What is your favourite bird?
- Thread starter bb07
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I don't really have a favourite as such but there's a few that stand out above the crowd.
Pretty much any den I made in the bracken near our farm when I was a kid was accompanied by the sounds of a Skylark scolding me for being somewhere near its home.
We used to get Curlews up there so its call reminds me of that time also.
Robins look so little and nice but are such stroppy little gits when it comes to keeping other birds away that I can't stop liking them.
Got a mate who had a Wrens nest just in the eaves of his garage a few years ago, then his garage burnt down so we built another. We made a little area sort of a shelf in the eaves again in the hope that the wren would come back and although I've not seen it yet he mentioned that it has.
I always like seeing Dippers, dipping in and out of mountain streams in their little dinnerjacket.
One site I was roofing on we had long steel girders at the roof peak, they had a timber in the web and the roof spars joined to that. Someone had to nail the spars at the peak.
This was all a good height above ground and somehow I doubt the HSE would have approved. No fall arrest bean bags, no catch nets either.
Anyway one day I was ambling across the peak girder (which was maybe six inches wide and twelve or so foot long, maybe fifteen foot above the first floor joists which didn't have a floor on it so that's maybe another nine foot down to the concrete floor making something like 24 foot fall possible) with a nailgun in one hand, a handsaw in the other and my mate informed me that there was no less than ten buzzards circling above me.
In reality I know they were just using the thermals to gain height for a foray into the surrounding countryside but it did look a bit like they were just keeping an hungry eye out just in case the numpty below them slipped and broke his head.
There's something I particularly like about Cormorants as well, if there's ever a bird that looks like its been around since shortly after the dinosaurs its those. Wings outstretched as they dry them out and looking like something that time forgot.
Another is the Kingfisher, upto the age of about 27 or so I had never even seen one. Out cycling with a lad I lived in the same house as he stopped at a bridge on the way and said that a Kingfisher often alights on a branch by the waterside. At this point I was thinking to myself that as I've never seen one yet its pretty unlikely that its going to turn up right now.
Thirty or so seconds later a iridescent gleaming Kingfisher lands exactly on that branch and I perked up a bit. Another five to ten seconds later another joined it and they promptly started mating so I was very glad that the lad I know had stopped then. Maybe moving about all the time isn't the best thing and its often worth just taking a short time out to appreciate what's happening around me.
Hell, after years hating them when we had a hillfarm with lots of sheep on there but then moving out I'm even starting to like Carrion Crows. Resourceful, sleek, and bright. All needed for the balance of our environment.
Pretty much any den I made in the bracken near our farm when I was a kid was accompanied by the sounds of a Skylark scolding me for being somewhere near its home.
We used to get Curlews up there so its call reminds me of that time also.
Robins look so little and nice but are such stroppy little gits when it comes to keeping other birds away that I can't stop liking them.
Got a mate who had a Wrens nest just in the eaves of his garage a few years ago, then his garage burnt down so we built another. We made a little area sort of a shelf in the eaves again in the hope that the wren would come back and although I've not seen it yet he mentioned that it has.
I always like seeing Dippers, dipping in and out of mountain streams in their little dinnerjacket.
One site I was roofing on we had long steel girders at the roof peak, they had a timber in the web and the roof spars joined to that. Someone had to nail the spars at the peak.
This was all a good height above ground and somehow I doubt the HSE would have approved. No fall arrest bean bags, no catch nets either.
Anyway one day I was ambling across the peak girder (which was maybe six inches wide and twelve or so foot long, maybe fifteen foot above the first floor joists which didn't have a floor on it so that's maybe another nine foot down to the concrete floor making something like 24 foot fall possible) with a nailgun in one hand, a handsaw in the other and my mate informed me that there was no less than ten buzzards circling above me.
In reality I know they were just using the thermals to gain height for a foray into the surrounding countryside but it did look a bit like they were just keeping an hungry eye out just in case the numpty below them slipped and broke his head.
There's something I particularly like about Cormorants as well, if there's ever a bird that looks like its been around since shortly after the dinosaurs its those. Wings outstretched as they dry them out and looking like something that time forgot.
Another is the Kingfisher, upto the age of about 27 or so I had never even seen one. Out cycling with a lad I lived in the same house as he stopped at a bridge on the way and said that a Kingfisher often alights on a branch by the waterside. At this point I was thinking to myself that as I've never seen one yet its pretty unlikely that its going to turn up right now.
