Garden Birds and wild birds thread.

idahoblues said:
Had some gray partridges in the yard today
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Beautiful birds. Great pic.
Used to see coveys of 20 birds get up in open arable land in the late 80s ....saw just a couple break cover on the edge of a field last year, the last time I've spotted these once common farmland birds .
The demise of Grey Partridge is disturbing....very disturbing.
They make such a lovely soothing noise as they take off from danger...all ground nesting birds are special I think..they have to use such refined skills of supreme hearing and eyesight ,and adroit camouflage...to stay alive.
 
I saw my first Marsh Harrier yesterday. I had turned our craft to the starboard whilst entering the channel to the Ranford Broad, when it swooped down low over the reed beds courting its V signature wing span.

An absolute pleasure and a privilege to catch this once rare Raptur in flight over the Anglican wetlands, and at such close quarter that it took my breath away.

Marsh harrier | Norfolk Wildlife Trust

The courtship of the marsh harrier is certainly a sight to behold - wheeling and tumbling through the sky, male and female partners lock talons in mid-air. Look out for this rare bird over reedbeds in East Anglia, Somerset and the South East.
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk



 
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Two Gun Bob said:
I saw my first Marsh Harrier yesterday. I had turned our craft to the starboard whilst entering the channel to the Ranford Broad, when it swooped down low over the reed beds courting its V signature wing span.

An absolute pleasure and a privilege to catch this once rare Raptur in flight over the Anglican wetlands, and at such close quarter that it took my breath away.

Marsh harrier | Norfolk Wildlife Trust

The courtship of the marsh harrier is certainly a sight to behold - wheeling and tumbling through the sky, male and female partners lock talons in mid-air. Look out for this rare bird over reedbeds in East Anglia, Somerset and the South East.
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk

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I almost had a head on collision with a Marsh Harrier many years ago. We were forming up some concrete footing in a crawl space, I stood up and the Harrier was about two foot above grade flying directly at me,within six foot of each other, scared us both about the same. Beautiful birds
 
Two Gun Bob said:
I saw my first Marsh Harrier yesterday. I had turned our craft to the starboard whilst entering the channel to the Ranford Broad, when it swooped down low over the reed beds courting its V signature wing span.

An absolute pleasure and a privilege to catch this once rare Raptur in flight over the Anglican wetlands, and at such close quarter that it took my breath away.

Marsh harrier | Norfolk Wildlife Trust

The courtship of the marsh harrier is certainly a sight to behold - wheeling and tumbling through the sky, male and female partners lock talons in mid-air. Look out for this rare bird over reedbeds in East Anglia, Somerset and the South East.
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk

Click to expand...

Beautiful bird of prey.

Only ever seen one , and that was October 1987..whilst travelling down to Ipswich Town by train to watch City ...the day after the great storms ,which meant the train ride wasa complete disaster.
Looked out of the train window( March,Ely ?) in time to see this graceful long winged raptor quartering the ground ,flying low hunting, a brilliant but fleeting sight ..

City lost 3nil. I got to the ground at 4.30pm, having had to change trains 6 times on the way there( it was supposed to be a direct service from Nottingham) and then a further 4 times on the way back...10 changes in one day...a really bad day out , but Mr Marsh Harrier memory lives on.
 
One of the baby badgers is a nutter , he launches himself at the foxes and they run away , he is tiny but fearless , they are really balshy as soon as they come out in the main , last nite this one took a piece of fruit bread for itself, love it
 
I am cultivating an army of starlings at the moment. When you see them spell out 'You are Shit' above Old Toilet remember this post.
 
Talking of Harriers, has any one on here ever seen a Hen Harrier in the UK.? I saw one literally " ,outta the blue " one,morning few years back whilst walking the land at Belper Derbyshire .lowland not that far from the nature reserve, but farmland which not many people ,by the look of it, trampled over.

A bird of prey suddenly got up ,off the ground ,into the air,not very high, instead of flying away / sharp exit...It turned and twisted in the air ,actually came closer ,as if it was having a good look at the human intruder......and then gracefully glided away...
I got a real impression of a blue raptor,... but in the light ,it was prob more likely the silver / grey wings the books talk of...A fascinating sight and..
The male Hen Harrier does resemble the even rarer Montague Harrier..but my guess ,is it was a Hen Harrier I saw that day.

Harriers are beautiful birds, expert flyers, I feel blessed to have seen 2 of the 3 species found in the UK.
 
Eebo said:
View attachment 111594

This flew across the yard making a hell of a racket and briefly landed the trees opposite where I work. I believe it is a Domestic Cockatiel, presumably escaped from somewhere. Sadly I think it might struggle to survive in the Wild.
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The 'green' ones seem to do okay, there were some in the park at Fulham a couple of weeks back
 
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