The Bird Thread

Have you tried one? I had one for a while, but couldn’t get on with it. Any extended viewing through it left one eye having to catch up with the other one. Same with spotting scopes.
Ok for occasional use, bit even then difficult to hold steady.

I've never tried one but I'm impatient so probably won't be looking through it for more than a few minutes at a time. I think I have a reasonably steady hand but did weigh up 8x vs 10x for that reason.

I've used my dad's Hawke monocular a few times and he seems really happy with it but I never got along well with it. One eye always getting a bit tired. Very portable though.

The 10x42 one, think he paid about £90 for it.

I cycled out to RSPB Rye Meads along the canal today, on a whim. In the end I left it far too late and arrived just before their closing time of 5 PM.

It seems like a cool place. They have a massive kingfisher hide, which I spent a short period in, didn't spot anything. But the log book showed multiple spottings per day over the last week, so it seems like a good time for it.

Will get the train out with my zoom lens next time.

Yeah I think I proposed doing a forum ride there not so long ago!

It's not the most exciting ride to be honest - straight, flat, and bumpy. Bit like being on a turbo trainer that shakes your eyeballs and occasionally tries to throw you off.

The ride wasn't the main attraction tho. My route wouldn've been via a big hill then roydon

Kite doing a passable impression of a witch this morning

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Wow! I love its innate understanding of aerodynamics, to hold the stick broomwise.

What I always wonder is why some nesting birds bring twigs from so far away? Are local twigs not good enough? Strikes me as very inefficient.

Ospreys also do this when carrying fish. Nature is impressive!

Saw so much out along the river this morning but this huge rhea or emu took the biscuit

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And then some more normal stuff

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And some sounds
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/ektjuP5V26VUF7xx6

Skylarks back over the peaks today, singing their mad bastard song. Such a happy sound. Few goldfinches in the hedgerow. Meadow pipits as well, I think, tho less certain about them as was trying to ID whilst cycling and almost crashed as a result.

Spent a lot of my ride being annoyed at cunt dog owners who seem to be incapable of reading all the many signs around the eastern moors saying “keeping your fucking dog on a lead, it’s nesting season for ground nesting birds”. Reckon about 1 in 20 was capable of basic comprehension.

After a few unsuccessful attempts i finally saw the white-tailed eagles on the Isle of Wight. Such majestic massive bastards. Thoroughly recommend. I won't post location here but if anyone wants to go and see them i can share local intel ...

Lots of Meadow pipits in the peaks currently, Ring Ouzel just starting to return as well

Dog walkers in general annoy me more and more, the majority seem to think signs saying dog on a lead doesn't apply to their dog as they aren't like that, then proceed to see said dog running in and out the vegetation and flushing everything

I had two White fronted Geese in the Trent valley today which were new for ones for me

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/09/hidden-camera-gets-first-live-uk-footage-of-wild-white-tailed-eagle-hatching

Was at RSPB Wallasea Island yesterday and the place was packed with Skylarks. Hadn't been there before and would thoroughly recommend - was teaming with waders (and noisy bastard black-headed gulls)

Having a nice time at the Wetlands Centre hanging out with the Mandarins and the Sand Martins.

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I treated myself to dawn at Otmoor today. I heard bitterns and grasshopper warblers for the first time, and enjoyed the almost constant calling of curlews and lapwings, and display flights of lapwings and snipe.
Here is (I think) chiffchaff, grey herons, a winnowing snipe, blackcap and reed buntings and one of the cuckoos that were flying around.

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That drumming snipe photo is amazing. The others are good too, but that’s a beaut.
( and yes, it’s a Chiffchaff!)

Thanks - it took a bit of patience, as this bird was all over the place and moving fast. All in all it was a special morning. Lots of new noises. Might edit some of the recordings I made and post them.

Had a nice morning, found an urban Dipper and its chick in a grotty culvert with a Grey Wagtail for company