UKC

Been a bit dull of late. Weather been a bit drab as well. Cracking kestrel. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

And the pair of tawny owls. Never worked out how they actually fly to their nest site (which is where they are in the photo). It’s very ‘branchy’. Been watching them for the last eight years and I have never seen any owlets. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Buzzard. Always good to see a perched buzzard. They eat lots of worms. Easy pickings with their eyesight (same with kestrels as well).  

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Excellent photos.

I was sitting on site having my lunch up in the dales today and a falcon dropped on to a fence post a few feet from my van. I watched him for a little while then decided to get a pic but by the time I had my phone unlocked and found the camera app he flew away. 

In reply to Dax H:

Any ideas what it was?  The usuals are kestrel and sparrowhawk, but could be a much rarer merlin, they are very small but love sitting on posts.

In reply to Bottom Clinger: Super pictures again I was running Wednesday and had a barn owl flying parallel to me at head height to my right.

When I've seen owlets they've been in buildings.  I've seen them in a barn down the road, and a man at work had them in his shed last year.

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

It had the look of a peregrine but too big. It was about 8 to 10 inch high. I'm far from a bird expert but the peregrines I have seen at bird shows have all been small.

It was a blue gray colour. 

In reply to Dax H:

Male Merlin below. They look small.

In reply to Dax H:

Male Sparrowhawk below. They look smallish. But when people see them they often go ‘it was blue grey in colour’. And they do land on posts.  So I’ll go male sparrowhawk.

Peregrines are a good bit bigger. The females of most birds of prey are much bigger than the males. And they look chunky. Not likely to land in a post next to a car. 

In reply to Dax H:

My photos. Male Sparrowhawk on a wall. Juvenile peregrine headin towards me after it ate a pigeon (it kicked the pigeon carcass off the ledge then flew off!),  adult peregrine perched on a mill in Wigan. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

I always thought peregrines were small. Every day is a school day.

I will go with your sparrow hawk. From the photos it looks like the merlin has marks on its head and this one didn't.

Beutifull it was. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Earlier in the week was the closest I’ve ever been to a perched buzzard (was in an low tree next to road) when out on the bike - about 5m away and it didn’t move just watched as I glided past. Wasn’t happy though when I turned around further down the road to have another look. It was off as soon as it could. Normally I never get nearer than 150m before they fly.

Still, I can dream of getting up close for a photo one day!

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Your sighting sounds great. Buzzards can be very flighty - most birds of prey are. I’ve noticed that so long as you keep moving you can get closer. As soon as I stop to take a photo, I think the bird goes ‘aye up, that human has noticed me so I’m off.’ And I’ve always got my springer with me. Took this a few months back, the wind and the sun helping make it a good photo. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

A few years back I was working on a site close to Harewood House where they have been running a red kite program for years.

I was at the back end of the site with no one around and a kite was flying up and down the hedgerow, only about 10 foot high and maybe 20 foot away from me. Stunning sight but no photo's, I was working in a explosive environment so the phone was in my van. 

In reply to Dax H:

My daughter keeps on teasing me by telling me about the red kites she's just seen from her (small) back garden in Edgware, N London ☹️

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

No piccies but in N Wales at the moment - windy.

Yesterday saw 10 different species of duck, all in breeding plumage - lovely.

Even windier today, could barely stand up on a little 350' lump near Conway, goodness only knows what it's been like in Snowdonia, hopefully nobody's been tempted to actually go up high. Did see some choughs though, definitely my favourite crows.

In reply to Michael Hood:

You’d be chuffed seeing a chough. They are cool though. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

I’m a Jay man myself😊

In reply to Darron:

A man of the cloth?

Ed: Jays are brilliant. Will dig up a photo…

…found it. Morton Lochs in Fife. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

👌

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

I used to ride to work past some fields where during winter it was common for several buzzards to be strolling around on the ground, I assume eating worms and stuff.

For owls and taking pictures had a barn owl beginning of last year which seemed determined to torment me. Saw it several times when I was coming back in from mountain biking at the same time on one occasion when I stopped to watch coming within about 20m of me. So since it was within easier walking distance headed out with my camera about the same time. Did the little sod decide to appear did it bleep!

The local kestrels (there are at least two different pairs) are being more sporting recently for photos. Again I got rather annoyed after they kept their distance from when I bimbled about with a camera vs when I was going for a run and they decided sod it lets hang around including what case when one was having a dispute with a crow on the ground about 5m from me without caring.

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Our local pair of Ravens up at Jennycliff have been doing their courtship flight for at least ten days.  Lovely to watch but definitely earlier than usual.

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Nice photo of the Jay. Only had ever seen one Jay many years ago which was accidentally disturbed when walking through a forest. Just caught a mere glimpse of the blue as it flew past that time; they don’t hang about!

However, decided to go to M lochs yesterday on the off chance of seeing another one; got to be optimistic sometimes!

Despite a couple of serious wildlife photographers (full camouflage kit/long telephotos) saying when I arrived that the Jays have been and gone, I waited. Rewarded eventually and managed to spot one if only for a couple of seconds! They had previously staged the location though to attract one in to a specific perch for their photos so just hung about there and was lucky for me timing wise. Peanuts was what one said was the essential encouragement needed!

The peanuts are loved by the Mallards too it seemed as they rapidly cleared up; amusing to watch one trying to balance up on top of the staged feeding area!

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

Could easily have been the same jay as in the photo. Headin up there next week, so will pay the place a visit. Last time I was there I thought I would ‘quickly nip over’ to Tentsmuir Point and totally underestimated how far away it was. 

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Ha ha maybe. I see about putting a photo up later to compare!

Yup it’s a fair trek across the forest and more so now with number of trees down. I usually go on bike to get out to the point no matter where I park around there as it’s too far for me!

Be warned that lots of tracks/areas could be out of bounds/blocked since storm Arwen (not that I explored too far as so much destroyed with minor and major blockages. Into the car park at the lochs is open (sign at start says road closed though which it apparently was for a while), but no further is possible by car at least; walking further east looked like a lot of clambering and climbing would be needed! Still, saw a few bikes going to and from Tayport direction in forest so main tracks must be open.

You’ll notice a big difference with the number of trees down just east of the lochs. The winds must have been ferocious there.

Enjoy your visit.

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Here’s some photos from yesterday. 

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

No photos unfortunately but I heard my first skylark of the year early this morning.

Dave

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I presume that you just don't live in the right area to see Jays. They are surprisingly camouflaged but not difficult to see if you are in the right area. I'm in suburban N Manchester and see them often, had two in the trees at end of the garden (approx 10m long) the other day.

Of course being where I am, there's no doubt stuff that I never see that are easy spots in your neighborhood.

Edit: nice photos, especially the tits.