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

[Vox Humana]

I can't match the eloquence of the last few posts - nor indeed the consistent quality of the entire thread - but it might be of interest to read of this development regarding eagles.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-42902056

p s RT has probably visited the site.

Thanks for posting this, Padraig. Excellent news indeed!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Thanks for posting this, Padraig. Excellent news indeed!

[Richard Tarleton]

I can't match the eloquence of the last few posts - nor indeed the consistent quality of the entire thread - but it might be of interest to read of this development regarding eagles.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-42902056

p s RT has probably visited the site.

Excellent news Padraig - I'm sorry to say I haven't been to this area for a very long time. I have seen one of Ireland's last white-tailed eagles (prior to their recent reintroduction), in a glass case in a country house "somewhere in Ulster".....

[french frank]

Watched a goldcrest in a friend's very overgrown, 'ecological' garden a couple of days ago. I was quite surprised to learn that it's 'very common' in this country. I only remember having seen one once before, many decades ago, at a time when I was living in the country, well away from human habitation (other than our house - about 300 yards away).

[Richard Tarleton]

I was quite surprised to learn that it's 'very common' in this country.

Indeed - to be found in 90% of 10km squares in the UK in winter and 88% in the breeding season. Significant increase since the last winter and breeding atlases. Also doing well is its rarer continental cousin the firecrest - spectacular little birds whose winter distribution has more than doubled since the 1981-4 Winter Atlas. Plenty in Pembrokeshire right now (they breed in southern England - an astounding 935% [sic] increase in occupation of 10km squares since the 1968-72 Atlas, perhaps 1000 pairs). You may well not notice goldcrests in winter as they roam about often with mixed tit flocks. Likewise to locate them in spring it helps to know their song, which is part of my annual hearing test (a lot of people lose them off the top end of their hearing range as they get older) - a very high-pitched "deedle-e-deedle-e-deedle-e-deedle-e-DEE DEE" (whereas a firecrest's song is a slightly lower pitched "dee-dee-dee-dee-DEE DEE" ) - but in winter what you hear is the high-pitched squeaks of contact calls.

[french frank]

So. They've been avoiding me

[Lat-Literal]

There have been some very nice posts on this thread which I have enjoyed reading. I've realised that what I would like is to have someone who can identify birds walking in my local streets with me. Unfortunately, I have no idea of how to find such a person - the RSPB meets miles away, ventures even further and is a club of the knowledgeable who want to meet regularly with the knowledgeable - so if anyone has any ideas please shout. Not exactly related other than it is also on my bucket list - I would like to be in the cab of an HGV on one occasion travelling on a motorway to experience the country in that way. Immediately I can see umpteen obstacles there. Why should such simple wishes often be so difficult to fulfil?

[Padraig]

So. They've been avoiding me

Interesting use of 'So', f f.
Enough to change to
Heaneyesque?

[Serial_Apologist]

There have been some very nice posts on this thread which I have enjoyed reading. I've realised that what I would like is to have someone who can identify birds walking in my local streets with me. Unfortunately, I have no idea of how to find such a person - the RSPB meets miles away, ventures even further and is a club of the knowledgeable who want to meet regularly with the knowledgeable - so if anyone has any ideas please shout. Not exactly related other than it is also on my bucket list - I would like to be in the cab of an HGV on one occasion travelling on a motorway to experience the country in that way. Immediately I can see umpteen obstacles there. Why should such simple wishes often be so difficult to fulfil?

Because people no longer hitch lifts? - I've no idea if that's true, not having motorwayed my way for quite a few years, btw.

[Richard Tarleton]

Because people no longer hitch lifts? - I've no idea if that's true, not having motorwayed my way for quite a few years, btw.

One of the pleasures [sic] of the M4 these days is the number of red kites you see along it

Staples Corner has changed a bit since I last hitched there

[Vox Humana]

I've realised that what I would like is to have someone who can identify birds walking in my local streets with me. Unfortunately, I have no idea of how to find such a person

Maybe Birding Pals have someone local to you who would be wiling to help. This network was set up with international travellers in mind, but there's no harm in asking.

[ardcarp]

Going back a few posts, the firecrest is rarer than the goldcrest. A friend (avid birder) saw a firecrest the other day in our garden! Not sure I've got the 'dee-dee-dees' sorted out. Luckily I've not lost my upper frequencies yet.

[french frank]

Interesting use of 'So', f f.
Enough to change to
Heaneyesque?

Heaneyesque? I'm flattered, Padraig

[Richard Tarleton]

Going back a few posts, the firecrest is rarer than the goldcrest. A friend (avid birder) saw a firecrest the other day in our garden! Not sure I've got the 'dee-dee-dees' sorted out. Luckily I've not lost my upper frequencies yet.

No dee dees until the spring - right now, it's mostly just squeaks..... But lucky you! I'm still waiting for one in mine.....

[Vox Humana]

Going back a few posts, the firecrest is rarer than the goldcrest. A friend (avid birder) saw a firecrest the other day in our garden! Not sure I've got the 'dee-dee-dees' sorted out. Luckily I've not lost my upper frequencies yet.

Goldcrests are often overlooked because they will happily spend a lot of time quite high up in trees. Firecrests, on the other hand, will quite happily spend a lot of time lower down in medium sized shrubs. They also seem to have an affinity with holly. I was lucky enough to see a Firecrest when I was out today. I also saw a few Cirl Buntings and Reed Buntings, which was nice. There was a nice piece about Cirl Buntings on last night's Winterwatch on BBC2.