The Bird Thread

Ospreys are so fucking cool. Highlight of my birding life was being on a little rowboat out on Loch Awe and watching an osprey come down and take a fish out of the water less than 50 metres away. Never been one for fishing, but those guys make it look like great fun.

Wish I had bought this

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One from lunchtime

Little one of these pecking away in the grass outside just now.

plenty round my way as well

Lovely article on the power of birds to return former agricultural land back to woodland
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/16/half-the-trees-in-two-new-english-woodlands-planted-by-jays-study-finds

Spotted an out of place looking bird in a field near Mere today, huge bright orange beak, black & white feathers. Tried to get a picture but it spotted me and flew off. Rspb I.d. gives me Oystercatcher. Can't remember seeing one before now so happy to have done so. Will look for more on future rides out that way.

Did it look a bit like a magpie with a carrot stuck to its face? Definitely oystercatcher if so

Yes. I'd add rotund to the description you gave.

New one for me today, Blyth's Reed Warbler at Middleton Lakes (first time visiting, great place, so much bigger than I am used to) was in great voice bringing in a crowd, I'd probably walked past it in ignorance if not for the dozen people with scopes all watching it

Someone else's video of what it sounded like:
https://twitter.com/howardtaffs1/status/1406627768553676801

Coal tit juvenile & parent

Thrush with a worm

Went for a walk this morning - horrible flat light but here are some bad pics of a kestrel, a whitethroat and the final one is a red kite - those aren't the kite's feet, it had something grapped tightly but I couldn't see exactly what.

Where'd the sun go?

^brilliant!

Great picture.

Here in London

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Wow.

Wot you looking at?!

Peregrine youngster

(caption to second pic)

same bird

Nice! I saw a young peregrine in Burgess Park very early one morning a few years ago.

So cool

This one has parents and they hunt as a pair

Damn! Now that is a picture!

Pretty amazing thing to see on your balcony