Close encounters......... (1 Viewer)

[wolfbirder]

Wasn't sure whether to post this here or in another sub-thread, but following on from the diver thread, I hope this is ok here mods, if not please move. Its winter - a time for reflection -.

Which rarities left you speechless? Were you simply lucky and in the right place at the right time? Or was there some other reason?

I can recall several such encounters with rarities..............

* Great Snipe at Kilnsea walking under tripod legs. Sadly, its behaviour was perhaps only indicative of its poor health, as it was taken by a cat the next day.

* Eagle Owl at Dunsop Bridge, Lancs - yes those contentious birds! I was talking to the warden, when the female who was perched in heather 50 metres away flew directly over my head around 3 feet above. It had previously attacked a walker who got too close so perhaps I was lucky.

* The Black-browed Albatross at Bempton became easy to see with repeat effort, but my first contact was breathtaking. Having scanned it a mile out at sea, it was then reported to have flown towards the RSPB centre. It suddenly appeared overhead, then swooped down and hung in the wind for several seconds, around ten metres off the cliff-face. Stunning views.

* Common Nighthawk - Ballymena, Northern Ireland - only 6 present but it was found perched on the ground by a fallen trunk. People were lying down photographing it from 2 metres away! The Wantage bird was also easy.

* Steppe Grey Shrike - Grainesthorpe Haven, Lincs - perched on tripods of birders. Tamer than Desert Wheatears!

* Capercaillie - near Grantown-on-Spey - jammed into a local taking a photo at the roadside pointing his big lens up into a tree. I pulled over and it was a young rogue male bird that flew down and strutted around about 20 yards away.

* Ptarmigan - 4 birds stumbled upon as we walked up Cairngorm over 20 years ago - they didn't flush, simply walked around us ten metres away.

Just for starters................

 

[Farnboro John]

Since some of these are going to be non-rarities I think Birds and Birding is the place for this.

However, to start with a rarity.... arriving at the park in Sunderland about 0400, dark, hundreds of birders all standing around without their bins up - oh God it's not here. Oh yes it was, no bins required as the Baillon's Crake was walking over people's feet!

And another: arrived at the fort at Berry Head to see birders posted all round the battlements. Oh Lord, its gone. Joined them where there was a gap, facing out to sea rather than facing the quarry (place for digging out stone, not our intended bird) and waited until all the local Herring Gulls exploded upwards screaming angrily and the whitest of mighty Gyrfalcons cruised casually round the fort in front of us to swoop into the quarry and land on its favourite rock where it sat for the rest of the daylight while we just worshipped. Still the best individual bird I've ever seen anywhere.

John

 

[wolfbirder]

Since some of these are going to be non-rarities I think Birds and Birding is the place for this.

However, to start with a rarity.... arriving at the park in Sunderland about 0400, dark, hundreds of birders all standing around without their bins up - oh God it's not here. Oh yes it was, no bins required as the Baillon's Crake was walking over people's feet!

And another: arrived at the fort at Berry Head to see birders posted all round the battlements. Oh Lord, its gone. Joined them where there was a gap, facing out to sea rather than facing the quarry (place for digging out stone, not our intended bird) and waited until all the local Herring Gulls exploded upwards screaming angrily and the whitest of mighty Gyrfalcons cruised casually round the fort in front of us to swoop into the quarry and land on its favourite rock where it sat for the rest of the daylight while we just worshipped. Still the best individual bird I've ever seen anywhere.

John

Jealous on both counts John.

Its been some time since we had a twitchable Gyr!

 

[Farnboro John]

Jealous on both counts John.

Its been some time since we had a twitchable Gyr!

It has, and I'm still cursing not going for the Western Isles one on a swan carcass for a week - tremendous pics by those who did!

John

 

[01101001]

I had a close enounter with a Feral Pigeon and, later, with a Barn Swallow--both left a lasting mark. Right place, right time.

 

[jurek]

Where hunting is forbidden, that is completely forbidden, birds tend to become so tame. Some national parks in India, Thailand, the USA and Australia are like that. A brushturkey in an Australian campsite will walk into your tent in your presence and start tearing shopping bags looking for food - and a warden will tell you that you are forbidden to do anything about it. The Netherlands is a country of tame birds. It is a difference compared to most European countries where there is hunting even in protected areas and wildlife flees in terror from humans.

