NWR Any twitchers here?!

[Richard Zambuni]

I remember my Grandad taking me to Mid-Wales back in the early seventies to see Red Kites. At that time they were virtually extinct and to see one was very special.

A couple of years ago I travelled down to Christchurch regularly over a period of six months to work during the week, and on every journey I’d seen loads of them. A real success story.

They're common as muck in south Oxfordshire now (where my parents live) - as you say, what a wonderful success story and it also goes to show how culpable the shooting community was in poisoning and killing them wholesale. There is a nest about 15 yards into the woods behind my parents' house which has been used for the last several years. What is amazing is to see these huge birds fly relatively low and at speed into a thick blanket of trees - very impressive. Sometimes they're just 8-10 feet above your head. That close they look huge.

 

[Graeme Harvie]

. Sometimes they're just 8-10 feet above your head. That close they look huge.

A bit too close for comfort!

Was reading that the red kite wing span can be c.180cm.

 

[Mark N Wright]

They're common as muck in south Oxfordshire now (where my parents live) - as you say, what a wonderful success story and it also goes to show how culpable the shooting community was in poisoning and killing them wholesale. There is a nest about 15 yards into the woods behind my parents' house which has been used for the last several years. What is amazing is to see these huge birds fly relatively low and at speed into a thick blanket of trees - very impressive. Sometimes they're just 8-10 feet above your head. That close they look huge.

Sadly the same cannot be said for the Hen Harrier which is verging on extinction largely due to shooting and poisoning. I hate to say it but I can’t see that situation having a similar outcome

 

[David Mansfield]

Sadly the same cannot be said for the Hen Harrier which is verging on extinction largely due to shooting and poisoning. I hate to say it but I can’t see that situation having a similar outcome

Hen Harriers are far from extinction. Persecuted in grouse shooting moors in England maybe. Travel to Scotland
Guaranteed sightings on a daily basis in the right environment.
Winter visitor to the South of England.

 

[Mark N Wright]

Hen Harriers are far from extinction. Persecuted in grouse shooting moors in England maybe. Travel to Scotland
Guaranteed sightings on a daily basis in the right environment.
Winter visitor to the South of England.

Interesting, living in the NW all we ever hear from regional news is that they are on the verge of being wiped out. Must be specifically referring to the local areas like Bowland.

Chris Packham estimates 61 pairs in England. Another report reckons 12 nests in the North of England. A trip to Scotland post COVID of course sounds like a good idea.

 

[Geordie Torr]

The peregrine falcons that nest on Winchester Cathedral fledged five chicks this year and we see them quite often. The other day, two of the chicks were above our dog-walking park, playfighting and just swooping about. They flew down quite low a few times - at eye height on one occasion - and one of them made a rather desultory attempt to catch a woodpigeon. Magic.

 

[Paul Anderson]

Hen Harriers are far from extinction. Persecuted in grouse shooting moors in England maybe. Travel to Scotland
Guaranteed sightings on a daily basis in the right environment.
Winter visitor to the South of England.

I'm surprised daily sightings are guaranteed, David, given there are only about 600 breeding pairs in the UK. Its a long time since I've seen one. Where is the 'right environment' to see them and I may get my camera out?

 

[Alex Lake]

I wonder how many long lenses are only bought to take photos of birds?

 

[Richard Zambuni]

I'm no bird expert, but I have noticed that buzzards have extended their range very markedly over 40 years, particularly into southern England. When I was a kid, the only place that I could guarantee to see them was on the edge of Dartmoor. I even saw one flying near Windsor the other day while driving on the M4. I've seen red kites at Maidenhead, but no closer to London than that. Surely it's only a matter of time until they make it to the leafier western suburbs of the city.

 

[Mark Carrington]

I wonder how many long lenses are only bought to take photos of birds?

I live 1/2 mile from a RSPB reserve where I take Rocket for his daily walk. At weekends there will be 1/2 dozen+ individuals waving their long lenses about.

 

[Paul Anderson]

I wonder how many long lenses are only bought to take photos of birds?

Sports photos as well.......................

 

[David Mansfield]

Interesting, living in the NW all we ever hear from regional news is that they are on the verge of being wiped out. Must be specifically referring to the local areas like Bowland.

Chris Packham estimates 61 pairs in England. Another report reckons 12 nests in the North of England. A trip to Scotland post COVID of course sounds like a good idea.

Paul , you are quite correct. Northumbrian water(Northwest water) I believe own large tracts of moorland around Bowland , and are doing their best And it is the last proper breeding ground for English pairs.

I’m not really a fan of Alarmism, (or Chris Packham) , but estimating 61 pairs (ie a specific integer rather than 60-70) is quite ridiculous. Much like many Bank of England forecasts to two digital places, for gdp, inflation whatever only to be revisited.

True I have been in locations where they are common and failed to see a single bird in 5 days (but I pursued) , but that is the beautifully unpredictable charm of Nature. Yet I have had on separate occasions a WT Sea Eagle Golden Eagle and Merlin in my field of view at the same time, and on another 4 Golden Eagles and 2 WT Sea Eagles. Time of year is Key.

if you do want specific details of best sites please chat me , but am obviously loath to disclose sensitive information here.