Thirty or so seconds later a iridescent gleaming Kingfisher lands exactly on that branch and I perked up a bit. Another five to ten seconds later another joined it and they promptly started mating so I was very glad that the lad I know had stopped then. Maybe moving about all the time isn't the best thing and its often worth just taking a short time out to appreciate what's happening around me.
Hell, after years hating them when we had a hillfarm with lots of sheep on there but then moving out I'm even starting to like Carrion Crows. Resourceful, sleek, and bright. All needed for the balance of our environment.
Cape Robin , African fish eagle ,Fiery necked nightjar one of the nicest calls of the African night
I don't have a favourite as such, but I have to put in a good word for the raven. Intelligent birds, and one of the few that actually seem to enjoy flying. Their courtship displays just seem to be showing off and playing around. Always good to hear that raven 'kronk' call too.
P
Passer
Guest
House Sparrow for me.
I find their social, noisy and urban lifestyle fascinating. Spending time observing them is always rewarding.
I find their social, noisy and urban lifestyle fascinating. Spending time observing them is always rewarding.
Yes I would like to hope so and there are lots but unfortunately there isn't according to my uncle who's a twitcher. He's a very knowledgable guy plus you just don't hear anyone talking about sightings etc etc
I worked with Barn owls in my area,putting up boxes and ringing adult and nestlings.
I was totally gobsmacked at the amount of birds there were.
It's not a case of sightings but actually checking natural nest sites and as said,placing boxes for them.
Of course that's all done under licence.
I love Jays especially at this time of year when they are searching amongst the leaves collecting acorns for the winter ahead and cackling as they do so and calling to each other. When the dark nights arrive I like going out and seeing barn owls on dusk flighing silently and quartering the land in search of food.
Come the spring I look forward to seeing the first of the hirundines which normally are the sand martin that arrives in late March followed by the swallow and house martins, I also look forward to the first little ringed plovers arriving in mid April to early May and then the swift arriving shortly after a sign that summer in on its way.
Redwings and fieldfares are a sign of winter coming as are skeins of pink feet geese and have seen all three during the past week or so and know that winter is just round the corner and look forward to their arrival each year.
JohnClayton
Come the spring I look forward to seeing the first of the hirundines which normally are the sand martin that arrives in late March followed by the swallow and house martins, I also look forward to the first little ringed plovers arriving in mid April to early May and then the swift arriving shortly after a sign that summer in on its way.
Redwings and fieldfares are a sign of winter coming as are skeins of pink feet geese and have seen all three during the past week or so and know that winter is just round the corner and look forward to their arrival each year.
JohnClayton
My favourite has got to be a buzzard, always makes me marvel whenever I see one! Love the way they swoop around effortlessly on the currents..
I like a corvid too. At the moment it's probably jackdaws, smart little birds and really mischievious. I saw a couple mobbing a raven outside my house though and the size difference was quite shocking. You don't really understand how big ravens get until they're alongside other birds.
I don't have a favorite really, I'm keen on all of them. Today we had the eagles back on the hill in front of the house, first I've seen them this year since our monster fire torched the place earlier in the year. Looked like an adult and a juvenile, I'm not sure if it's too late for that type of thing but thats what it looked like. Anyway, good to see them; her along the road mentioned it when she called for a visit earlier today, gave me a chance to get the bins on them. Also saw a female harrier flying by the same part of the hill a little later.
I think the bird I'm keenest on is the jay, none round here but I saw one a few weeks back in perthshire. Seen a few in Kent and else where but it's a rare sighting for me. Another bird not present here is the Kingfisher, I come across these occasionally when out and about fishing in southern scotland, great bird to to see, especially when the sun's low in the sky that really brings out their colours.
The Dipper is another I'm fond of, we've plenty of those, but I never tier of seeing them messing around in and out of the burns.
I think the bird I'm keenest on is the jay, none round here but I saw one a few weeks back in perthshire. Seen a few in Kent and else where but it's a rare sighting for me. Another bird not present here is the Kingfisher, I come across these occasionally when out and about fishing in southern scotland, great bird to to see, especially when the sun's low in the sky that really brings out their colours.
The Dipper is another I'm fond of, we've plenty of those, but I never tier of seeing them messing around in and out of the burns.
I like many birds. Kingfishers are a favourite, as are eurasian hobbies. Herons are awesome too.
Yep, with the feet but that wasn't what first grasped me when a boy.
It was the quill like head feathers that gave it it's english name to be honest.