 

[Prestdj]

As i like gulls I headed to titchwell to see the summer plumage laughing gull after a long drive I arrived and set off. Got to the first hide and asked if was showing the guy I asked said yes it’s just behind the franklins gull!! How many saw both I don’t know but to twitch a laughing gull and end up seeing both franklins gull and laughing gull together in the uk is amazing still get goosebumps

A few years later I’d been working in Manchester got home around 1pm had a shower, checked my phone bobolink spurn went and gave great views on the long bank

 

[01101001]

Where hunting is forbidden, that is completely forbidden, birds tend to become so tame. Some national parks in India, Thailand, the USA and Australia are like that. A brushturkey in an Australian campsite will walk into your tent in your presence and start tearing shopping bags looking for food - and a warden will tell you that you are forbidden to do anything about it. The Netherlands is a country of tame birds. It is a difference compared to most European countries where there is hunting even in protected areas and wildlife flees in terror from humans.

definitely not tame here

 

[Andy Adcock]

It has, and I'm still cursing not going for the Western Isles one on a swan carcass for a week - tremendous pics by those who did!

John

What year John, the one I saw wasn't on a Swan carcass, RSPB Balranald IIRC?

 

[Farnboro John]

What year John, the one I saw wasn't on a Swan carcass, RSPB Balranald IIRC?

It may not have been when you were there but I gathered at the time that's what kept it in the same place for days. I can't remember the year now. If I had gone I'd have it written down!

Cheers

John

 

[David Ferguson]

We were on a campervanning trip to SE Australia which included a few nights in Little Desert National Park, Victoria. After arriving at the deserted campsite I went for a short walk while my wife relaxed at the picnic table with a cup of tea. When I returned I saw her transfixed watching a Malleefowl walking around her feet. The bird took no notice as I joined her at the table where we watched the bird quietly going about its business. The plumage is only cream and shades of brown but seen from a range of a few feet it was beautiful. It was one of those magic moments.

Nearer to home, I am surprised nobody has mentioned the Southwold Ivory Gull, another stunning bird. It came so close you could have patted it on the head.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I’ll concur with the Ivory Gull!

 

[Euan Buchan]

This was from a few years ago it would have to have been the snowy owl in North Uist. I still remember that day it was headline news in The Hebrides and twitchers were flocking to see it . I was out for a walk and noticed a white blob on a fence pole I thought it was plastic bag but turned out it was snowy owl. I feel bad for the twitchers because on my way back tide was coming in so I had to wade through my bare feet which caused the bird to fly off that prob annoyed the twitchers but lucky for them it landed closer to them

 

[foresttwitcher]

Two close encounters that spring to mind:

• a number of years ago I pulled up to an overlook somewhere high in the Spanish Pyrenees west of Andorra and as I got out of the car a Lammergeier flew overhead, coming from behind me, so low I could hear the wind whistling through its feathers;
• equally long ago I was walking up Goat Fell on Arran, whilst some friends were climbing a more challenging route, and I crested the summit ridge to see a Golden Eagle sitting on a rock at eye level just a few metres in front of me.

 

[Prestdj]

a leaches petrel flew between my tripod legs at new brighton that was special

 

[earthdragon64]

I was in the kitchen washing up when a male Sparrowhawk flew into the garden and disturbed all the small birds. One unlucky one bounced off the kitchen window making me flinch. The Sparrowhawk grabbed it out of mid-air and landed on the outside window ledge. For a brief second or two, he looked at me and I looked at him, we were probably only a couple of feet apart. Then he took off and flew out of the garden still carrying the bird, which I think was a Chaffinch.

 

[JTweedie]

Not rare per se, but not common either, but I was astounded at having two Golden Eagles fly about 10-20 metres directly above my head in northern Spain last year. I don't think I'd ever be lucky enough to get a close encounter like this here in Scotland.

And the thing is, with lots of Red Kites, Griffon Vultures and Ravens in the sky at the same time, for the Spanish observers this wouldn't have been a remarkable sighting. But I just think back and think wow, they were REALLY that close - Golden Eagles!

 

[Mick LeMere]

I've just had a White Tailed Eagle land in a tree I was next to, such a stunning bird so close to me is something I won't forget. And to top it off another one flew low over the first one. Not bad for Suffolk which isn't known for having Eagles, let alone two.

 

[Warixenjalka]

At June 2022 I started my day early (as usually in my job). It was my second target of the morning that I was going to. I stepped out of the forest to logging square 05:06 AM and noticed a large figure in the top of one of the broken trees - Golden Eagle! I had never before seen an GE sitting still, but always in the high, blue sky, and this one was sitting calmly with preening only about 50 meters away from me. I had a sun behind my back so it didn't noticed me before some time - maybe ten minutes later - I coughed. Then this magnificent subadult bird flew away. Photos are taken for my cell phone.

 

[Farnboro John]

I've just had a White Tailed Eagle land in a tree I was next to, such a stunning bird so close to me is something I won't forget. And to top it off another one flew low over the first one. Not bad for Suffolk which isn't known for having Eagles, let alone two.

Yes, that's the clue. Buzzards, not eagles. Sorry but definitely no dice with this one.

John