Those little moments.
Discussion
Several here from my travels, all birdy related.
Driving my 1930s roadster-style kit car (JBA Falcon), I flushed a pheasant that flew straight into my path. It hit the radiator shell, rolled along the long, long bonnet, hit the screen header rail and went over the roof. I saw it totter away drunkenly in my mirror. Next time I dropped the hood, there were enough feathers in the hood's leading edge to stuff a cushion.
On the same stretch just outside York, I saw Mr. Sparrow targeted from behind by a sparrowhawk. POW! Just a ball of feathers and no more sparrow.
Round the corner, a pigeon launched itself from the verge straight into the screen pillar of my Golf GTi. As I was approaching 60mph, Pidgy went straight up - abouty forty feet. No time for its past life to flash before its eyes.
Driving a motorhome near Brighton, a mallard made its final approach straight under my offside front wheel. The 3.5 tonner turned Donald into a smear in 1/10th of a second so at least it was quick.
In the piece de resistance, no birdies were harmed but one did some harm to us. Sitting in our Talbot camper van, the missus and I were enjoying a cup of tea near the front at Whitby. It was a hot day so we had a side window open and were relaxing on one of the side bunks. A passing seagull dropped its guts through the side window with awesome precision and scored a direct hit into Mrs. Dh's handbag. Long before they became commonplace, it was like a targeted drone strike.
Driving my 1930s roadster-style kit car (JBA Falcon), I flushed a pheasant that flew straight into my path. It hit the radiator shell, rolled along the long, long bonnet, hit the screen header rail and went over the roof. I saw it totter away drunkenly in my mirror. Next time I dropped the hood, there were enough feathers in the hood's leading edge to stuff a cushion.
On the same stretch just outside York, I saw Mr. Sparrow targeted from behind by a sparrowhawk. POW! Just a ball of feathers and no more sparrow.
Round the corner, a pigeon launched itself from the verge straight into the screen pillar of my Golf GTi. As I was approaching 60mph, Pidgy went straight up - abouty forty feet. No time for its past life to flash before its eyes.
Driving a motorhome near Brighton, a mallard made its final approach straight under my offside front wheel. The 3.5 tonner turned Donald into a smear in 1/10th of a second so at least it was quick.
In the piece de resistance, no birdies were harmed but one did some harm to us. Sitting in our Talbot camper van, the missus and I were enjoying a cup of tea near the front at Whitby. It was a hot day so we had a side window open and were relaxing on one of the side bunks. A passing seagull dropped its guts through the side window with awesome precision and scored a direct hit into Mrs. Dh's handbag. Long before they became commonplace, it was like a targeted drone strike.
My dad has recently put one of those wildlife IR cameras into his allotment. He posts great videos on our group of foxes and hedgehogs sitting next to each other drinking from the same water dish.
Except the cunning fox then steps over the bowl and pisses in the same dish.
And the hedgehog, when he feels the fox is too close closes his eyes and does a batman ("shields up") and rolls his armour over and just waits.
I love nature.
Except the cunning fox then steps over the bowl and pisses in the same dish.
And the hedgehog, when he feels the fox is too close closes his eyes and does a batman ("shields up") and rolls his armour over and just waits.
I love nature.
hammo19 said:
We had a juvenile starling staring out from the glass in our wood burner last summer. Obviously fell down the chimney, have had it close off now. We opened the patio doors and the door to the burner and it flew out unharmed.
I had this happen a few times. Once there were two in there at the same time.I managed to tape an old duvet cover around the stove, and opened the door. The birds flew into the duvet cover, and I got the whole lot out into the garden and coaxed them out with a bit of shaking.
I've got a "bird-proof" cowl over the chimney now.
Avenicus said:
Quite a few Red Kites around Milton Keynes since they reintroduced them.
Wild Parakeets in Stanmore in North London is a bit weird.
I rescued a baby starling from strawberry netting and fee them too - I swear it is stalking me now when I go out for a fag in the garage
And i got flak from the misses and her dad when we were travelling to Cornwall one time because i pointed out a flock of Parakeets near Windsor on the M4. Well i say flak, it was essentially her dad taking the piss and trying to belittle me for being stupid.Wild Parakeets in Stanmore in North London is a bit weird.
I rescued a baby starling from strawberry netting and fee them too - I swear it is stalking me now when I go out for a fag in the garage
I resisted the opportunity to return the favour at a later date as he gets the raging arse on if you do.
t directly into my mate's open mouth. It still makes me chuckle now, thinking about it. 
We have pipstrelle bats somewhere, could be the neighbours, don't know tbh, but we get a brilliant aerial display around our garden every evening just as dusk falls.
