What have you seen

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  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited March 2018 #1382

    You are one up on me with the woodpecker H&T On second thoughts, make that 2 up if you caught one of the nuthatch aswell.

    Look forward to your post.

  • neveramsure
    neveramsure Forum Participant Posts: 712
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    edited March 2018 #1383

    A couple of interesting experiences this morning while on my dog walk. Tess spotted some movement in the banking by the side of the path but I could not at first see anything. Then a few yards farther on I saw a brown animal running along the fence line towards some undergrowth, it was larger and furrier than a rat but smaller than a squirrel and without a bushy tail. I'm still not sure what it was.

    Later while on the way back I spotted a Buzzard perched on a telegraph wire and a crow was perched about 3mtrs to its left. The crow kept hopping closer and closer to the Buzzard and when it got 0.5 mtr away it jumped over to the right of the Buzzard and landed on the wire. That had the desired effect and the Buzzard headed off to some trees, still being mobbed by the lone crow. 

    Nature is a joy to watch sometimes.smile   

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1385

    Great photos, H&T, I especially like the one of the Bullfinch

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1386

    Then a few yards farther on I saw a brown animal running along the fence line towards some undergrowth, it was larger and furrier than a rat but smaller than a squirrel and without a bushy tail. I'm still not sure what it was.

    Could it have been a weasel, nevers? 

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant Posts: 4,760 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1387

    Super photos Helen. What a wonderful array of birds.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1388

    Thanks for the photos Helen, what a good selection. Pleased to hear you got home ok (on the social thread.)

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited March 2018 #1389

    Lovely selection of birds H&T, did you put the feeders out or were they site feeders.

  • RSPB
    RSPB Forum Participant Posts: 53
    edited March 2018 #1390

    Hi there Milothedog, 

    Wherenext alerted me to your videos here. What a great sound! 

    Using your zoomed-in photo, my colleague and I were able to identify this as a great spotted woodpecker. This drumming behaviour is a territorial display, which they carry out during the breeding season and drumming is most intense between January and April. 

    Great spotted woodpeckers like hollow dead trees to get the best and loudest sound. However, as you have discovered, it seems that humans' modern infrastructure provides even better surfaces to drum up the volume! http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20150128-how-and-why-woodpeckers-drum

    The maximum age recorded for a great spotted woodpecker is 11 years, so it is possible that this could be the same individual, but it's likely that other bird(s) have learned to do this from their peers. 

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited March 2018 #1391

    A few disgruntled herring gulls down at Brighton marina. I think they are suffering from chip withdrawal as there are few punters about.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1392

    Thousands of starlings just flew passed the house north west to south east. 

    Unconfirmed reports that Snowy Owl spotted around Brancaster yesterday.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1393

    Spotted our first Red Kites of this trip as we were passing the A1/ M1 junction, and saw 4 in total before we got to Ilkley, as well as the usual Buzzards and Kestrels. Greeted on site by a flock of about 20 Curlew flying overhead, and 15 mins after putting up feeder and fat ball had our first visitors, Blue & Great Tits. Doesn't take them long to search out a food source, does it?

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited March 2018 #1394

    It seems the Short Eared Owls have left the Severn Estuary. Have not seen them for a couple of days, but there are now 2 Barn Owls hunting where the SEO held territory.

    It is going to be more difficult to get a close photo as the area to cover is now quite considerable. Looking forward to the challenge and pleasure though.

    The nest cam at the Bath Church shows a couple of eggs in the Peregrine nest.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1395

    Looks like Snowy Owl is now showing at Wainfleet Marshes in Lincolnshire 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1396

    Dash it, we've just left that county heading west! Just my luck.frown

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited March 2018 #1397

    Nellie if you are heading very much to the west, you may still enjoy the nightly display by Short Eared Owls and Barn Owls on Severnside. Having not seen the SEO's for a few days, I wrongly assumed they may have left. However this evening, there were three SEO's and two Barn Owls hunting for over an hour. Absolutely marvellous.

    I have attached a few images of the Barn Owls to share the experience of the last few rays..

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited March 2018 #1399

    What a treat that must have been. We have been visiting the River Frome at Eastville Park, where a family of otters reside, for a few years and have not  seen one on any visit. Dippers never show Kingfisher just the once.

    Lovely Pic GL

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1400

    We're local to the Parrett and have otters coming from it, they are partial to pond fish. 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1401

    How about shooting over to Singapore at the mariner bay park, bound to see them theresurprised

    Great picture GL, seen plenty at Strumpshaw but never got a decent photo 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1402

    I have attached a few images of the Barn Owls to share the experience of the last few rays..

    I may have ask before but apart from cropping, are the pictures how the come out of the camera or is their a little manipulation?  If I have ask before excuse me its and age thinglaughing  

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited March 2018 #1403

    Morning OP

    I had a discussion on this with GL a few pages ago. Within Photoshop CC there is an option under the Image tag to assist with shadow and highlight. Just adds a bit of detail in shadow areas and reduces the highlights. Sometimes slight adjustment to Levels which is a similar effect. Also I apply a very small level under unsharpmask. which I apply to all my pics as a shortcut. All done in a couple of clicks. I do not have enough knowledge to use more than the very basic tools in photoshop.

    Fortunately, the light lifted for about 10 minutes as the Owl made a sweep of it's favoured field and I was in a much better position yesterday to get closer images. The Brambles were a bit sharp, but worth the pain.

    The sun is very low for these pics and behind a light cloud but heavy cloud above.

    I am up for Singapore if you are paying for the tickets, nice of you to offersmile

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1404

    Thanks BLlaughing

    Not sure my state pension rise would be enough for Singapore 😂😳

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1405

    Male Siskin spotted and photographed by Mrs Oneputt on our feeders this morning

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1406

    Mrs Oneputt has taken a VG photo, on my phone the close up is excellent. smile

    Excuse me having a little joke but I spotted a blue footed husband at the National Trust this morning. 

    wink

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1407

    But also a view inside the orangery at Montacute House, where throughout the year there are some interesting plants. smile

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited March 2018 #1408

    Really good day's birding at Titchwell today. Heard chiffchaff, but not seen. Good views of Med gulls, brambling, avocets, harriers etc.

    Yesterday, at Cley,  had fantastic views of a spoonbill posing right in front of the hide. Followed of course, by cakes in the reserve centre café. 

    We're here until next Wednesday, staying at Fakenham racecourse site.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1409

    Have a great stay Pliers.  

    Just heard that the Snowy Owl is at Friskney in Lincolnshire  

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #1410

    Lots of pairs of Mandarin Ducks on the R.Wharfe at Bolton Abbey today along with 1 pair of dippers and a couple of single ones, and a few male Goosanders and an odd female one, too.

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
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    edited March 2018 #1411

    We put the feeders out in the hedge next to our pitch, left the birds some food when we left too.