The Bird Thread

Last Saturday a bloke showed me a photo he had just taken of a Heron eating a Reed Bunting a few minute before I arrived

Brutal

Met a owl today

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Oh, I do like a owl. I have not seen any of our local owls for about 9 months.

I didn’t get a photo, as it flew off before I could get my phone, but we just had a wren on the garden fence. I’ve occasionally seen one locally, but that’s the first time I’ve seen one in the garden.

We have a wren, I'm always amazed their little wings can carry their rotund bodies.

I love wrens, maybe my 2nd favourite bird after a nuthatch.
Best Latin name ever though?

Best Latin name ever though?

It's good, but no Turdus turdus.

Sat at a cafe at Whipsnade this afternoon with kestrel hovering at eye level a few metres away. Marvellous.

Just saw this amazing time lapse on Twitter

Hmm, I think the sparrowhawk has been to visit again

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I saw a few hawk piles today, this was the oddest non-hawk related carcas. It isn't asleep.

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Found a few of these too, grouse I guess?

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Pheasant?

hen pheasant.

^ & ^^ ta. Google lens said it was a owl

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Definitely a pheasant. Thousands of them round my way

Excellent day for birds on Friday; two male hen harriers flying together, presumably from the same brood (they do breed near here) and 18 curlews on one marshland field.

The pheasant shooting season has started, so I suspect the cock pheasant was one which someone made a crap job of shooting.

Few swallow stragglers still whirling about above the beach at Whiststable yesterday. Latest I can recall seeing them. Can’t say I blame them. It was 19 degrees and sunny. Quite a few humans in for a dip.

Starlings starting to gather in murmurations already as well.

Definitely a pheasant. Thousands of them round my way

Nice they are still allowed to be released in an avian flu outbreak...

Male Hen Harriers are bloody gorgeous. I am jealous.

Maybe the dead pheasant was an import?

https://twitter.com/ChrisGPackham/status/1582033216055414785

goldcrest flitting about in the garden this morning.
i'll try and get a photo if it's around later.

Staying at Leeds castle, unfortunately bird flu has decimated the water fowl numbers here and the peacocks died from the stress of being locked up. Did see a kestrel hunting on the grounds though this morning.