What's Buzzing or Flying near you today......2016

Looks like a Cardinal Beetle to me @Zigs and only eats other insects.

Mistle Thrush.


Resting Swallows.


Young Pied Wagtail.


Second one on our roof being fed.

 

Young one, not ready to leave yet but will be soon playing around like yours @shiney.


The Male Redstart was near the Woodie nest and closer this time.


The Siskins are visiting the garden every day now and are more tame than any of the other birds.
Male.


Juvenile.

 

Not my picture but saw one of these today when it stopped for a rest on a crocosmia leaf.
White legged damselfly

 

Rat tailed maggots

 

Feeding time.






Young Nuthatch.

 

Finally managed to get close enough to take some photos of one of the rare Turtle Doves(Red Status due to idiots in Europe that shoot them for fun when on their annual migration)that visit the old airfield near us where we go for a walk early each morning.It was more intent on searching for food to eat so we couldn't get too close to take photos

Sorry they are not that clear but we did sneak up as close as we could before it took flight.Am going to take some of my bird seed up there next time we go as I think every little helps

 

You got your pics at last. I would have to travel to Martin Down south of Salisbury to see any, it's the one known breeding site anywhere near here.
As you have said this is a 'target' bird for shooting, mist net trapping and lime sticking and thousands are shot legally and thousands more illegally in Egypt, Sicily, Malta, Cyprus, Crete, Italy.......
It's a wonder any get across the Med at all.

 

@strongylodon we were thinking that this pair hadn't survived their migration so to hear a couple of weeks ago that the pair was back was good news We have been going up to the airfield each day even to hear the male purring but because we always have the noise from the A14 coming across we struggle to hear his calling so to see him feeding (we assume the female is on eggs)

I didn't want to name the countries doing the killing of these beautiful birds as there might be members on here from those countries and I didn't want to start a fight

Have you heard about the Dalmation Pelican down at Restronguet Creek in Cornwall and also the Lammergeier that was last seen in Dartmoor? Now they would be a couple of good ticks to get

Will have to research Martin Down as Salisbury plain is one place on our bucket list to visit to try and see the Great Bustards that have been reintroduced down that way

I normally look at Penny's hot birding and life blog (she lives in Norfolk) as she lists the rarities and their locations so we can get an idea of what has been seen round the UK each day

 

No one is sure whether the Lammergeier was from a captive breeding programe or a truly wild bird but a spectacular sight all the same, my brother had one fly above his house in Crete and was stunned as he was so used to seeing Griffon Vultures.

The Pelican presumably came here on strong SE winds from the Med.
With two Short Toed Eagles and several Red Footed Falcons seen here in the last couple of years plus two successful Bee Eater nestings, we can expect anything. More Black Kites?

 

Yes we heard about the Lammergeir being possibly a release from a reintroduction programme in Europe when we went over to Paxton Pits to hopefully see the Great Reed Warbler (missed that one) I read that the Lammergeir only eats the insides of bones so no wonder it has all gone quiet with sightings as there obviously isn't enough bones over here for it to feed on.I also read that in Europe farmers are now being told that dead livestock can't be left out on the land any more so these birds are starting to die out so to speak How nice for your brother to have Griffon Vultures flying round where he lives

It is nice to get these rare birds over here and I know that there are birders that fly (scuse pun) all ver the British Isles to add these birds to their life lists

We are off to the Isle of White this year and would to have seen the Bee Eaters that nested over there last year but can't find any info as to whether they have renested there this year.Seems like when they do come they don't renest in old haunts like some of our birds over here do