Great Tits

[Third rate Leszno]

Lovely pics Amor. We get smaller flocks than those along the Liverpool Bay coastline and they're often mixed with other small waders.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Yes, we regularly see groups of a dozen or so feeding along the tideline, and larger flocks overhead, but I've never seen so many just perched, gazing out to sea before. They're quite reluctant to move too, strength in numbers I guess.

[Sits]

Amazing AdC. And what a widely distributed breed the Sanderling is. I've seen them on the beach in Port Douglas in the North Queensland tropics. Only in winter but still.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Interesting they certainly get around. Watching a flock of them in the air is hypnotic. Their backs are dark, undersides white and they move in unison in a cloud. It's black, then they bank and it's white. Rain, sun, rain, sun and so on. I hope there's some of that sense in the photo I posted on the mundane photo thread, though it's more chaotic then I just described I guess.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Lovely pics Amor. We get smaller flocks than those along the Liverpool Bay coastline and they're often mixed with other small waders.

It's a shame about Stringy Bob.

[Third rate Leszno]

Wouldn't have worked so well if the line had been "Is this your knot?"

[Sits]

I don't know who was more startled when I almost walked into this King Parrot yesterday. They seem gentle souls.

[JVL]

Wasn't quick enough to get a picture of it, but just spotted a Northern Cardinal out in our garden. A beautiful splash of red colour against the backdrop of the 50cm or so of snow that has fallen here over the last three days.

[ursus arctos]

[URL]https://twitter.com/birdcentralpark/status/1102368336933990401?s=21[/URL]

[JVL]

That's the one! It's also a lovely contrast to the colours of the blue jays, there's about ten of them in the trees too.

[Sits]

OK now two things before I continue:

1. It's not a bird but it's flying;
2. It's an absolutely shite photo, but it was dusk, the subject is moving, it's taken on a phone and with one hand as the other was holding the dog's lead.

It's a Grey-headed Flying Fox, wingspan about a metre:

[Sits]

The underrated pigeon: https://kottke.org/19/04/the-secret-pigeon-service

[willie1foot]

OK now two things before I continue:

1. It's not a bird but it's flying;
2. It's an absolutely shite photo, but it was dusk, the subject is moving, it's taken on a phone and with one hand as the other was holding the dog's lead.

It's a Grey-headed Flying Fox, wingspan about a metre:

Hundreds of those around Sydney at dusk.

[Sits]

You're right. You'd think someone could get a better pic wouldn't you?

[willie1foot]

You're right. You'd think someone could get a better pic wouldn't you?

Of course...forgot you’’’’re in Sydney. Thought you’’’’re in Queensland for some reason. I’’’ve been away too long.

[Sits]

Well, North Shore so in the right direction.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Went to our allotment last week for some later-than-intended digging and planting. At one point I went into the greenhouse to get the raddle (I think it’s called- round wooden frame/metal grid for sifting soil) and as I lifted it up a bird flew right at my head then out the door.
Turns out there’s a blackbird nest IN the raddle. 4 lovely sky blue eggs.
we left it be and by the time we left it was back on the nest. This weekend we could see the recently hatched chicks through the glass ( there’s a gap in the glass above the nest, btw)

14 days to fledge, apparently so we’re staying out til they go... but today when I went to water, they look very still and I fear an airless greenhouse might be too hot for them, as it’s up to 19 Celsius and sunny all this week

[Sits]

I wish this was my photo but clearly it's not. It is, however stunning. A capercaillie which I pinched from the BBC Springwatch FB page.

[Reality Checkpoint]

Just spent the last ten minutes watching this sparrow hawk devour some unfortunate songbird on our bike shed roof.

[Capybara]

I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately I couldn't get close enough to get a photo good enough to post on here.

[Guy Profumo]

Just spent the last ten minutes watching this sparrow hawk devour some unfortunate songbird on our bike shed roof.

There's a Geordie poem about a sparrow-hawk, which I can't remember.

Only the punchline.

[Third rate Leszno]

Whale watching is enjoyable in itself, but one of the fringe benefits is the pelagic birds you get to see - this is a great shearwater, off Cape Cod.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Nice photo, TRL, as are the two above.

[Third rate Leszno]

Cheers, NS. Here's a Wilson's storm petrel.

[Sits]

Lovely