What have you seen

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  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
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    edited May 2019 #2282

    BM

    Pics from Isle of Mull.

    I have a watchpoint which is around 100 yards from a harriers nest, there are 4 nests in total.

    Today I had 5 birds around me.

     

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited May 2019 #2283

    Thought someone on here would know.

    I wonder if its safe to send the drone up for piccies of the teeny tiny chicks!

    Thanks.

    laughing

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2284

    I wouldn't! 

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2285

    Delighted to spot a baby newt in our pond a couple of days 😆

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited May 2019 #2286

    Gave it thought, decided against it.

    Down draft from props is very strong, and maybe the drone would scare, or look like a predator.

     

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited May 2019 #2287

    Well thought out👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2288

    Got a phone call as I was typing, lasted 1 & 1/2 hours, I knew it would be long so pressed reply without checking 😂.

    Should have read couple of days ago. Only discussing what we'd not seen our newts the day before! My brother spotted a white spider on a flower, checked it out as it had green spots - thought he was winding us up!, but checked it out yep white crab spider.

    Now I need to pick your expert knowledge I saw a bird drinking from the 'hedgehog' bowl sparrow colouring size etc but something not quite right,  checked out bird book possibly a linnet. We live in the city but have a very established garden with great wildlife but am I being silly?

    We have a vast amount of fledglings, the cacophony in the bushes is amazing, blackbirds, starlings, Robins, dunnocks, various tits, wrens. No wonder we're getting through LOADS of bird food 😂😂

    We're very lucky to have at least one hedgehog but they are dirty in habit! We have 2 boxes where we feed them. They too eat plenty but think nothing if pooing in the bedding. No manners at all!

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2289

    Could be a female linnet B2, difficult to really know without a photo.  The Male will still have a lot of red colouring on him

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2290

    Thanks Oneputt, forgot to mention it would be female. It was the eye markings that caught my attention most. No chance of a photo 😂, I can't even manage to see it with binoculars 😂😂.  I think it was in the fat square by the conservatory window earlier is that likely?

    Such is the feeding frenzy that birds are enjoying the feeder close to the conservatory which they are normally VERY wary of using. I assume because of the reflections in the glass.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2291

    When I get home I will post a photo I have for you

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2292

    Thank you Oneputt. 

    Hope you're enjoying testing your new caravan. 

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2019 #2293

    Hi GL

    when looking at your pics, I was not sure if the bird was a Harrier or Eagle. Just stumbled on your post re Mull, so please confirm one or the other.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
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    edited May 2019 #2294

    BM

    I reckon you mean the Hen Harrier?

    I was walking the dog at 05.30 in the shadow of a low rise hill, when this bird was flitting around close to the top of the hill.  The bird then came across the road and curved round me and flew away.  The light was poor but the camera managed to get something.  The campsite owner was only telling me about the HH the day before and couldn't believe that I managed to snap it.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited May 2019 #2295

    Arrived this afternoon on shores of Lake Konstanz with a pitch right on the shoreline. Just looking through the windscreen, 40 odd mute swans, a few mallards, coots, cormorants and a handful of great crested grebes. Swallows struggling in the breeze to catch insects. Surprisingly no gulls. I do like to do my 'twitching' in comfort. wink

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2296

    These beauties plus a mother goosander with eight baby anderlings viewed from our MH pitch. Also a pair of redstarts and a pied wagtail darting and dancing above the water whilst feeding its young on the river bank. Saw a gent land a very reasonable salmon on the river and carefully and respectfully return it to continue its journey.

    Note: mergansers, goosanders and fishermen should live alongside each other as should ospreys and otters. And of course all the other raptors I've seen over the last few days should be left alone by the gamekeepers and landowners..

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2297

    Deer are beautiful creatures to watch, thanks Micky. It's the closed season for coarse fish just now, good to hear the salmon went back in. smile

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2019 #2298

    After a very enjoyable trip up the east cost and a couple of days of repairs, I finally got around to looking at the pics taken on the trip. 

    These pics were highlights from our visits to Minsmere. The first 3 pics were taken from the Bittern hide, the Bittern wandered about just on the edge of the reeds for several minutes before straying out into clear view. The Hobby made just a few passes but close to the hide and the Harrier was hunting within 50yds of the hide on several passes.

