Favourite bird

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,698
Cumbria
I'm late to the thread so I will give you stories as to why my favourite birds are Robins and ravens.

One very cold midwinters day I set off a little late for a walk in Grizedale forest. I set off on a walk supposedly 3 hours round trip but I did it in 40 odd minutes fast walking. Turns out it was 3 miles not 3 hours. So just before I got back to the centre I saw another coloured post. Looked it up on the leaflet, it was showing as part way round a 9 miler. We'll I was moving quite fast that day so I did it. 12 miles or just under.

I got to the last quarter and forestry work had caused big diversions. It was getting dark and I had no idea of the new route because the diversion waymarked were often hard to see. Then I heard a bird angrily singing. I turned my head to it telling it to STFU only to see a Robin sat on the post of the waymarker. A little further along it got confusing route again. Same thing happened. I got told where the waymarkers were by a Robin at least 5 times. I got back just before it got too dark and cold.

About that time pullmans novels had become a film. So I kind of look at Robins as my spirit animal.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,698
Cumbria
Raven is my other fave.

I've been sat on the grassy slope of Scafell taking a break only to hear a kind of model helicopter sound. I turned to see a raven gliding down the sunny slope riding the thermals and scanning the ground hunting. It flew right over my head within arm reach and I saw the fibrils of the loose, sticking out feathers under its wing. They were flapping to cause that noise. We watched it for 5 minutes gliding down the slope then out of sight.

Another walk one came within metres begging for food. It was in a boggy area at a rock outcrop that was sheltered and dry. The only good lunch spot near there. The raven must have known that. It was learnt behaviour.

Another encounter was from the bow fell to crinkles pass. 3 paragliding came around the crinkles all pleased with themselves and their flying. A few ravens also saw them from the crags and launched. Without a doubt the ravens were checking them out but it was clear they were playing with the paragliding, showing off even. I swear one turned upside down and glided under one wing touching the canopy with its claws. Now I know there's a very rare number of birds known to be acrobatic enough to actually fly upside down. The blackbird like alpine chough I think is one but not ravens. They ruled the skies there and put those humans in their place with their flying skills and what looks like a taking the pi$$ out of stupid humans who couldn't fly very well and needed equipment too.

So these two long posts are probably rambling but they give account of some amazing bird encounters imho that I will never forget. They are burned and locked into my memory. I can close my eyes and see it like live at any time. For that ravens and Robins will always be my favourite birds. There's a connection there.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,249
1,718
Vantaa, Finland
there's a very rare number of birds known to be acrobatic enough to actually fly upside down. The blackbird like alpine chough I think is one but not ravens
I have seen jackdaws and ravens turn inverted and stay a short while, not really sure if those short stints could be called flying or just aerobatics.
 

CLEM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 10, 2004
2,460
462
Stourbridge
Earlier this year I saw a load of jackdaws come together as starlings do and do that murmuration thing just as starlings do, I’d not have known that they did this had I not seen it myself.
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
8,475
8,353
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I think they do it down when the std way with aircraft is doing the half loop up.

You may be right, but I am not sure I have not seen them on odd occasions doing it at the top of a climb - I'll have to be more observant but I'm usually just lost in awe at their display to analyse it :)
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,249
1,718
Vantaa, Finland
You may be right, but I am not sure I have not seen them on odd occasions doing it at the top of a climb - I'll have to be more observant but I'm usually just lost in awe at their display to analyse it
They probably are capable of doing either way. (Maybe one just have to ask.)
 

Pupers

Member
May 6, 2021
31
38
66
Dartmoor
My career job put me in touch with all sorts birdies, there are some I like more than others, and a couple I am not to keen on, Magpies being one, there are far to many of them. But for me it has to be the Kingfisher, agile, stunning, busy and always a joy to watch.

I have seen hundreds of them, but I did spend a huge chunk of my working life near, on or in rivers. So I guess I would!

About two years ago, I was sat in my local pub, in a small Dartmoor village, having a pint. In walked Mr visitor, down from Essex, complete with a small rucksack and baggy shorts, he was staying at the pub. I overheard him saying to the landlady how disappointed he was not to have seen a KF on his walk, and that they were very rare, the LL explained we have one just below the pub on the brook, he said, and I quote “I very much doubt it, they are rarely seen in the U.K.” Oh really, have a chat with the chap sat at the bar, which was me, he was a River Warden/Bailiff for over 30 years……..He didn’t bother!
 

Kadushu

If Carlsberg made grumpy people...
Jul 29, 2014
944
1,024
Kent
To those of you favouring ravens: what makes them better than other corvids?
 

Wander

Native
Jan 6, 2017
1,418
1,986
Here There & Everywhere
To those of you favouring ravens: what makes them better than other corvids?

I suppose the answer to that is the same to what makes one prefer any bird (or animal) over another - it's in one's heart and soul.
But a preference is just that - a preference not an exclusion. I love all animals, but I just get that extra little tingle when I see a kestrel (or fox).
 

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