[Misc] The Official NSC Bird Spotting Thread.

[DavidinSouthampton]

Yep, there's a stretch of the M40 that I've seen loads of Red Kites circling everytime I've been up that way. Marvellous scenes!

I've only seen a couple in Sussex. Numbers are increasing here too though by all accounts.

Travelling north from Hampshire to Oxford and beyond we regularly see Red Kites over the A34 and M40 type areas - very attractive if you manage to see one up close.

They have recently reintroduced Sea Eagles (aka White Tailed Eagle) on the Isle of Wight, and they have been seen over Hampshire - not by us. Have seen them in Scotland though - stunning. Our biggest bird of prey - marginally bigger than a Golden Eagle.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

View attachment 137602

Yes I think you mean the stretch between Beaconsfield and Wycombe
On the Wycombe turn off there is a road that leads off the roundabout, and goes to Marlow Bottom.
On that road on a summers eve, there is a field where numerous amounts of RK soar, mind you need to keep your eyes on the road

Watlington is another place. It used to be a favourite stopping place for me on my way to and from university in Buckingham. There is a good fish and chip shop there. I'd buy a meal and sit in the car park watching them soaring overhead. It also became a favourite stopping point for us to on the way to and from holidays in Wales. We'd go for a walk up in Christmas Common and find kite feathers. My mother has quite a collection of them from there.

The Red Kite was at one time confined to one valley in Wales, having been a regular sight in cities in the Middle Ages, scavenging on rubbish tips. The Welsh Kite Society was then set up, with various reserves established and feeding programmes - you can see them fed at Rhayader in Powys. However, the M40 birds were not from Wales originally, but were reintroduced from Scandinavia. There was a further project at Chilgrove near Chichester. That may be where the Sussex ones have come from. We have seen them up above Arundel at Burpham.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I spotted some unusual looking birds on Bognor beach today. Unfortunately, they were in a sad way, looked as though they had been eating non-stop through the winter months. It was very disturbing, to say the least. They were rolling around on the pebbles with little to no chance of getting to their feet. There were some red breast dunking in the sea, but these were few and far between.

 

[zefarelly]

View attachment 137601
This time of year we get Toucans fly from a nearby bit of forest to a fruit tree next to our house.
This is from our kitchen window.
I love watching them glide as they fly.

I'm guessing, but you don't live in Southwick do you?

 

[AmexRuislip]

Watlington is another place. It used to be a favourite stopping place for me on my way to and from university in Buckingham. There is a good fish and chip shop there. I'd buy a meal and sit in the car park watching them soaring overhead. It also became a favourite stopping point for us to on the way to and from holidays in Wales. We'd go for a walk up in Christmas Common and find kite feathers. My mother has quite a collection of them from there

I know the fish n chip shop quite well, from my RAF days at Benson.
That area has some of the best pubs* going, many happy days supping REAL beer watching Red Kites over the countryside.
The number I cannot recollect, as beer was effecting my sight


*I'd recommend this one...
http://www.kingwilliamhailey.co.uk/index.html

 

[AmexRuislip]

[MENTION=27447]Goldstone1976[/MENTION] if you're a twitcher, this is a good place

https://www.maplelodgenaturereserve.org/

 

[Goldstone1976]

[MENTION=27447]Goldstone1976[/MENTION] if you're a twitcher, this is a good place

https://www.maplelodgenaturereserve.org/

I’m not really, but it does look nice. I’m in.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-57483562

Here you go.

 

[Sirnormangall]

I know the fish n chip shop quite well, from my RAF days at Benson.
That area has some of the best pubs* going, many happy days supping REAL beer watching Red Kites over the countryside.
The number I cannot recollect, as beer was effecting my sight


*I'd recommend this one...
http://www.kingwilliamhailey.co.uk/index.html

I’ve been a regular visitor to Watlington and Chalgrove for 25 years. Wonderful to see how the Red Kite population has grown, though I gather they’re becoming a bit of a pest - don’t leave bbq unattended!

