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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Anyone else like Birds AND planes? (1 Viewer)

Thank you!! If you are interested in the aviation book then PM me as I can email you a rough copy (I believe you can get it on ebay from time to time).

One thing I did not mention is meeting Buzzards (and a Peregrine) at about 1500' - not something you want to hit, but impressive! The smallest bird I ever saw from a 'plane (other than the Swift I killed on final, or at least gave a headache to, was a Wheatear. I was a passenger approaching France and it went right by us at about 1000'-1500' ish - very obvious white rump and I guess the next time it landed was in blighty - sweet!
 
Thank you!! If you are interested in the aviation book then PM me as I can email you a rough copy (I believe you can get it on ebay from time to time).

One thing I did not mention is meeting Buzzards (and a Peregrine) at about 1500' - not something you want to hit, but impressive! The smallest bird I ever saw from a 'plane (other than the Swift I killed on final, or at least gave a headache to, was a Wheatear. I was a passenger approaching France and it went right by us at about 1000'-1500' ish - very obvious white rump and I guess the next time it landed was in blighty - sweet!

Last time I was up with my brother Dave (who has a PPL) we had a Hobby and a couple of Swallows (not in immediate succession!) whip past the PA-28 as we were coasting out near Thorney Island.

Below is a pic of a well-known South coast rarity location taken on the same trip.

John
 

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I used to like planes, back in the day when you got enough leg room. Now I just tolerate them so I can get to far away destinations so that I can look at the wildlife including birds.
 
Not quite in line with the existing train of thought, but I can tell you that when it gets slow on our hawkwatch I start trying to identify passenger jets by their livery. We're on one of the flight paths from Pennsylvania into New York so on some days there are quite a few.
 
Jeff you and I would get on well. I have a competition in my back garden birds versus airlines and do exactly the same, normally the birds win though.
 
With a little practice, the difference in sound of Rolls Royce, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and other jet engines can be heard, especially the Doppler shift as they pass by. Of course, radial engines will require the eye. But otherwise, one can stay glued to the hawks, and listen to the "other birds". (or, vice-versa) Either compliments the opposite well.
 
Shooting fast jets at airshows (mainly Biggin Hill) in the 60's with a manual everything slr and a long lens on colour film rated at 64 ISO really teaches you technique! Just one shot on every flyby - I couldn't do it now. Perhaps in your teens you have better reflexes and steadier hands.

Still use my monopod at 20-30 degrees to the body with a free running ball though for the occasional fast bird flyby or fast car - the Battle of Britain celebration flying at Goodwood 3 years ago was fantastic (I even forgave Lord March for his speech).

I spent many a happy night during the first Gulf War staring up through the gaps in the clouds at the interesting shapes with wide aperture glasses. Far more reliable sightings than the bats & owls I went out to see. You always had warning as the night before there were lots of communications planes & helicopters wizzing around. Saw absolutely nothing during the second - far more organised.
 
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I spent many a happy night during the first Gulf War staring up through the gaps in the clouds at the interesting shapes with wide aperture glasses. Far more reliable sightings than the bats & owls I went out to see. You always had warning as the night before there were lots of communications planes & helicopters wizzing around. Saw absolutely nothing during the second - far more organised.

I spent a few days and evenings at Fairford during Bosnia and the initial Afghanistan raids - all wet film unfortunately - it was an education to see the bombers loaded for bear instead of leaping off the runway with no weapons and just enough fuel for a display. Even a B1 in full burner would trundle along the runway on, on, on, till all the spotters were going "get her up!": and as for the B52s with monstrous underslung loads and eight engines belching 19th century industrial waste as the aircraft lumbered off, well...!

Meanwhile the local Buzzards floated on the thermals in the remains of the day.

John
 
I grew up near Biggin Hill and used to enjoy the aircraft coming over during the show every year. I eventually went myself in 2008 and I've been to Farnborough for the past two shows. I tend to prefer the fast modern jets because of the incredible advanced technology and skills that they display, plus the exhilarating noise, but some of the old classic planes are great too - especially the Vulcan and Spitfires. I now live under the flight path for Heathrow and enjoy watching the planes coming in, but it's not quite the same as being at a show.

