2 hours stomping around the patch and finding bugger all. Got home and a Winchat pops up in the garden 
First early passage migrant of the “autumn” hopefully a sign of things to come.
9 Likes
Nice story - though the sub-ed doing headlines needs to learn what a glider is
2 Likes
Lol!
I (and my two companions) nearly got arrested for approaching the nesting colony in Morocco in 2006 
1 Like
Lesser Whitethroat in the garden this morning. Also had a Hobby at Tresta and a couple of Willow Warblers in Feal plantation this afternoon.
7 Likes
Friends visited Blacktoft Sands on Tuesday and saw curlew sandpiper, spotted redshank, greenshank and yellow wagtail among others.
I might be able to call in there after collecting car from Scunthorpe on Sunday
1 Like
That parakeet doesn’t look too happy
Saw a Barn Owl hunting on the back fields earlier this evening, managed to get an atrocious phone pic of it:
I’ve never seen one before, despite walking Ruby there thousands of times. I watched it for ages as it methodically hunted the field, mesmerising.
7 Likes
Despite trying to disguise itself, the Peregrine wasn’t fooled.
2 Likes
There’s something very weird about that pic.
Both birds are outlined, easy to see if you zoom in. Like it’s been lifted from a different background
You’re right. A lot of cameras (not just 'phones) have automatic A.I. image enhancement unless you wade thru menus to turn it all off - wonder if it’s something like that?
Another from the same post
Witnessed at Walthamstow Wetlands yesterday: the astonishing sight of a peregrine falcon carrying its kingfisher prey!
— London Wildlife Trust (@WildLondon) August 29, 2024
📷 by @maxlipang@E17Wetlands pic.twitter.com/68bo4Xi04u
I’ve seen the original and it still looks very strange. Don’t know what it is, Max Li Pang’s tweets have several pics of Kingfishers and they’re very good.
Do you get Hobbys that far north much then Paul?
Seen two in 8 years. One today and one on 1st June this year.
Like buses…
They’re scarce but not rare, only seen on passage they don’t breed in Shetland.
1 Like
So where are they on passage from and to?
Never seen one and assumed they were mainly in the south of the UK?
Would love to see one hunting.
Breed a lot further north than Shetland.
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia…
1 Like
Every day a school day😁.
Are there any good areas for sightings in the north east?
Not really. There was (possibly still is?) a couple of breeding pairs in Durham but even then, they’re an incredibly difficult bird to see in the county.
I know of only one breeding site that is (presumably) still active and it is on a private estate with little, or no access.
1 Like