Bird Watching a Relaxing Hobby

[Jim R]

I've never been a "bird watcher" as such although I have always enjoyed watching the birds feeding in the garden. Last year we had a blackbird nest in a bush in the garden and we were privilaged to see them raise 3 chicks. My brother is a real twitcher. He has travelled all over the world on 'birding' trips.
When we lived on the Outer Hebrides we regularly saw Golden Eagles and White Tailed Sea Eagles. There is a large popuation of eagles on the islands mainly due to the lack of big hunting estates - no grouse moors to 'protect'
Jim

 

[rtfoe]

Don't know any of the names but we get many different types of birds in our neighbourhood from Kingfishers to the Crows. In the evenings we get Eurasian Magpies that debate amongst each other in their cabinet meetings.
Humming birds sometimes mistake SWMBOs sun hat for flowers when she's gardening.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Lee Drennen]

Gerry. Thanks for moving that now everyone can enjoy your story

Andy. Maybe you might snap a few pics of some birds some day love to see your offerings

Jim. Thanks for sharing your story. We have a European Starling that makes her nest every year in the walls of our Garage. I’ve tried boarding it up to discourage her but she finds her way back every year. This year she found a new way somewhere to get in now. Guess I’ll just live with it.

Richard. Thanks for sharing my wife keeps bugging me to put up our Hummingbird Feeder maybe I’ll do it soon.

 

[Deleted member 5496]

Being old we moved to a flat. But it has a balcony of a good size. Recently wife decided to put out food.

We got huge seagulls (landing at about 6:00am) making a racket of a noise. Magpies loud mouthed. Pidgeons one little one sat on the rail for ages.

A pidgeon attacked by a Magpie on the balcony a really rough state but I defended it Later after settling down it flew off.

Sparrows some times 6 or 8 of them all tucking in. One leaves another arrives.

Pauline decided they were making a mess of her balcony garden & removed the bird food facility. Yet every day Seagulls Magpies Pidgeons & sparrows still visit in hope.

Seagulls on the ground are a darned nuisance. Pulling all the rubbish out of the bins in the KFC area. However we are on the third floor & often they fly past below our level. In flight they just look superb.

Laurie

 

[Lee Drennen]

Here’s a few more I caught yesterday evening some Blue Jays and a Grey Catbird

 

[CarolsHusband]

Likewise, Lee, a good idea for a thread. We used to live in a semi-rural location so had lots of quite regular, if slightly mundane visitors and some buzzards in the woods nearby. We did have 32 Goldfinches turn up one evening. Sorry about the pic, it was getting dark



We live by the sea now and now have 3 Buzzards nearby but our best spot was 2 pairs of Great White Egrets that were in the field. They're very rare here but are making a comeback.
Heron sized and pretty camera shy.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Laurie. Sounds like you have a battle on your hands it’s a shame they make a mess and fight that you can’t enjoy them. Thanks for sharing and stopping by.

 

[Dave Ward]

Not bird watching - but bird listening! Woodpeckers ( I've only ever seen one ) are fairly common, but most heard are the owls - Little Owls & Tawny Owls, they generally start calling at dusk and seem to leave off an hour or so before sunrise. Occasionally I hear birds that I can't identify - probably strays from Slimbridge WWT, which is only a few miles away............
Dave

 

[Deleted member 5496]

Laurie. Sounds like you have a battle on your hands it’s a shame they make a mess and fight that you can’t enjoy them. Thanks for sharing and stopping by.

Do not worry Lee I will get her in a good mode by refraining to kiss her for 3 days in a row. Should do the trick.

It is the big birds they shrow the food around. The little sparrows feed in the large box we put out & most food is contained.

The top of the balcony rail has a large round top. The sparrows congregate perhaps 6 or 8 at a time waiting their turn to feed. Sometimes in the early morning I wake up, window open, & listen to them chuckling away.

