Any Twitchers (Bird Watchers) Here?

[Guest theboltonfury]

I'm going to spend the afternoon at Martin Mere wetlands. I am a mad keen birder. If there are any others on here, what's the best/rarest/most exhilarating bird (not Kelly Brook or similar) you've seen in the UK?

[swissy_fit]

I'm going to spend the afternoon at Martin Mere wetlands. I am a mad keen birder. If there are any others on here, what's the best/rarest/most exhilarating bird (not Kelly Brook or similar) you've seen in the UK?

A merlin (I think, could have been a hobby, it happened in a flash) picked a dipper off the rock in front of me when fishing, many years back. Sparrowhawk-style attack, but bird much too small.

Other than that, cruising peregrines in sunny clifftop breezes are my favourites.

You'd like my office, I see red kites, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and the occasional hunting sparrowhawk from the window(It's a green area with trees,then a small lane, then a vineyard).

I do some work now and then.....

[winkie]

Very fond of birds, the bee eater is one of my favorites to watch and listen to they have been spotted in the UK.

[Guest theboltonfury]

Very fond of birds, the bee eater is one of my favorites to watch and listen to they have been spotted in the UK.

Stunning birds. I have seen Hoopoes, but sadly not here. They are pretty common in Italy.

I've been looking for a hawfinch for 25 years.

[Guest theboltonfury]

A merlin (I think, could have been a hobby, it happened in a flash) picked a dipper off the rock in front of me when fishing, many years back. Sparrowhawk-style attack, but bird much too small.

Other than that, cruising peregrines in sunny clifftop breezes are my favourites.

You'd like my office, I see red kites, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and the occasional hunting sparrowhawk from the window(It's a green area with trees,then a small lane, then a vineyard).

I do some work now and then.....

Do you work along the M40. Maybe nr Princes Risborough or Marlow? It's Red Kite central along there.

A merlin (I have never seen) is only the size of a blackbird(ish) so may not have been the candidate to take the dipper. If itwas then it was a hungry merlin with balls of steel. But then, I don't know. It could well be if you could differentiate it was way too small to be a sparrowhawk. Would love to have seen that. Poor dipper.

[Guest X-QUORK]

Do you work along the M40. Maybe nr Princes Risborough or Marlow? It's Red Kite central along there.

A merlin (I have never seen) is only the size of a blackbird(ish) so may not have been the candidate to take the dipper. If itwas then it was a hungry merlin with balls of steel. But then, I don't know. It could well be if you could differentiate it was way too small to be a sparrowhawk. Would love to have seen that. Poor dipper.

My sister-in-law lives in Stokenchurch and the Red Kites are as common as bloody crows. Impressive beasts when they all land for a go at some carrion.

I wouldn't say I'm a twitcher, but I do love watching birds in the garden and I've got some binos and a bird book to hand. Maybe one day I'll take it further and make it into a hobby. I'd say seeing the flashes of blue when a Kingfisher zips past rates highly, or seeing a buzzard sitting on our fence, or possible when I see a little Nuthatch in the garden.

[swissy_fit]

Do you work along the M40. Maybe nr Princes Risborough or Marlow? It's Red Kite central along there.

A merlin (I have never seen) is only the size of a blackbird(ish) so may not have been the candidate to take the dipper. If itwas then it was a hungry merlin with balls of steel. But then, I don't know. It could well be if you could differentiate it was way too small to be a sparrowhawk. Would love to have seen that. Poor dipper.

Yeah, couldn't swear to the identification. It was going at a hell of a speed down a shady rocky river valley. How small do sparrowhawks get? The big females are pretty large, I've seen an attack from one of them close up as well (a blackbird copped it that time) It was around half the size of a large female sparrowhawk.

I work near Geneva. (Not many vineyards off the M40 )

If you want to see spectacular wildlife, birds or otherwise, on a regular basis, take up fishing. The hunting type fishing with just you, the rod and some bait, where you seek out lonely places, that is, not the campsites on the river bank ten yards from the next person.

