needed crops for the people - but who is producing food and nourishment for the insects and the birds and the other numerous animals that are getting pushed further and further into an ever decreasing small corner of the country where they will either perish or leave for good

i was watching lolo wiliams on the bbc the other night and he was replaying a broadcast he did of the last ever corn bunting in wales before it went extinct in 2007 - that's two thousand and fucking seven!

the poor bird was singing away but was alone and its natural food source was affected by the change in crop that the farmer's produced - no food no bird

shocking

people need to wake up - once the animals have been pushed into oblivion then we will shortly follow

[reddebs]

that's great 

thing is, even with the possibility of moving to a plant-based diet has its problems as farmers will mass produce field upon field of needed crops for the people - but who is producing food and nourishment for the insects and the birds and the other numerous animals that are getting pushed further and further into an ever decreasing small corner of the country where they will either perish or leave for good

i was watching lolo wiliams on the bbc the other night and he was replaying a broadcast he did of the last ever corn bunting in wales before it went extinct in 2007 - that's two thousand and fucking seven!

the poor bird was singing away but was alone and its natural food source was affected by the change in crop that the farmer's produced - no food no bird

shocking

people need to wake up - once the animals have been pushed into oblivion then we will shortly follow

I saw that too mate, it's heartbreaking but I doubt enough people understand.

Like Jill though I'm hoping that the mobilisation of the RSPB, National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts Membership will make a big enough outcry that they achieve something.

That's a huge swathe of Tory voters they've upset!

[Armand9]

classic example of 'you never know', huge mega in oxfordshire of all places, sat on someones fucking fence all day  (flew high south in earnest at dusk)

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/PVhSjtq9Z6g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/PVhSjtq9Z6g</a>

absolutely no one predicted this, at best it was suggested the far north might get some yanks midweek onwards but even that was viewed as tentative at best

gotta love birds, fuckers catch you out all the time

i should've gone myself as i knew with plenty of time but meh, drop and go twitching beyond very local stuff isn't really in me anymore

hopefully at the lake later, hopefully find something decent myself but it wont touch this 

[liverbloke]

^ that is awesome

yes you have gotta love birds 

[duvva 💅]

There’s a link in this tweet by Chris Packham which produces an auto generated letter to your local MP regarding these changes. A very simple way to highlight your displeasure. Thought I’d share in case others fancy doing the same

https://twitter.com/chrisgpackham/status/1574701984908713986?s=46&t=WK2Rg6Hu407wLBFBkCkcdw

[reddebs]

There’s a link in this tweet by Chris Packham which produces an auto generated letter to your local MP regarding these changes. A very simple way to highlight your displeasure. Thought I’d share in case others fancy doing the same

https://twitter.com/chrisgpackham/status/1574701984908713986?s=46&t=WK2Rg6Hu407wLBFBkCkcdw

Done mate thanks.

My dumb ass Tory twat of an MP is even less use than a chocolate fireguard and one that's turned a blind eye to years of campaigning being done here to save the Penros Nature Reserve from destruction by developers.

27 acres of ancient woodland to build a holiday park FFS.

[jillcwhomever]

There’s a link in this tweet by Chris Packham which produces an auto generated letter to your local MP regarding these changes. A very simple way to highlight your displeasure. Thought I’d share in case others fancy doing the same

https://twitter.com/chrisgpackham/status/1574701984908713986?s=46&t=WK2Rg6Hu407wLBFBkCkcdw

Yes, did that yesterday but good to have the link.

[jillcwhomever]

Done mate thanks.

My dumb ass Tory twat of an MP is even less use than a chocolate fireguard and one that's turned a blind eye to years of campaigning being done here to save the Penros Nature Reserve from destruction by developers.

27 acres of ancient woodland to build a holiday park FFS.

Like there aren’t enough of these holiday parks already, makes you despair. Good to know the fume is still continuing on Twitter.

[reddebs]

Like there aren’t enough of these holiday parks already, makes you despair. Good to know the fume is still continuing on Twitter.

It's infuriating Jill but the fight goes on.

[Chakan]

Some birds from the Kruger Park

African Crowned Eagle



African fish eagle






Bateleur


Black collared barbet


Cape spurfowl


Common Moorhen


Dark capped Bulbul


Egyptian vulture



Great Egret


Grey Heron


Grey Lourie


Ground Hornbill




Hooded Vulture


Jacana


Lappet Faced Vulture


Lilac  breasted roller


Lizzard Buzzard


African Penguins

















Ostrich


Red cheeked cordon bleu


Red crested korhaan


Seagull


Senegal coucal


Southern Yellow-billed hornbill.


