The Bird Thread

I still think it's a red tail

https://www.birdingwire.com/features/844c653d-0a80-4731-a98d-1d6bda5d5d53

Oooof. Yeah that's getting closer ay.

I was totally still in the UK also which doesn't help.

A pair of Oyster Catchers spotted a couple of weeks ago in Cornwall

Fuck around, find out
https://twitter.com/RareBirdAlertUK/status/1706668823859110149?t=yIEBa_S18BdgVUd6G6uduw&s=19

Record breaking bird flight
https://twitter.com/Locati0ns/status/1710148917365711221?t=gALOihNcbQWBxL1eMunhOQ&s=19

Dead in here, had a glossy ibis recently on flooded fieldsa couple of miles from home, currently got a county record flock of cattle egret near by. Moved home a month ago and now got a small wetlands 4 minutes walk away also now have Yellowhammer, wintering stonechat, ravens and little egrets on the daily stroll. Keep scanning the hedge tops for waxwing but no luck yet

Good to see redwings and fieldfares flying around today. Kingfisher flew low and fast across the field where I had been watching a little egret after the otter excitement.

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Managed to catch up with some waxwing today although the were getting harrased by a mistletrush so never really settled

Then spent a few cold hours hunting for a great grey shrike without success

Waxwings - one of the few plus points of a very cold Winter - yet to get a really good look at one.

Having just looked up what they are, I think I saw a waxwing the other day.

Being an ignoramus I thought it was a jay with different colouring but I've just looked it up and apparently they're fairly regular visitors to where I was running (Burgess Field, near Port Meadow in Oxford).

We had a flock of about 70 near us the other week, never seen them before. Cute birdies. (Not my pics but someone with us)

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Also found a dead woodcock in Anglia Square, poor thing must have hit a window. Amazing to see it up close and personal though, sent it to a taxidermist.

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There was one found in the doorway to M&S in the city about a week ago as well.

I saw that rock of waxings as well but only when there was 10 of them. They had pretty much stripped the trees of berries by that point!

Nothing but ducks today, which is lucky because I quite like them.

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Can't let the meme thread have all the Christmas banter

There’s a small flock of Waxwings near us at the moment, seems to have caused quite a stir with people coming from all over.

“Us” being Kings Hill in Kent.

Nicely done

Been to RSPB Rainham Marshes today. 3 marsh harriers, 1 very obliging kestrel and too many lapwings and fieldfares to count. Also a possible godwit but I'm not good at telling my waders apart.

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Saw a group of four or five tree creepers on my walk yesterday. Wasn’t aware that they were at all social, but they appeared to be moving together. Also a greater spotted woodpecker on the bird feeder.

There was a dead snipe (I think) outside work in early Nov, it was a very stormy day and I assume it got blown into the building. So sad but also amazing to see so close. Now I wonder if they live on the edge of the river and I've just never seen them (work in Greenwich peninsula).

(Photo is a bit grim - not sure if it still works to put it here)

Looks like a Woodcock as well to me. We have a small number of resident breeding birds but large flocks of winter migrants fly over urban areas.

Close out the year with 36 snipe flying out a reedbed at dusk

Back at my folks on the edge of the Romney Marsh for a few days and finally a glimpse of a kingfisher on the Royal Military canal after not seeing one for a couple of years, and a goldcrest very busy in a hedge, I know they are quite common but never seen one before.
I’ll take that for an end of year spot.

Finished the year on 202 birds and kicked off this year with 34 this morning including snipe,stonechat, water rail and common gull

Good day yesterday, got my first yellow browed warbler in an innoculous hedge and short eared owl later on, both within 10 miles of home