Originally Posted by Marcus Conway - ebirder (Post 1330754)

Caught up with the Pied today. Interesting bird, but not a juicy male. Then I got a puncture.

Originally Posted by Marcus Conway - ebirder (Post 1329880)

I have had an excellent weekend, with a grand day out with Lawts on Saturday. I am not sure who has and hasn't seen the Canvasback, but I am NOT adding it to my life list. I will post photo's on the appropriate thread tomorrow. In the field I saw a certain ammount of pale colours/colouration on the bill. Bizarrely this is not so much in evidence in the pictures, but I am not pleased. We did not see the bird that well, but it was clearly not right IMO. I even felt the head shape was not the same as captive birds I have watched, and there was marginal size difference (alhtough this is not conclusive). The mantle and overall structure were good but it did not feell right. Obviously would love to have it, and it may get accepted which would cause me an obvious dilemma. What was your opinion Andy and others who saw the bird?

Still the Crossbill is a belter so who cares?!?

Originally Posted by Duckwoman (Post 1303700)

Re the Leeds peregrine. I got a call from a guy working at the Town Hall to ask me to look at some bird corpses just under the town hall clock (it's an RSPB thing!) - there were 4 woodcock skeletons and a couple of pigeons - I put it down to a peregrine using a perch under the clock as a feeding site. People have told me that they have seen peregrine flying over the headrow before and I've seen one flying past the 8th floor of Merrion House. Anyone have any other ideas about that? I'm guessing it was enjoying a different kind of snack during migration - the closest roding woodcocks were probably miggie woods to the south.

Originally Posted by darrenward (Post 1331794)

Hi Linda

Found this in the works car park today Off Regent Street, Leeds @ Mabgate Car Park, fresh dead, was not there yesterday before lunchtime at least, not a bird of prey attack either. It was not shot btw.


Daz

Originally Posted by Duckwoman (Post 1331844)

What do you think happened to this one?

Originally Posted by davpen (Post 1332126)

Junction of Abbeydale Road and Broadfield Road, SK346847, 25yds from where I used to live.

Originally Posted by Pete Mella (Post 1332123)

Can any of you lovely BirdGuides subscribers give me any gen on the Sheffield waxwings seen this morning? I'm hoping it's somewhere within lunch-hour distance...

Originally Posted by malskelton (Post 1332165)

On a very similar theme, could somebody let me know if the Hull Waxwings reported this morning are the same ones on Marfleet as yesterday ( close to the Crown Pub ).

I stopped en route to work this morning but with no success, but I might have a crack at lunchtime if they are in the same place.

Thanks

Mal Skelton

Originally Posted by davpen (Post 1332126)

Junction of Abbeydale Road and Broadfield Road, SK346847, 25yds from where I used to live.

Originally Posted by BirdFlower (Post 1332185)

Yes, but they move around a lot go down Marfleet Lane, then down Bilton Grove & on to Preston Road seems to be the best areas, but worth going full length of Marfleet Lane. This morning at nine they were in large poplar near Preston Road/ Marfleet Road junction. Later on nearer St Richard's School. One of my course members has taken some brilliant pics, which I'm hoping to add to the blog tonight. Great! - a birdwatching venue I can pop home from in my lunch hour.

Also 3 drake & 2 female Goosanders in nearby East Park
Cheers

Originally Posted by Duckwoman (Post 1331844)

Hope you've put it in your freezer! I have about 10 birds in mine now and not sure what to do with them. I suppose I'm hoping to get them stuffed at some point so that I can use them in the classes. What do you think happened to this one?

Originally Posted by malskelton (Post 1332256)

Thank you so much for the information - just come back from a very successful lunch time ( beats the hell out of a trip across the city to St Stephens !! ).

I'm not sure whether you and your group are out currently - but I have an inkling that we may have just met at 1.30pm. I was the bloke all in black that limped along and hovered around - I think you may have just let me look through your binoculars too.

It was only as I was driving back to work that it dawned on me that it might be your group - I'm not so good at navigating round town, so I was busy trying to think of a way back to work without being late ( and getting parked ).

So thank you for the directions and advice, and if it was you, a huge thank you for leading me too them and for letting me see them.

Thank you

Mal Skelton

Originally Posted by BirdFlower (Post 1332343)

Guilty as charged! That was me & that must have been you! I thought you were just a casual passer-by, as you had no bins! If only you'd said you could have taken a calendar with you! You were lucky 'cos shortly after you left they flew off & then a Sparrowhawk appeared & we didn't see them again.

They were lifers for most of the groups, and looked brilliant in the sunshine. I've added half of Maurice's excellent pics to the blog. What I'd never noticed before was that when they were at the top of the tree in the school field they were flying up & catching insects. I know they do this back in Finland, but it's never previously been warm enough for insects when I've seen them here in the UK.

Good to have sort-of met you!
Cheers

Originally Posted by Marcus Conway - ebirder (Post 1332489)

I got 'Stopped and Searched' today by the The Filth at North Gare, Cleveland. Does this make some sort of Chav Birder? One for the strange things that happen whilst birding thread.

Originally Posted by Chris-Leeds (Post 1332500)

Only if you were wearing a blue trackie.;)

Last time I'd been part of a stop and search the cops had me for a well known local criminal. Both my arms were in plaster and they accused me of hiding distinctive tatoos..... and I have blue eyes, obviously guilty then.|<|:h?:

Originally Posted by Marcus Conway - ebirder (Post 1332510)

I was accused of acting suspiciously with photographic equiptment near a nuclear facility... :eek!:

Originally Posted by loiner (Post 1332298)

Woodcock is supposed to be a delicacy - just google 'Woodcock recipe' for ideas!!
On a more serious note, as Recorder for the Leeds Birdwatcher's Club, I would be pleased to receive any records of Peregrine from Leeds City centre - the only known breeding site in the Leeds area presently is miles away, probably too far to account for these birds.

Originally Posted by malskelton (Post 1332367)

In that case, it was very good to have sort-of met you too ;)

I'm not sure how far I can reach on a lunch hour twitch, but Marfleet Lane is doable. I was wondering if North Cave and back was an option, but I'm thinking probably not ( and I haven't even figured out where Tophill is yet ).

I'm thinking of going down to Spurn on Sunday morning, with my newly found map I might have more success than my last visits.

Mal Skelton

Originally Posted by Pete Mella (Post 1332252)

Had a quick look up on my lunch break, no signs of any about 1pm unfortunately. Found the trees they must have been in though - ripe, red berries and I imagine a veritable waxwing magnet!

Originally Posted by Marcus Conway - ebirder (Post 1332510)

I was accused of acting suspiciously with photographic equiptment near a nuclear facility... :eek!: