Your day's wildlife
- Thread starter Flick of the Elbow
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Low Gear Guy
Veteran
- Location
- Surrey
Looked into the sky this morning to see a kestrel being buzzed by a kestrel. The kestrel was unable to shake off the magpie even when it landed in a tree. The magpie then flew off but within a minute a crow appeared which also chased the kestrel around the sky.
When the crow got bored it flew off and was replaced by two magpies. These continued to chase the kestrel until all three birds flew out of sight. I have seen crows chasing buzzards before but always assumed magpies were not good enough flyers to do this.
When the crow got bored it flew off and was replaced by two magpies. These continued to chase the kestrel until all three birds flew out of sight. I have seen crows chasing buzzards before but always assumed magpies were not good enough flyers to do this.
twentysix by twentyfive
Clinging on tightly
- Location
- Over the Hill
Today's ride revealed 3 Red Kites, quite a few Kestrels and Buzzards and a super view of a female Hen Harrier. Also Jays and a male Blackcap as well as a Red Legged Partridge and a Reed Bunting. Plenty of winter Thrushes too.
DCBassman
Guru
- Location
- The lumpy far South West
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
I spotted this watching me when I was cycling past the old sluice gates in Esslingen.
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nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
They're Knot (a species of sandpiper). They breed in the High Arctic and winter largely around the UK coastHeron - Low Hauxley Beach
View attachment 498585
No idea what these are(sandpipers?)
View attachment 498586
Poacher
Gravitationally challenged member
- Location
- Nottingham
Not today, but a few from what now seems to be an annual visit to Madeira for Christmas and New Year.
Grey Wagtails abound:
This female Kestrel defends her territory in the grounds of the Jardins d'Ajuda hotel where we stayed. She does the rounds just after dawn and occasionally has to repel interlopers during the day.
Here's how I deal with lizards. Only joking; I kept my foot still and it was inquisitive enough to come and investigate.
Probably the smell was attracting flies, but I didn't care as my nose was far enough away to ignore it.
Because of the excellent weather most days were devoted to sunbathing or shopping, so there were very few birdwatching opportunities, but late in the stay I persuaded Mrs Poacher to take a bus ride and short(ish) walk to Balcoes, where the Chaffinches were obliging as ever.
A very serious German birder put my efforts to shame, but I gained some credit for previous years when I'd found a Mediterranean Gull of Netherlands origin, and a juvenile Great Northern Diver (Common Loon). This particular Chaffinch was fortunately free of the disease causing
painful growths on the feet of many of them. Made a few international friends, and hopefully instilled an interest in birds, by giving bread and sultanas to some of the crowds of visitors to this belvedere.
The German guy had dipped on one of his target species, Rock Sparrow, on his visit to the Sao Laurenco peninsula. The little buggers are particularly mobile, and fly off as soon as they've noticed you're watching, or so it seems. This is the closest I got to a photo; the bird is on the left edge of the picture, but just about recognisable from the distinctive white supercilium.
By way of contrast Canaries are ridiculously easy to photograph. Here are two resplendent males, or possibly the same one twice.
The feral pigeons in downtown Funchal are replaced by probably pure-bred Rock Doves this far East. This courting couple were almost under my feet. Note that they don't have the horribly mutilated feet of most town birds; not many hairdressers out here in the wild!
Finally, most of the gulls in Madeira are of the Yellow-legged species, like this one.
I had a few glimpses of what I suspect were Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed, but no pics, unfortunately.
Grey Wagtails abound:
This female Kestrel defends her territory in the grounds of the Jardins d'Ajuda hotel where we stayed. She does the rounds just after dawn and occasionally has to repel interlopers during the day.
Here's how I deal with lizards. Only joking; I kept my foot still and it was inquisitive enough to come and investigate.
Probably the smell was attracting flies, but I didn't care as my nose was far enough away to ignore it.
Because of the excellent weather most days were devoted to sunbathing or shopping, so there were very few birdwatching opportunities, but late in the stay I persuaded Mrs Poacher to take a bus ride and short(ish) walk to Balcoes, where the Chaffinches were obliging as ever.
A very serious German birder put my efforts to shame, but I gained some credit for previous years when I'd found a Mediterranean Gull of Netherlands origin, and a juvenile Great Northern Diver (Common Loon). This particular Chaffinch was fortunately free of the disease causing
painful growths on the feet of many of them. Made a few international friends, and hopefully instilled an interest in birds, by giving bread and sultanas to some of the crowds of visitors to this belvedere.
The German guy had dipped on one of his target species, Rock Sparrow, on his visit to the Sao Laurenco peninsula. The little buggers are particularly mobile, and fly off as soon as they've noticed you're watching, or so it seems. This is the closest I got to a photo; the bird is on the left edge of the picture, but just about recognisable from the distinctive white supercilium.
By way of contrast Canaries are ridiculously easy to photograph. Here are two resplendent males, or possibly the same one twice.
The feral pigeons in downtown Funchal are replaced by probably pure-bred Rock Doves this far East. This courting couple were almost under my feet. Note that they don't have the horribly mutilated feet of most town birds; not many hairdressers out here in the wild!
Finally, most of the gulls in Madeira are of the Yellow-legged species, like this one.
I had a few glimpses of what I suspect were Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed, but no pics, unfortunately.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Lovely pics! That's a very chunky wagtail!
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
Tried to take a photo of these guys but soon as I stopped to get the phone out they decided they wasn't going to hang around. not sure what they are & even less idea on the white ones in the background
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
Saw this chap in Esslingen today:
Apparently he's a gooseander. When I first saw him he was diving for fish.
He's also in this picture, but some twit left their bike in the way so you can't see him.
Apparently he's a gooseander. When I first saw him he was diving for fish.
He's also in this picture, but some twit left their bike in the way so you can't see him.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
The male of the gooseander should be a ganderander really.