Water covers your sound, your scent, and attracts lots of wildlife. I could bore you with countless tales. Kingfishers will even perch on the rod to hunt sometimes.

[winkie]

Stunning birds. I have seen Hoopoes, but sadly not here. They are pretty common in Italy.

I've been looking for a hawfinch for 25 years.

I saw a Jay in the garden last week.

[ollk]

No bird sight beats the winter gatherings of starlings IMO. Use to drive over the Runcorn bridge a lot and had a couple near misses whilst being distracted by the spectacular show!

Agree with Kingfishers above and I have always loved watching lapwings

However as far as I'm concerned birds don't come close to dragonfly's. Fascinating life-cycle, stunning to look at and fantastic flyers!

[gilf]

I saw a Jay in the garden last week.

Jays are two a penny round here, South East London/Kent Border. Lovely looking birds but not unusal in these parts.

I'm similar to X-QUORK, I like looking and spotting birds in the garden or when out and about, but have never gone out of my way to do so. I'm constanly on at the wife asking her what a particular bird is but as yet she has shown no interest. We do field archery so spend everyweekend in a forest somewhere, but to be honest you don't see that many birds there.

A tree creeper is about as exotic as I have seen in this country.

[Scunnered]

I'm not a huge bird enthusiast, but a few years ago I saw a massive crowd of waxwings in a park in central Edinburgh. Very nice birds.

[Guest X-QUORK]

I'm not a huge bird enthusiast, but a few years ago I saw a massive crowd of waxwings in a park in central Edinburgh. Very nice birds.

I hope they don't fly too close to the sun, I say too close to the sun!

I'm here all week.

[Scunnered]

I hope they don't fly too close to the sun, I say too close to the sun!

I'm here all week.

I think they only come out in winter, so they weren't in any danger (I think those photos were actually taken on the 31st of December).

[swissy_fit]

I hope they don't fly too close to the sun, I say too close to the sun!

I'm here all week.

It was Edinburgh.

[Guest happy?]

Not a twitcher - but peregrine falcons near where I'm working at the moment. Pigeon population under control...

[winkie]

Jays are two a penny round here, South East London/Kent Border. Lovely looking birds but not unusal in these parts.

I'm similar to X-QUORK, I like looking and spotting birds in the garden or when out and about, but have never gone out of my way to do so. I'm constanly on at the wife asking her what a particular bird is but as yet she has shown no interest. We do field archery so spend everyweekend in a forest somewhere, but to be honest you don't see that many birds there.

A tree creeper is about as exotic as I have seen in this country.

Yes, they are very common in some places, we have a family of blue tits that are sweet, try to encourage them with nesting boxes, a bird table and bird bath...my favorite garden bird is the robin, the blackbird has a wonderful voice though wakes up about 4am the wood pigeon sleeps in to about 5am.

[Concrete Jungle]

Not a twitcher but enjoy watching birds and other wildlife when I am out and about. Had a Kingfisher perch on my rod and about a fortnight ago a bold Robin, who gratefully accepted some bread crust off my sandwiches, then returned for some sweetcorn, hemp, groats and groundbait throughout the day. Yesterday evening I watched Lapwings mobbing a Heron that strayed close to their nests. Last season I also saw an enormous Owl with tufted ears in a river valley I was fishing in, it was roughly 2 feet tall with a wingspan of a good 5 or 6 feet. An escaped Eagle Owl I presumed

When decoying I have had a Perigrine swoop down and attack a decoy, and it was most surprised to fine the decoy inedible. I have also had a Barn Owl land in the hedge next to my hide and sit 4 feet away from me totally unaware I was there.

[Bloo Loo]

I saw a Jay in the garden last week.

we had two blue jays, then there were three.

One morning, a tremendous commotion, two jays squawking away, and a sparrowhawk enjoying a meal.

now there are none.

