What birds or bird have you seen today – communal thread, I hope!

A Mistle Thrush this morning that landed on the roof of the outbuilding in my yard. Taken through double glazing. Sigma 150-600mm, f6.3, iso 400

thrush-0468.jpg


thrush-0499.jpg
 
Looks like a juvenile ... is that a defect in its left claw?
 
Yes, it did appear to be a defect on the left claw, it was curled up like a making a fist.
 
Great thread idea, with some equally good bird images ;)

Ive been out of the bird scene for awhile now, but since UK Butterflies/Reptiles/Dragonflies are now either in hibernation or perished!! I thought it was time to give "birding" a go again, through the winter months at least!

Having just got myself a Nikon V1/FT1 adapter, i thought it was about time to test out the system on birds.
Took a trip to a well known Kent Bird Reserve (Oare Marshes) this Saturday, and despite the poor light(although the sun did shine briefly!) put the V1/FT1 to the test.

None of these images are cropped, Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D lens used, i also added the Nikon 1.7 teleconverter at times! Add that to the 2.7 crop factor of the V1, an i think its something like 1350mm equivalent! Handheld(or resting on a fence post) i think i might need to get me a Monopod!...Poor light for most of the shots, but with better light, i think i can capture some half sensible images.
As you can imagine, all the birds were some distance! but good to give it a go anyway. I reckon 30 to 40 species seen on the day. Wind is always a factor at this location too...an it was pretty windy!

PS. Despite being the 18/12/15...I did in fact sight a Butterfly!!

Ruff, Knot, Lapwing etc.
Ruff, Knot, Lapwing etc. Nikon V1/FT1 test. 18th-December-2015 by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Female Pintail.
Pintail (female). Nikon V1/FT1 test. 18th-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Male Pintail.
Pintail (male). Nikon V1/FT1 test. 18th-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Teal, Shoveler.
Teal, Shoveler. Nikon V1/FT1 test. 18th-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Godwit, Shoveler.
Godwit, Shoveler. Nikon V1/FT1 test. 18th-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr
 
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Great Bullfinch Mike ... I love the way they always manage to get their beaks covered in sticky bits :D

Sadly not out today as it's tipping down here again :(
 
gramps said:
Great Bullfinch Mike ... I love the way they always manage to get their beaks covered in sticky bits :D

Sadly not out today as it's tipping down here again :(
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Thanks i had to wait ages for him to get berries on his beak ;),we got a couple of hours its raining now.
 
No photo, but spent yesterday watching a mandarin duck drake that's decided to stop in at Figgate Park in Edinburgh. Well worth a visit for anyone in the area - pretty spectacular obviously, but amazing to see it bullying the much larger mallards.
 
Moadib said:
No photo, but spent yesterday watching a mandarin duck drake that's decided to stop in at Figgate Park in Edinburgh. Well worth a visit for anyone in the area - pretty spectacular obviously, but amazing to see it bullying the much larger mallards.
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Colourful characters but quite belligerent, remind me of Disney's Yosemite Sam! :D

Mandarin.jpg

Yosemite-Sam-Quotes-300x281.png
 
Saw a male Sparrowhawk this afternoon in the garden, it was tiny! It chased a bird right through our beech hedge and out the other side . It failed so it worked it's way back through the hedge and stood on the lawn for a few2 mins to get it's breath back.
No shots I'm afraid.
 
admirable said:
Saw a male Sparrowhawk this afternoon in the garden, it was tiny! It chased a bird right through our beech hedge and out the other side . It failed so it worked it's way back through the hedge and stood on the lawn for a few2 mins to get it's breath back.
No shots I'm afraid.
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that's another thing I find interesting about Birds ........ some are so casual about killing each other
 
wezza13 said:
Greylag Goose from yesterday's walk round Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve

Greylag Goose - SWLR by Wez Filtness, on Flickr
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Nice shot.
I live within 15 miles of the Sevenoaks Reserve, i visit the location a couple of times a year(i guess i should make it more regular than that!).
Ive seen/photographed a Redpoll a couple of years ago, in the first Hide next to the visitor centre.
 
BillN_33 said:
Greylag Goose - I have always wondered if you can eat them!!
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Several hundred years ago, every large bird that visited/migrated to the UK(or was a resident here) would have been on the menu!
When the "well to do"(rich folk) held a 3 or 4 day banquet, they used to feast on all these large birds, by the 100's!
 
BillN_33 said:
Greylag Goose - I have always wondered if you can eat them!!
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Being the curious sort I did a search on Google and came up with many pages of recipes for Greylag Goose, so I guess yes, if you think about the dometicated goose - those white ones- aren't that much different from their wild cousins. Didn't the Cratchits from Dickens Christmas Carol have goose for Xmas day?
 
I managed to find 2 Long Eared Owls today, first ever time seeing them. Got a few shots but not worth showing here.
 
phil_b said:
I managed to find 2 Long Eared Owls today, first ever time seeing them. Got a few shots but not worth showing here.
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Excellent find (y) I'm no owl expert but I spent a lot of time this summer watching 3 breading pairs of LEO's.

If they're local to you and resident, when they have young next year, they'll hunt in the last few hours of daylight every evening, it'll make for some good photo opportunities, its a great way to spend a lovely summers evening :)
 
Phil-D said:
Excellent find (y) I'm no owl expert but i spent a lot of time this summer watching 3 breading pairs of L

If they're local to you and resident, when they have young next year, they'll hunt in the last few hours of daylight every evening, it'll make for some good photo opportunities, its a great way to spend a lovely summers evening :)
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There has been 4 spotted together recently and I have been told that they have been in the same area at least the last few winters so it might be a winter roost.
 
