Topic: Bird watch

[Mal]

My wife was describing the group of birds she saw on a walk and she's adamant it was 5-10 waxwings. I presumed they were really rare so scoffed at her. Should I tell a bird group in case they want to check it out?

Waxwings are cold weather migrants, usually along the east coast, hence me not seeing them before. I live in Bucks these days & they dont make it this far across every year. So yes, if she was right & if you're in Liverpool then I'd get someone on the RSPB's site told. I hear they like that kind of thing

[۩ Imperator ۩]

Mandarin ducks are so beautiful.

[The Gulleysucker]

Mandarin ducks are so beautiful.

I seem to remember there being quite a lot around Virginia Water and the Thames around Old Windsor when we used to live there 25 years ago.
(There was also a large well established colony of Parakeets in Old Windsor too...)

[John C]

Mandarin ducks are so beautiful.

I seem to remember there being quite a lot around Virginia Water and the Thames around Old Windsor when we used to live there 25 years ago.
(There was also a large well established colony of Parakeets in Old Windsor too...)

One annually frequents Calderstones Park, well it did until recently. I was stunned to see such a beautiful bird floating on the lake a couple of years ago.

[Bob Kurac]

Waxwings are cold weather migrants, usually along the east coast, hence me not seeing them before. I live in Bucks these days & they dont make it this far across every year. So yes, if she was right & if you're in Liverpool then I'd get someone on the RSPB's site told. I hear they like that kind of thing

been loads in Liverpool all winter ...

[zero zero]

We have a pair of long-tailed tits that visit our garden. They always bring a smile to my face; magical little things really

[Draex]

So I stumbled into the wrong thread.. Not the birds I was after

[John C]

So I stumbled into the wrong thread.. Not the birds I was after

yawn.

[Mal]

been loads in Liverpool all winter ...

It's been fucking freezing all winter

[Bob Kurac]

Anyone up for an ID quiz?

All photos by me, which is why they're bloody awful, which in turn is what makes it a challenge.

These first six were all taken on Merseyside

1. Glossy Ibis

2. Spotted Redshank

3. Little Gull

4. Garganey

5. Goldcrest

6. Curlew Sandpiper

Standby for 7-12

[Bob Kurac]

7. Sussex - Great Grey Shrike

8. Yorkshire - American Robin

9. Bowland - Red Grouse

10. Rhyl - Desert Wheatear (fem)

11. Northumberland - Fulmar

12. Warrington - Waxwings

Standby for final six

[Bob Kurac]

13 Andalucia - Black-winged Stilts

14 Camargue - Mediterranean Gulls

15 Merseyside - Green-winged Teal

16 Scotland - Northern Wheatear (fem)

17 Anglesey - Chough

18 Merseyside - Snow Bunting

[JohnHobbes]

8. Yorkshire - American Robin

Damn, my first thought was Robin for eight but couldn't place which branch of the family. Love number seven too, the Great Grey Strike, saw them last summer and got an average-ish set of shots but not a good one Nd they were gone the next day when I went back again for another shot.

[Bob Kurac]

Damn, my first thought was Robin for eight but couldn't place which branch of the family. Love number seven too, the Great Grey Strike, saw them last summer and got an average-ish set of shots but not a good one Nd they were gone the next day when I went back again for another shot.

The American Robin is a kind of thrush really: it's only the red breast that gets it the name.

[JohnHobbes]

The American Robin is a kind of thrush really: it's only the red breast that gets it the name.

Makes sense, looks very similar to a Mistle Thrush once you remove the 'misleading' red breast. Need to brush up on my less common bird identification skills before spring starts properly.

[Bob Kurac]

A couple from today in N Merseyside ...

[John C]

There's probably an unintentional contrast in those two brilliant pics Bob.
The discreet searching and the dishevelled screaming.

[lucas65]

Can someone identify a bird that flew from a farmers field last week. It was a medium size and mostly black with some white. The unusual thing was the outline of the wings. They were concave both sides with "fingers" at the ends. It was like the wings went in and then larger at the ends.