Swainson spurfowl


Tawny Eagle





Verreaux's eagle owl


Vultures






White browed coucal


White backed vulture


Yellow-billed kite





Yellow-billed stork

[Crosby Nick]

Amazing pics Chakan.

Apart from the moorhen. I can see one of them swimming amongst the shopping trollies and debris at my local canal.

[Chakan]

Amazing pics Chakan.

Apart from the moorhen. I can see one of them swimming amongst the shopping trollies and debris at my local canal.

Thanks! Was a great adventure.

[duvva 💅]

Some great photos there Chakan. Particularly like the Northern Parula - looks a little bit like a fluffy Blue Tit

[Crosby Nick]

We’re those penguin pics taken at Boulders Beach?

[Chakan]

Missed a few...

Hooded Vulture


Hoopoe


Magpie shrike


Egyptian Goose


Glossy Starling



Three-banded plover


Hadeeda


Helmeted guineafowl

[Chakan]

We’re those penguin pics taken at Boulders Beach?

Yeah boulders beach, and then we got a few pics of penguins at the V&A Waterfront aquarium.

[liverbloke]

There’s a link in this tweet by Chris Packham which produces an auto generated letter to your local MP regarding these changes. A very simple way to highlight your displeasure. Thought I’d share in case others fancy doing the same

https://twitter.com/chrisgpackham/status/1574701984908713986?s=46&t=WK2Rg6Hu407wLBFBkCkcdw

cheers for that

and top photos Chakan

[Armand9]

enjoyed the kruger park pics chakan, especially the raptors

quick question, did that pic of the parula warbler accidentally get included?

[Chakan]

enjoyed the kruger park pics chakan, especially the raptors

quick question, did that pic of the parula warbler accidentally get included?

I don't think so, I did a google image search for it, and that's what it came back as, I couldn't find anything else in my bird book for it though.

I was taken with my iphone rather than my actual camera.

Edit: I see why, hold on.

I copied a whole bunch over to my directory so maybe I posted the stock photo instead of the one one my phone.

OK i have no idea what happened there, i'm gonna remove it, cause it's clearly not mine. It's on my iphone though, maybe I was looking up a bird I saw and copied the photo.

[Armand9]

no worries

i was gonna say, if it was you'd best be sending that to someone on the african rarities committee cos that would be a first for the continent 

only one 'new world warbler' has been recorded for Africa (unsurprisingly), the group that parula belongs to, a Louisiana Waterthrush (in the uk we've never had one but have had a number of Northern Waterthrushes - still rare as fuck, saw one on Portland Bill, so long ago im sure Moses was at that twitch)

off the top of my head a group of birds that are reminiscent of new world warblers are white-eyes, i did a quick google on them and three occur in southern africa

African Yellow White-eye and Cape White-eye are listed as occuring in Krugar Park (the last one, Orange River White-eye, isn't listed for that particular area)

might be worth having a gander at those

[Chakan]

Yeah as I said no idea what happened there, it must have been a bird I was trying to reference and the photo got added to my phone.

Easy to do since I took over 4000+ photos while in SA, plus my wife, dad and his girlfriend sending me all their pics, so yeah all good.

Other than the bird photos I’m still trying to go through all the other ones, gonna be like 2 weeks before I get an actual decent directory together to post those.

[El Lobo]

Great photos Chak, some proper ugly fuckers in the bird kingdom

[Chakan]

Great photos Chak, some proper ugly fuckers in the bird kingdom

Yup definitely! Just to give you an idea, the vultures were all gathered around this...

[Crosby Nick]

Took me longer than it should have to see the big lion.

Then even longer again to see his mate!

[Chakan]

Took me longer than it should have to see the big lion.

Then even longer again to see his mate!

When we got there apparently the giraffe had been dead for 2 days and the 2 male juvenile lions had been there just for a day or so. We went back the next day for a few more pics.

Strange thing about it was there were no hyenas/jackals or any sort of scavengers apart from the vultures.

Gonna upload a few pics in the wildlife thread.

[mikeb58]

The budgie, the humble, not so rare budgie!

Look carefully on the yellow lines though, and you'll see this fella is seemingly enjoying life with his new mates along Crosby Beach over the last day or so. This is a screenshot I took from a vid doing the rounds, in the pouring rain too, but he doesn't seemed fazed!

