The DA Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 3 hours ago, sugna said: Pair of bullfinches in the garden when I was in the kitchen making breakfast this morning. I moved round a bit to get a better view and saw something moving in the bay bush right outside the window. It was a very active Goldcrest. Delighted, set me up nicely for the day. I just had porridge. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 2 hours ago, The DA said: I just had porridge. Aye, not much eating in a goldcrest. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 23 minutes ago, The Mantis said: Aye, not much eating in a goldcrest. I always imagined they were where KFC got their popcorn chicken from. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 That was only the garnish. It was on a bed of larks' tongues. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 There's an old story somewhere but I forget where I read it. Somebody once said "They say Ptarmigants make a good appetiser. I have to say I ate six and didn't feel any hungrier". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 I've seen goldcrests flitting about but never managed to achieve an even remotely decent photo of them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackislekillie Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Never seen a goldcrest. Does their range extend to the north east of Scotland? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 2 hours ago, blackislekillie said: Never seen a goldcrest. Does their range extend to the north east of Scotland? They do live UK-wide but I've always found that they tend to stick to thick undergrowth and can be difficult to spot and don't stay still for long. This is the only photo I've managed to get of one which I spotted flitting in and out of some brambles while walking along the Forth and Clyde canal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 On 2/14/2017 at 10:30, jamamafegan said: Anyone seen anything exciting of late? I've been hoping for the Waxwings to return to Perth but I haven't seen/heard anything about them. Very sad. Is there any British species that anyone's really keen to tick off their list? I still haven't seen a Golden Eagle and a Capercaillie. Going to have to make a trip north at some point to see those ones. On 2/14/2017 at 18:28, Wile E Coyote said: One of the best ways to see Capercaillie is to attend a caper-watch at the RSPB reserve at Loch Garten. Only thing is they start at about 5 in the morning. Worth it if you can make it though and probably gives you the highest chance of seeing one Well folks..I finally did it. Take a look at this absolute beauty: Spoiler I almost went to Loch Garten but after receiving a tip off I headed to Glen Taner to see what I've been waiting to see for years. Glorious. Hopefully tick a golden eagle off next! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wile E Coyote Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 2 hours ago, jamamafegan said: Well folks..I finally did it. Take a look at this absolute beauty: Reveal hidden contents I almost went to Loch Garten but after receiving a tip off I headed to Glen Taner to see what I've been waiting to see for years. Glorious. Hopefully tick a golden eagle off next! Cracking photo. Glad you finally got to see one 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 10 hours ago, jamamafegan said: Well folks..I finally did it. Take a look at this absolute beauty: Hide contents I almost went to Loch Garten but after receiving a tip off I headed to Glen Taner to see what I've been waiting to see for years. Glorious. Hopefully tick a golden eagle off next! Just nick its eggs. That tends to do the trick. Great photo. Pin sharp and good action. For the eagle, if you're happy to drive down to the Trossachs, you've a 50/50 chance (well, mebbees) of catching sight of one around Bochastle/Glen Finglas/Brig o'Turk. Not the most typical landscape for them but I've seen a couple over the last few months and a number of them over the last few years. I've also seen one down towards Dunblane. A couple of weekends ago, we came round a blind bend on the road to Doune and scared a youngster away from a roadkill fox in a sprachle of browns and golds and white. Following it in the rear-view mirror, I could see it was straight back and lifting its dinner away before we'd gone 50 yards down the road. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I spotted a bird in the garden the other day that I hadn't seen before. The best way I can describe it is it looked similar to a blue tit or a coal tit but with an orangey/red chest. It definitely wasn't a Robin, as we've got millions of them and this one stood out. As an aside I was looking at the RSPB website to see if I could spot it and discovered this double entendre with wings: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/h/hawfinch/index.aspx 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Could it have been a Brambling? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 ... or a Robin Linnet? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 1 hour ago, sugna said: Could it have been a Brambling? 1 hour ago, sugna said: ... or a Robin Linnet? Of those two a Brambling looks closer, not 100% though. I've been keeping the binoculars handy just in case i spot it again. And that, officer, is why i was standing naked at the window with a set of binoculars. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I hesitate to ask as it sounds far too common, but how close does it look to a Smart Brambling (or Chaffinch, as the books call them)? Redpoll can also look a bit like that sometimes, but much scruffier. And there are of course tits that are similar in colour - Bearded Tits. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Here's a cheeky wee bullfinch I got last week: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, sugna said: I hesitate to ask as it sounds far too common, but how close does it look to a Smart Brambling (or Chaffinch, as the books call them)? Redpoll can also look a bit like that sometimes, but much scruffier. And there are of course tits that are similar in colour - Bearded Tits. I think it might have been a Bearded Tit! Cheers for that. It's not one that I'm familiar with. Certainly we get loads of Blue, Coal and Great Tits in the garden. Are the fairly common in the West of Scotland? Edit: since I'm sharing my birdy experiences from recently, I watched the woodpecker that lives in the woods in front of the house doing its thing the other week which was pretty cool as I can hear it in the mornings but rarely see it. And one of the owls that lives in there too swooped down over the car as i was coming up the drive tonight. Massive fucker when you see it with its wings out. Edited April 25, 2017 by KnightswoodBear 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I've never seen a bearded tit. They are very uncommon (probably shouldn't have mentioned it, but the description you gave was like a Shell field guide I have), so it might be a good idea to look at and see what else looks like a bearded tit... Not impossible, though. It's hard to be definitive about anything with birds and where they might crop up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alert Mongoose Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I spotted a bird in the garden the other day that I hadn't seen before. The best way I can describe it is it looked similar to a blue tit or a coal tit but with an orangey/red chest. It definitely wasn't a Robin, as we've got millions of them and this one stood out. As an aside I was looking at the RSPB website to see if I could spot it and discovered this double entendre with wings:https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/h/hawfinch/index.aspx Bullfinch? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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