OverClockers Twitchers' Thread

There's one really grumpy goldfinch in the flock that visits. There are 4 stations on the seed feeder and this finch will not share. If even one other station is filled it chases the other one off! Even the other side of the feeder!
:D

This seems to have started today! Obviously top finch!
 
that's odd, i've found the small birds that come to my feeder - bluetits and coaltits mostly, the occastional chaffinch and goldfinch - just bop in and out and seem quite orderly and behaved - it's the pigeons that jealously guard stuff you put out and chase others away, even if the garden's covered w/ the stuff.
 
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After hearing them for a few weeks but not seeing them today I managed to spot 3 different woodpeckers. At least I think they were different ones as they were each on the opposite end of the woods

Not the best picture but there are two of them there

@Will Gill - just noticed your first post. Very jealous of your falconry license. My partner got me a birds of prey experience for my birthday the year before last where I got to fly a few owls but the star of the show was the Harris Hawk we flew (may be biased as it shares my last name!). He was really friendly and would just hop onto my head without any warning. Surprisingly despite my bald head, it didn't even hurt

But it was such a cool experience. If I lived in the countryside and had the space I'd love to take it up. I had a friend in school who's dad owned a Buzzard and watched him fly it once. What a hobby to have!
 
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Graetzbridge said:
Yes, I have a dog too. We walk along the Roman Ridge and there are birds there but dog usually stalks them - unsuccessfully..:)
But we have some big fat pigeons in our back garden.

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Wood Pigeons are really beautiful birds but my word, the amount of food they can stuff into their crop is remarkable. It's why I have caged feeders and only leave the odd bit out for the bigger birds.

They can neck something like 1000 grains of wheat in a go. No wonder Farmers shoot them. They can also bully smaller birds away, I'd seen one pecking at the sparrows to drive them off a while ago - again, that's why I got a caged ground feeder.

Feral Pigeons definitely do the "guarding" behaviour, even when they can't get at the food.
 
Junglist said:
hA427mn.jpg

After hearing them for a few weeks but not seeing them today I managed to spot 3 different woodpeckers. At least I think they were different ones as they were each on the opposite end of the woods

Not the best picture but there are two of them there

@Will Gill - just noticed your first post. Very jealous of your falconry license. My partner got me a birds of prey experience for my birthday the year before last where I got to fly a few owls but the star of the show was the Harris Hawk we flew (may be biased as it shares my last name!). He was really friendly and would just hop onto my head without any warning. Surprisingly despite my bald head, it didn't even hurt

But it was such a cool experience. If I lived in the countryside and had the space I'd love to take it up. I had a friend in school who's dad owned a Buzzard and watched him fly it once. What a hobby to have!
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Looks like a greater spotted
 
Junglist said:
quick google suggests you're correct. I didn't see any of these last year but saw plenty of the European green woodpecker. The ones today looked substantially smaller
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The greens are massive. Sometimes you see flocks of them in fields after worms
 
Junglist said:
@Will Gill - just noticed your first post. Very jealous of your falconry license. My partner got me a birds of prey experience for my birthday the year before last where I got to fly a few owls but the star of the show was the Harris Hawk we flew (may be biased as it shares my last name!). He was really friendly and would just hop onto my head without any warning. Surprisingly despite my bald head, it didn't even hurt

But it was such a cool experience. If I lived in the countryside and had the space I'd love to take it up. I had a friend in school who's dad owned a Buzzard and watched him fly it once. What a hobby to have!
Click to expand...

Yep Harris hawks are epic, I took my courses because where I live would be the perfect place to keep one (or more!), I know all the local farmers and they are more than happy for me to work their fields, we used to have an old lad in the village that took his to the pub, ever since I met him I've been aiming to be the same crazy old nutter :p

here's a piccie of me with Silver who I trained with

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Hawks are so amazing. Been on those raptor days myself. Such impressive birds.

Here's a really old pic of me with shadow, must be 10 years old. I do miss that bird. Even now.

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Ahh bless, reminds me of my old mate,

Back when I was a lad - yes a long time ago :p - I had a baby jay for about 3-4 years, fell out of the nest when it was a baby, broke its leg and the mum wouldn't take him back, he (Joey) lived in my room for two years and then outdoors in an aviary for the remainder. Sadly got killed by foxes, however ever since the garden always seemed to attract jays, which are quite rare for London.
 
Will Gill said:
Ahh bless, reminds me of my old mate,

Back when I was a lad - yes a long time ago :p - I had a baby jay for about 3-4 years, fell out of the nest when it was a baby, broke its leg and the mum wouldn't take him back, he (Joey) lived in my room for two years and then outdoors in an aviary for the remainder. Sadly got killed by foxes, however ever since the garden always seemed to attract jays, which are quite rare for London.
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That's amazing. Jay's are beautiful too. So different to the other corvids in colour.

Corvids are amazing. The intelligence is something else. Especially those calodonian crows
 
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I love doing these types of days, had so much fun and left with a bug really wanting to experience more.
 
I wouldn't describe myself as a "Twitcher" :) but I do spend a lot of time hunting wildlife with my camera all over the UK

A few shots from my travels (Sparrowhawk , Goldcrest & Red Kite from my garden)

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I don't think that last owl will be thrilled with that shot! Looks like how I felt on new years day!

Whenever we drive up to see my partners family in the Breacon Beacons we always see so many red kites just relaxing in the sky. They really look cool when they're doing their thing
 
Junglist said:
I love doing these types of days, had so much fun and left with a bug really wanting to experience more.
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I keep meaning to book a Falconry day, I've just not got around to it.

That's convinced me to book as soon as we can actually do stuff again! :D

LOL @ Hungover Owl!
 
Narj said:
I keep meaning to book a Falconry day, I've just not got around to it.

That's convinced me to book as soon as we can actually do stuff again! :D

LOL @ Hungover Owl!
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Honestly it was such good fun. Really makes you appreciate them when you see them up close. When mother nature wants to make a killing machine you can see birds of prey are at the apex of that.

Regarding Red Kites; I always thought they were carrion birds. But Google tells me they're birds of prey. I always thought they just ate whatever they found opposed to actual hunting. No doubt they're opportunistic hunters though
 
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