birdman
Sunday 4th July 2004, 20:14
Took another evening trip on my local patch on Friday... a bit later on to try to increase the Owl action. As a consequence, the numbers are very low (we didn't start until 2120) as most everything had tucked itself away for the night. However, we did have two particularly good sightings.
We watched the Kestrel performing aerobatics for 15 or 20 minutes, mostly what were perhaps a pair, although there was obviously a third bitd around also.
I have seen footage on TV, as I'm sure many of you have, of BOPs passing food to each other in mid-air, with one bird inverting tself to receive.
Well, no "passing" was involved, but three or four times the two birds came almost together, talon to talon.
Fantastic!
We watched this until the light was very dim, at which time we continued around the walk. Where the Kestrels were performing, was on of the places where we have often seen owls hunting, although not this time. Too windy perhaps? Anyway, further round we heard three owls calling, that turned out to be Tawny Owls. I had got them down as LEOs, making the same mistake as I did in report 41, but in fact as we got closerr and closer to the sound, the birds actually emerged from the trees. Although it was really rather dark, a good sighting of the faces showed them to be Tawnies.
Again...fantastic!
As it was now well afetr 2230, all that remained was to gingerly make our way home without falling down any rabbit holes!
Plain text = Outback day tick
Bold text = Outback year tick
(Number in brackets is highest number of individuals identified at one time)
Mallard : 2 (2)
Swift : 4 (4)
Tawny Owl : 3 (3)
Woodpigeon : 2 (2)
Moorhen : 1 (1)
Coot : 6 (6)
Kestrel : 3 (2)
Blackbird : 2 (1)
Robin : 1 (1)
We watched the Kestrel performing aerobatics for 15 or 20 minutes, mostly what were perhaps a pair, although there was obviously a third bitd around also.
I have seen footage on TV, as I'm sure many of you have, of BOPs passing food to each other in mid-air, with one bird inverting tself to receive.
Well, no "passing" was involved, but three or four times the two birds came almost together, talon to talon.
Fantastic!
We watched this until the light was very dim, at which time we continued around the walk. Where the Kestrels were performing, was on of the places where we have often seen owls hunting, although not this time. Too windy perhaps? Anyway, further round we heard three owls calling, that turned out to be Tawny Owls. I had got them down as LEOs, making the same mistake as I did in report 41, but in fact as we got closerr and closer to the sound, the birds actually emerged from the trees. Although it was really rather dark, a good sighting of the faces showed them to be Tawnies.
Again...fantastic!
As it was now well afetr 2230, all that remained was to gingerly make our way home without falling down any rabbit holes!
Plain text = Outback day tick
Bold text = Outback year tick
(Number in brackets is highest number of individuals identified at one time)
Mallard : 2 (2)
Swift : 4 (4)
Tawny Owl : 3 (3)
Woodpigeon : 2 (2)
Moorhen : 1 (1)
Coot : 6 (6)
Kestrel : 3 (2)
Blackbird : 2 (1)
Robin : 1 (1)