What have you seen

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  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #242

    Wren eating the heads off Pansy's again.  They totally ignore the delicious feedersundecided

     

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #243

    Just to say we kept Muscovy ducks, they can fly and are popular domestic birds.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #244

    A first for us a Kestral landed in the garden, couldn't get my camera quickly enough, would have been a great picture as it sat on the fence in a snow shower.

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2017 #245

    I can't compete with a Kestrel in the garden, but I was able to add another tagged Marsh Harrier to my list of birds seen locally.

    The other MH is not tagged...just a funny patch on head.

    What a lovely day....pity I have to wait in for a man to give me a quote for a new fence.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited February 2017 #246

    About 10 red grouse on our local moors, this morning.

    Not wildlife, but we also saw the wonderful Tornado steaming into Settle station. Will try to add a couple of photos, taken with the 'phone so not very good.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited February 2017 #248

    Wow, Blue, what an amazing sight! Very envious. 😊😊

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #249

    Fantastic photos BM, I am jealous.  Off to Oulton Marshes where SEO are currently resident so fingers crossed

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited February 2017 #250

    It was as good a flying display as I have seen to date. Absolutely amazing when all three appeared together. I am not sure if one was a youngster from last year, but it was smaller and lighter coloured than the other two.

    Just a thought for anyone interested, there is a small camp site within sight of the hunting fields. Looks like a CL type site.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #251

    Great photos BM. We're lucky to have SEOs on the Dee estuary marshes and often see a couple but haven't seen three together for many a year.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited February 2017 #252

    Curlew back on our local moors, this morning. Just love to hear them calling. Lapwings have been back for about a week, Spring maybe on it's way!

    😊😊😊

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #253

    3 x Short Eared Owls at Oulton Marshes, got some photos but not anywhere near the quality of BM's

     

    Pliers, do you know how Twitch is?

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited February 2017 #254

    Yesterday was as good a day as today was bad. Fifteen photographers turned up today and no sign of the Owls until about 3.45pm. Unfortunately a young fella with some form of flying object took a central position in the Owl's preferred field and flew said object around and around the entire field.

    All photos went in the bin after review.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited February 2017 #255

    Spotted a weasel scuttling across the lane when we were out for our first walk is morning. Haven't seen one of these in a while. There was a Goldcrest hopping about the hedge close to the CL yesterday.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #256

    Hi, NTH. Have a look at Rockys post in the dogs thread, re Weasels. Enjoy the break.laughing

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2017 #257

    I also went to Oulton marsh yesterday morning....nothing to be seen!

    Should have stayed at home.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #258

    We went for a wander around about midday then returned with the Grandtwins about 3pm.  One of the regulars told me the best time to see them was from 3pm onwards to dusk.  We park at by the church and take the downhill track, turn right at the bottom and in a couple of hundred yards turn left.  Follow the track around thru the gates and the owl's quarter around there on both sides of the track.  Apparently they have been there most of the winter

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #259

    Just been watching some very aggressive male blackbirds fighting in our garden, territories being sorted ready for nesting. The bird world seems to be coming alive just now.

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2017 #260

    Thanks for that.OP...I will probably return at lunchtime Saturday as long as it's bright.

    Today I sat under my net and watched the kingfishers...I was there around 3 hours and had a really good time.  At one point, I had a kingfisher land in the bush where I was sitting and the bird was no more than 6 feet away.  I thought the minute I turn the camera towards it, it will be off....but no it just sat there looking down the lens.  Light was disappointing at times, when it was bright they were nowhere to be seen.

    The second photo is the after the female has swallowed the fish and the third one is deep inside a bush, although close.

    I had to smile, under my net I looked up and a women was leaning over the rail, thinking she had seen me I said 'good morning'....she jumped a mile.  So the net works.

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #261

    Great pics GL, whereabouts did you take them?

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2017 #262

    These were taken from my local patch, just a 25 minute walk from home.  I know of a pool that these birds often fish from.  Today the female was fishing quite a lot and often sat on a branch and I was able to move around under my net hide and the bird never took fright.

    I have often sat there and not seen anything...so it is not a given.

    Just imagine what this pic would look like with a bit of sun on it, colour would really standout.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited February 2017 #263

    Great pics GL

    Always willing to learn a new trick, please can you post a pic and description of the net, and how you use it.

     

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #264

    Secret location thenwink

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited February 2017 #265

    Any one useing Ferry Meadows,there is a good chance of seeing a Kingfisher if you walk past the Railway Station and follow the stream to the left past the golf course teesmile

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #266

    GL just read that their are 2 x Hen Harriers at Hadiscoe Island so hopefully get there this weekend

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
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    edited February 2017 #267

    It's the pigeon's in our garden,  that fight, they can be really aggressive. Mind you the starlings can be just as bad.  laughing

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
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    edited February 2017 #268

    Great pictures of the kingfisher.

    We are off to Ferry Meadows next weekend, thanks for the tip JVB66.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,191 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #269

    Great photos of the kingfisher. Soooo jealous. 

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2017 #270

    OP

    Not secret at all, just that the pool has no name.

    BM

    The bag hide drops over me, completely covering everything, there is an elasticated hole for the lens.  It is big enough to cover standing or sitting....not cheap, around £70.  But........it works.

    If you want the companies name just ask and I will look it out.

    Even the Marsh harriers will fly over me once I'm covered.  Had I been there yesterday for MH's, I could have got some great shots, but I can't set up for Kingfishers and then change tack, bushes won't allow that.

    The Dabchick picture was taken from the net, the bird surfaced right in front of me and never blinked.  These birds are so nervous, the instant they see someone they dive and disappear.

    The attached pic, taken by my wife was to show me how it looked.

    Today I'm torn between Kingfisher or Short eared owl, one I know I will see and the other slim chance.

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2017 #271

    OP

    Did you know there are Kingfishers on Bungay golf club/Outney common, they were nesting last year in an earth bank nowhere near water.

    With the lake? on your right, there is a big sloping earth bank and that is where they were.

    Only thing is the LAW stops you setting up within 100 yards of the nest site.