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Recent content by MGJohn

  1. M

    Owl's this for a defence mechanism...

    How annoying.... copy and paste this into the address line :~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCgbYnNAbSM works for me ~ just tested it.
  2. M

    Owl's this for a defence mechanism...

    Be patient ~ it only lasts for two and a half minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCgbYnNAbSM .... aint Nature wunnerfull ~ apologies if this has already been highlighted on this site ... I was almost transfixed by this performance... Got a lot of 'bottle' that small owl... :clap:
  3. M

    Kites in the skies above M40 Motorway.

    Visiting the Amateur Entomologists' Society's Annual Exhibition at Kempton Park Racecourse on Saturday 17th October, on the return journey to Gloucestershire, I diverted via the M40 Motorway rather than the more direct route using the M4. The reason being to see if we could spot any Red Kites...
  4. M

    Hobby Thread 2009

    Hobbies appear to have had a good season this summer all over the UK with reports of successful breeding. Sightings in and around my neck of the woods ( Gloucester ) have been frequent. Reports on my local birder site of sightings and successful breeding even tonight :~...
  5. M

    Harrier roosts - a puzzle

    Can be a strange sight to see so many birds huddled together. About thirty years ago, a few small London Plane Trees had been planted right in the centre of Gloucester city. Not very tall then say 15 feet tops ~ ( they are now ) during mid-winter when trees had lost their leaves, walking...
  6. M

    Is it a Hawfinch winter near you?

    I have never knowingly seen a Hawfinch in all my 66 years. They are frequently seen in Gloucestershire as a perusal of The Gloster Birder website here will show: http://www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Check the Sightings 2009 Jan-June where the latest updates for Jan 7th and 8th have pictures...
  7. M

    whats your fav bird

    The BLACKBIRD is my all time favourite Same here dafi ~ so many 'favourites'. One bird I will never tire of seeing and hearing, and praise be it's such a common and widespread bird in the UK ... is the BLACKBIRD. If I live to be one hundred I will always appreciate this most magnificent song...
  8. M

    Robin and Dunnock

    Could simply be that 'your' Robin is in fact more than one bird. One in my garden was often very approachable and rarely paid any other bird visitors much attention. Then one day there were two Robins in my garden and much aggression and chasing about took place..... Then there was only one...
  9. M

    As 2008 comes towards its end what were your birding highlights?

    What for me in 2008.....?..... Hmmm. How about finding out via the Internet just what a fabulous variety of both rare and common birds can be seen just about every day in my favourite English County: Gloucestershire. There are many eyes out there and the internet enables others quickly to be...
  10. M

    Sparrow Hawk at Garden

    That is one of the finest pictures of the Sparrow Hawk I've ever seen. Considering it was taken through a double glazed window makes it even more remarkable. Agreed ~ excellent pictures ~ well done to all and further confirmation that this little hawk is now a regular garden bird.
  11. M

    Skylarks

    Ther opening line of that summary exactly coincides with my observations where I live: I moved into my new house in the spring of 1972 when only a few dozen new houses were being built in the area. The surrounding open fields ~ although less than 2 miles from the centre of Gloucester City ~...
  12. M

    Sparrow Hawk at Garden

    I now regard the Sparrow Hawk as a suburban and city garden bird. Fifty plus years ago when as a small boy, the Sparrow Hawk was a rarely sighted bird of the larger more remote woodlands and except in very rural areas, garden visits were unheard of. Like most wildlife, Sparrow Hawks are...
  13. M

    Why do swifts leave so early?

    Possibly the earlier late summer rapid decine in insect density at the higher elevations usually frequented by Swifts who are far more specialised aerial feeders than the three hirundine species. The House Martins which have successfully nested under the eaves of my house every year since it was...
  14. M

    Hobby Observations & Nesting Dates

    I'm enjoying your observations halftwo ~ how far away from the birds and their pylon perches are you when making these notes? I assume quite a distance and using binoculars. However, in my limited experience of these birds, they are less inclined to take flight than all other Brit Birds of Prey...
  15. M

    Lancs Eagle Owls

    Lack of evidence is not proof positive.... Vagrant or previous Native species can occur without trace .... Funny old game .... I am old enough to remember media reports that there is no scientific evidence that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer. There are numerous examples where 'lack of...
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