Bird of the day

[jaybeegee]

At 3 o'clock, in the middle of the afternoon???

Opening bat?

 

[codyarrow]

An early 'nightwatchman'.

 

[ohanzee]

At 3 o'clock, in the middle of the afternoon???

I think they are just triggered by lack of daylight, light levels in Scotland this time of year are summer time evening darkness.

Or maybe it was just hungry.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Or maybe it was just hungry.

I think that is more likely. Winter hibernation approaching and needing to put on fat reserves... and the abject lack of insects to do it with... requiring he puts in some overtime...

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Opening bat?

An early 'nightwatchman'.

 

[PaulD]

. . .over recent years. I noticed a continuing decline in what were some common visitors - two in particular, Greenfinches and Chaffinches.

Major event! Just had a Greenfinch on the feeders . . . still no signs of Chaffinches.

 

[williegunn]

At 3 o'clock, in the middle of the afternoon???

Obviously the Central Belt restrictions apply to bats, were they not the original cause of the pandemic?, and evening meals have to be completed before 6-o-clock.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Took a walk round the city cycle path yesterday with the camera, looking for autumn colours. Passed a spot where folk put food for birds on a cemetary wall. It is usually patrolled by an extended family of crows. They were away somewhere yesterday and unusually it was a pair of magpies that were in charge of the 'food wall'. Unfortunately for photography, it is in deep shade at the best of times, never mind at 4:00 p.m. on an overcast day in mid October. I went for 1/250 sec, which gave me ISO values between 5000 and 16000, with most at 8000. So, a bit noisy...

They've got all crumbs on their faces from lying the sides of their heads against the wall and scraping at the remnants of food.

C.

 

[gwyndavies]

Lots of activity on our feeders as the temperatures start to drop, Sunflower hearts definitely the favourites at the moment

 

[gwyndavies]

Goldcrest feeding on an acer this morning, photograph was taken though the kitchen window

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Heard my first fieldfares of winter on Saturday. One from last year...

They like the sea buckthorn berries.

Col

 

[3lbgrayling]

No photo.but spotted a Smew on the Lake of Menteith today.

Jim

 

[codyarrow]

Got with in 3 feet of a redwing this morning walking the dog. It did not seem bothered. Strange behaviour.

 

[3lbgrayling]

Got with in 3 feet of a redwing this morning walking the dog. It did not seem bothered. Strange behaviour.

From the forrests of Scandinavia,not really used to humans+ knacked after its north sea crossing.

Jim

 

[codyarrow]

Possibly knacked, never thought of that.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Got with in 3 feet of a redwing this morning walking the dog. It did not seem bothered. Strange behaviour.

They are strange things. Some are skittish, while others... you just about trip over them as they get under your feet. It's maybe down to where they came from and how used to humans they are.

Last winter I had some that I just about tripped over...

Col

 

[ohanzee]

I was surprised to see my first and only ever snow bunting on top of Ben Nevis, but more surprised when it came within a foot and ate bits of a ham roll, not sure if this is not used to humans or the opposite.

 

[green man]

Had a Merlin fly through the garden this morning - too quick for me to grab my camera, but nice to see. A couple of weeks ago we had two juv Peregrines play fighting above us for about 10 minutes - lost sight of one of them, but one went on to make a dive... by then it was too far away to see if this was practice or for real, but even from about half a mile it looked spectacularly quick.

 

[ohanzee]

Had a Merlin fly through the garden this morning - too quick for me to grab my camera, but nice to see. A couple of weeks ago we had two juv Peregrines play fighting above us for about 10 minutes - lost sight of one of them, but one went on to make a dive... by then it was too far away to see if this was practice or for real, but even from about half a mile it looked spectacularly quick.

I was climbing on the steep side of Ben Lawers in Perthshire when a peregrine passed vertically just feet away in a dive, the noise was awe inspiring, like a wind displacement whoosh speeded up.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Was reading-up on ferox for the ongoing brownie thread and spotted an interesting piece...

Said that while nesting black-throated divers tend to feed on freshwater fish, red-throated divers, though they breed on freshwater, tend to fly off to the sea to feed, thus bringing biomass back from the sea to nutrient-poorer freshwater habitats. Same idea as salmon feeding at sea and then dying after spawning and bequeathing their body mass to the spot their offspring need the nutrients from to start the next generation.

Not sure if there is anything in it for the R-TDs? Maybe their chicks start to feed on freshwater fish before migrating away?

Anyhoo - big-up the R-TD!

Good excuse to keep things ticking over by digging into the back catalogue for pics of red-throated divers...

Loch Fada, South Uist...

Loch of Harray, Orkney...

Col