Seen today

[Pingu]

Thanks link, don`t have twitter a/c but can see their progress; and Radnor Birdblog reports them today in llandrindod Wells 

 

[citoyen]

A few months ago I spotted what I thought was a Red Kite over the woods behind our house. Since then, I have regularly sighted numerous large hawk-like birds over the woods at the other side of the road and have come to realise that they aren't Red Kites, nor are they Buzzards - but I have struggled to identify what they are.

One of them has been quite active over the back of our house today so I have had quite a good look and with a bit of internet research have come to the conclusion that they are most probably Marsh Harriers, which are resident in this area (North Kent coast) according to the RSPB website. I shall endeavour to get some pictures and post them here in the hope that someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm the identity...

[Kim]

More waxwings today. Didn't get quite as close as yesterday, though.


IMG_7914_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

brilliant --send some down south last ones here in numbers several years ago!!

More today in Banchory.


IMG_8018_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

On Thursday I spotted several people in anoraks acting suspiciously in the car park of the Hull branch of Mr Sainsbury's Emporium of Toothy Comestibles.  On closer inspection they were photographing a tree full of birds.  Like most birds, they were small, black and bird-shaped.

That evening, the car park of the Hull branch of Mr Sainsbury's Emporium of Toothy Comestibles appeared on the BBC regional news, and the birds were revealed to be waxwings through the aid of bird-spotting knowledge and a Proper Camera.  This was quite disappointing, as I was hoping for the now legendary Peter Levy.

[Ruthie]

Ooh, I've never seen one in real life!  Bird life has been pretty sparse the last few times I've been out.  Plenty of crows and the odd dunnock is all.  You lot are lucky!

[Pingu]

On Saturday: redwings in a neighbour's garden. Managed one crap picture before they flew off:


IMG_5266_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Pingu]

Redwings were back and a sparrowhawk flew over the gardens.

[Steph]

A few months ago I spotted what I thought was a Red Kite over the woods behind our house. Since then, I have regularly sighted numerous large hawk-like birds over the woods at the other side of the road and have come to realise that they aren't Red Kites, nor are they Buzzards - but I have struggled to identify what they are.

One of them has been quite active over the back of our house today so I have had quite a good look and with a bit of internet research have come to the conclusion that they are most probably Marsh Harriers, which are resident in this area (North Kent coast) according to the RSPB website. I shall endeavour to get some pictures and post them here in the hope that someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm the identity...

My local reserve used to be Stodmarsh in NE Kent, and we got some marsh and a silly number of hen harriers. The distinctive feature of both is fight. which tends to be at a low level, gliding mostly, wings held in a shallow V and rocking slightly from side to side, unlike sprawks (flap-flap-glide). Marsh males are a mix of brown and grey with black wingtips, the females all choc brown with gold on wing leading edges and forehead. Hen males are a lovely silver grey with black wing tips. Female and immature hens ('ringtails') are streaky brown with a distinctive white rump. All have long straight tails, unlike buzzards, that they rarely fan out, unlike kites.

[citoyen]

My local reserve used to be Stodmarsh in NE Kent, and we got some marsh and a silly number of hen harriers.

Stodmarsh is only a few miles away - I'm just the other side of Canterbury.

The distinctive feature of both is fight. which tends to be at a low level, gliding mostly, wings held in a shallow V and rocking slightly from side to side

The ones I see regularly tend to be gliding in circles over the woods. Not what I would call 'low level' but that may be relative. Hard to tell the wing angle but 'shallow V' sounds about right. Tail shape sounds about right for Marsh Harriers according to your description as well.

I will try to get some pics but I haven't seen them for a few days now.

[Kim]

Encountered (thankfully not physically) a several of deer loitering in the road near Alvechurch on a ride yesterday.  That's never happened before.

[Steph]

My local reserve used to be Stodmarsh in NE Kent, and we got some marsh and a silly number of hen harriers.

Stodmarsh is only a few miles away - I'm just the other side of Canterbury.

The distinctive feature of both is fight. which tends to be at a low level, gliding mostly, wings held in a shallow V and rocking slightly from side to side

The ones I see regularly tend to be gliding in circles over the woods. Not what I would call 'low level' but that may be relative. Hard to tell the wing angle but 'shallow V' sounds about right. Tail shape sounds about right for Marsh Harriers according to your description as well.

I will try to get some pics but I haven't seen them for a few days now.

Your five gliding raptors down that way are two harriers, two buzzards and red kite. Kites aren't really over there yet, and buzzards are only just coming back--they were wiped out in the East years ago and are only slowly coming back.

