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

[Serial_Apologist]

Still waiting on the familiar thrush family songsters to begin their chorusing - I guess the weather isn't offering any encouragement right now.

[Joseph K]

Today while out on a walk a robin swooped down onto the path in front of me so audaciously that for a split second I thought I was going to tread on it!

[oddoneout]

Today while out on a walk a robin swooped down onto the path in front of me so audaciously that for a split second I thought I was going to tread on it!

That was a constant worry with one of the allotment robins that wanted to make sure s/he didn't miss anything I was turning up and so would be almost perched on my toe while I worked.
Earlier I was watching a magpie trying to appear nonchalant while quartering the lawn for something edible, but constantly being derailed by the wind getting under its tail - there was almost a visible bubble of grumble above its head.

[ardcarp]

A couple of days ago Mrs A and friend heard a Cetti's warbler in the reeds at our nearby marshes. They are almost impossible to spot as they are shy birds and hide away. But their presence was confirmed by the excellent iPhone app which identifies birds by their call.

[johncorrigan]

Glorious day in West Angus and to top it off, the first skylark of the year singing above the fields - fair lifts the spirits in these troubling times.

[Serial_Apologist]

First blackbird of the year heard singing on my way home yesterday morning.

[oddoneout]

First blackbird of the year heard singing on my way home yesterday morning.

Blackbirds have been doing dawn duty for some time here but I was surprised even so to hear one doing a loud clattering alarm session at 4-30 am a couple of days ago.

[ardcarp]

Spoonbill sighted on Seaton Marshes. We first spotted them in Brittany about 15 years ago. I gather they're sometimes seen further East along the South coast, e.g in Poole Harbour. Global warming, obviously.

[oddoneout]

Spoonbill sighted on Seaton Marshes. We first spotted them in Brittany about 15 years ago. I gather they're sometimes seen further East along the South coast, e.g in Poole Harbour. Global warming, obviously.

Or not.
They returned to breed in East Anglia a few years ago after a break of some 3 centuries or so.

[ardcarp]

!! Thanks for the info.

Just seen a water rail in the same area. Shy little birds. No coming and going for the UK population of these I suppose?

[Joseph K]

Saw some Blue Tits on my walk, someone had left bird food on the wooden posts of a fence so while they were preoccupied with that I could get quite close (alas I didn't have my phone with me to take a picture). They had orange-speckled breasts.

[Joseph K]

Saw, on my walk on this glorious day, what I thought could have been either a heron, crane or stork - having googled pictures of each, I think it must have been a heron. A man who was taking a picture drew my attention to it - I think he had a proper camera, though I didn't even have my phone. Spotted on some stones down by a river contiguous with Abbey Meadows in Arrow Valley North.

[gradus]

A Jay in the garden.

[kernelbogey]

A pair of blackbirds around, the cock singing lustily from 5 am today. Their movements suggest that they might be the same pair I had posted about at least a couple of times here in previous years, as I had been concerned that their nest was a mere 4 metres or so from my back door, and I thought my movements might frighten them off. (Others here thought not.) In fact they appear not to have hatched any eggs two years running. I had heard no sound of progeny, although the cock flew back and forth, perhaps feeding his mate?

I wonder whether they are likely to build for the third year in exactly the same place, despite their lack of success?

[Serial_Apologist]

Big carrion crows swooping down into the streets of central London yesterday, mingling with long-resident rock pigeons. I don't ever remember seeing crows in the middle of London as a child - certainly not at ground level.