The Bird Thread

Not exactly the happy ending we all hoped for.

I'll settle with kestrel. It wasn't huge - a bit bigger than a pigeon maybe? And it was hovering over long grass, I assume on the hunt for voles/mice etc.

I first saw it down the bottom of the ramp near the marshes. Once it left the velodrome, it headed up the A12. Definitely want to see that one again.

Not as exciting as the birds above, but watched the starlings digging for worms this morning

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Opened the front door other morning and about 20 starlings flew out of the hedge alongside the drive!

Yup, if it's hovering it's def a kestrel. Sparrowhawks hunt at speed looking to surprise birds by popping up over fences/trees etc and peregrines hunt by getting above their prey (pigeons/parakeets) and dive-bombing them.

Heron coming into land this morning on the Lea

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saw a raptor hovering over the path near the coppermill fields carpark a few days ago - possibly the same one. Small, with a long tail, flapping in place at quite a low altitude. nice pics!

great pic

Fabulous shot.

Thanks all. My old D300 can still suprise me! I wasn't expecting much at ISO 6400 on a 17 year old camera. Camera thread>>>> etc

Bingo!

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R KES

Mr.

You've just reminded me of this. Wonder if it's the same one?

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/337187/?offset=1900#comment16484763

I'm not sure it is tbh - other shots in the series show slightly different markings on the wing to your one.
(Added a bonus gratuitous shot of it devouring some poor creature)

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is there any possibility you have pictures of two different birds? The hovering shot is trademark kestrel silhouette, but those feeding pictures are of a peregrine for sure

You mean the pics just above your message on the wall? That's def a kestrel too. You don't get peregrines (as far as I'm aware, anyway) with that distinctive shade of brown. They're silvery gray.

oh yeah the wings arent dark enough either, im an idiot

This bird feeder is supposed to shut down when a larger bird lands on the perch.
Works with pigeons but ...

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• P 1.mp4

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• P2.mp4

So I've ordered one of these .

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I understand that the parakeets are an invasive species, but I love parrots, parakeets, budgies, cockatoos, etc. Just gorgeous animals.

Bloody noisy en masse though.

A rather grainy heron yesterday morning in the mist before work, Olympic Park

And, I'm happy to say, a brief flash of kingfisher, if you can spot it. The ripples from its flapping are the giveaway

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Once you have seen it though, the blue is unmistakable.
Could benefit from a tighter crop, emphasizing the negative space on the left and cropping out the large dark blob on the top.