Both buzzards (common and rough-legged) have short tails. RLB tends to be a scarce winter visitor to the East (I saw one N of Faversham) and look more 'black and white' than CB, having sharper colour differentiation and usually white tail with dark terminal band and pale head. Their big field point is hovering--wind-hanging over one spot, which CB doesn't do. Hovering in this video:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rough+legged+buzzard&&view=detail&mid=D33AD5BA8E79979778D8D33AD5BA8E79979778D8&rvsmid=D33AD5BA8E79979778D8D33AD5BA8E79979778D8&fsscr=0&FORM=VDMCNL

Common (and honey)
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Buzzard+Identification&&view=detail&mid=93D5D064BF8CE1843F3293D5D064BF8CE1843F32&FORM=VRDGAR

Kites are all cranked wings and twisting tail, even if you can't see the fork; watch how it twists on this video
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/r/redkite/index.aspx


Marsh harriers are resident in Kent, and the circling over trees bit is quite common. They are chunkier than HH, wings broader, and the female is really dark, looking 'gilded' on forehead and wing leading edge.  Gorgeous RSPB video here with food passing between a couple.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/m/marshharrier/index.aspx

Male HH showing length of tail and that rocking motion. Note how the tail doesn't twist like the kite's, just spreads every now and then. Windy days, so some hard work by the birds to get moving.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Hen+Harrier+Scotland&&view=detail&mid=FB534A52E469E3167494FB534A52E469E3167494&FORM=VRDGAR

Female HH. Note the white rump.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=female+hen+harrier&&view=detail&mid=B5D6320017CF26B3BB6DB5D6320017CF26B3BB6D&FORM=VRDGAR

[fuaran]

A brambling in the garden today, first one this winter.
As well as a woodpecker, long-tailed tit, yellowhammers, collared doves, and the rest of the regulars.

[Steph]

Haven't seen a brambling in ages.

[Ruthie]

Two little egrets in the Dene near my house!   

[Pingu]

Two little egrets in the Dene near my house!   

... You lot are lucky!

 

[Steph]

Redwing outside my window now.

[Wowbagger]

A few months ago I spotted what I thought was a Red Kite over the woods behind our house. Since then, I have regularly sighted numerous large hawk-like birds over the woods at the other side of the road and have come to realise that they aren't Red Kites, nor are they Buzzards - but I have struggled to identify what they are.

One of them has been quite active over the back of our house today so I have had quite a good look and with a bit of internet research have come to the conclusion that they are most probably Marsh Harriers, which are resident in this area (North Kent coast) according to the RSPB website. I shall endeavour to get some pictures and post them here in the hope that someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm the identity...

A month ago Mrs. Wow and I attended a raptor watching day on Sheerness, a present from our daughter. It was organised and led by one Tony Swandale of the Kent WLT and RSPB. Just before sunset, from Shellness Point, he said he counted 20 marsh harriers simultaneously, wheeling around ready to roost. I counted 16. On that same day, we saw a lot of common buzzards. Sometimes they have rough-legged ones as well, but not this year it seems.

It was a brilliant day out, if a little cold.

[jamesld8]

More waxwings today. Didn't get quite as close as yesterday, though.


IMG_7914_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

brilliant --send some down south last ones here in numbers several years ago!!

If you're on Twitter check out https://twitter.com/WaxwingsUK

I`ve not yet been able to get over for sightings but birdblog indicates around 50 or 60 at locations around Llandrinod Wells

[Riggers]

Red Admiral fluttering away outside our front window. That was on on Saturday.

[T42]

Kingfisher by the village stream:



Unfortunately I was too far away with the wrong camera, but it was the first in my life that I've had one in sight for more than half a second, so here it is. Thirty seconds later he was in the water, then up, out and away with a fish. We saw him again a bit later, for the usual half-second as he dodged between the trees.

[Basil]

On this morning's dog empty, I spotted what appeared to be a black heron? flying along the river, being either pursued or followed by a normally marked heron.

[Wowbagger]

A flock of sanderlings/turnstones.

[Basil]

On this morning's dog empty, I spotted what appeared to be a black heron? flying along the river, being either pursued or followed by a normally marked heron.

I've googled 'Black Heron'.  Such a thing exist, but in South Efrica, so it wasn't one of those.  Maybe it was just a heron that was black.   

[Kim]

On this morning's dog empty, I spotted what appeared to be a black heron? flying along the river, being either pursued or followed by a normally marked heron.

I've googled 'Black Heron'.  Such a thing exist, but in South Efrica, so it wasn't one of those.  Maybe it was just a heron that was black.   

Pterodactyl?

[Basil]

   herons in flight always look a bit pterodactyl imo

[Andrij]

A bird (type unknown) flying backward as it took off into a gust of wind.