The Bird Thread

The Warden.

1 Attachment

The Prisoner.

1 Attachment

Our mountain guide identified the bird I posted on the previous page as a male golden eagle. Apparently they are much smaller than the females, live/hunt in pairs and there are a couple that hang out exactly where we spotted them. Apparently they mate for life.

One more crappy pic for luck (königstal in background)

1 Attachment

Sadly no photo, as it was a very brief glimpse, but we were walking together through a marsh when son #1 said “what’s that bird?”. I’m afraid I swore, for it was a stonking great bittern flying across the path. He also spotted a pair of spoonbills for me. (We’re having a week near Orford)

Bittern.

Favourite A4

Spotted a whopping great Cormorant today. Very Pleased. Shame he didn't have his wings out.

2 Attachments

I think I spotted a red kite the other day, just off Ruckholt Road heading into the Olympic park.

I have heard they are more common via the news, but that was my first sighting.

You get loads of pied wagtails next to the velodrome.

I don't think I have ever seen a pigeon there

I hate to insult the poor bird, but it is a Cummings lookalike.

I saw a black pheasant this evening, apparently a reasonably common variant but I've never seen one before (I live in the middle of several big shooting estates and see hundreds of pheasants a month)

Not quite as exciting as some of the others but I got this today whilst testing the zoom on my new phone camera.

1 Attachment

Arctic or common? Seen on the River Alde yesterday.

1 Attachment

Moulting common - Artics have longer tail streamers and unusual inland.

Ah, I wondered if this was a juvenile because of its head feathers. It was fishing in salt water.

Possibly - black bill and salt water

Some more from the Alde

4 Attachments

Awesome. My Mum and Dad live there. Not a twitcher myself but do a lot of running round there and wish I could identify more of the birds that I see. Can see myself getting into bird watching.

You should consider hiring a Canadian canoe at Iken cliff and getting up close and personal to the bird action. Last time I went for a paddle there I ended up befriending a cheeky seal. http://www.ikencanoe.co.uk/

Ah, my bike ride on Saturday took in the very sandy lanes around Iken before we headed up to Dunwich. Wonderful area in all sorts of ways (although it was a bit disconcerting to have a helicopter gunship fly parallel to us as we drove past Rendlesham Forest).

There's a lot of military activity around there. Have also been buzzed by an Apache near Iken. The most nerve wracking experience was when I was jogging down the side of the runway at MOD Woodbridge (in the middle of Rendlesham forest) and a Typhoon did a low pass. Damn near shat my pants.

The older military history of Iken is interesting too. Residents were turfed out of their homes and the whole area was used for tank training because the (sandy) lanes are so similar to rural Normandy.

Anyway. Birds. They're awesome.

I've always had a thing for curlews. A very mournful call.

For me they will always be associated with the hills above Teesdale in March 1992 when I didn’t surprise the now Mrs Ludd by asking her to marry me.

So you asked her and she wasn't surprised or you were going to surprise her then but you chose not to?

The former.

Nice. I've only heard them once. It was TT week on the Isle of Man in 1981 or 2 in a field near to Ballacraine.

A bit of a slow reply (only just noticed this thread). A really nice recording. I thought the nightingale was pretty special but then realised I'd moved on to the next track. What do you record on?

I like to do a bit and was gutted the day I went to Richmond Park and didn't have anything with me for the skylarks.