UKC

Sorry for the thread title. 

Deer yesterday, owl this evening, and check the toes on that skylark!  

Cropped to show off the amazing antlers. 

Had a buck just like your one bark loudly at me yesterday. Had seen a doe running off, but the first I saw the buck was after it was running after the doe, barking. A minute or two later it had come back to a prominent high point in the distance, looked at me, silhouetted due to backlight giving an impressive don’t mess with me sight. Gave out a few loud barks and off it went after the doe. Didn’t manage to get photos alas.

Seen that with Skylarks, similar to Meadow Pipits. My newest sighting was a Wood Warbler - it’s song seems clear and distinctive. Plenty of WW and CC singing so took time to listen to their songs to imprint them more in my memory.

It's very distinctive, and like a coin spinning on a desktop: getting faster and faster, until it stops.

Where I live, I never hear them, unfortunately. I have heard them in the past in woods in the Peak District.

It was the end part of the song that confirmed it for me every time I heard it; I tended to miss the start part with the general bird songs going on, but picked up the middle and then the rapid end. I was fortunate to hear it on and off for over two hours whilst strolling about checking out for other birds as well, but only saw it twice in that time.

The Wood Warbler I understand is not a frequent visitor over the east coast side of Scotland. RSPB Loch Leven Reserve staff member told me it had been some 3 years since the last one had been recorded there. Might then be my first and last sighting of one for a while!

Excellent!

May I recommend Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir on Sky Arts?

Sublime television.

Are you using the Merlin app?

Downloaded it yesterday, don't know why I've not done it before, combination of thinking it was only UK (🤣🤣🤣) and misplaced macho pride.

This morning saw "unknown" bird on fence at back of garden where we're staying, but before I could get bins out it had gone. Initial thought was Masked Shrike (never seen one before) but no certainty until...

Answered Merlin's simple questions and top candidate - Masked Shrike - bingo 😁

I really should have downloaded it a few days ago to listen to all those pesky "unidentifiable" warblers.

Yes, as a result of recommendations on here 😬. Excellent app in my limited use so far.

I’d forgotten about that programme, thanks for the reminder.

Just been out and used Merlin to identify one of the (many) little brown birds, Graceful Prinia (type of wren warbler). 100% confirmed by me playing the song which caused one to come a lot closer and wonder where it's rival or potential mate was 😁

Also saw another 3 Black-winged Kite, or maybe it was only one doing 30 minute circuits.

I'm a sucker for an owl, that's a great photo, well spotted! I'm guessing it tolerated you to get fairly close? I think they're a bit dozy during the day!

Saw it again half an hour ago. Different tree though. Mad weather just now, really atmospheric clouds, rainbows, distant thunder. Love it!  

Wow, didn’t realise England had so many species and some I’ve not heard of 🫣🤣!

The one thing that Merlin app is not very good at is photo ID of my nemesis 🙄 - Willow Warblers vs Chiffchaff!! I need the song. The app has no problem it seems though with identifying by them by their songs.

Today I got my closest I think I will get to Wheatears for photos (though they are not that great I think) and saw my first White Wagtail (as in the sub species). All very confusing to me that White Wagtails covers nine sub species including the Pied and White sub species!

I too like playing bird songs on my phone to attract them over (robins, woodpeckers), but bear in mind that for protected birds (i.e. G*ss*awks) it is illegal to play their calls.  Does anyone know if the data collected by the merlin app is being used to determine bird distribution?

It’s a free app; it would be reasonable to assume a free app will collect data. The app states it collects your location and says it uses ebird which itself says “while making your data openly available for scientific research, education, and conservation.”

I think some would be new species in the UK, back in the early hours of Tuesday ☹️