I often try to do a bit of birding when I'm waiting for my flight too, if I've got my binoculars with me. Heathrow seems to be pretty good for hunting Kestrels.
 
I can tell you the strangest day I ever spent on our hawkwatch was immediately following the Twin Towers attack. All the commercial and private planes were grounded. It was really quiet. The only planes we saw were a couple of A10 Warthogs from the National Guard base at Willow Grove.
 
I can tell you the strangest day I ever spent on our hawkwatch was immediately following the Twin Towers attack. All the commercial and private planes were grounded. It was really quiet. The only planes we saw were a couple of A10 Warthogs from the National Guard base at Willow Grove.

I saw enough of these during the first gulf war, in fact they were responsible for the death of several British soldiers just a short distance from my location, talk about poor recognition skills despite the antifratricide markings displayed by all British armoured vehicles.
 
Close enough to Whiteman to see B2's fairly often. Then there's an older, slower, wingless kind of flight. Controllers at regional ports deciding to have them drone on for an hour until traffic slows and they can bring them down, spoiled what was a good day for Upland Sandpiper.
 

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I went up the coast this morning to Howick (it's only 10 minutes or so) to get some photos of the Siberian stonechat in less-than-good light before the promised rain set in. A smoke trail over the sea to the south caught my eye and it turned out to be three of the Red Arrows - almost as rare as Sibe stonechats in these parts.

They were about a mile or so offshore, performing a loop, then as they came north they did another one, then another and another, flying north until they were out of sight, looping all the way and piercing the overcast at the tops of the loops.

I'm guessing that today being 21st October (Trafalgar Day) that they might have been doing it as some part of the celebration and that there being only three of them, maybe the team had split into three flights with the others off doing the same thing elsewhere.

Does anyone have a clue about it?
 

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I went up the coast this morning to Howick (it's only 10 minutes or so) to get some photos of the Siberian stonechat in less-than-good light before the promised rain set in. A smoke trail over the sea to the south caught my eye and it turned out to be three of the Red Arrows - almost as rare as Sibe stonechats in these parts.

They were about a mile or so offshore, performing a loop, then as they came north they did another one, then another and another, flying north until they were out of sight, looping all the way and piercing the overcast at the tops of the loops.

I'm guessing that today being 21st October (Trafalgar Day) that they might have been doing it as some part of the celebration and that there being only three of them, maybe the team had split into three flights with the others off doing the same thing elsewhere.

Does anyone have a clue about it?

The season is over really. With only three aircraft together its more likely that they were starting the training cycle again. The winter training starts simple with twos and threes, then they work up to larger formations and the crossovers etc before moving to Cyprus for the final pre-season work up with guaranteed sunshine. Probably you saw two of last season's team practising with one of the new guys, and perhaps fitting in some continuation training with a whiz through the low flying system before home for tea and crumpets.

John
 
Vulcan Bomber

Only just cottoned onto this thread.

I get to see this old lady virtually everyday while I am on patch nr Woodford.
 

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The season is over really. With only three aircraft together its more likely that they were starting the training cycle again. The winter training starts simple with twos and threes, then they work up to larger formations and the crossovers etc before moving to Cyprus for the final pre-season work up with guaranteed sunshine. Probably you saw two of last season's team practising with one of the new guys, and perhaps fitting in some continuation training with a whiz through the low flying system before home for tea and crumpets.

John

Maybe, but the North Northumberland coast is some way from home and as I said, we don't often see them around here. The only time we see them here usually is if the full team are on their way to or from a display in Scotland. When Leuchars display was on we used to get them over the house doing twizzels on their way to Fife.
 
Maybe, but the North Northumberland coast is some way from home and as I said, we don't often see them around here. The only time we see them here usually is if the full team are on their way to or from a display in Scotland. When Leuchars display was on we used to get them over the house doing twizzels on their way to Fife.

Perhaps not often, but I remember visiting my Dad at Westgate (up Weardale, not in Nairobi) and being startled by an-all scarlet jet zipping down the valley at 500 feet. Hence my suggestion.

John
 

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