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Mar 2018
1:04pm, 5 Mar 2018
28,403 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Hmm, same shape, not sure about the legs, cos they were in quite deep snow. I think I would have noticed if legs were red (pretty distinctive against white snow?) and body looked pearl grey colour, very little brown or other marking, iirc. So I think Grey Partridge.
We're in farmland, so "garden" probably just means field with slightly more green and flowers and stuff on it in summer than the surrounding fields.  G
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Mar 2018
1:06pm, 5 Mar 2018
1,519 posts
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Surelynot
Out running with some buddies from the running club yesterday and got to the top of a hill when we disturbed around 300 barnacle geese. They took off and flew out across the estuary and circled a few times. I've never seen a mumuration of geese before.
Also spotted some oyster catcher, male bullfinch and lapwing.
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Mar 2018
9:30am, 7 Mar 2018
977 posts
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flyingfinn
Day out yesterday to Fairburn Ings near Castleford, another reserve carved out of the post-industrial landscape and tucked up against a motorway (A1). Turned out be another cracking spot with a tally of 62 species including Green Woodpeckers galore, great views of a pair of Peregrines, lots of Skylarks singing and offering some superb close up views, more Shovellor and Goosander than I've seen in one location before, both Little and Great White Egrets, Red Kite and lots more. Well worth a visit if you fancy a stop off on a journey up the A1.
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Mar 2018
9:34am, 7 Mar 2018
25,265 posts
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Derby Tup
Nice one ff
Never been but have been Dearne Valley, which is ace. Saw my first spot red there and water rail 
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Mar 2018
11:32am, 7 Mar 2018
1,030 posts
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J2R
There's a field by one of my local runs which very often has fieldfares on it. A bunch of them flew off as I got near yesterday, and I stopped to scan the field for others. I didn't spot any, but there were loads of magpies, woodpigeons and a few blackbirds. As I watched, a sparrowhawk appeared, soaring over the field, and the field absolutely emptied, all the birds flying off in different directions. Within no time, there wasn't a bird to be seen. I don't know if sparrowhawks take magpies but these ones obviously weren't taking any chances.
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Mar 2018
12:01pm, 7 Mar 2018
978 posts
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flyingfinn
Interesting run this morning. Got to my turn around point and as I turned a Woodcock came past my head less than 8 feet away (either that DT or a Snipe that has been taking advantage of national pie week ;-)) and flew away across the adjacent field. Then as I came across the yard towards the front door there was a sudden rush of air and female Sparrowhawk came past me and snatched something (probably a Blue Tit) from the rose bush by my feeders before disappearing over next door's roof
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Mar 2018
2:34pm, 7 Mar 2018
25,266 posts
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Derby Tup
It’s morning ff
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Mar 2018
4:45pm, 7 Mar 2018
979 posts
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flyingfinn
True DT but I think it had been flushed by something out of the piece of woodland I was stood by. It didn't have Snipe markings on it's back (got a good long look as it flew away from me) and it was too bulky plus it didn't zig-zag like Snipe normally do when flushed. It stayed pretty low and went to ground again very quickly in the next bit of wood. Didn't make a sound either. Normally if I flush Snipe around the ponds on the rough pasture above the village they are very vocal.
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Mar 2018
7:44pm, 7 Mar 2018
17,469 posts
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flanker
Good selection on today’s run. Red kite (same spot for the third time so maybe about to make little red kites? ), kes, sparrowhawk, few yellowhammers, lots of linnet & fieldfare, song & maybe mistle thrushes, buzzards, and all the common hedgerow dwellers.
J2R seen a sparrowhawk take a pigeon (virtually under my nose) so a magpie might be possible.
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Mar 2018
9:31pm, 7 Mar 2018
448 posts
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bonners
Yup, the sparrowhawk regularly controls the pigeon population on our roof.
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