What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

It's a great picture and a lovely bird...

 

Yes @strongylodon - I assumed it was a willow warbler as we have loads of willow round here - so it's themost likely of the warblers! It can be hard to see them properly though, and I'm not interested in sitting around for ages with binoculars or a camera when I'm out for a walk, as the walk is the important bit for me. I just enjoy seeing the wildlife etc along the way
I had two in the garden a while back and I'd narrowed it down to willow warbler then, although there's a few that are quite similar from what I could gather.
He was there for a good while. Lovely little things.

Buzzards were overhead here too yesterday @On the Levels , along with the swallows a bit lower. Buzzards are common round here, and I often see them when out on hills too. It doesn't matter how often I see them, it always lifts my spirits.

 

@fairygirl as you probably know Willow Warblers are often confused with Chiffchaffs particularly in awkward light and constantly moving but at least in your pic the pale legs and longer primaries are what sets it apart.

 

Thanks for that info @strongylodon
It's great to have your knowledge available. I wouldn't have known about the chiffchaffs though - I don't think we get them here, but I'd need to look into that - and I'll probably forget!

I was laughing yesterday. I was on a hill in Aberfoyle, and on the return [it's a long walk back in at lower level] I decided to stick the camera in the ruckie instead of keeping it attached, as it was very hot and that made it a bit more pleasant, ie less sweaty. Of course, within five minutes of doing that, I spotted a bullfinch singing away on a nearby sapling, and then two different dragonflies a bit further on. If the camera had been in it's usual place at my waist, I could probably have got some pix. The law of the sod...

 

I was just watching my swallows flying around and more and more joined them, there was at least 20. They were all alarm calling, such a loud piercing call, so I waited and watched, then out of a tree flew a Sparrowhawk. The swallows were mobbing it and screaming and drove it away.

Such brave little birds and hopefully all the other little birds will thank them for being such brilliant alarmists, although I know that Sparrowhawks need to eat too!

 

You will always hear the chiffchaff before you see it @fairygirl

 

Found an illegal squatting in my palm today

 

Difficult getting photos of these Great Bustards due to the heat haze, long grass and the distance.
all females as the two males were about 600yards away in another field.
A morning tour with the Great Bustard Group on Salisbury Plain yesterday.
The are the world's heaviest flying bird.

 

Found another nest in the garden in my Bean Tree. Looks like a blackbird I think

 

Found this little wasp in the greenhouse this morning. I believe it's a Potter Wasp (or Mason Wasp) and being barely 1 centimetre long it really is rather cute.

 

I found this Sedge Warbler sitting on a path in the garden, I thought it was injured but after checking it was OK I took a pic and released it, obviously an early Autumn migrant but Central Africa is a long way for such a small bird.
I couldn't focus the camera properly one handed.

 

Had 3 buzzards again over the garden and mewing as they kept going up and up. Then a flock of about 30 house martins the most we have seen. A mixed group of birds later in the day...mix of blue tits, long tails and 2 very small birds which could have been gold crest, but so quick difficult to know and a couple of black caps. Green woodpecker very vocal again but not seen today.
Fabulous photos of the bustards.

 

Yes, it's normal for birds to lose feathers this time of year as they go into moult. I've seen robins and blackbirds with no tail feathers.