Laurie

 

[Lee Drennen]

Likewise, Lee, a good idea for a thread. We used to live in a semi-rural location so had lots of quite regular, if slightly mundane visitors and some buzzards in the woods nearby. We did have 32 Goldfinches turn up one evening. Sorry about the pic, it was getting dark

View attachment 421765

We live by the sea now and now have 3 Buzzards nearby but our best spot was 2 pairs of Great White Egrets that were in the field. They're very rare here but are making a comeback.
Heron sized and pretty camera shy.

View attachment 421766

View attachment 421767

Thanks for sharing some neat in flight pics. I know it’s difficult sometimes to get some good pics of these Fowl Friends

 

[Lee Drennen]

Not bird watching - but bird listening! Woodpeckers ( I've only ever seen one ) are fairly common, but most heard are the owls - Little Owls & Tawny Owls, they generally start calling at dusk and seem to leave off an hour or so before sunrise. Occasionally I hear birds that I can't identify - probably strays from Slimbridge WWT, which is only a few miles away............
Dave

Dave. I like listening to the owls at dust at our house. Just last night I heard one off in the distance wish I could get a pic of one of these.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Do not worry Lee I will get her in a good mode by refraining to kiss her for 3 days in a row. Should do the trick.

It is the big birds they shrow the food around. The little sparrows feed in the large box we put out & most food is contained.

The top of the balcony rail has a large round top. The sparrows congregate perhaps 6 or 8 at a time waiting their turn to feed. Sometimes in the early morning I wake up, window open, & listen to them chuckling away.

Laurie

Laurie. Maybe you can get back to feeding soon with a small feeder that the big guys can’t get to.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Hi all
Here are a few photos that I have taken over the last few years when I have been out and about staring at birds.....


Mute swan on a local lake


Spoonbill at Keyhaven nature reserve


Greenfinch in my garden


Black headed gull on the wing at Keyhaven


Turtle Dove at Martin Down.


Grey Heron at local lakes


Chiff Chaff at Lodimore RSPB


Hooded Meganser (the James Brown of the duck world) at Lodimoor RSPB.


Oystercatcher taken on a trip to Wales


Red Kite in Wales (Got photo of the day award on Flikyr for this one )


Common Tern at Lodimore RSPB. Probably my favourite photo


Godwit at RSPB Lodimore
I think I need to catch up with sorting out my backlog of photos, then perhaps dust off the camera again.....
Hope these are of interest.
Cheers
Tim

 

[Dave Ward]

Tim,
Keyhaven? - my grandfather used to live at Highcliffe & we used to visit Keyhaven & go by boat to Hurst Castle
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Those are great photos Tim.

 

[Deleted member 5496]

Laurie. Maybe you can get back to feeding soon with a small feeder that the big guys can’t get to.

We have tried a number of ways Lee. Problem this large birds have quality brains. Even one early morning put a serving tray over the feeding box. Ten minutes later a seagull had pulled it off.

Mention this little beggar before,Seagul, that roams around out side Morrisons below us. Even knows how to open the auto doors. Marched in jumps on to first shelf of snacks bar takes a packet walks out. The other day I watched him nick two packets of snack bar mustard. Guess what ? Did not like mustard

Laurie

 

[Tim Marlow]

Tim,
Keyhaven? - my grandfather used to live at Highcliffe & we used to visit Keyhaven & go by boat to Hurst Castle
Dave

Yep, same place Dave. There is a walk right along the sea front towards Lymington which is superb for birding. You are about ten foot above the lakes and fields and the birds pay you no real attention so you can get really close to them.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Those are great photos Tim.

Thanks Jim, there are a huge number of rejects to get those shots. The Red Kite, for example, was culled out of about 1500 shots taken over thirty minutes at the Red Kite feeding Centre. There were probably 600 wild Kites being fed that day. An awesome spectacle!

 

[Peej]

We have a couple of feeders in our garden. We get many visitors such as various tits, robins, pigeons, collared doves, woodpeckers, magpies, jays. Just recently a pair of pheasants have been popping over for a bite in the evening. Daytime is normally busy with squirrels. Occasionally at night we have a fox come in the garden to clear up any peanuts that have been dropped.

 

[Lee Drennen]

Tim. Wow! Thanks for sharing those beautiful pics.

Paul. You I have to get some pics of those pheasants