Time for a 'favourite bird' thread

I have started a thread like this in the past, but it has been a very long time. And besides, on this chilly January day, I am feeling wistful for the days when I would sit in a friend’s cabin in the Canadian woods and we would watch the birds on the branches of the pine trees outside.

I absolutely loved the evening grosbeaks and their beautiful yellow plumage, as well as their red cousins, the pine grosbeaks.

Evening grosbeak:

Pine grosbeak:

What are yours?

Oyster Catcher and Lapwing

Both just remind me of holidays – from being a toddler, right up to now.

I get a real lift hearing my first lapwing every year. It’s a sure sign that spring is here and summer is to follow.

Nice, scotroutes, even if you did make me have to look them up! 😉

Lapwing:

Oyster Catcher:

EDIT: Oops. I saw your video too late.

Bald Eagles. I’ve had the great good fortune to have been in North America a fair bit in 2016, and have just been gobsmacked by them. Soaring over the Squamish River in BC, and mooching along the Mississippi Barrier Islands in the sunshine. Just incredible.:-)

Favourite ? Hmmm, tricky because there are too many. I’m not a fan of birds of prey, in more your local environment bird lover.. so Lapwings feature highly, Bitterns too, plenty of Waders, but I have encouraged these fellas into my garden over the last 4 years, before that I’d only see Blackbirds and Pidgeons, now I have Robins, Wrens, Collared Doves, Blue Tits and… Goldfinches.

Lapwings or Peewits as I know them are great to watch, the fly like they do it for fun.

Oystercatchers are hard b’stards though. I’ve watched them fend off dogs, foxes and humans. Although friends of mine used to have a farmhouse which was patrolled by a menacing Pheasant called “Alan” it was right nutter and would try and stop people getting their cars.

Curlew’s are another favourite of mine..

Love these little chaps.

Boobies… because… Boobies

Owls are my favourite but my favourite sound is the Curlew, especially in summer when I’m alone on the moors & theyr’e calling. Brilliant.

Used to be the Kestrel, but since we moved a couple of years ago it’s got to be this one. Loads of them round here, and pretty much a companion on every local walk or ride.

(not my photo)

Great Spotted Woodpecker

There’s one at the minute in a country park down the road from us. Unbelievably loud knocking – the Mrs didn’t believe me when I told her what it was but then a park ranger confirmed it and pointed out its nest.

That’s a nice pair of boobies too alexxx.

I like dunnocks. They are quite introverted and reclusive but have a lovely grey/blue chest plumage.

Boobies… because… Boobies

I was going to respond to that, then I made the mistake of performing a google image search for Tetrao tetrix by its common name…

Heron

I don’t like the gannet. They wet their nests.

All of them!

I do love a owl though (and you have to pronounce it “a owl”).

The kingfisher, even though they seem to be quite common these days.

Bregante, have you been in the cafe[/url] at Tockholes? The one-way window is brilliant for viewing birds close-up, and woodpeckers often visit the feeding station.

Owl here too.

Baby!

Love watching these guys circle in groups above the local mountains:

(Black vulture)

Goldies for me. I love their song. In fact I have a preference for song birds.

Who doesn’t love a.

Apparently the lads tell me the wife had one of these when are was younger but her parents didn’t seem to know.

I love to see Merlin’s – a few round here, zipping along at speed.
An Osprey is also something special.
In the garden it has to be our resident Wrens and Goldfinches.

Too many to choose from, but at the moment probably this:

Drac, your coat…..

Sorry. She still has these.

LOL at Finbarr Saunders up there.

We have a robin in our garden that has been known to sit on my bike when it’s out in the back garden. Lovely little bird.

Love seeing these at work.

And often see these locally if i’m out at the right time of day/night

Long Tailed Tits. They used to gather in a bush outside my office window each morning, wait for the sparrows to arrive and rumble them.

Any other birds you don’t like, CFH?

We’ve recently had a song thrush or two hanging round our garden. Lovely to hear them sing. And a wren. And a bullfinch.

We’ve been doing a fair bit of work in the garden, and robins have been a great moral support. I’m sure they’re entirely in it for themselves, but it’s good to have them around.

So robins for me. Might even be just the one robin. I’ve never seen more than one at a time. He followed us up round Hurt Hill and the Punchbowl this evening too, saw him a few times. 🙂

I just love having a couple of tits on my nuts.

Is that baby owl for real?
That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

House sparrows, Kestrels and now:

For me its all about the sound rather than the looks and I’m lucky to have the following around the house at various times of the year:
1. Owls – very difficult to see.
2. Woodpeckers – quite difficult to see, and heard one today as I was composting the Christmas tree.
3. Canada geese – can’t miss the blighters

One of these likes the thread, the other’s getting bored…

The Philippine Eagle, hands down. It is considered the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface.

I’ve been honoured enough to see one in the wild over Quezon National Park.

Always like a nice pair

More seriously, best one I’ve taken a shot of

Curious Goldfinch

The Crow

To hatch a crow, a black rainbow…
bent in emptiness over emptiness… but flying.

Tom_W, that is one mean looking creature!

& Kenny, that’s a cracking shot.

An ex boss of mine (one of the few I’ve ever had time for) takes some outstanding wildlife photo’s. He’s on FB but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post a link?