Wildlife spotting

[bgmnts]

Sounds marvellous that does. What's the technique for counting/estimating large numbers of flighty things that dont stay still? Quite curious about that. Cheers.

Count how many bullets are left in the chamber.

[purlieu]

Sounds marvellous that does. What's the technique for counting/estimating large numbers of flighty things that dont stay still? Quite curious about that. Cheers.

If the flock is moving gradually in one direction - eg out of a hedge as you walk along, disturbing a handful of birds at a time - then you can just count as you go along and add them up. A larger flock is generally an estimate based on what's seen through binoculars, if they're on the ground, or what you can see in flight if they all go up together (generally done by looking at ten birds and then using that as a visual guide to count in tens). It's always best to err on the side of caution and under-estimate, but as long as the birds you're counting aren't constantly going back and forth over your field of vision then it's not too difficult to get an idea of how many you've seen so far. If they are going back and forth then it's generally best to count as many separate ones as you can be certain of and say 'at least that many'.

[sick as a pike]

Bullfinches are tidily turned out fellows. I've just been watching a male in the garden looking like he'd dressed up to go to the National Finch Awards. I like Bullfinches.

[paruses]

Bullfinches are tidily turned out fellows. I've just been watching a male in the garden looking like he'd dressed up to go to the National Finch Awards. I like Bullfinches.

Yes and they almost always have  a couple of lady Bullfinch hotties in tow. Probably because of how they dress.

[bgmnts]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-51109146

I love that Wales is the land of spiders and slugs! What a feather in our cap.

[gib]

Friday i saw a small white egret, yesterday i saw a dozen blackbirds in a group and also a black, white and red woodpecker.

[bgmnts]

The birds are starting to come back so decided to be a div and make a bargain bucket bird feeder using some toilet roll tubes and a lace.

Smeared them in peanut butter and rolled it in pumpkin and hemp seeds.

Hope they try it.

[Ferris]

There's a large hawk/bird thing that has nested in a pylon near me. See it most mornings putting the wind up the local pigeons.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Seen a good few buzzards out the country here. Majestic birbs

[DoesNotFollow]

Couple of buzzards about over the house, crows are kicking up a fuss.

[bgmnts]

None of the birds are interested.

Bit gutted.

[Noonling]

Probably because your hurts would clash with theirs.

[Brian Freeze]

Fuckloads of starlings last night, was away from home and they were incredible to see swarming down to roost.
We just get half a dozen hooligans at a time that bother our fat balls, this lot were in the many multiples of thousands.

[Brian Freeze]

Lovely birds = a welcome distraction.

I didnt see any gold finches in our garden at all last year or the year before so was chuffed to spot a couple last friday on the seed heads of something I keep forgetting the name of but will remember to not chop down in a hurry next year.

This morning there were a male and female bullfinch on the sunflower hearts, she stopped longer than him. Immediately followed by a song thrush mooching about under the feeders. All rare in our garden.

[gib]

Yesterday a blue tit spent all day obsessively attacking the kitchen window. Apparently they think the reflection is a rival.

[ZoyzaSorris]

Lovely birds = a welcome distraction.

I didnt see any gold finches in our garden at all last year or the year before so was chuffed to spot a couple last friday on the seed heads of something I keep forgetting the name of but will remember to not chop down in a hurry next year.

This morning there were a male and female bullfinch on the sunflower hearts, she stopped longer than him. Immediately followed by a song thrush mooching about under the feeders. All rare in our garden.

Yes - the return of life to the garden is def a welcome distraction right now. Would love to have bullfinches in the garden - I'm not sure if I've ever seen one! We do seem to play host to a good flock of goldfinches though. Lovely little fellas that they are.

[king_tubby]

I have just seen a red kite hovering over a building opposite my house - not seen them come this far in to Leeds before.

[ZoyzaSorris]

Nice!

[sick as a pike]

Yesterday a blue tit spent all day obsessively attacking the kitchen window. Apparently they think the reflection is a rival.

All afternoon I've had a male pheasant noisily attacking the glass bifold doors.  I don't know if, as above, he thinks his reflection is a rival, or he's the pheasant from last year who we fed, and is wanting more of the same. Either way, he's an idiot.

[gib]

Daft fucker was back again today, i wonder if your pheasant will also be as persistent.

[Twit 2]

Saw a sperm whale in a bush.

[BlodwynPig]

  All afternoon I've had a male pheasant noisily attacking the glass bifold doors.  I don't know if, as above, he thinks his reflection is a rival, or he's the pheasant from last year who we fed, and is wanting more of the same. Either way, he's an idiot.

That female wild turkey did that to my glass doors in canada. Was their at dawn tapping away until i went and fed her. She'd been the year before just after the snow melt

[Brian Freeze]

And just now a bloody green finch, only the second one ive seen on our feeders. Where have these buggers been hiding?

[gib]

Anyone else got a sparrow revival where they live?

[ZoyzaSorris]

And just now a bloody green finch, only the second one ive seen on our feeders. Where have these buggers been hiding?

Haven't seen a greenfinch for years either. Apparently they got hammered by disease (edit: also hitting chaffinches which I also remember seeing a lot more of as a kid) and are finally starting to come back. At least small birds are quite good at recovering their populations when they get the chance.

Anyone else got a sparrow revival where they live?

Yes! Got a small resident flock that flits around my garden and those of the neighbours. Really charming little bunch.

Just had a jay perching on the fence a couple of metres from the kitchen window, rare to get a great close-up view like that. Such beautiful birds.

[BlodwynPig]

Hedgerows packed with field or bank voles. Never seen them before, but plague proportions now

[Cerys]

There has been an increase in vultures circling over Tesco, for reasons unknown.

[Spoon of Ploff]

Britain's smallest bird: the goldcrest.  Never seen one before this winter. Plus a Sparrow Hawk (I think) doing pilates.



Sorry about the naff quality.

[BlodwynPig]

Always thought the Wren was the smallest - is that QI buzzer ignorance?

[Gurke and Hare]

I used to see a few greenfinches on my feeder in my old flat. I loved the way they don't do the usual dart in-grab food-dart out thing, they're happy to sit there eating for a while so you can watch them.

Saw a load of goldfinches in a park at the weekend. Off out for a lunchtime work-from-home walk to the park in a couple of minutes, see what's there. There are a surprising number of kingfishers on the Ravensbourne river system, so maybe I'll see one of those on the Quaggy.