    The best day was spent watching Dartford Warblers feeding young but in a place to dark to photograph, but the Stonechat was not bothered by our presence as it worked tirelessly to feed it's two chicks, all while the Whitethroat chirped away constantly.

    I will add a couple more from later in the trip next. 

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2019 #2299

    Week 2 took us to Titchwell where the weather was a little brighter.

    Many reports of Dotterels up at Choseley Barns but even with scopes they were to distant to view. Our second trip was a very dull day and the birds were just as far away, but as the weather got worse, we decided to take our sanwiches while we waited. Everyone else left as the Dotterels came down to see us sat on the back of the car. (pic 4). Two hours later, we had the delight of two male Bearded Readlings darting around within 2 metres of our feet.

    Third week up around Bempton we watched as various sea birds preparing nests Gannets, Puffins, Guillimot, Razorbills, Fulmar and the beautiful Kittiwake.

    A trip to Blacktoft sands provided quite a surprise to see Harriers being chased away by Avocets.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2300

    Thanks BM, enjoying those lovely pics, makes my garden visitor look a bit pale and wobbly but it's a wonderful time of the year to see birds. smile

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2019 #2301

    Thanks Brue

    I would be delighted to have a pale and wobbly GSW dangling from our feeder, well captured.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2302

    Our bird feeder on site has been cleaned out in no time at all, mainly by House Sparrows, one of which feeds a couple of her chicks on the branch next to the feeder, but also by Tree Sparrows, Goldfinches and Siskins. Today out by the coast we saw Twites, Blackcap, Whitethroats, Stonechats, Kittiwakes, Fulmers, Shags and a Corn Bunting. We also saw our first Orchids ( Early Purple I think) and Foxgloves in flower.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2303

    Great photos BM, the Dotterels never got that close to us so definition on my photos is pretty shabby, so I’ll call the, record shots

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited May 2019 #2304

    We had a GSW working its way up the trunk of the tree next to the van yesterday morning. Managed to catch a shot of a Great Crested Grebe with two chics being carried and fed by the other parent today plus a punch-up between a pair of coots. Insufficient data allowance to post them.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2019 #2305

    GL

    Now that you have pointed out the Hen Harrier, I can see the head shape, only seen them at a distance with Oneputt at Wareham Green last autumn.

    However it was the size of the beaks in the other pics that suggested an eagle as it seems more sturdy than a marsh harrier.

    OP

    We were very lucky our patience paid off, thinking about a trip to see the Ospreys at Clwydog at the moment. Have you been this year?

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #2306

    Yes BM, went in April and May but don’t know how many eggs were laid or hatch.  Female was in the nest and Male perched above.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
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    edited June 2019 #2307

    BM

     

    You have me confused now.  The large beaks belong to the White Tailed Sea Eagle of which I posted 2 pic's, the other was indeed a Hen Harrier.

    The HH's are nesting not too far from this pictured location, I would suggest that they are not persecuted here as in England.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited June 2019 #2308

    Thanks GL

    I originally assumed we were talking Harriers until I found your post about Mull and realised I had probably got it wrong, so asked to confirm eagles.

    Both are birds I would like to get some decent pics of.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
    Name Dropper
    edited June 2019 #2309

    The eagles were based about 200 metres away from the road, so only had to stand and wait.

    The Hen Harrier is an opportunist bird, all of a sudden its there, I had to be quick to react.

    The Hen Harriers come down to Norfolk in the Winter.  I was lucky to have a magnificent male, wonderful grey plumage drifting across the road in front of me a few years back. 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #2310

    B2 a female linnet below

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #2311

    The wildlife seen or heard from the current CL we are on has been lovely. 

    We have nesting Curlews in the meadow next to us. Their warbling call is heard quite often as well as seeing them occasionally. Partridges cross over between fields quite regularly. Willow Warblers and Blackcaps are in the scrub in front of us. Buzzards wheel overhead and we have a Tawny Owl at night plus a most beautiful singing Blackbird for dawn chorus in the morning.

    There are plenty of rabbits and some lovely horses and a most georgeous little foal, all legs.