Great to just stand and watch for 15 minutes or so with a beer, before it gets too dark to see them. Completely silent in flight, (well except for their sonar which I can't hear)
Great to just stand and watch for 15 minutes or so with a beer, before it gets too dark to see them. Completely silent in flight, (well except for their sonar which I can't hear)
slopes said:
And i got flak from the misses and her dad when we were travelling to Cornwall one time because i pointed out a flock of Parakeets near Windsor on the M4. Well i say flak, it was essentially her dad taking the piss and trying to belittle me for being stupid.
I resisted the opportunity to return the favour at a later date as he gets the raging arse on if you do.
There are literally thousands of Parakeets in and around London. I resisted the opportunity to return the favour at a later date as he gets the raging arse on if you do.
The flocks are a great sight each day.
vixen1700 said:
slopes said:
And i got flak from the misses and her dad when we were travelling to Cornwall one time because i pointed out a flock of Parakeets near Windsor on the M4. Well i say flak, it was essentially her dad taking the piss and trying to belittle me for being stupid.
I resisted the opportunity to return the favour at a later date as he gets the raging arse on if you do.
There are literally thousands of Parakeets in and around London. I resisted the opportunity to return the favour at a later date as he gets the raging arse on if you do.
The flocks are a great sight each day.
Was in India visiting someone (many years ago). Sat down for dinner. As is normal, a number of dishes had been made and were in the middle of the table. Fan above the table (no AC - not good in India in August!) Just as I was about to serve myself a bat flew through the window into the room, hit the fan and fell into one of the dishes. Rather dazed it tottered to the edge of the table and fell off. I jumped up and seeing a broom swept the semi-curried but very much alive bat down the stairs towards the front door (which was open for ventilation). I assume it recovered enough to fly off as we didn’t see it again. Didn’t help my appetite (I was already ill at that point of my travels - subsequently confirmed as toxoplasmosis).
At least it provided a good anecdote. And at least it was only a bat. There were some very big monkeys living in that area that you could see hanging around on roofs and balconies (my host said they had been known to steal babies but wasn’t sure if that was true or a local, urban myth). And no, I wouldn’t have fancied my chances fighting one bare handed!
At least it provided a good anecdote. And at least it was only a bat. There were some very big monkeys living in that area that you could see hanging around on roofs and balconies (my host said they had been known to steal babies but wasn’t sure if that was true or a local, urban myth). And no, I wouldn’t have fancied my chances fighting one bare handed!
A few years back I was driving to work one morning.
I started at 7.30 but traffic was bad getting onto site so i used to try and between 7 and 7.15. At the time I had a 1hr15 commute. Just under 60miles each way.
One spring morning it was just approaching dawn and I was driving along a country lane. I spotted a barn owl flying along the hedgerow beside the road, only a few feet above it, probably only 2-3m to the left of the car. There was some temporary roadworks and I was on red (only car on the road at that time and place) I slowed down and stopped.
It ran the red light, turned and flew across the road and over the field on the other side and went on its merry way.
Really cheered me up that did. A barn owl was my grandmother's favourite animal and she had loads of ornaments and paintings of them etc.
I started at 7.30 but traffic was bad getting onto site so i used to try and between 7 and 7.15. At the time I had a 1hr15 commute. Just under 60miles each way.
One spring morning it was just approaching dawn and I was driving along a country lane. I spotted a barn owl flying along the hedgerow beside the road, only a few feet above it, probably only 2-3m to the left of the car. There was some temporary roadworks and I was on red (only car on the road at that time and place) I slowed down and stopped.
It ran the red light, turned and flew across the road and over the field on the other side and went on its merry way.
Really cheered me up that did. A barn owl was my grandmother's favourite animal and she had loads of ornaments and paintings of them etc.
We get flying foxes (big fruit bats) raiding the fig tree in the back garden when the figs are ripe.
Leathery wings against the moon - its great if you're into vampire movies!
The squabbling with the possums who also come for the figs gets very loud - lots of squawking and hissing.
Leathery wings against the moon - its great if you're into vampire movies!
wiki said:
Adults may have a wingspan reaching one metre in length
The squabbling with the possums who also come for the figs gets very loud - lots of squawking and hissing.
A few years ago, heard a noise in the kitchen. Magpie sat on window sill trying to get out.
Walked over, reached out, picked it up like you do a racing pigeon. Didn't peck, didn't flap. Took it to the back door and released it.
Few years later, had a goldfinch in the living room, again, just picked it up, took it out and released it.
