 I think it's a cock linnet for sure.
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 one of the best ticks I had was a Griffin Vulture in Majorca, Our Paco lives next to Al Bufera nature reserve famous for its purple heron colony
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One of the best I had was a Marshall Eagle in the Natal Drakensberg 1979. Jim Gibbonson saw it at the same time.
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I`ve seen little and cattle egrets in Merseyside Ron and we also have spoonbills on the frodsham marshes
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 Definitely a Linnet. 
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 Thanks everyone
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 I just came across this again and could have sworn I responded to Slime Monsters request. Apologies, you were very lucky and priveliged, I think it is common for hawks to act that way, it's just that people don't see it happening. The number of times this spring/summer, I've turned a corner around my garden only to be nearly hit head on, by a sparrow hawk in full pursuit I've asked people around here if they've spotted it and they say, err!
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| Edited: 08/07/08 10:09 |
 Been describing the birdlife down the Mersey Valley on another thread (- the one about how the fuel crisis is curtailing journeys.) Had stated that I had heard but not seen kingfishers. Well blow me down if I didn't get a pair of them do a fly-by the other evening. Same evening as I saw a male blackcap. Fred.. the old "sparrowhawk at head height " is quite an experience...has happened to me twice..once either it brushed my head or I felt the air disturbance at it went over. Good job the old family genes involve full heads of hair to old age, otherwise the syrup may have moved!
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The last time I travelled down the Mancester Ship canal to Liverpool was about 5 years ago and I saw 12 kingfishers, plus plenty of red/green shanks, snipe, oyster catchers, sandpipers (sps), duck and geese sps, bar and blacktailed godwits, little tern and a number of other wading birds, the Mersey estuary is a very rich hunting ground for feeding birds. Bill oddie did a programme on this area not too long ago, from Runcorn Bridge down to the Mersey, with the sand bars and mud flats really is a fantastic area and it shares the same corridor as the Wirral, Dee Estuary, Parkgate, hilbre islands of course
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Took this in Wales recently,well chuffed. And this, Pons
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Nice pics Pons. I am thinking of getting a spotting scope and an adaptor for my D300. What in your opinion are the best spotting scopes around?
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Hi Ron, Swarofski,Leica,Kowa,Opticron ,Ziess for the real doggs danglies. Just like buying great glass for cameras ,you get what you pay for in the end. However I am no expert on birding scopes,just what I have seen and looked through at Slimbridge. In focus are the people to speak too.very helpful. Pons
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 nice one Pons
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 Went fishing yesterday in the Lake District with Uncle Dave, spent most of the day watching a pair of ospreys gliding and soaring non stop, even watched one of them stoop, dive and miss the fish, made our day.
Shame we only caught one fish each, the ospreys were our excuse, to busy watching them.
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Ive never ever seen a osprey
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Ive never ever seen a osprey
I saw one at Bewl a few years ago, in September, so I guess it was on its return migration to Africa or whereever it is they go.
Quite a spectacular sight.
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| Edited: 12/08/08 15:52 |
