The bird that made your day... (1 Viewer)

[LaKu]

Got the idea for this thread the other day, when conditions weren't that great and I was a little bummed, not sighting anything besides some tits, the odd thrush and a little kestrel in the distance. Now, I like these birds and take great joy watching them, but this day, even those were quite far away and I decided to head back home and have a hot cup of tea instead. On the way back, I passed a little forest with quite some young conifers and all of a sudden, I heard some high-pitched whispers... Only to be surrounded by a little flock of goldcrests the very next moment! I had watched those a lot of times before, even very closely for taking photos. But this moment was different, magical, as I found myself in the middle of the little group, some coming as close as what felt like arm's reach. I left the forest with a big, warm smile on my face and can truly say that these little birds absolutely made my day!

So I'd love to hear your stories, let's share some great moments!

 

[MiddleRiver]

Recently, on a trip to Cuba, it was realistically my last day to possibly get a photo of a little Cuban Tody. We'd been hearing them all week, and occasionally getting fleeting and partially obscured views, but my photographic attempts were totally frustrated. After having walked a dark trail that morning, and on our way back, we stopped to listen for what seemed like a nearby bird. I readied my camera just as a little Tody stepped into one of the light-beams, just long enough for me to fire off a string of shots. I was grinning all the way back to our camp...

 

[Bewick]

It was the last day of my trip to the Pyrenees and my family wanted to hike down a mountain… while I wanted to hike up it for more chances of a bearded vulture. Was a little fed up and though I was told that I could hike up the mountain myself, I had watched too many vids on mountain tragedies to even attempt to hike up solo.

On the way down, the birding was pretty great- had the local booted eagle from the house and had several groups of red-backed shrikes and a distant griffon vulture on the way down + my best views of a serin when I reached the end point. I was considerably slower than the rest of the group (as I was birding) and part of the group had already taken cable cart back up by the time I had reached the end.

When I arrived we had a short break and eventually got on a cable car and returned back to the ski village we were staying at. Though the birding was good I was definitely a little bummed about bearded vulture, especially since it was the last day of the trip. When we left the cable car, I asked if it was ok if I took the mountain path back to our lodge. I swayed off from the rest of the group and started walking in the direction of the mountain path that led back to the lodge, a last ditch attempt to see a bearded vulture.

And instantly, while I was still in the ski village and had not yet even gotten onto the path, I caught a glimpse of a large bird with a long tail soaring above. I knew what it was immediately and took some images of the bird. Ecstatic I called my dad and told him while watching the bird soar off into the distance. Definitely could not hide my happiness, got a group of tourists extremely confused looking at me as if I was mad.

 

[maplekong]

Manchester is cold and grey. Two weeks ago I was walking out of school, which is in the city centre. It was a rubbish day, and the weather reflected that.

I was having one of those existential crisis moments, where you have no idea what you're doing with your life. You feel empty and you want to go to sleep and never wake up again.

And, suddenly, in the middle of the honking cars and drizzle, droves of people and puddles reflecting the streetlights, a single blackbird, which I hadn't heard in about four months, started singing in a tree somewhere. It was pretty magical.

 

[LaKu]

Recently, on a trip to Cuba, it was realistically my last day to possibly get a photo of a little Cuban Tody. We'd been hearing them all week, and occasionally getting fleeting and partially obscured views, but my photographic attempts were totally frustrated. After having walked a dark trail that morning, and on our way back, we stopped to listen for what seemed like a nearby bird. I readied my camera just as a little Tody stepped into one of the light-beams, just long enough for me to fire off a string of shots. I was grinning all the way back to our camp...View attachment 1550784

Wow, what a beautiful bird! Last minute luck is the best!

 

[LaKu]

It was the last day of my trip to the Pyrenees and my family wanted to hike down a mountain… while I wanted to hike up it for more chances of a bearded vulture. Was a little fed up and though I was told that I could hike up the mountain myself, I had watched too many vids on mountain tragedies to even attempt to hike up solo.

On the way down, the birding was pretty great- had the local booted eagle from the house and had several groups of red-backed shrikes and a distant griffon vulture on the way down + my best views of a serin when I reached the end point. I was considerably slower than the rest of the group (as I was birding) and part of the group had already taken cable cart back up by the time I had reached the end.

When I arrived we had a short break and eventually got on a cable car and returned back to the ski village we were staying at. Though the birding was good I was definitely a little bummed about bearded vulture, especially since it was the last day of the trip. When we left the cable car, I asked if it was ok if I took the mountain path back to our lodge. I swayed off from the rest of the group and started walking in the direction of the mountain path that led back to the lodge, a last ditch attempt to see a bearded vulture.

And instantly, while I was still in the ski village and had not yet even gotten onto the path, I caught a glimpse of a large bird with a long tail soaring above. I knew what it was immediately and took some images of the bird. Ecstatic I called my dad and told him while watching the bird soar off into the distance. Definitely could not hide my happiness, got a group of tourists extremely confused looking at me as if I was mad.

Thehe, yeah, non-birders can be quite confused by us... XD
I had similar stories of reluctantly following a group away from a great birding spot... Only to randomly find great birds along the way where I wouldn't have expected them ^^ I guess if the universe decides you should see birds, you will see birds...

 

[LaKu]

Manchester is cold and grey. Two weeks ago I was walking out of school, which is in the city centre. It was a rubbish day, and the weather reflected that.

I was having one of those existential crisis moments, where you have no idea what you're doing with your life. You feel empty and you want to go to sleep and never wake up again.

And, suddenly, in the middle of the honking cars and drizzle, droves of people and puddles reflecting the streetlights, a single blackbird, which I hadn't heard in about four months, started singing in a tree somewhere. It was pretty magical.

That is truly heartwarming! Happy to hear the little blackbird made your bad day a little better and hope you're doing well now!

 

[Julie50]

This summer - after an enjoyable, but rather ordinary, trip to Brandon Marsh, WWT reserve. I was making the walk back to the carpark in the twilight and just thinking I had not seen a hobby all day when….. one swooped down caught an unfortunate little something (turned out to be dragonfly of course) and proceeded to devour it silhouetted against the setting sun. Fabulous!

 

[LaKu]

Lately, I had this nice thing where birds appear when I want to show them to friends ^^
It all started when one evening after work (I work as a rope park guide in the mountains as a side-job), when I sat in front of the cabin with my boss and good friend, enjoying a beer after the day's work and I told him about crossbills and how I thought there should be some in the region. I kid you not, maybe two minutes later, one lands on a tree nearby and we get to watch it (luckily, we had binos for use in the park laying around) for a good ten minutes!
Very similar stories happened with long-tailed tits for another non-birding friend (whom I had told about these birds on a walk and as if ordered, they appeared in a bush to be admired), kingfishers coming very close when I told yet another friend (who had never seen them before) that they might be in the area and after I had explained the different thrushes to my parents only to see almost all common ones very closely on a sunday walk.
But my favourite one is when I explained to my cousin (upon being asked what my favourite raptor was) how majestic I thought hen harriers were (which he didn't know as they aren't very common in Switzerland). We were on our way back from an event and I was driving, so I made a little detour and headed to a stretch of fields close to where we both live. "Maybe, I can show you!", I said (he looked a bit puzzeled because I had left the main road) and parked the car. We got out, walked a bit down the path between the fields.... and I could show him both male and female, hunting in the golden evening light!

So these birds made my day by making someone else's day

 

[tehri]

"Maybe, I can show you!", I said (he looked a bit puzzeled because I had left the main road) and parked the car.