Young Birder (14 Viewers)

[louisfh]

Where to begin with my school? It's probably much like other ordinary schools tbh. Some undesirables, some drugs, knife arches once a term! (although that's just the met police being... the met police)
To bring things back to birds I saw an absolutely cracking adult male red backed shrike yesterday in Richmond Park, a lifer for me and a really beautiful bird. So glad I took some time off revision to cycle down there!

And you'd be surprised Gropper, not much else to do in Cornwall

 

[Littleegret]

In my old (primary!!!! BTW this is a few years ago)school there was wildlife. We even had an environment club.

 

[Ash1456]

hehe, mostly my school is pretty good but a few people on weed, a few more drink, a few more smoke, and I'm pretty sure a lot of parents don't know what their kiddies are getting up to upstairs!

Oh and Ash is in Cornwall. Most of the drug dealers probably can't find their way there!

Same with my school! re:birds, I dont really look that much while im in school but i walk home through a wood so anything can be in there (although ive only heard most of it, Green/GS Woodpeckers, Chiff-chaff, Nuthatch, nesting buzzards and loads more of the normal woodland stuff.
From the school you can see St.Ives Island so on good seawatching days with a VERY powerful scope you could probably get stuff like, Corys, Great, Manx, Sootie (Little?!?!) Shearwater, Petrels, Skuas etc, beat that! :-O LOL

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

I had a cracking days birding in Durham yesterday (Monday 7th of June). I had cracking views of a Broad-billed Sandpiper as well as fantastic views of Grasshopper Warbler in the scope.

A seawatch produced a few Gannet, Common Tern, Little Tern, Razorbill, and Guillemot. Also whilst checking out the Little Tern colony the sharp eyed Little Tern warden spotted a Great Skua in close flying north and we had good views of that as it flew up the coast.

 

[gropperwinch]

Bump!!

 

[jamesevry]

Hi guys, nice thread... strange I've only discovered it now!

I recently visited an area on the somerset side of the blackdown hills to look for nightjars, and at around 9:30 I had my first views of a pair hawking in the distance... but the entire somerset population of insects decided to take a liking to my face... so I had to retreat, very satisfied with my first UK nightjars. On the way back to the carpark, I was surprised to hear a churring bird close by, so waited with a torch until the churring stopped, then wing-clapping began which came closer and closer in the darkness before the male bird appeared 2 metres away, and hovered in the torchlight for a while before it settled on a log just as close, and as if that wasn't anough, a female joined him and they both hawked, hovered and sat between 1 and 5m away for 10 minutes... probably the best 10min I've had birding in the UK!

Cheers,

 

[midlands birder]

Hi guys, nice thread... strange I've only discovered it now!

I recently visited an area on the somerset side of the blackdown hills to look for nightjars, and at around 9:30 I had my first views of a pair hawking in the distance... but the entire somerset population of insects decided to take a liking to my face... so I had to retreat, very satisfied with my first UK nightjars. On the way back to the carpark, I was surprised to hear a churring bird close by, so waited with a torch until the churring stopped, then wing-clapping began which came closer and closer in the darkness before the male bird appeared 2 metres away, and hovered in the torchlight for a while before it settled on a log just as close, and as if that wasn't anough, a female joined him and they both hawked, hovered and sat between 1 and 5m away for 10 minutes... probably the best 10min I've had birding in the UK!

Cheers,

omg, that sounds amazing:eek!:
MB

 

[MCspudd]

Hi guys, nice thread... strange I've only discovered it now!

I recently visited an area on the somerset side of the blackdown hills to look for nightjars, and at around 9:30 I had my first views of a pair hawking in the distance... but the entire somerset population of insects decided to take a liking to my face... so I had to retreat, very satisfied with my first UK nightjars. On the way back to the carpark, I was surprised to hear a churring bird close by, so waited with a torch until the churring stopped, then wing-clapping began which came closer and closer in the darkness before the male bird appeared 2 metres away, and hovered in the torchlight for a while before it settled on a log just as close, and as if that wasn't anough, a female joined him and they both hawked, hovered and sat between 1 and 5m away for 10 minutes... probably the best 10min I've had birding in the UK!

Cheers,

WOW!!

Ive just found out there's a blackbird nesting in my garden (the first nesting bird i know) i can't wait till the eggs hatch.

 

[louisfh]

I spent today relaxing (first day without any exams for a while) and strolling around the london wetlands centre. Had a ruddy duck (DEFRA, you missed a spot...) and enjoyed watching a hobby hawking low over the main lake. Nothing much happening although there were plenty of common bluetails, azure, blue and red eyed damselflies as well as broad bodied chasers and hairy hawkers about. Other than that a fairly quiet day for me.

 

[louisfh]

Hi guys, nice thread... strange I've only discovered it now!

