Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[kinboshi]

Geo,

OK, done, that's the camera I will buy. Thank you.

If I feel I need to upgrade, once I've "mastered it" (some hope...) I can do, after a year or so.

GREAT "hunting" story, can't wait to read, & perhaps see, the outcome.

At this point, what is your hunch as to what it may be?

I really don't know tbh, I haven't a clue about these things. I've studied again the pics of the sparrowhawk earlier in Toms diary but it's definately a lot larger. Hasn't got such nice colouring either from what I could see. It was very dark in colour and I didn't get a chance to see it's head properly.

Had a very slow laborious wing swipe if that makes any sense, 3 flaps and it had travelled a fair distance.

I'm really looking forward to my wee challenge tomorrow, looks like I could be upsetting the authorities again - lol


Edit: Have been looking at an Edinburgh hawk watch forum and there is only mention of the following being commonly seen in the city:

Kestrel  Peregrine Buzzard  Sparrowhawk

Out of that list from pics I've looked at the closest is the Buzzard

Geo

I'm going for "buzzard".

Was out for a run on Monday, and saw a bloody hefty buzzard flying overhead - really wished I had a camera with me to capture it.  Then on Wednesday I'm running back towards home through a woodland trail and there's a massive bird sitting in a tree.  I assume it's a crow of some kind, but as I get close I see that it's a bird of prey and possibly the same buzzard I saw previously.  Gorgeous animal and I had to stop and stare at it for a good minute or so (again wishing I had a camera on me), and then decided to move off in case it decided I was breakfast.

Going to have to head out this weekend with a camera to see if I can snap it.

[RED-DOG]

Geo,

OK, done, that's the camera I will buy. Thank you.

If I feel I need to upgrade, once I've "mastered it" (some hope...) I can do, after a year or so.

GREAT "hunting" story, can't wait to read, & perhaps see, the outcome.

At this point, what is your hunch as to what it may be?

I really don't know tbh, I haven't a clue about these things. I've studied again the pics of the sparrowhawk earlier in Toms diary but it's definately a lot larger. Hasn't got such nice colouring either from what I could see. It was very dark in colour and I didn't get a chance to see it's head properly.

Had a very slow laborious wing swipe if that makes any sense, 3 flaps and it had travelled a fair distance.

I'm really looking forward to my wee challenge tomorrow, looks like I could be upsetting the authorities again - lol


Edit: Have been looking at an Edinburgh hawk watch forum and there is only mention of the following being commonly seen in the city:

Kestrel  Peregrine Buzzard  Sparrowhawk

Out of that list from pics I've looked at the closest is the Buzzard

Geo

I'm going for "buzzard".

Was out for a run on Monday, and saw a bloody hefty buzzard flying overhead - really wished I had a camera with me to capture it.  Then on Wednesday I'm running back towards home through a woodland trail and there's a massive bird sitting in a tree.  I assume it's a crow of some kind, but as I get close I see that it's a bird of prey and possibly the same buzzard I saw previously.  Gorgeous animal and I had to stop and stare at it for a good minute or so (again wishing I had a camera on me), and then decided to move off in case it decided I was breakfast.

Going to have to head out this weekend with a camera to see if I can snap it.

Five or six years ago, Tony and I saw some buzzards while on out way to Brighton. They were so rare in the UK back then we didn't know what they were.

The population has exploded since then. (Well, not exploded exactly, but there's a few about).

[kinboshi]

Must be quite a few around here (South Derbyshire), and now also lots of Red Kites across the home counties and East Anglia.  They are beautiful birds.

[kinboshi]

http://www.northernkites.org.uk/reintroducing.htm

[mondatoo]

When are we going trekking ?

[Acidmouse]

http://www.northernkites.org.uk/reintroducing.htm

Loads of these hovering around us now they were introduced at Harewood, the cats just love watching them swooping down.

[Geo the Sarge]

A lot of hard work for little reward this morning, whilst I say little reward at least I managed to spot the beast again today.

Slipped into the wasteland just before first light and found myself a decent bit of cover in an area near where I had seen him come to rest yesterday. Was probably 2 hours before he surfaced and at that, a bit of a distance away. Managed to pick 2 shots, 1st is ok for a distance shot, the second was as I was crawling sniper style to get closer, but assume he noted me and took off so could only quickly shoot as he fled. Not too clear (he's bottom right) but hopefully gives an idea of the size of him.

I will be returning often until I get a good shot of him.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

[Geo the Sarge]

I'm not very good on the bird recognition front, but this wee thing puzzled me. I assumed it was some form of waterbird but I noticed it had long toes and claws like a tree dweller, thoughts?

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

[tikay]

He looks a big bugger, Geo!

[RED-DOG]

Ten 47kg bottles of Calor gas used to cost £200. Now five bottles cost £250. 



What's more, the bloke who used to sell them to you used to wear overalls and he would to help you load them. Now he sits behind a desk in a nice suit and watches you struggle.



What's more, you used to be able to lie the bottles down to so that they were nice and safe to transport them. Now you have to stand them up so that they are unstable.

[RED-DOG]

A lot of hard work for little reward this morning, whilst I say little reward at least I managed to spot the beast again today.

Slipped into the wasteland just before first light and found myself a decent bit of cover in an area near where I had seen him come to rest yesterday. Was probably 2 hours before he surfaced and at that, a bit of a distance away. Managed to pick 2 shots, 1st is ok for a distance shot, the second was as I was crawling sniper style to get closer, but assume he noted me and took off so could only quickly shoot as he fled. Not too clear (he's bottom right) but hopefully gives an idea of the size of him.

I will be returning often until I get a good shot of him.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

A for effort Geo. You'll get him in the end,

[Geo the Sarge]

I really liked the look of this wee thing. As I approached he was facing me head on with a beautiful front plummage of white and tan. Unfortunately when I was trying to capture him he remained side on, again I waited for ages taking a few pics of him, alas he didn't face me again before flying off

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

[RED-DOG]

I'm not very good on the bird recognition front, but this wee thing puzzled me. I assumed it was some form of waterbird but I noticed it had long toes and claws like a tree dweller, thoughts?

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

It's a common moorhen Geo. They use those big claws like snowshoes for spreading their weight on lilly pads. (And for climbing my bird table)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Moorhen

[Geo the Sarge]

I'm not very good on the bird recognition front, but this wee thing puzzled me. I assumed it was some form of waterbird but I noticed it had long toes and claws like a tree dweller, thoughts?

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

It's a common moorhen Geo. They use those big claws like snowshoes for spreading their weight on lilly pads. (And for climbing my bird table)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Moorhen

Thanks Tom,

I recovered that stone today too so more investigation to do.

Geo

[RED-DOG]

I recovered that stone today too so more investigation to do.

Geo

I bet that was fun to carry home.

If it's valuable, I want half.