[swissy_fit]

Not a twitcher but enjoy watching birds and other wildlife when I am out and about. Had a Kingfisher perch on my rod and about a fortnight ago a bold Robin, who gratefully accepted some bread crust off my sandwiches, then returned for some sweetcorn, hemp, groats and groundbait throughout the day. Yesterday evening I watched Lapwings mobbing a Heron that strayed close to their nests. Last season I also saw an enormous Owl with tufted ears in a river valley I was fishing in, it was roughly 2 feet tall with a wingspan of a good 5 or 6 feet. An escaped Eagle Owl I presumed

When decoying I have had a Perigrine swoop down and attack a decoy, and it was most surprised to fine the decoy inedible. I have also had a Barn Owl land in the hedge next to my hide and sit 4 feet away from me totally unaware I was there.

Nope,

They've been back breeding wild in the UK in small numbers for a few years, check Google.

Pity there aren't far more of them, they sometimes eat cats and small dogs.

[swissy_fit]

we had two blue jays, then there were three.

One morning, a tremendous commotion, two jays squawking away, and a sparrowhawk enjoying a meal.

now there are none.

Bright colours sometimes attract unwelcome attention!

The sparrowhawk has indirectly done the other small birds in your garden a favour, jays clear out nests all the time.

[Bloo Loo]

Bright colours sometimes attract unwelcome attention!

The sparrowhawk has indirectly done the other small birds in your garden a favour, jays clear out nests all the time.

Had a Goshawk in the Garden eating a woodpigeon last year....very impressive beast.

[Roseland69]

Not a birder but love nature in general. My parents live close to the RSPB reserve at Lodmoor in Dorset. We often go for walks around and there are lots of birds to be seen and heard. Saw a spoonbill there a while ago. We always know when there is a new or unusual bird there as the birders descend en masse with very impressive looking cameras and binoculars (or bins I think it is!).

One of my favourite birdsongs is the Skylark. Was at Duxford for the airshow the other day (standing in a field) and you could hear quite a few of them twittering overhead. Last time I heard them in such numbers was at Durdle Door in Dorset a few years ago. Such an evocative sound and reminds me of being a kiddie mucking around outside back in the day...

I've noticed lately though... no cuckoo. Went for a long rambling walk at the weekend here in Essex and secretly hoped we'd hear one but no such luck. Haven't heard one for donkeys years (though given we've just moved out of London after 20 years, its hardly surprising I suppose). But my parents down in Dorset haven't either which is strange as I would have thought the habitat down near Lodmoor would be ideal for the cuckoo (reeds/water surrounded by hedges and trees for cover).

Interested to see about the Red Kite. Seen them a lot round Amersham way on trips up North on the M40. Amazing wingspan! We see quite a few kestrels type bird here - hovering overhead and diving down. I really should get myself a book of birds so I can have a better idea of what I'm looking at. Oh, and my mum had a sparrowhawk land in her garden. Well, swoop down and grab a sparrow that was on her lawn! She said you couldn't have guessed it was just about to happen. Just silent and then the swoop and the little sparrow was gone.

[juvenal]

I'm a regular amateur watcher of the kingfishers along the river Stour at Cowgrove, outside Wimborne, Dorset.

My current favorite bird is a female Harris Hawk, actually employed at my local tip in Poole to keep other birds off the vehicles and rubbish. It is to be seen on the wrist of the dump guy who owns and flies it. Terrific looking creature, with a beak that could tear lumps out of you.

[Concrete Jungle]

Nope,

They've been back breeding wild in the UK in small numbers for a few years, check Google.

Pity there aren't far more of them, they sometimes eat cats and small dogs.

Hopefully I will see it again sometime it was very impressive.

[hedgefunded]

In our modest little garden in Somerset we are blessed with a good variety of birds.

Mrs Hedge is very keen on them and reckons she's spotted about 22 different types. I'm a fan of that most common of birds, the robin. Love the little guys.

Without doubt though, the Long Tailed Tits are my favourite. A few appear and flit around on our acer tree, and then they are gone again. They're almost magical in how they move. I feel really honoured by their presence.