Sorry if I'm boring you all, but I have been trying to get some more photos than three LTT's perched around my feeder after the previous posts with three perched. Managed to get upto six now so will see if I can get anymore. Not much activity around, just seem to be the LTT, Blues and Cole and a Red Kite at distance.

Also liked the soaking wet one of the LTT.

DSC_6710 by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

DSC_6745 by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

DSC_6734 by Swansea Jack, on Flickr
 
What lovely little birds they are Simon. I'm getting them back on my feeders now but the set up I have doesn't lend itself to photography - just watching. The first one in the rain is so expressive.

I had a great close up view of a pair pf black caps on my lunch time walk from work on Monday.
 
Well, early this morning I saw the Mistle Thrush with the gammy foot (it's been every day since Sunday), but later in the afternoon there was another Mistle Thrush and at the same time a Pied Wagtail.

Not the greatest of shots, again through double glazing under pretty poor light conditions.

pied-wagtail-0571.jpg


pied-wagtail-0563.jpg
 
gramps said:
Light is really depressing ATM, keep going out and trying but it's pretty hopeless if I'm honest, especially for flight and distance shots :(

Fly-past

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Flying Shoveler

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Arrivals

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Driving me nuts too bro ahh man I need some sun on me back,but Roger that Shovler's not so bad:cool: if we don' try we get nuffin I keep telling myself this mate!!!!

But here is the rub with utterly no pics to show ok might have something to make you guys smile and maybe a reed bunting. Peregrine,male sparrow hawk,male merlin buzz male kez withing a field of my house in two days not seen that in 20plus years here........ put some feeders out front this morn within 3 hours redpole never seen in our garden before ruddy 'eck Shaz got a lesser.spotted woodie last week again in the garden,wanted to see one all my life,bloody thing turns up in my garden twice and all I do is bloody graft. The light is driving me nutz mate 1 good day spent hoping for a shortie which I know are there,but futile.

Tomorrow is another day and the sun just might shine or even just enough light to get something sharp i'll probably mess it all up though LMAO
But if one doesn't try who knows what one might miss..... that's what i'm trying to use as drive mate,sometimes it's nice knowing I haven't a clue. I can convince both of us we might just see something amazing,and I guess that is what wildlife is all about because we really just might see something getting that pic though another matter

hey ho here's one of me buntings i'll save the smile for later we might both need it:D

_70F0186 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

have the best new year guys shoot straight and get those ss speeds up;)

Stu

ps Si that drowned longtail is awesome I feel for him like all the folks up north but adore your pic mate
 
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Couple more from yesterday's dim light.

Pintail in flight

Joining.jpg



Far away Kingfisher

Kingfisher.jpg




Far away Redshank

Redshank.jpg
 
Went to Elmley Nature Reserve for a walk with my dad. Had my 300mm F4 on with the 1.4 c. Light was fantastic but, unfortunately, couldn't get close to anything. Typically, whichever hide we were sat in, the Marsh harriers were right next to the other ones!

Crappy record shots, not even keepers :)

Common Snipe - Record Shot by Wez Filtness, on Flickr

Teal - Record Shot by Wez Filtness, on Flickr

Marsh Harrier - Record Shot by Wez Filtness, on Flickr

Lapwing - Record Shot by Wez Filtness, on Flickr

Black-Backed Gull - Record Shot by Wez Filtness, on Flickr

Shelducks - Record Shot by Wez Filtness, on Flickr
 
BillN_33 said:
Greylag Goose - I have always wondered if you can eat them!!
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Bill goose is our natural peasant(in my case:p) chrimbo dish, turks only became our go to dish when folks worked out they could rear them intensively after importing from america. If one ponders it a bird that eats grass is pretty good for someone to rear whom has little money but a scrap of land ,yup as above like the mallard for domestic ducks the greylag is the progenitor of most domestic geese the only exception i know of is the chinese goose which comes from the swan goose if my old brain recollects this all correctly So yup as above they can be eaten by us although maybe the world might be a better place if we were not quite so inventive: I have little time for fois gras and how it is produced!!

Ha sorry mate derailing again I forgot to add I had a pair fly over( I'd lay a bet not completely wild) re my above post and also forgot the first goldcrest here ever. Oh mate loved yours on the spikey stuff:cool:
Stu
 
Had another session on the 31/12/15, using the Nikon V1/FT1/Nikon 300mm F/4D lens combo.

Some challenging conditions at times, but good to get out in some sunshine(at times!).

Location - Riverside Country Park, Gillingham/Rainham Kent.

Cheers Paul.

Little Egret.
Little Egret. Nikon V1/FT1 test 2. 31st-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Little Egret. Nikon V1/FT1 test 2. 31st-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr


Black tailed Godwit.
Godwit. Nikon V1/FT1 test 2. 31st-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr


Dunnock.
Dunnock. Nikon V1/FT1 test 2. 31st-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr


Sparrow.
Sparrow. Nikon V1/FT1 test 2. 31st-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr


Magpie in the car park. (background is the blue bonnet of a car!)
Magpie (uncropped). Nikon V1/FT1 test 2. 31st-December-2015. by Testudo Man, on Flickr
 
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