Topic: Bird watch

[blah]

Not what I expected from the thread name.

Here in Philadelphia I see a fair amount of hawks/falcons (don't know which) living in the city and I always love seeing them. A few months ago I witnessed one terrorizing a flock of about 75-100 pigeons a few hundred feet above the city. It was quite the sight.


Probably the bird sighting I'll always remember most is when I saw a Baltimore Oriole when I was younger.



Beautiful birds.

[John C]

Had one of these, a white throated dipper, bopping around in our stream yesterday...

I don't recall ever seeing one of them Gulley, looks superb.


(does it know its on a Hippo?)

[John C]

Probably the bird sighting I'll always remember most is when I saw a Baltimore Oriole when I was younger.

Beautiful birds.

Now I am envious, that looks brilliant and probably more so in flight.

[CHOPPER]

Shot the cat that was perched on top of the bird box the blue tit's have nested in at the bottom of the garden. Little fucker was trying to swipe the mam and dad as they came out of the box. Skill shot it has to be said.

Saw a Kingfisher at a campsite just outside Bristol last year. Whilst the colours are so vibrant, looks a daft little thing with that stubby arse tail.

Jay's are still the best though.

[John C]

Fucking hell mate, when are you ever sober enough to shot cats?

I've had a few boxes for several years and I've only seen a cat linger by one for a moment so that's quite unusual - I fucking hate mogeys. Come to think of it I saw a squirrel sniffing at one early spring.

I love Jays mate, the places they hide acorns are nobody's business.

[Lawnmowerman]

A young dead blackbird dropped out of a tree in a garden i was doing. Looked up and there was a cat looking down. Thing had a collar on so wasn't wild. Would of had a full stomach an all, just killed the bird for the sake of it. The cats have that killer streak in them, they'll never lose it

[John C]

Mate, have you ever wondered if the cat just doesn't like you and its been waiting for days to throw a moldy bird at you?

[Lawnmowerman]

Mate, have you ever wondered if the cat just doesn't like you and its been waiting for days to throw a moldy bird at you?

haha I wondered if it was taking the piss alright, it landed right beside me. Made me jump! thing just plopping out of the tree

[CHOPPER]

A young dead blackbird dropped out of a tree in a garden i was doing. Looked up and there was a cat looking down. Thing had a collar on so wasn't wild. Would of had a full stomach an all, just killed the bird for the sake of it. The cats have that killer streak in them, they'll never lose it

Fighting the fight and righting all gardening wrongs........ It may have been Catwoman, Lawnmowerman?

[Lawnmowerman]

Fighting the fight and righting all gardening wrongs........ It may have been Catwoman, Lawnmowerman?

When it fell out i was more like Lawnmowerwoman with the little yelp i gave out

[kavah]

Where are you?

I've been expecting them anyday now down here in Devon but not seen any yet, though the weather has been grim, very wet April showers so not a lot of flying insect life around just yet for them to feed on.

sorry mate only just seen this.

West coast U.S - Portland Oregon, we're a bit further south so we must get them a bit earlier. here's a couple sat on the loading dock where I made a delivery earlier. I'm no expert but think they're the same species as the old world Swallow - just a little bigger. they winter in Central America I believe. The British Swallows go to West Africa don't they?

[VfB_Max79]

Hey really like this thread , thanks for your pics , unfortunately living in or near big cities here don't have many chances to spot and also it is now clear that the unusual extreme cold of last winter has killed many little ones....

[kavah]

Osprey on the roof of my building this morning (taken with my phone like so crap picture - from the ground & it's 8 floors up) it was getting harassed by a couple of much smaller crows.

[The Gulleysucker]

..... The British Swallows go to West Africa don't they?

Sorry too, only just seen this reply....yes, Africa. They turned up abut 10 days after that post and are now nesting.
The Swallows in the barn next door and the Martins under the eaves of our house. One Martin nest is complete now, they rebuilt one of last years, and another is currently being constructed by another pair. The weather here has not been too good though so they are slightly behind.

