Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1018207 times)

sg37409 · « **Reply #5975 on:** 27 October, 2021, 10:32:38 pm »

About a dozen salmon leaping up a channel in a ford near to Wooler over the course of about 20 minutes. It was great to watch - never seen that before. It looks utterly exhausting and I don't know how they survive that. If I had had a net I'd have helped them up it.

T42 · « **Reply #5976 on:** 31 October, 2021, 03:03:59 pm »

On my ride today, a wild boar dead at the roadside; and ~50 metres on a young one, also dead. It still had its stripes so it was under four months old.
Saturday night roadkill, probably. Sad.

30k further on a peaceful group of four roe deer in a field, far from the road.

Snakehips · « **Reply #5977 on:** 14 November, 2021, 04:30:43 pm »

Dead badger by side of road.

T42 · « **Reply #5978 on:** 15 November, 2021, 08:57:47 am »

Away across a field yesterday, a bit of a felled tree which turned into a deer lying down then back into a tree then got up and walked away.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5979 on:** 15 November, 2021, 11:05:25 am »

A jackdaw swinging on the peanut feeder trying to get a snack. Mrs Pcolbeck says its being trying every morning for the last week.

JellyLegs · « **Reply #5980 on:** 16 November, 2021, 08:12:17 am »

On Sunday’s ride, a red kite (just had to revise my red kite v buzzard identification skills to be sure) and a sparrow hawk. Both spotted in eastern Hertfordshire.

ElyDave · « **Reply #5981 on:** 20 November, 2021, 05:34:10 pm »

No photo, but general description,
My first thought was very large buzzard, possibly red kite
As I got closer, the wing shape resolved to more like a seabird, typically gull-wing cant to it, narrowing at the tip, long beak hooked at the tip

I'm confused as to what it was though due to the size, I don't think albatrosses are often seen in teh Fens

Basil · « **Reply #5982 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:01:03 pm »

Eagle of some description?

Pingu · « **Reply #5983 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:02:05 pm »

Great black-backed gull?

ElyDave · « **Reply #5984 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:10:08 pm »

Quote from: Basil on 20 November, 2021, 06:01:03 pm

Eagle of some description?

Definitely not, I have been up close to an Eagle in that Scotland, this was definitely an offshore bird

Peter · « **Reply #5985 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:16:48 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 20 November, 2021, 06:02:05 pm

Great black-backed gull?

A good bet - they are huge. There's usually a pair nesting on a rock in the middle of Easedale Tarn above Grasmere.

ElyDave · « **Reply #5986 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:17:15 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 20 November, 2021, 06:02:05 pm

Great black-backed gull?

Could have been a juvenile from the rspb site, looked like it had a dark rather than orangey beak, and was not clearly black on top

Peter · « **Reply #5987 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:25:00 pm »

Gannet? Pretty distinctive, I would have thought, though.

ElyDave · « **Reply #5988 on:** 20 November, 2021, 06:52:59 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 20 November, 2021, 06:25:00 pm

Gannet? Pretty distinctive, I would have thought, though.

Don't think so, beak had that gull-shaped hook at the tip, I think Pingu has it

andrew_s · « **Reply #5989 on:** 21 November, 2021, 12:10:07 am »

Colour?

The other possibility would be a Great Skua.
Dark brown, white flashes on the wing at the base of the primary (outer) wing feathers, and a definite hook to the end of a dark bill.

A juvenile GBBG would be much paler, a mottled light brown with a pretty pale head, and dark brown flight feathers. The bill would be a heavyweight version of a herring gull's, without the upper mandible going past the end of the lower.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #5990 on:** 21 November, 2021, 10:45:53 am »

Yesterday, a sparrow hawk being mobbed by a magpie as they both flew across the road I was driving along. My passenger was most impressed that I identified both birds whilst driving.

JellyLegs · « **Reply #5991 on:** 21 November, 2021, 07:25:12 pm »

A fine looking stoat, dashing across the lane a few metres in front of me.

Peter · « **Reply #5992 on:** 21 November, 2021, 09:40:27 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 20 November, 2021, 06:52:59 pm

Quote from: Peter on 20 November, 2021, 06:25:00 pm
Gannet? Pretty distinctive, I would have thought, though.

Don't think so, beak had that gull-shaped hook at the tip, I think Pingu has it

Can I revert to my first suggestion, then?!

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5993 on:** 22 November, 2021, 10:38:06 am »

Quote from: ElyDave on 20 November, 2021, 05:34:10 pm

I'm confused as to what it was though due to the size, I don't think albatrosses are often seen in teh Fens

There was an off-course albatross at Bempton Cliffs near Bridlington recently so it could have been that one.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5994 on:** 22 November, 2021, 10:46:12 am »

Went to Bempton cliffs for a bracing walk and some bird watching yesterday morning. It was indeed very bracing but not so hot on the birdwatching front.

1 x Gannet
8 x Herring gull
2 x Great black backed gull
A bazillion feral pigeons
Lots of sparrows

Wrong time of year really but just fancied a trip out.

Snakehips · « **Reply #5995 on:** 27 November, 2021, 01:08:03 pm »

You can now bird watch from the comfort of your home. The RSPB have set up a feeder cam (called Nestflix !) at their Arne reserve. Perfect for a day like today. I have seen about 12 species so far.
https://click.email.rspb.org.uk/?qs=e20177f465a2e9b59b39f84182dde2d46aa4b2da618e9861fff2323abd1ead21a84ef611e490e0c6e6f7d7bf92f74ced8e4b4b31dc1fdd549bab5feef84ce4dd

Pingu · « **Reply #5996 on:** 27 November, 2021, 02:26:23 pm »

I quite often visit the Cornell Labs feeder cams: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/

Snakehips · « **Reply #5997 on:** 27 November, 2021, 02:33:54 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 27 November, 2021, 02:26:23 pm

I quite often visit the Cornell Labs feeder cams: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/

Hmmm, looks a bit blowy there too.

Pingu · « **Reply #5998 on:** 27 November, 2021, 02:45:03 pm »

Quote from: Snakehips on 27 November, 2021, 01:08:03 pm

You can now bird watch from the comfort of your home. The RSPB have set up a feeder cam (called Nestflix !) at their Arne reserve. Perfect for a day like today. I have seen about 12 species so far.
https://click.email.rspb.org.uk/?qs=e20177f465a2e9b59b39f84182dde2d46aa4b2da618e9861fff2323abd1ead21a84ef611e490e0c6e6f7d7bf92f74ced8e4b4b31dc1fdd549bab5feef84ce4dd

Here's the Youtube link: https://youtu.be/SLNKVjKgXJc

slowfen · « **Reply #5999 on:** 28 November, 2021, 06:43:28 am »

White pheasant stood at side of road

Couple of days ago a hen harrier