Birdspotting

[Zerkalo]

A couple of months ago I went on a National Trust bird watching walk, something I never really took an interest in so was surprised to enjoy. I can now tell the difference between the call of a Chiff Chaff and a Robin.

It got me paying more attention to birds that I see when I'm fishing. Recently I saw several Kingfishers on the Severn, as well as a few Herons and I'm forever spotting Buzzards.

What birds do you see when fishing?

 

[mickthestick]

More than anything I've noticed the decline in Birds , like House Sparrows , Starlings and Finches , years ago When I put feed out the Starlings and Sparrows would be there in seconds and now it's Magpies and Pigeons

 

[Zerkalo]

My dad mentioned that to me., that sparrows used to be absolutely everywhere. Now it's pigeons. Their call is almost unescapable everywhere I go. Although if I get a Robin next to me, usually they're quite friendly, I'll always chuck a few maggots or grains of corn. I have a bit of a fear of Swans, being such big birds, when they start pestering you for bait sometimes can be a pain however majestic.

 

[mickthestick]

Yep ,I never feed Swans till I'm going , they hang around otherwise

 

[62tucker]

More big birds than little nowadays.
Pigeons magpies crows.

 

[PAB]

Red kite and a Osprey this week to name couple here in Sunny Suffolk.

 

[BTMS]

Not to bad in our garden though we have a few magpies which are so persuade to f off. Sparrows in excess of 20, robins 5ish, blue tits loads.. blackbirds thrush, gold fimches and 1 green finch, woodpecker sometimes. Had last year a black cap and a tree sparrow. We have 6 feedeers normal and 4 niger feeders out and 2 bird baths. The robins are character's soon as I am digging there are there and not shy.

 

[ukzero1]

There's some nice looking birds down on our club waters at times, skirts up to their armpits and cute, curvy buttuc...hang on, THOSE birds..ooops.

 

[SpenBeck]

After the Lower Air Champs a couple of weeks ago, I was standing atop of the bank with the guy in the next peg waiting to be weighed in, when a bird flew across the river and landed on the grass about 5 yards away. It was only there for about 10 seconds, but I would swear it was a cuckoo. The only one I have ever seen.

 

[Chervil]

Got 20+ Sparrows in the Garden, Blackbirds (Easy Wisey) and a few Wagtails. Goldfinches have just turned up along with a Robin. The Starlings seem to have gone for this year. I had Magpies earlier in the year and have a couple of resident Wood Pigeons and a few Collared Doves. Locally a lot Red Kites.
I also get a lot of Bats in the garden in the evening. But have never worked out how to photograph them. (Yes I know they are mammals).
On holiday a couple of years ago and these ducklings adopted my wife. As soon as they heard her they used to squeeze under the gate, which the mother couldn't do, so had to be let in. They weren't the slightest bit bothered. The got a liking for ground bait and got to the stage were they turned their bills up at bread.


We have Squirrels around here, but have only ever seen one in the garden.

 

[banksy]

^^^ Huh, not a patch on our Supersquirrel!

 

[Nicky Dodds]

Pigeons....bane of my life!

 

[Chervil]

Pigeons....bane of my life!

We had two wood pigeons, who I named "Fat boy" and "Limpy". They were our loyalest customers, even if we had been away for a couple of weeks, they would be waiting by the empty feeders. I could put up with two, but they became 6 and just hoovered up the food I put out. So I was forever chasing them off. The two originals would just look at me, as though I was mad.

 

[ukzero1]

Yep ,I never feed Swans till I'm going , they hang around otherwise

They also feed themselves when not watched...

 

[Chervil]

I love the way they learn. These ones were no trouble when I was fishing, but every evening, when they saw I was packing up, they formed a line.



Then as soon as I cleared the peg.



I did put a couple of handfuls of pellets down, for their patience.

 

[Nicky Dodds]

We had two wood pigeons, who I named "Fat boy" and "Limpy". They were our loyalest customers, even if we had been away for a couple of weeks, they would be waiting by the empty feeders. I could put up with two, but they became 6 and just hoovered up the food I put out. So I was forever chasing them off. The two originals would just look at me, as though I was mad.

We had one come down our chimney and into our front bedroom on Wednesday...

 

[Brian the Fish]

You should stop eating food in the bedroom, or just open the window so they don't have to use the chimney!

 

[banksy]

One of the funniest things I've seen, during an open match on a commercial near York.

Near the end of the match, a swan started dipping down into the margin swim of one unhappy guy, taking all his loose feed.
He shooed it away, it came back
He picked up his landing net, and waved it at the swan, but it came back again.
He gave the swan a gentle tap on the head with his landing net, and the swan went for him, extending its wings and hissing.
The chap drew back in fear, and the swan snatched his keepnet which was loosely attached by a bankstick, plucked it from
the ground and swam away with it before dropping it a couple of yards out and releasing all his fish.

He'd been doing quite well up that point.

 

[mickthestick]

Me and the Wife watched the Hitchcock film the Birds last night , I woke up this morning covered in Bird seed and all the windows open

 

[Brian the Fish]

This Goose used to hide at my peg, on land, to keep away from 2 Swans with a Cygnet that were giving it some hassle.
Can anyone guess the venue, I am facing away from the lake I was fishing.