The Bird Watching Thread

[Mort7]

I haven't seen a similar thread, so I thought I'd start one for the birders amongst us.

What have you seen, and where did you see them?

I'll make a strong start:-

2 bittern at RSPB Otmoor, near Oxford, at around dusk. Also a significant number of starlings - a bit too early for murmurations yet, but looking good for colder weather in a few weeks time.

[Mort7]

Wow! Thanks for that. The nearest to those that we get over here are Rose-Ringed Parakeets, which are gradually working their way up the Thames from London, where they escaped during the latter part of the last century. We see them quite regularly when we're walking by the river.

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The murmuration at Otmoor was very good on Friday. Well worth a visit if you're local, but parking is at a premium.

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Are they all that tame?

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Certainly very different. Not sure I'd want the local wildlife chasing us!

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Fascinating. Thanks.

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2 male shelducks, Little Marlow Gravel Pit, this PM.

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PositronicRay said:

Anyone doing the RSPB bird watch thing?

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/bi...

Yes we often do it, as does Smollet. You should be able to find previous threads, but perhaps add your results to this one.

[Mort7]

White-tailed eagle currently living in Oxfordshire.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-...

[Mort7]

Nice. You're lucky to have them close to home.

We travel to Otmoor, near Oxford, where you sometimes get as many as 70000. Must get to the Somerset Levels some time, where the numbers are much greater.

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Cheers.

Here's a short one from Otmoor.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9f6cRNxpSs

Edited by Mort7 on Wednesday 29th January 13:34

[Mort7]

Yes. Peregrines and sparrowhawks at Otmoor, and later in the evening, when the starlings have either settled in the reed beds, or are in the process of doing so, it's not unusual for a marsh harrier (or occasionally a hen harrier) to fly low over the reeds and stir them all up.

There are lots of golden plovers at Otmoor too, and they do their own version of a murmuration - usually before the starlings go to bed. It's not unusual to see a peregrine in amongst them too.

Edited to add: You're probably aware that murmurations are defensive - similar to shoaling in fish. The intention is to confuse predators. I have never seen a bird of prey make a successful kill from a murmuration. Neither have I heard of anyone who has seen it. That's not to say that it doesn't happen, but it's much rarer than a sparrowhawk taking a bird from a bird table, or from your lawn, where each bird is moving individually.

Edited by Mort7 on Wednesday 29th January 17:17

[Mort7]

Late November / early December start, finishes around February depending on the weather. Worth checking the website.

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Probably saw it’s reflection, and was seeing off a potential rival.

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It's not just birds. At our previous house we were woken up one moonlit night by banging that was shaking the house. I ran downstair to find the noise coming from our living room, and our cat going ballistic behind the living room curtains.

On turning on the lights and drawing back the curtains I found a muntjac deer was busy attacking its reflection in the patio door. As soon as the reflection disappeared so did the muntjac - back through the hole it had made in the fence to get at its 'rival'. It’s hasty withdrawal might also have had something to do with that fact that I was as nature intended at the time.

Closer inspection of the glass in daylight revealed large quantities of deer fur, and several deep gouges made by its tusks, which made for an interesting conversation with my insurance company.



Be grateful you only have stroppy blue tits.

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No idea. Maybe a vet on here could help.

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It's called nature. If you're going to play God with magpies, then you can hardly criticise gamekeepers who poison (for example) hen harriers, can you. Thin end of the wedge, and all that.

Magpies are protected when nesting or roosting. If you shoot one in your garden you may be acting outside the law. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlif...

Magpies take chicks, etc to feed themselves, or their young. No different to you eating meat.

You could try feeding the magpies, then they might be less inclined to prey on other species. I actually like magpies and crows, mainly because they are so inventive and clever. Each to their own though.

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Mariosbt said:

Mort7 said:

It's called nature. If you're going to play God with magpies, then you can hardly criticise gamekeepers who poison (for example) hen harriers, can you. Thin end of the wedge, and all that.

Magpies are protected when nesting or roosting. If you shoot one in your garden you may be acting outside the law. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlif...

Magpies take chicks, etc to feed themselves, or their young. No different to you eating meat.

You could try feeding the magpies, then they might be less inclined to prey on other species. I actually like magpies and crows, mainly because they are so inventive and clever. Each to their own though.

A bit different , I don’t recall seeing 10 Hen Harriers in 1 tree ffs. Magpies are evil b@st@rds. What do they eat out side nesting season?

You asked for thoughts, I gave you mine - and pointed you towards the legalities in an effort to be helpful. You clearly have an opinion and seem to just looking for an argument. You should have said - then I would have ignored you.

Magpies eat the same stuff year round. The difference is that at the moment they have chicks to feed.

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Mariosbt said:

Not looking for an argument at all

Clearly.

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