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Post by stevewmh on Oct 24, 2023 18:00:53 GMT
This summer a pair of kestrels set up home in some woodland nearby   |
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Post by MJB on Oct 25, 2023 8:54:00 GMT
Witnessed this kill this morning at work, about 8ft from where we were stood. Not 100% on the ID. Very small Sparrow hawk or large female Merlin. I'm leaning towards the former.  IMG-20231025-WA0000~2 by Martin Bone, on Flickr Attachments:
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Post by peterob on Oct 25, 2023 9:08:17 GMT
Witnessed this kill this morning at work, about 8ft from where we were stood. Not 100% on the ID. Very small Sparrow hawk or large female Merlin. I'm leaning towards the former. View AttachmentLooking at my book the Sparrow-hawk seems the more likely, based on length of tail beyond wing tips. |
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Post by andy on Oct 25, 2023 11:11:48 GMT
Witnessed this kill this morning at work, about 8ft from where we were stood. Not 100% on the ID. Very small Sparrow hawk or large female Merlin. I'm leaning towards the former. View AttachmentI sent the pic to my dad... "I'm going to say female sparrowhawk. It does look pretty big if that's a pigeon it's caught but the alternative is goshawk and that's pretty rare especially in an urban environment. I would also expect face and underside to be paler. So for me , a female sparrowhawk. " |
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Post by MJB on Oct 25, 2023 11:40:32 GMT
My initial thought was Sparrow hawk, but was thrown by the size. It is incredibly small for our local birds, especially the females. We do have Merlin on the farm, and to be honest I've never seen one close enough to get an idea of actual size. We do occasionally get Goshawk, but we usually only see them during the breeding season. Too small and too slender to be one of them.
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Post by peterob on Oct 26, 2023 16:50:41 GMT
A bit of a stretch for the lens - the 55-200 mm is OK but not brilliant at the long end. Cormorant on the Dee  DSCF6129.jpg by Pete, on Flickr |
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Post by spinno on Oct 26, 2023 19:46:04 GMT
A bit of a stretch for the lens - the 55-200 mm is OK but not brilliant at the long end. Cormorant on the Dee DSCF6129.jpg by Pete, on Flickr Is that it's cue then? |
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Post by zou on Oct 28, 2023 18:26:31 GMT
Staying 'on topic', this one is from today. Another obliging sitter.  Any ideas on the ID of this diver? Could be a red throated but there has been a white billed seen along the coast so might be that?  |
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Post by peterob on Oct 28, 2023 20:28:56 GMT
Any ideas on the ID of this diver? Could be a red throated but there has been a white billed seen along the coast so might be that? View AttachmentLooks like a Red-throated in winter plumage, according to the description in my handbook which doesn't list a white-billed (only Black-throated, Great Northern or Red-throated) |
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Post by zou on Oct 28, 2023 20:36:58 GMT
Any ideas on the ID of this diver? Could be a red throated but there has been a white billed seen along the coast so might be that? View AttachmentLooks like a Red-throated in winter plumage, according to the description in my handbook which doesn't list a white-billed (only Black-throated, Great Northern or Red-throated) White billed is rare for the area. It's in our big book but not the pocket book. Numerous confirmed sightings a few km down the coast so there's definitely a chance. |
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Post by spinno on Oct 28, 2023 20:44:48 GMT
It would appear that new reference books with up to date information need to be made available
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Post by peterob on Oct 28, 2023 20:50:33 GMT
Looks like a Red-throated in winter plumage, according to the description in my handbook which doesn't list a white-billed (only Black-throated, Great Northern or Red-throated) White billed is rare for the area. It's in our big book but not the pocket book. Numerous confirmed sightings a few km down the coast so there's definitely a chance. BTO isn't much help "White-billed Diver identification is sometimes difficult" but I don't think it is from your picture. Size is important - the white-billed is a large bird and the red-throated smaller. www.birdguides.com/articles/species-profiles/focus-on-white-billed-diver/ |
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Post by MJB on Nov 1, 2023 21:34:11 GMT
Looks like our winter flock of Little Egrets is arriving. Five flew in together today.
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Post by spinno on Nov 1, 2023 22:59:19 GMT
Looks like our winter flock of Little Egrets is arriving. Five flew in together today. I never knew Enid Blyton was a twitcher... |
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Post by willien on Nov 10, 2023 16:05:21 GMT
Slavonian Grebe. St. Margaret's Loch, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh
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