Wildlife Encounters

[Low Down Low]

So this year I've been absent, for many reasons good and bad but in that time I've become borderline obsessed with birdwatching, signed up to Birda, see below (get me, 58 unique sightings).

Long and short, expect many poor, grainy, unidentifiable pictures from me in this thread.

The more the merrier and as the undisputed champion of the poor, grainy, unidentifiable picture, I heartily welcome a challenger to my long held title.

Nothing too special but this beauty of a Mistle Thrush was a first for me!

Stunning bird. Even better in the spring when they're in full voice. Glad you specified what it is as can never tell the difference between a song and a mistle thrush.

[BitterTom]

So this year I've been absent, for many reasons good and bad but in that time I've become borderline obsessed with birdwatching, signed up to Birda, see below (get me, 58 unique sightings).

Long and short, expect many poor, grainy, unidentifiable pictures from me in this thread.

The more the merrier and as the undisputed champion of the poor, grainy, unidentifiable picture, I heartily welcome a challenger to my long held title.

Nothing too special but this beauty of a Mistle Thrush was a first for me!

Stunning bird. Even better in the spring when they're in full voice. Glad you specified what it is as can never tell the difference between a song and a mistle thrush.

To be honest I had no clue which it was either! Thankfully the other users of Birda chirped in (god awful pun sounded better in my head!) and clarified the difference!

[Low Down Low]

So this year I've been absent, for many reasons good and bad but in that time I've become borderline obsessed with birdwatching, signed up to Birda, see below (get me, 58 unique sightings).

Long and short, expect many poor, grainy, unidentifiable pictures from me in this thread.

The more the merrier and as the undisputed champion of the poor, grainy, unidentifiable picture, I heartily welcome a challenger to my long held title.

Nothing too special but this beauty of a Mistle Thrush was a first for me!

Stunning bird. Even better in the spring when they're in full voice. Glad you specified what it is as can never tell the difference between a song and a mistle thrush.

To be honest I had no clue which it was either! Thankfully the other users of Birda chirped in (god awful pun sounded better in my head!) and clarified the difference!

It was a bit of a cheep pun alright tbf! I've been taking an interest in the subject for about 15 years now I'd say and I'm still hopeless at the id'ing. I started on trees a little while back and that's probably even harder. I'm in it for the long haul though.

[Low Down Low]

Crap pic time again. A nice brisk walk along the seafront today, came across this chap absolutely gorging himself on fish while the gulls kept me passably entertained for 20 minutes fighting over the scraps.

[Dr. Medulla]

Crap pic time again. A nice brisk walk along the seafront today, came across this chap absolutely gorging himself on fish while the gulls kept me passably entertained for 20 minutes fighting over the scraps.

20240130_162743.jpg

20240130_162743.jpg

Gulls have solid avian hobo cred.

[Low Down Low]

Crap pic time again. A nice brisk walk along the seafront today, came across this chap absolutely gorging himself on fish while the gulls kept me passably entertained for 20 minutes fighting over the scraps.

20240130_162743.jpg

20240130_162743.jpg

Gulls have solid avian hobo cred.

Yeah, them and the corvids, I'd say. Those feckers would nick absolutely anything that wasn't firmly nailed down.

[Dr. Medulla]

Crap pic time again. A nice brisk walk along the seafront today, came across this chap absolutely gorging himself on fish while the gulls kept me passably entertained for 20 minutes fighting over the scraps.

20240130_162743.jpg

20240130_162743.jpg

Gulls have solid avian hobo cred.

Yeah, them and the corvids, I'd say. Those feckers would nick absolutely anything that wasn't firmly nailed down.