The question being asked, should it be left alone or be caught and possibly caged up again?  I'm no expert, what do you think?

[Armand9]

a budgie wont last long in the wild in this country at least, such an easy target for a raptor and cos they'll stand out being highly coloured and different and they're small, so sparrowhawks are rubbing their 'hands', dudes are on a timer that aint long

i do have a budgie story - i was on patch and heard a call that i hadn't heard for years but couldn't place it and thought i was onto something a bit special, as the vast majority of calls for british species i know or at the least can place them to a type that i know is familiar (therefore not rare)

anyway, im desperately scouring the skies for this fucking call that is incessent and it's getting louder but i can't find the fucker, then a fucking green budgie whizzes right past me at head height

fuck me did i laugh, gutted but yeah, was funny as fuck to me, thought i was on the big one and it was a fucking budgie

i knew the call cos when i married the missus, she came with a budgie - boris - and that bird fucking hated me, i mean really hated me, if i was in the room when she let it out it would always without fail attack me. i shed no tears for that twat when it kicked the bucket

[jillcwhomever]

The budgie, the humble, not so rare budgie!

Look carefully on the yellow lines though, and you'll see this fella is seemingly enjoying life with his new mates along Crosby Beach over the last day or so. This is a screenshot I took from a vid doing the rounds, in the pouring rain too, but he doesn't seemed fazed!

The question being asked, should it be left alone or be caught and possibly caged up again?  I'm no expert, what do you think?

The likely thing is that he has escaped from his cage, so maybe should be caught if at all possible. As Armand9 says, he's not going to last long out in the wild and with his colours he is going to stand out a mile to any predator, that comes along. It may not be easy to catch him though. I have a friend who has a budgie and often lets him fly around her flat, it's not hard to see how some manage to end up outside.

[reddebs]

We've just been invaded by thousands of starlings in and around the garden. 

[Son of Spion]

I spotted a lovely little Kingfisher on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal the other day. 

[reddebs]

I spotted a lovely little Kingfisher on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal the other day. 

Many years ago I'd see one in the same place pretty much every morning where I used to walk the dog.

It's great to see them properly and not just a blur of colour as they fly past.

[Chakan]

I spotted a lovely little Kingfisher on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal the other day. 

I got half a picture of one in the Kruger, i'm currently in the process of buying a new camera and some equipment. Hopefully will be able to get some good shots if there are any in my area.

[John C]

I got half a picture of one in the Kruger, i'm currently in the process of buying a new camera and some equipment. Hopefully will be able to get some good shots if there are any in my area.

What, even better than some of the others you've previously posted?

Good stuff, we look forward to seeing them.

[Chakan]

What, even better than some of the others you've previously posted?

Good stuff, we look forward to seeing them.

Yeah I realized the current camera I am using is around 10 years old, and the technology has really progressed passed my camera a lot. So decided to visit a camera store and see what they recommend. They wouldn't even take my old gear cause it's too dated. So decided if i'm gonna invest in an upgrade I might as well get something pretty good that i'm not gonna have to upgrade for the next 8-10 years. Gonna cost quite a bit but it's an investment in the future. Specially if the wife is saying she wants to visit Africa again in the next 5 years.

Got a few lakes around here that i'm gonna be looking at soon to see what there is.

Just gonna wait till maybe thanksgiving/christmas and see if there are some specials on the equipment I want, but next year I hope is going to be a good photography year for me. Gonna try get a bit more into it.

I've now got a decent editing program as well that I can bring a bit more vibrance to the pictures.

Thanks looking forward to posting a few.

[Chakan]

I mean just as an example , the colors are all there, just need to bring them out a bit more.

(Postimage isn't the greatest upload site though)

No editing



Edited

[John C]

Yeah I understand, there's a remarkable difference.

You've shamed me to upgrade my Pentax MX Super SLR.









 




Boss back in the day though

[Chakan]

Haha yeah that really is a boss camera!

Mine a d5200 which is still a decent camera but I can see the difference between that and today's cameras. Specially when you hit the editing programs and it gets quite granulated.

Figuring on the Sony S7IV which is waaaaaaaaaay above anything I need, but for the next 10 years it's going to be a good investment. Plus I want to start doing a bit of macro photography as well, so this will definitely be a step up.

[jillcwhomever]

For those interested, Autumn Watch is on now.

[duvva 💅]

For those interested, Autumn Watch is on now.

Bad edible dormice