The Bird Thread

Anyone been to rspb otmoor near oxford? Thinking of stopping by tomorrow.

Yes, it’s close to where I live and it is pretty good, I think. Lovely huge flocks of lapwings and golden plovers, plentiful raptors, hares, buntings and loads of ducks.

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Was really nice. Hide was closed which was a shame, but lots of other nice spots, particularly by the ponds.

Not a lot of activity mind, no lapwings :-(

They are actually true carrion birds. They mainly live off the bone marrow in skeletal remains. Amazing to think that an animal that size could have such a specialist diet.

They are known to find carcasses and drop them onto rocks from enormous heights to shatter the bigger bones open although they are quite capable of chomping through sheep legs etc.

They were hunted to extinction in the Alps in the past because of folk legends saying they steal human babies.

Its the only bird I know anything about, after encountering one at very high altitude in the Alps early this year. Their conservation status is such that it would be illegal for me to reveal our location, as we discovered when we were given a stern warning by a local official

BBC article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-53383387

Few from yesterday. Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, flying goose. Not a lot else to see really. Loads of red kites, but all too far away sadly.

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Welcome to the UK. :o$

Yeah, ok, so mobile phones not so great trying to take birdie photos

Haha, brilliant photo ....size of it!!

Indy Kiemel Greene, who photographed the bird, said he was so
overwhelmed by the sight he "almost fainted".

The 15-year-old said he had woken up at 02:00 BST on Sunday to be
driven for an hour-and-a-half and he then hiked for another 90 minutes
to get to where the bird, also known as a lammergeier, was spotted.

"It was absolutely unforgettable," he said.

"There were about 100 people watching it and we were all so pleased.
When I saw it I almost dropped my camera.

"We watched it for five hours and it was so chill. It was definitely
worth it."

Heh. Not mine! Just pleased the Vulture loves paps. 😎

There was a ton of bird watchers down in my swim spot this morning. All photographing this little guy. A brown booby (pic not mine but I got this close a look at him, very tame)

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^ Ace

At the other end of the picture quality scale, just seen Kingfisher here, full zoom on Galaxy S10.

Soon after this it busted a fishing move then vanished.

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Sparrowhawk trying to wind up a kite this morning

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Thats cool!

We've just had gulls in massive packs dining on flying ants all day here.

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Same here

Great capture of the ant in flight!

Local fb group excited about a visitor, a Little Egret.

Turns out I've seen it without realising (white on left of this pic)

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11 little egrets on Heronry pond in Wanstead park yesterday. And one heron.

The preening little bastards come over here and take all our fish.....

I hear stories of Heron's cleaning out peoples ponds who've spent £000's on fancy Karp.

hehe, heron's gonna heron eh'

brown booby

so cool

Today I saw a heron. A rather shabby bird.

I found some feathers

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Spotted some nesting goshawks at Cannock chase on Saturday!
Good one to tick off the list!