Don't know if they just get to a point where they give up and freeze, but its weird picking up healthy birds with no fuss.
Of course, the third time was a blue tit, and that just flapped about and shat over all the furniture.
Walked over, reached out, picked it up like you do a racing pigeon. Didn't peck, didn't flap. Took it to the back door and released it.
Few years later, had a goldfinch in the living room, again, just picked it up, took it out and released it.
Don't know if they just get to a point where they give up and freeze, but its weird picking up healthy birds with no fuss.
Of course, the third time was a blue tit, and that just flapped about and shat over all the furniture.
Edited by Gary C on Monday 16th August 05:37
sociopath said:
We have pipstrelle bats somewhere, could be the neighbours, don't know tbh, but we get a brilliant aerial display around our garden every evening just as dusk falls.
Great to just stand and watch for 15 minutes or so with a beer, before it gets too dark to see them. Completely silent in flight, (well except for their sonar which I can't hear)
Last year on holiday in the West Coast of Scotland I noticed what I thought were swallows flying about at dusk until I worked out they were bats.Great to just stand and watch for 15 minutes or so with a beer, before it gets too dark to see them. Completely silent in flight, (well except for their sonar which I can't hear)
Went to put the bin out in the drive and noticed one or two coming very close - called on the OH and we stood still outside as more and more bats flew around us swooping like seagulls outside a chip shop. Close enough you could hear the flapping wings and sometimes feel the rush of air as they passed us. Fantastic to experience. Where we were standing was enclosed on 3 sides by buildings/trees and we suspect that the concentration of midges around us at the time was what was attracting the bats to come in so close in a feeding frenzy.
In the same location this year I was standing outside on the patio with binoculars in late evening, but still daylight, trying to spot some roe deer moving out of woods into fields about a 100 metres away. I noticed out of the side of my eye movement and turned to see a hedgehog scurrying up the alley beside me until he stopped about a metre from where I was standing - I've never seen a live one in "daylight" before - I guess poor obs by the hog!
We put food out for him for the next few evenings, and saw him/her a couple more times, and once with one of its offspring tagging along nervously.
Gary C said:
A few years ago, heard a noise in the kitchen. Magpie sat on window sill trying to get out.
Walked over, reached out, picked it up like you do a racing pigeon. Didn't peck, didn't flap. Took it to the back door and released it.
Few years later, had a goldfinch in the living room, again, just picked it up, took it out and released it.
Don't know if they just get to a point where they give up and freeze, but its weird picking up healthy birds with no fuss.
Of course, the third time was a blue tit, and that just flapped about and shat over all the furniture.
We have swallow nests on our house so quite often find them in our kitchen if we forget to close the door when they are flying around. They mostly just sit on the kitchen table/chairs waiting for a window to be opened, don't let you pick them up though! First time one came in, it must have sneaked in just as we were leaving for the day. Came home in evening to play a game of find the bird poo as it had spent the whole day flying around every room in the house.Walked over, reached out, picked it up like you do a racing pigeon. Didn't peck, didn't flap. Took it to the back door and released it.
Few years later, had a goldfinch in the living room, again, just picked it up, took it out and released it.
Don't know if they just get to a point where they give up and freeze, but its weird picking up healthy birds with no fuss.
Of course, the third time was a blue tit, and that just flapped about and shat over all the furniture.
Edited by Gary C on Monday 16th August 05:37
Eating lunch yesterday, had some friends round and one exclaims "FOX" !
We look round and there is a Fox sat on top of the fence next to the side kitchen window gawping in at us, see Foxes all the time at night, rarely in the day and never so close, didn't have chance to get a photo, swear it was waiting for some of our lunch.
We look round and there is a Fox sat on top of the fence next to the side kitchen window gawping in at us, see Foxes all the time at night, rarely in the day and never so close, didn't have chance to get a photo, swear it was waiting for some of our lunch.
We have squirrels come into our garden most days, usually in the morning and late afternoon, they eat the bird seed that has fallen onto the grass and dig up hazelnuts from the tree we have.
We watch them either bury them or dig up nuts they have buried previously.
A few weeks ago we had four young squirrels playing, they were charging round the garden chasing each other, jumping up and down trees, climbing all over our log cabin, and generally enjoying themselves.
This lasted for about 10 mins then they got bored and went home. Time seems to stand still with these little moments
We watch them either bury them or dig up nuts they have buried previously.
A few weeks ago we had four young squirrels playing, they were charging round the garden chasing each other, jumping up and down trees, climbing all over our log cabin, and generally enjoying themselves.
This lasted for about 10 mins then they got bored and went home. Time seems to stand still with these little moments
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