I recently visited an area on the somerset side of the blackdown hills to look for nightjars, and at around 9:30 I had my first views of a pair hawking in the distance... but the entire somerset population of insects decided to take a liking to my face... so I had to retreat, very satisfied with my first UK nightjars. On the way back to the carpark, I was surprised to hear a churring bird close by, so waited with a torch until the churring stopped, then wing-clapping began which came closer and closer in the darkness before the male bird appeared 2 metres away, and hovered in the torchlight for a while before it settled on a log just as close, and as if that wasn't anough, a female joined him and they both hawked, hovered and sat between 1 and 5m away for 10 minutes... probably the best 10min I've had birding in the UK!

Cheers,

Nice to see another young birder on here, forgot to say hi in my post last night

Today I had a reed warbler singing in a front garden of a road near me. OK, it backs onto the thames but still! Was the same garden I've had Common Sandpiper in before so its not a bad garden list for somebody in an urban area!

Also watched the match. The less said about that the better.

 

[Joseph N]

Hi folks,

Just to say that I've posted a new entry on my blog. I'm absolutely way behind now, writing about my first day in Portland more than two months ago (I will catch up at some point!). The post includes pictures of a particular bird that I was fortunate to see in the hand, and accounts of visits to Radipole, Lodmoor and Langton Herring. If you'd like to read it then comments as per usual are much appreciated.

Cheers,

Joseph

 

[MCspudd]

Hi everyone ive just posted a new post on my blog so please look,


this is the blackbirds nest i was on about before,

 

[birding maniac]

Hi guys, nice thread... strange I've only discovered it now!

I recently visited an area on the somerset side of the blackdown hills to look for nightjars, and at around 9:30 I had my first views of a pair hawking in the distance... but the entire somerset population of insects decided to take a liking to my face... so I had to retreat, very satisfied with my first UK nightjars. On the way back to the carpark, I was surprised to hear a churring bird close by, so waited with a torch until the churring stopped, then wing-clapping began which came closer and closer in the darkness before the male bird appeared 2 metres away, and hovered in the torchlight for a while before it settled on a log just as close, and as if that wasn't anough, a female joined him and they both hawked, hovered and sat between 1 and 5m away for 10 minutes... probably the best 10min I've had birding in the UK!

Cheers,

Forgot to say -welcome tto the thread, sounds like an amazing night too!

 

[Jonny721]

Loads of young birds visiting my garden now 4 young Great Tits the past few days and lots of Starling and House Sparrow ledlings now. Also I've managed to find the Wrens nest for the 4th year running in my or my next dorr neighbours garden. The parents are doing regular feeding trips and I can hear the chicks so will keep an eye on them until they fledgeo.

 

[Littleegret]

welcome jamesevry got nothing else to say really
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[jamesevry]

Thanks for the welcome everyone. went out on my bike several times this week to some grassland with a reed-fringed pond very near my school (I'm a boarder). The best bits included all 3 species of hirundines and swift hawking insects above the water, 2 pairs of reed warblers and several pairs of reed buntings... which I suppose are nesting on site, my first common blues of the year (which were out in large numbers), and finally 2 or 3 emperor dragonflies zipping above the water. Finish GCSEs tommorow... finally!!!

 

[louisfh]

Thanks for the welcome everyone. went out on my bike several times this week to some grassland with a reed-fringed pond very near my school (I'm a boarder). The best bits included all 3 species of hirundines and swift hawking insects above the water, 2 pairs of reed warblers and several pairs of reed buntings... which I suppose are nesting on site, my first common blues of the year (which were out in large numbers), and finally 2 or 3 emperor dragonflies zipping above the water. Finish GCSEs tommorow... finally!!!

Damn you! My last exam is on the 28th Its about 5 days after every other exam so everybody's either going to do really well with all the time for revision or fail it with all the time for parties :-O

There was a great crested grebe on the river today and a lesser whitethroat two days ago in my local park, a very odd date for one as they don't breed here.

 

[birding maniac]

Walking the Dog had the usual on a lovely pre match walk
Yellowhammer, Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Spotted flycatcher and Bullfinch all notable.

 

[jamesevry]

Went for an 80km cycle yesterday from Taunton, along the top of the Quantock Hills to the coast and back again. The highlights of this trip (which wasn't specifically for birds) included:

-several cuckoos
-lots tree pipits performing their 'parachuting' display flights
-a pair of peregrines near a seemingly perfect nesting sight, will have to check this out again soon...
-1/2 spotted flycatchers
-5 redstarts including 3 great males
-several jays
-a flyover siskin and good numbers of stonechat, linnet, yellowhammer, meadow pipit and bullfinch
-lots of fledglings including stonechats, blue tit, song thrush and robin

Butterflies and dragonflies that I noticed: emperor dragonfly, golden ringed dragonfly, black-tailed skimmer, lots of small heaths, meadow browns, large whites, and many green hairstreaks.

Some pics of the oak woods where the redstarts were, and a worn green hairstreak:

Cheers,

 

[Jonny721]

Hey guys just uploaded the second part of my Dorset trip report on my blog. Take a look if you want to find out what I saw.

Went down to Preston Docks yesterday to see the growing Common Tern colony. 10 Adults present with 3 young visible and getting fed regularly. The adults were being very protective and were mobbing anyone with dogs that walked along the quay.