[The Gulleysucker]

When you say some white, was this on the head, the wings, the breast, and were the wings short or long in relation to the body and also did they beat fast or slow as it flew as there are a few possibilities but we might need a bit more detail to try and be more precise.

[damian]

Saw a European Eagle Owl sitting on the roof opposite ours earlier. Grabbed my camera but it flew off - massive thing it is, but then it turned back and landed on another roof opposite and just sat there for ages.



As it flew it jingled so must have bells attached, and therefore I expect its escaped from somewhere so reported it to a few places and have emailed the pic to the local paper to see if they can put something on the website to try and reunite it with its owner. Unfortunately its unlikely to be able to hunt for itself so will likely starve if not captured. Apparently there was a sighting reported to the police yesterday in our area so sounds like its sticking around.

It took a liking to our youngest daughter (though I think it might have been through hunger). She made the usual hooting owl sound, it responded with a squawk (had remained silent up until then). She then hissed (I think that's what she thought it was doing) and it squawked back, this went on for a while until I got bored and a little concerned about its welfare so wanted to report it.

[John C]

That's a lovely pic damian mate.

[damian]

That's a lovely pic damian mate.

Cheers. Wish I could have used the flash as would have been better, but was already a bit wary of pointing the camera up at peoples houses without the flash going off in their bedroom window, I didn't fancy  being arrested

[BCCC]

Last saw Mandarin ducks on the Lancaster canal at Bilsborrow near Guy's.

[lucas65]

When you say some white, was this on the head, the wings, the breast, and were the wings short or long in relation to the body and also did they beat fast or slow as it flew as there are a few possibilities but we might need a bit more detail to try and be more precise.

It was very quick and my memory is poor at the moment but I think it was on the body and the wings were longish beating fast. I've seen it twice and thought it unusual. I will try and walk that way again and see if I can spot it. It looked like some sort of marsh bird to be honest.

[lucas65]

Just seen them again but got a closer look. I've just looked them up and I think that they are definately lapwings. Also saw loads of yellowhammers flitting around. Thanks 

[Bob Kurac]

Still loads of Osprey sightings all around Liverpool, Dee to Ribble: one over Crosby and Widnes in recent days. Not sure where these birds are roosting / nesting. Quite a few Ring Ouzels turning up now - Red Rocks and Leasowe good for these. Plenty of Little Gulls and Red-throated Divers off shore. I've seen quite a few Wheatears now, and I wasted half of my day off looking for the Killdeer that has been seen briefly nr Preston, but no joy.

[MichaelA]

We refreshed our bird feeders with sunflower hearts last weekend, and they had been studiously ignored by the local avian population until this morning. I've just been rewarded by a pair of goldfinches, a blue tit and a great tit.

[Motty]

There were loads of different types of birds in the garden if this house I was working in the other day but everytime i tried to sneak up close enough to take a pic on my phone the buggers flew off ,the only one that stayed was this one not quite a unusual bird like some in this thread but I was trying so long to get a good pic of something that I'm going to post it anyway

[Lawnmowerman]

There were loads of different types of birds in the garden if this house I was working in the other day but everytime i tried to sneak up close enough to take a pic on my phone the buggers flew off ,the only one that stayed was this one not quite a unusual bird like some in this thread but I was trying so long to get a good pic of something that I'm going to post it anyway

Nice. Went to secondary school in Belcamp College, lovely old place that was designed by the same guy that designed the white house. Lots of history behind it. It was surrounded by woods and cornfields, nice big pond in it. Lovely spot for a young nature buff like meself to go to school. Would be sitting in class and you'd hear the pheasents calling away. A nice soundtrack for while you gazed out the windows

[mulfella]

We refreshed our bird feeders with sunflower hearts last weekend, and they had been studiously ignored by the local avian population until this morning. I've just been rewarded by a pair of goldfinches, a blue tit and a great tit.

We do quite a mix of sunflower in one feeder, mixed seeds in another, a seperate one for Niger seeds (for the finches), fat balls and nuts.