 

[Colin Bradley]

A lot of the grouse moor in Bowland is owned by the Duke of Westminster.

IMO Packham is an idiot, and a dangerous one at that.

 

[David McDowall]

Grouse moors remain a good place to spot hen harriers - saw one last summer between Banchory and Cockbridge - also a marsh harrier just outside Tomintoul on the same journey.
Watching my daughter's riding lesson at the weekend there was an osprey patrolling the Eden Estuary at Guardbridge for the best part of half an hour.
We're heading off to Morvern at the weekend for a fortnight's holiday. I'll be disappointed if we don't see Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles, otters and a myriad of other wildlife. Last year we had a pair of spotted flycatchers outside the kitchen window! Didn't keep the midges away though!

 

[ian clarke]

Morning all,
great posts here.
I have a GS woodpecker nest and a nutache nest all done and dusted,fledged,gone.Was a busy start to the summer with a few juvenile tantrums here and there.
From the photograph and description of behaviour I am not sure this is a buzzard ?
Buzzards are lazy feeders and scavengers as mentioned above.They would struggle to chase garden birds at any age.
The head on the photo immediately suggested hawk. A Buzzards head is quite distinctive more eagle and elongated towards the beak,hence the rounded head and short beak in the photo suggesting to me hawk.Much larger than a kestrel though But similar posture from the photograph.
The colour described is Mottled brown if I’m not mistaken? This is very likely to be a fledgling of some sorts.The reason i say is the legs are lean and bald at this early stage.
The birds behaviour described above suggests to me sparrow hawk,fiercely fast,agile and an unmatched hunter.Not afraid of a few choice words with a few old crows.

 

[Mark N Wright]

Watching my daughter's riding lesson at the weekend there was an osprey patrolling the Eden Estuary at Guardbridge for the best part of half an hour.!

How good. I have never seen an Osprey despite being in the Loch Garten area (after they had flown back to Africa) once and in Gran Canaria at a nature reserve where they normally live (in summer when they had flow to Scotland ) and driving round Bassenthwaite not being able to visit the English nest site.

One day maybe.

 

[Dan Baillie]

Ospreys/sea eagles are quite common in the US. Saw several when out fishing in florida. Have also seen numerous bald eagles whilst out duckhunting in arkansas and tennessee.

 

[Richard Zambuni]

We had ospreys nesting in our garden in Connecticut one year, which was spectacular. We're about 300 meters from the Connecticut river (and just two miles from the sea) where they can easily be seen fishing. It is just wonderful to see them pluck the fish out. We also have resident red-tailed hawks who spend their days chipmunk and rabbit hunting on our lawns and rough grass areas. No wonder the chipmunks are of a nervous disposition. In the winter we also get bald headed eagles fishing on the river, but they nest further north.

 

[Mark N Wright]

We had ospreys nesting in our garden in Connecticut one year, which was spectacular. We're about 300 meters from the Connecticut river (and just two miles from the sea) where they can easily be seen fishing. It is just wonderful to see them pluck the fish out. We also have resident red-tailed hawks who spend their days chipmunk and rabbit hunting on our lawns and rough grass areas. No wonder the chipmunks are of a nervous disposition. In the winter we also get bald headed eagles fishing on the river, but they nest further north.

Well I have had house sparrows in our garden - so there

 

[Geordie Torr]

I used to see lots of sea eagles when I lived in Sydney and saw several ospreys when I lived in north Queensland. Up there is was mostly black kites, however, as well as quite a few brahminy kites. The highlight, though, was driving into the outback and seeing wedgetailed eagles - now there's an impressive raptor. Watching a big wedgie take off from a kangaroo carcass, those enormous wings beating hard against the air as it lifted that big body into the air, was a sight to behold.

 

[Richard Zambuni]

...I forgot to mention the vultures in Connecticut. I once came across four of them sitting side by side on a fence looking for all the world like a huddle of undertakers. And then there are the wild turkeys, sometimes to be seen working their way through the remnants of the vegetable garden in the autumn. They're much larger than you expect and not that frightened of humans.

 

[Chris Hambleton]

We are very lucky to have a few trees, hedges and shrubs around the border of the garden which gives the local birdlife plenty of habitat. The lesser spotted woodpecker was on the feeder earlier, having trained his chicks in the art of using it over the last few weeks, collared doves and wood pidgeons both nested, 2 pairs of blackbirds and various pairs of blue, great and coal tits and the ubiquitous robin. Various other visitors including occasionally the local sparrowhawk who is absolutely stunning and was last seen in hot pursuit of yankee doodle pigeon.

 

[Eric Burch]

...I forgot to mention the vultures in Connecticut. I once came across four of them sitting side by side on a fence looking for all the world like a huddle of undertakers. And then there are the wild turkeys, sometimes to be seen working their way through the remnants of the vegetable garden in the autumn. They're much larger than you expect and not that frightened of humans.

Have you ever eaten one, Richard? Their reputation was once excellent.

 

[Bill Marks]

We live beside woods and have a resident buzzard which spends much time being annoyed by crows etc often it fights back and no doubt the odd crow comes to a sticky end.

 

[Dan Baillie]

Most impressive bird I’ve seen was the spanish imperial eagle - 7ft wingspan!