Bird Watching a Relaxing Hobby

[Lee Drennen]

Not bird watching - but bird listening! Woodpeckers ( I've only ever seen one ) are fairly common, but most heard are the owls - Little Owls & Tawny Owls, they generally start calling at dusk and seem to leave off an hour or so before sunrise. Occasionally I hear birds that I can't identify - probably strays from Slimbridge WWT, which is only a few miles away............
Dave

Dave. I like listening to the owls at dust at our house. Just last night I heard one off in the distance wish I could get a pic of one of these.

[Lee Drennen]

Do not worry Lee I will get her in a good mode by refraining to kiss her for 3 days in a row. Should do the trick. :tongue-out3:

It is the big birds they shrow the food around. The little sparrows feed in the large box we put out & most food is contained.

The top of the balcony rail has a large round top. The sparrows congregate perhaps 6 or 8 at a time waiting their turn to feed. Sometimes in the early morning I wake up, window open, & listen to them chuckling away.

Laurie

Laurie. Maybe you can get back to feeding soon with a small feeder that the big guys can’t get to.

[Tim Marlow]

Hi all
Here are a few photos that I have taken over the last few years when I have been out and about staring at birds.....


Mute swan on a local lake


Spoonbill at Keyhaven nature reserve


Greenfinch in my garden


Black headed gull on the wing at Keyhaven


Turtle Dove at Martin Down.


Grey Heron at local lakes


Chiff Chaff at Lodimore RSPB


Hooded Meganser (the James Brown of the duck world) at Lodimoor RSPB.


Oystercatcher taken on a trip to Wales


Red Kite in Wales (Got photo of the day award on Flikyr for this one )


Common Tern at Lodimore RSPB. Probably my favourite photo


Godwit at RSPB Lodimore
I think I need to catch up with sorting out my backlog of photos, then perhaps dust off the camera again.....
Hope these are of interest.
Cheers
Tim

[Dave Ward]

Tim,
Keyhaven? - my grandfather used to live at Highcliffe & we used to visit Keyhaven & go by boat to Hurst Castle
Dave

[Jim R]

Those are great photos Tim.

[Guest]

Laurie. Maybe you can get back to feeding soon with a small feeder that the big guys can’t get to.

We have tried a number of ways Lee. Problem this large birds have quality brains. Even one early morning put a serving tray over the feeding box. Ten minutes later a seagull had pulled it off.

Mention this little beggar before,Seagul, that roams around out side Morrisons below us. Even knows how to open the auto doors. Marched in jumps on to first shelf of snacks bar takes a packet walks out. The other day I watched him nick two packets of snack bar mustard. Guess what ? Did not like mustard

Laurie

[Tim Marlow]

Tim,
Keyhaven? - my grandfather used to live at Highcliffe & we used to visit Keyhaven & go by boat to Hurst Castle
Dave

Yep, same place Dave. There is a walk right along the sea front towards Lymington which is superb for birding. You are about ten foot above the lakes and fields and the birds pay you no real attention so you can get really close to them.

[Tim Marlow]

Those are great photos Tim.

Thanks Jim, there are a huge number of rejects to get those shots. The Red Kite, for example, was culled out of about 1500 shots taken over thirty minutes at the Red Kite feeding Centre. There were probably 600 wild Kites being fed that day. An awesome spectacle!

[Peej]

We have a couple of feeders in our garden. We get many visitors such as various tits, robins, pigeons, collared doves, woodpeckers, magpies, jays. Just recently a pair of pheasants have been popping over for a bite in the evening. Daytime is normally busy with squirrels. Occasionally at night we have a fox come in the garden to clear up any peanuts that have been dropped.

[Lee Drennen]

Tim. Wow! Thanks for sharing those beautiful pics.

Paul. You I have to get some pics of those pheasants

[Guest]

About 20 years ago we down sized.

Pauline likes gardening.

I laid out garden to the rear.

Not big but managed to install a very small pond

With a waterfall into the next little pond.

What do you put into ponds

Got it in one Fish

Guessed where this is going

Yep a crane

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n[/ATTACH]no no this type [ATTACH=CONFIG]n[/ATTACH]

Yep Pauline looked out of the window & there is this Crane

Gobbling our fish at least 50% migrated into crane

Small garden just made it over fence lucky him

Live in a flat now building flats opposite, oh my god another

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n[/ATTACH]

[Tim Marlow]

Tim. Wow! Thanks for sharing those beautiful pics.

Paul. You I have to get some pics of those pheasants

Hi Lee
Glad you like them. It really does make me want to get the camera out again. I’ve not been out with it since late 2018 according to my shot catalog.

[spanner570]

Great thread Lee and great pictures, chaps. :thumb2:

I'm not a bird watcher as such, more an opportunist. I always carry my camera in my pocket or rucksack when I'm out and about - Just in case.....

We have all sorts nesting around our place, so I'm hoping to get a few snaps of fledglings pretty soon now.

Here's a selection I've taken in, and from the garden.

Most of the birds here seem almost semi-tame and see me as a bit of a curio!

Wood Pigeon having a barf! Or trying to.....


A Kestral about 50yds. away.


Male Greater Spotted Woodpecker.


Giz' a Kiss! Collard Doves.


More Woodpeckers. I was very fortunate to get three at once. The male(Red cap) flew in almost over my head to join in the feeding session!


Cheers.
Ron

[Tim Marlow]

Nice shots Ron. The Kestrel in particular is a great catch, and I love the male woody looking over the post.

[Lee Drennen]

Tim. You should get it out and take a few now that you have a place to share them

Ron. Fantastic pics! Thanks for sharing them hope to see more from you.I like seeing the different birds you guys have from across the pond and other places.