If you get a good mix and keep it up you will get a regular crowd. Ours gets better every year.

Blue tits
Great Tits
Coal tits
Long tailed Tits
Sparrows
Wrens
Dunnocks
Nuthatches
Starlings
Jays
Goldfinches
Bullfinches
Robins
Wood Pigeons
Collared Doves
Woodpeckers (occasionally)

[Motty]

Nice. Went to secondary school in Belcamp College, lovely old place that was designed by the same guy that designed the white house. Lots of history behind it. It was surrounded by woods and cornfields, nice big pond in it. Lovely spot for a young nature buff like meself to go to school. Would be sitting in class and you'd hear the pheasents calling away. A nice soundtrack for while you gazed out the windows

the fella who owns the house said that the same two pheasants have been coming there most days for 3 years ,its like their his pets
My house on my estate is on the edge of a woods and I hear pheasants constantly calling each other throughout the day  don't see them often but one about 4 years ago used to come and shit on my doorstep regularly and wait to be fed . Hear owls and different birds in there all the time aswell ,which is nice and therapeutic, better than the sound of a main road or something that's for sure

[Tsar Kastik]

Those sunflower seed hearts.

I switched over from the ones in their husks, to the actual hearts and ended up getting loads of siskins as customers; feisty little buggers, they used to chase the bigger great tits away.

[Bob Kurac]

Had a Siskin on one of the nyjer feeders yesterday.

So, loads of ring Ouzels and firecrests showed up this weekend, and lots of Little Gulls offshore. Chiffchaffs singing, some Willow Warblers too, and alba wagtails in a few places. I spent some time watching 3 Mediterranean Gulls this morning, two 2nd year birds and one 1st year, in Southport.

[The Gulleysucker]

Don't know if it's being reported up t'North but we've had another bad scene of dead and dying birds getting washed up on the beaches down here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22143053

The fear is that the birds getting washed up probably represent a far greater number that are dead out at sea.

There definitely seems to be something dodgy going on out there, some ships seem to be washing out their tanks and then just dumping the residue overboard with no thought of the consequences for the wildlife.

[MichaelA]

Don't know if it's being reported up t'North but we've had another bad scene of dead and dying birds getting washed up on the beaches down here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22143053

The fear is that the birds getting washed up probably represent a far greater number that are dead out at sea.

There definitely seems to be something dodgy going on out there, some ships seem to be washing out their tanks and then just dumping the residue overboard with no thought of the consequences for the wildlife.

Not reported as far as I know, but we were on a beach in East Lothian yesterday with friends who live out there. They said there had been a lot of puffins washed up this spring. 

[theredguy03]

Yesterday I found a Jay, had a camera with me but it flew away 

Suppose birdwatching is a game of patience and luck. Saw a dead pigeon on a pavement, looked like a cat/fox got it, was pretty gruesome I must say.

[TheMissionary]

Went to Henley a couple of weekends ago.  All the usual water birds of course but there was a Great Crested Grebe about 8 feet away, which was unusual as they usually wander to the middle of the water to keep away from people.  Mrs TheMissionary and I were just standing quietly marvelling at its colours and grace when a pair of barbour jacketed hoorays wandered along and, in a voice that sounded like she was gargling ollies said "ooh Darliiiiing....looooook!  A cormorant."  It's only the fact that I didn't want to scare the bird away that I didn't put her right.  Ironically if she'd wandered 100 yards up the bank the other way there was a pair of cormorants sitting on the stumps on the central island...not that she'd have known.

[۩ Imperator ۩]

Yesterday I found a Jay, had a camera with me but it flew away 

Suppose birdwatching is a game of patience and luck. Saw a dead pigeon on a pavement, looked like a cat/fox got it, was pretty gruesome I must say.

Surely you could have got a picture of the dead pigeon?

[Tsar Kastik]

 

[theredguy03]

Surely you could have got a picture of the dead pigeon?

It would be too disgusting to show, plus I don't want the RSPCA on my back