I think I've told this story but it was was such an amazing thing to witness that I'll share again anyway. When The Boss and I lived in NC, our apartment complex was beside a park that had a decent-sized pond. We'd go for walks and feed the birds. We noticed that there was a pecking order, so to speak. Canada geese got first dibs on the bread, followed by ducks, then gulls. The ducks and geese would form their own clusters, with the gulls waiting on the sidelines. One day, tho, a gull got a little aggressive and went after some bread near a goose, dunking the goose in the process. Almost immediately—like within two seconds—a squadron of geese from *across the pond*—not the geese who were feeding—took flight and zeroed in on the gulls and chased them off, pursuing them even as they took flight. The whole thing was so fast it was like all the geese had headsets on. It was like a war movie, where an air squadron bails out our heroes who are besieged. One of the most bizarre nature things I've ever seen.

[Mimi]

Crap pic time again. A nice brisk walk along the seafront today, came across this chap absolutely gorging himself on fish while the gulls kept me passably entertained for 20 minutes fighting over the scraps.

20240130_162743.jpg

20240130_162743.jpg

Gulls have solid avian hobo cred.

Yeah, them and the corvids, I'd say. Those feckers would nick absolutely anything that wasn't firmly nailed down.

I think I've told this story but it was was such an amazing thing to witness that I'll share again anyway. When The Boss and I lived in NC, our apartment complex was beside a park that had a decent-sized pond. We'd go for walks and feed the birds. We noticed that there was a pecking order, so to speak. Canada geese got first dibs on the bread, followed by ducks, then gulls. The ducks and geese would form their own clusters, with the gulls waiting on the sidelines. One day, tho, a gull got a little aggressive and went after some bread near a goose, dunking the goose in the process. Almost immediately—like within two seconds—a squadron of geese from *across the pond*—not the geese who were feeding—took flight and zeroed in on the gulls and chased them off, pursuing them even as they took flight. The whole thing was so fast it was like all the geese had headsets on. It was like a war movie, where an air squadron bails out our heroes who are besieged. One of the most bizarre nature things I've ever seen.

that's amazing

[Low Down Low]

Crap pic time again. A nice brisk walk along the seafront today, came across this chap absolutely gorging himself on fish while the gulls kept me passably entertained for 20 minutes fighting over the scraps.

20240130_162743.jpg

20240130_162743.jpg

Gulls have solid avian hobo cred.

Yeah, them and the corvids, I'd say. Those feckers would nick absolutely anything that wasn't firmly nailed down.

I think I've told this story but it was was such an amazing thing to witness that I'll share again anyway. When The Boss and I lived in NC, our apartment complex was beside a park that had a decent-sized pond. We'd go for walks and feed the birds. We noticed that there was a pecking order, so to speak. Canada geese got first dibs on the bread, followed by ducks, then gulls. The ducks and geese would form their own clusters, with the gulls waiting on the sidelines. One day, tho, a gull got a little aggressive and went after some bread near a goose, dunking the goose in the process. Almost immediately—like within two seconds—a squadron of geese from *across the pond*—not the geese who were feeding—took flight and zeroed in on the gulls and chased them off, pursuing them even as they took flight. The whole thing was so fast it was like all the geese had headsets on. It was like a war movie, where an air squadron bails out our heroes who are besieged. One of the most bizarre nature things I've ever seen.

I'd love to have witnessed that. As hard as i try, i just can't love gulls. As aggressive as they can be though, they're not half as bad as these guys below. A few weeks back one particularly impatient starling nipped up and tried to grab my sandwich in transit between hand and mouth, nicking my finger and scaring the shit out of me in the process. Unlike the gulls, though, i can't not like the pesky little blighters.

[Dr. Medulla]

I'd love to have witnessed that. As hard as i try, i just can't love gulls. As aggressive as they can be though, they're not half as bad as these guys below. A few weeks back one particularly impatient starling nipped up and tried to grab my sandwich in transit between hand and mouth, nicking my finger and scaring the shit out of me in the process. Unlike the gulls, though, i can't not like the pesky little blighters.

20230325_165406.jpg

I associate gulls with KFC because in my hometown there was always a cluster of gulls hanging out in the KFC parking lot. But, really, they're just more aggressive pigeons.