 

[BrightonCottager]

I've been putting a bird feeder up for a year or so the goldfinches (beautiful little red and yellow birds) go nuts for sunflower seeds. I've just changed the seed mix and am now getting more sparrows as well. A variety of tits frequent the garden. The other day I noticed the jackdaws and gulls out the back were going even crazier than normal and a kestrel cruised past at first floor level. Jays are pretty impressive as well and can be seen in Preston Park.

You can frequently see oystercatchers east of the Marina (a dropping tide is best as the rock pools become exposed and the inter tidal supermarket opens ). I saw a heron down there last year. There's also a pair of fulmars nesting on the cliffs along there - related to the albatross they will spit noxious bile at you if you approach the nest. And I also enjoy spotting a black backed gull - the largest UK gull (apart from a few Brighton fans).

My favourite bird here though is the swift & their screaming dogfight through and over the streets.

Can I recommend a great phone app for identifying birdsong? It's called Birdnet. I've used it to identify lots of SBJs (small brown jobs) including a dunnock in a front garden on Preston Drove the other day.

 

[Albion my Albion]

My kind of bird. I like a little meat on the bones.

 

[1066familyman]

And regular birders on here use a spotting scope?

I'm tempted to invest in a compact one, but never actually used a scope yet.

After some research, I think I have the field slimmed down to three possible models in the £200 -£300 ish price range. Close range is also needed as I can see myself using it for insects as much a birds. I also wear specs, so eye relief needs to be decent.

Any help, advice or recommendations appreciated.

Oh, and you can chuck in lightweight compact tripod recommendations too if you like.

 

[1066familyman]

Saw an Egyptian Goose up really close yesterday. An absolute stunner! I know they're no longer rare, but first one I have seen.

Also, 5 seemed to be a magic number yesterday. Having only just seen my first ever Marsh Harrier the other week, I saw 5 at once at one point! And in the foreground, around Pett Pools, were 5 curlews all lined up in a row.

Then, just before dusk, I went round to the nearby Heronry that I discovered last Winter, and sure enough there were 5 of them all sat up there together. Great close ups of another one hiding on the river bank for some late evening hunting too.

New binoculars have opened up a whole new world to me!

Didn't get so lucky up some local woods today though as was hoping to see some Green Woodpeckers that I've seen up there before around the field margins. Although a cracking view of a Mistle Thrush was a bit of a treat.

Glad I went down the new binocular route first before potentially getting a spotting scope. Ideally, eventually, I'd like to try a bit of digiscoping just using my phone on a spotting scope.

 

[1066familyman]

Meant to upload this before to show results from digiscoping with very entry level spotting scope and basic phone. It's not great, but this was at full magnification (x36).

See the colour aberration (purple fringing) around the Little Egret due to the high contrast. Eventually I'd like to step up to a bigger scope, with ED glass too to reduce colour aberration.

That pic was back in August. A few months back I saw my first Jack Snipe, which was a real treat! Unfortunately only with binoculars, so no photo as didn't have the scope with me.

 

[1066familyman]

Very recent digiscoping effort with same basic set up.

A pair of Canada Geese mixing it with some Greylag Geese. I think.

 

[1066familyman]

One of the Marsh Harriers.

I spoke to a couple of birders over there recently and told them about the five I'd seen in the air at once. I was half expecting an 'oh yeah', and an eye roll, but they confirmed that there were two nesting pairs over there and so weren't surprised at all.

Again, this is on my very basic digiscoping set up and at full magnification, hence the poor quality.

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

Took this last week.

 

[Wardy's twin]

View attachment 145069

Very recent digiscoping effort with same basic set up.

A pair of Canada Geese mixing it with some Greylag Geese. I think.

Do you have a camera with a zoom or just relying on the phone with the digiscope.

 

[1066familyman]

Do you have a camera with a zoom or just relying on the phone with the digiscope.

Just a phone. Redmi Note 9 Pro, so nothing fancy.

I have no clue where to start with a camera. And advice appreciated. Budget is very limited, but I would love to be able to get some clear close ups with a camera.

 

[1066familyman]

Here's another example of what I'd like to improve upon.

Taken on the same day as the Little Egret and Herons. A Grebe carrying a youngster.