What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • johncorrigan
    Full Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 10349

    Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
    A suitable venue to stage Tippett's The knot garden?

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-54592215
    Amazing series of photos. I have never heard of this bird before. Loved the one with the oystercatcher interlopers. Reminded me of playing 'Where's Wally' with the kids way back. Thanks for the post, Pulcinella!

    Comment

    • Joseph K
      Banned
      • Oct 2017
      • 7765

      Wish I had had my camera (my phone) with me when out on a walk - I spotted a heron chilling out in the river...

      Comment

      • Serial_Apologist
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 37617

        Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
        Wish I had had my camera (my phone) with me when out on a walk - I spotted a heron chilling out in the river...
        I spotted one of them the other day while cycling alongside the Ravensbourne in Lewisham - pure white it was; I assumed it to be a heron.

        Comment

        • cloughie
          Full Member
          • Dec 2011
          • 22115

          Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
          I spotted one of them the other day while cycling alongside the Ravensbourne in Lewisham - pure white it was; I assumed it to be a heron.
          Could it maybe have been an egret.

          Comment

          • Serial_Apologist
            Full Member
            • Dec 2010
            • 37617

            Originally posted by cloughie View Post
            Could it maybe have been an egret.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egret
            Yes I think that's probably right. It seemed smaller than herons I've usually seen.

            Comment

            • Vox Humana
              Full Member
              • Dec 2012
              • 1248

              Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
              Yes I think that's probably right. It seemed smaller than herons I've usually seen.
              That was almost certainly a Little Egret. They are quite common these days, although both Cattle Egrets (usually found around cattle, as the name implies) and Great White Egrets (the size of Grey Herons) are becoming a little less rare than they used to be.

              A late afternoon visit to our local estuary revealed a nice little roost of Curlews, Redshanks, a few Dunlin, at least 7 Greenshanks, Mallards, 8 Wigeon, about a dozen Shelduck, a large flock of Canada Geese and three Mandarins.

              Comment

              • HighlandDougie
                Full Member
                • Nov 2010
                • 3082

                Scotland in November isn't exactly cheerful - all a bit grey and dark by about 4.30pm - but the two bird feeders in the back garden easily seen from a large kitchen window are a constant source of wonder - how do coal tits manage to eat so much? And for a bird of its size, the resident nuthatch seems to bully pretty much everything else off the feeders, apart from greenfinches. They - nuthatches - are a relatively recent addition to the birdlife of the Southern Highlands but make a colourful splash. There is also a resident pair of tree-creepers and of goldcrests - which, along with watching a pair of golden eagles spiralling around in the sky above the house plus a red squirrel leaping about the birches in the garden, has been a good antidote to the general gloom.

                Comment

                • Pulcinella
                  Host
                  • Feb 2014
                  • 10897

                  Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
                  Scotland in November isn't exactly cheerful - all a bit grey and dark by about 4.30pm - but the two bird feeders in the back garden easily seen from a large kitchen window are a constant source of wonder - how do coal tits manage to eat so much? And for a bird of its size, the resident nuthatch seems to bully pretty much everything else off the feeders, apart from greenfinches. They - nuthatches - are a relatively recent addition to the birdlife of the Southern Highlands but make a colourful splash. There is also a resident pair of tree-creepers and of goldcrests - which, along with watching a pair of golden eagles spiralling around in the sky above the house plus a red squirrel leaping about the birches in the garden, has been a good antidote to the general gloom.
                  One of the answers in yesterday's Times crossword was cole tit, which threw me for a bit, as I didn't appreciate that it was an alternative spelling.

                  Comment

                  • Padraig
                    Full Member
                    • Feb 2013
                    • 4231

                    Originally posted by HighlandDougie View Post
                    Scotland in November isn't exactly cheerful - all a bit grey and dark by about 4.30pm - but the two bird feeders in the back garden easily seen from a large kitchen window are a constant source of wonder - how do coal tits manage to eat so much? And for a bird of its size, the resident nuthatch seems to bully pretty much everything else off the feeders, apart from greenfinches. They - nuthatches - are a relatively recent addition to the birdlife of the Southern Highlands but make a colourful splash. There is also a resident pair of tree-creepers and of goldcrests - which, along with watching a pair of golden eagles spiralling around in the sky above the house plus a red squirrel leaping about the birches in the garden, has been a good antidote to the general gloom.
                    Great description of the view from your window, HD, much more varied than mine. Yet, we all have a tale to tell be it ever so 'umble. I have been resident here for 12 years, but it was only on last Wednesday that I had a visitor 'first'. I have special treats for larger birds thrown on the grass. The usual characters are the magpies, jackdaws, some crows, blackbirds and wood pigeons. Robins too compete at times. On Wednesday there was consternation when a gull swooped in. There are plenty of gulls about, but this is the first time one came into the garden. Common as they are, this one - sparkling white with its elegant wing span - was a really exotic up-stager in our kitchen window drama.

                    (A pair of Golden Eagles!)

                    Comment

                    • cloughie
                      Full Member
                      • Dec 2011
                      • 22115

                      Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
                      One of the answers in yesterday's Times crossword was cole tit, which threw me for a bit, as I didn't appreciate that it was an alternative spelling.
                      Anything to do with Nat?

                      Comment

                      • oddoneout
                        Full Member
                        • Nov 2015
                        • 9149

                        Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
                        One of the answers in yesterday's Times crossword was cole tit, which threw me for a bit, as I didn't appreciate that it was an alternative spelling.
                        Cole means cabbage family to me, but I see that an old meaning is the colour coal-black, or swarthy. As ever, the things one learns from this forum.

                        Comment

                        • Pulcinella
                          Host
                          • Feb 2014
                          • 10897

                          Originally posted by cloughie View Post
                          Anything to do with Nat?
                          Actually, it was Wednesday's crossword, not Thursday's; I've just checked to see how it was clued.
                          Time flies in lockdown.
                          Or, one day is much the same as the next!


                          The clue was:
                          French novelist briefly keeping island bird (7)

                          So, most of Colette with an i inserted.
                          It didn't help that it was thought of as a single word (7 letters) rather than two (4,3).

                          Comment

                          • HighlandDougie
                            Full Member
                            • Nov 2010
                            • 3082

                            Oops! I could do a Trump and blame someone else as in predictive texting but, no, I typed the word for that black Carboniferous stuff rather than the surname of the great singer Nat. Great crossword clue which would clearly have fooled me, unable as I am to spell the island bird’s name. Anyway, they are wonderful little birds whose presence is a source of great cheer.

                            Comment

                            • cloughie
                              Full Member
                              • Dec 2011
                              • 22115

                              Originally posted by Bryn View Post
                              Hmm. A better life and death than that of the overwhelming number of chickens and turnkeys.
                              The turnkeys are the luck ones who’d vote for Christmas!

                              Comment

                              • oddoneout
                                Full Member
                                • Nov 2015
                                • 9149

                                Originally posted by cloughie View Post
                                The turnkeys are the luck ones who’d vote for Christmas!
                                Are turnkey turkeys the oven ready ones?

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X