Osprey on the roof of my building ...

Fantastic. I've never seen one except on TV.
Ospreys had to be re-introduced here in the UK. They had been persecuted pretty much to extinction but are now slowly spreading.
There's a webcam here of a nesting pair currently at Loch of the Lowes in the highlands.

[Crosby Nick]

Visited friends out in the sticks in Berkshire yesterday and they had loads of Red Kites circling above us. Beautiful sight (although held on to the baby a bit tighter than normal just in case they were feeling extra peckish!)

[kapil08]

https://www.we-energies.com/environmental/protect_wildlife.htm

Peregrine falcon webcams

Live video from Pleasant Prairie Power Plant.

[MichaelA]

I am sick of the family of wood pigeons that are busy destroying my garden and coating everything in large lumps of bird shit. A sparrowhawk took one down for me about a month ago, and they vanished for a few days, but now they're back and fatter than ever. I don't want to stop feeding all the other birds in the garden but I can't think of a way to get rid of them without scaring off the others.

[John C]

I am sick of the family of wood pigeons that are busy destroying my garden and coating everything in large lumps of bird shit. A sparrowhawk took one down for me about a month ago, and they vanished for a few days, but now they're back and fatter than ever. I don't want to stop feeding all the other birds in the garden but I can't think of a way to get rid of them without scaring off the others.

I'm loathe to throw bread out now (I nearly said loaf to then ) for exactly that reason Michael, they are horrible twats and I have no shame admitting I've prevented them for nesting in a conifer tree for years,. There's load round here.

[John C]

Your post has promoted me to realise that there are no longer any crows landing in my garden. The house two doors down had the biggest massive most fuck-off Leylandi tree in Liverpool until he had it chopped in half late last year. It was so tall and wide it could house 6 family's of crows and just about anything else that wanted to kip the night in it.

Now its gone, so have the crows all together.

[nevoo36]

Used to have a pair of yellowhammers visit every year and nest in an old pot boot at thr bottom of my garden, not been back for a couple of years now.

Biggest hard on I got for a bird was wen I saw a hummingbird whilst on my honeymoon in the Dom Republic.
It's fair to say the wife got a good hammering after that.

[Crimson_Tank]

I have a pair of swallows nesting right outside our front door. the missus is not amused, but lil' Crimson_Tank is.

[soxfan]

I was expecting to see tits in here.

And tits you shall have!

 

[MichaelA]

Your post has promoted me to realise that there are no longer any crows landing in my garden. The house two doors down had the biggest massive most fuck-off Leylandi tree in Liverpool until he had it chopped in half late last year. It was so tall and wide it could house 6 family's of crows and just about anything else that wanted to kip the night in it.

Now its gone, so have the crows all together.

We've got crows nesting in a park close to us. They had a crack at our bird feeders at the weekend but didn't get anything. Got home on Monday night to find that they had taken it apart - they managed to untie a half coconut and dislodge two tube feeders. The half coconut had actually vanished. Smart, brutish things.

[John C]

A pigeon fell down the fucking chimney and landed behind the fire place. I had to get a kids fishing net up the chimney then down in to the space it was lodged. I dragged it up them managed to get a towel round it. Then as I grabbed it with both hands I had to pull it through the small space above the top of the fire. I could feel it getting squashed in my hands and thought i'd broke its wings.

Anyway, took it outside and it just flew off. Quite a fucking bizarre thing to happen.

[Mal]

Couple of black guillemots in breeding plumage in Oban harbour this evening, I'd post a pic but I'm only on my phone; eye catching little things...

[John C]

Jay's are regarded as Autumn/Winter garden visitors and I usually get a few every year. Yesterday was the first time I've seen a pair in a garden together. They looked superb in flight.

[Bioluminescence]

Jay's are regarded as Autumn/Winter garden visitors and I usually get a few every year. Yesterday was the first time I've seen a pair in a garden together. They looked superb in flight.