[Low Down Low]

I'd love to have witnessed that. As hard as i try, i just can't love gulls. As aggressive as they can be though, they're not half as bad as these guys below. A few weeks back one particularly impatient starling nipped up and tried to grab my sandwich in transit between hand and mouth, nicking my finger and scaring the shit out of me in the process. Unlike the gulls, though, i can't not like the pesky little blighters.

20230325_165406.jpg

I associate gulls with KFC because in my hometown there was always a cluster of gulls hanging out in the KFC parking lot. But, really, they're just more aggressive pigeons.

Gulls just love fast food. I remember staying in Blackpool once and being genuinely alarmed at how ginormous some of those fuckers were. I was wakened one morning by a very loud knocking, which i initially assumed to be the bedroom door, but which i subsequently discovered was the work of a large and obviously deranged gull repeatedly banging his head against the window. Definitely the closest I've come to the full Hitchcockian experience!

[Dr. Medulla]

I'd love to have witnessed that. As hard as i try, i just can't love gulls. As aggressive as they can be though, they're not half as bad as these guys below. A few weeks back one particularly impatient starling nipped up and tried to grab my sandwich in transit between hand and mouth, nicking my finger and scaring the shit out of me in the process. Unlike the gulls, though, i can't not like the pesky little blighters.

20230325_165406.jpg

I associate gulls with KFC because in my hometown there was always a cluster of gulls hanging out in the KFC parking lot. But, really, they're just more aggressive pigeons.

Gulls just love fast food. I remember staying in Blackpool once and being genuinely alarmed at how ginormous some of those fuckers were. I was wakened one morning by a very loud knocking, which i initially assumed to be the bedroom door, but which i subsequently discovered was the work of a large and obviously deranged gull repeatedly banging his head against the window. Definitely the closest I've come to the full Hitchcockian experience!

Clearly, he saw some pizza on the counter from the night before.

[Low Down Low]

I'd love to have witnessed that. As hard as i try, i just can't love gulls. As aggressive as they can be though, they're not half as bad as these guys below. A few weeks back one particularly impatient starling nipped up and tried to grab my sandwich in transit between hand and mouth, nicking my finger and scaring the shit out of me in the process. Unlike the gulls, though, i can't not like the pesky little blighters.

20230325_165406.jpg

I associate gulls with KFC because in my hometown there was always a cluster of gulls hanging out in the KFC parking lot. But, really, they're just more aggressive pigeons.

Gulls just love fast food. I remember staying in Blackpool once and being genuinely alarmed at how ginormous some of those fuckers were. I was wakened one morning by a very loud knocking, which i initially assumed to be the bedroom door, but which i subsequently discovered was the work of a large and obviously deranged gull repeatedly banging his head against the window. Definitely the closest I've come to the full Hitchcockian experience!

Clearly, he saw some pizza on the counter from the night before.

More likely a chicken nugget or the remnants of a battered sausage. Pizza would be very upmarket for Blackpool.

[Dr. Medulla]

I'd love to have witnessed that. As hard as i try, i just can't love gulls. As aggressive as they can be though, they're not half as bad as these guys below. A few weeks back one particularly impatient starling nipped up and tried to grab my sandwich in transit between hand and mouth, nicking my finger and scaring the shit out of me in the process. Unlike the gulls, though, i can't not like the pesky little blighters.

20230325_165406.jpg

I associate gulls with KFC because in my hometown there was always a cluster of gulls hanging out in the KFC parking lot. But, really, they're just more aggressive pigeons.

Gulls just love fast food. I remember staying in Blackpool once and being genuinely alarmed at how ginormous some of those fuckers were. I was wakened one morning by a very loud knocking, which i initially assumed to be the bedroom door, but which i subsequently discovered was the work of a large and obviously deranged gull repeatedly banging his head against the window. Definitely the closest I've come to the full Hitchcockian experience!

Clearly, he saw some pizza on the counter from the night before.

More likely a chicken nugget or the remnants of a battered sausage. Pizza would be very upmarket for Blackpool.

Thatcher promised much more than she delivered.

[Mimi]

I love birds but I hate gulls.