The Bird Thread

The first sand martins are starting to come back.

And I’m busy scraping the grass off a bank I discovered that had ancient records of them nesting in! I hope I get enough done in time. It’s hard work!

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Local reports of a white tailed eagle spotted recently. Apparently one that was introduced in the Isle of Wight, which must be at least 60 miles away!

Pics on a Facebook group of it being harassed by some (very small in comparison) red kites. Would love to have seen it in the flesh.

When you say local...

Ah I'm not London... It's been spotted over a couple of West Berkshire/Wiltshire border villages.

Re the Isle of Wight eagles, I've been following their introduction quite closely, this site is amazing with regular travel/progress updates. It's purposefully not live so you can't track/follow them but at some point it should confirm which bird is currently local to you.... https://www.roydennis.org/category/sea-eagle/isle-of-wight-sea-eagles/

Wish I could give you a hand - they seem to come back a little too early.

This is awesome ta.

Well, this is just what happens if you follow Ludwig.

Just to the West of me, the evasive bugger!

Maybe he mistook you for a bald eagle and scarpered.

Try saying that to my beak, I mean face!

This afternoons walk:

No photos, but on my ride this morning I saw a group of buzzards in some trees. Which struck me as odd as usually buzzards are solitary birds. Can only assume it’s to do with mating season.

Pochards & tufted ducks at the local lake

Then a slightly ruffled red kite posing perfectly in a dead tree

All lovely shots, but I like this one in particular.

Thanks was happy to get that shot, have been trying to spot one at the local pond but it only appears at dusk and vanishes at the sound of footsteps where as this was spotted through the fence of the local water treatment works checking out some old reed beds and seemed oblivious to the world

That last shot is great

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Today's low hanging fruit:

Thanks, it just sat there for ages, I have about 15 identical shots. I have seen one in the same tree when I didn't have a camera, will keep checking it.

I like herons too. This amazed me when I saw it in Amsterdam, having only ever experienced the skittish ones I see here

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2017/jun/05/urban-herons-amsterdam-in-pictures

Might have been posted before, good pics

Herons are mean bastards! I've seen them eat ducklings one by one in front of small children in Battersea Park and in the field out the back of my folks' place they hunt mice and voles. Weird seeing a tall beautiful bird gulping down a mid-size vole.

Herons and cormorants - turbogluttons.

Yeah man, they rip some huge carp out the pond at work! Some strength in those gangly limbs