They are beautiful birds, and great pic

A few from my garden. Quality's not always great as I'm indoors when taking some of them and I have to zoom in.

[theredguy03]

Bird feeder at my house has your run-of-the-mill pigeons visiting all the time, but I have had robins, blue tits, great tits and sparrows make an appearance too 

I've seen carrion crows, seagulls and parakeets but they never go for the seed. How ungrateful are they?

[Lawnmowerman]

Nice pics. Stocked up on the winter food for them last week. Hope its not too harsh on them

[Bioluminescence]

Had to bring the food in because of a rat problem - that's being sorted out. Also hoping for a kind winter for birds, it's been tough on them so far.

I'm very luck here - in my garden I've seen great tits, blue tits, long-tailed tits, coal tits, chaffinches, greenfinches, goldfinches, bullfinches, house sparrows, black birds, rooks, crows, robins, wrens, dunnocks, siskins, collared doves, pigeons, great-spotted woodpeckers, a green woodpecker, sparrowhawks, a buzzard (perching on a pole), a kingfisher, a juvenile moorhen and a pheasant. And the neighbours' hens  Loving it.

[Elli]

Words cannot express my surprise that this is an actual birdwatching thread about the ones with feathers

[John C]

They are beautiful birds, and great pic

I didn't take it mate, just an example of what lovely they are.

Bird feeder at my house has your run-of-the-mill pigeons visiting all the time,

Yeah pigeons are a pain, but unfortunately Squirrels are worse now. It doesn't matter where you place the feeder the little fuckers will rag it down for the contents.

[John C]

Had to bring the food in because of a rat problem - that's being sorted out. Also hoping for a kind winter for birds, it's been tough on them so far.

I'm very luck here - in my garden I've seen great tits, blue tits, long-tailed tits, coal tits, chaffinches, greenfinches, goldfinches, bullfinches, house sparrows, black birds, rooks, crows, robins, wrens, dunnocks, siskins, collared doves, pigeons, great-spotted woodpeckers, a green woodpecker, sparrowhawks, a buzzard (perching on a pole), a kingfisher, a juvenile moorhen and a pheasant. And the neighbours' hens  Loving it.

Lovely list mate, here in Liverpool I get them most of them, not all. This year I've even seen Buzzards over Allerton & Aigburth.

[Bioluminescence]

Lovely list mate, here in Liverpool I get them most of them, not all. This year I've even seen Buzzards over Allerton & Aigburth.

Buzzards are great to watch but it was only when I saw the one sitting on the pole that I realised how big they are. Buzzards around here are often mobbed by crows, I quite enjoy watching that.

I live in rural North Dorset so the wildlife overall is great. Take away the spiders and it would be brilliant 

Oh and I need to add one fieldfare and magpies to my list. I'm hoping to see some waxwings - I believe they've arrived here so fingers crossed.

[Millie]

Jay's are regarded as Autumn/Winter garden visitors and I usually get a few every year. Yesterday was the first time I've seen a pair in a garden together. They looked superb in flight.

i get them by me - really noisy they are though

[CHOPPER]

Jay's are the best.

[John C]

Buzzards around here are often mobbed by crows, I quite enjoy watching that.

Crows are quite territorial mate, they go bonkers when a Heron flys over.

[Lawnmowerman]

Dont have to worry about rats out the back because of the jacker, its the flying rats (pigeons) that i have to deal with. I usually feed first thing in the morning, that way the food is gone by evening time, its leaving the food out in the birdfeeders at night that attract the rats

[JoeyJoneswasbetter]

By far the best thread on RAWK!
Used to travel by bus, train and foot to go egging but was rather pro about-limits, re-visit nests to verify that they didnt abandon etc.
Felt a bit of a tit going to Cheshire on the train to visit a Kestrels nest to find that they were nesting on a low ledge at Speke Hall and a tree you could walk up by Allerton golfie!

[mulfella]

Flock of 7 Ring necked parakeets in the trees at the end of my road yesterday -