I saw a sparrowhawk today too and have seen roedeer and a nuthatch recently but am really envious of you and charlieB on your goldcrest sightings. They are such gorgeous little birds.
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Four Snow Buntings on Calf Top yesterday morning at the start of the Dales Skyline. We were the ones feeling cold whilst they were blown away.
Saw A pair of owls hunting on Meltham moor this aft. They were just below the snowline and were very active. Found this poem about Barn owls hunting:
A Pair of Barn Owls, Hunting by David Wagoner
Now slowly, smoothly flying over the field
Beside the orchard into the after-light
Of the cold evening, the ash gold owls come sailing
Close to the branches, gliding across the arbor
Where the bare grapevines ripen only shadows
In the dead of winter, and at the end of a garden
Suddenly flare their wings, hover,
And swerve, claws first, down to the grass together.
Hes; it was nothing to be too envious of, fleeting would best describe it!
A good dozen buzzards on a field just up the road, looking for worms I guess after last nights rain.
Interesting thing was the white buzzard amongst them, which I haven't seen before. Could hardly miss it standing there!!
2 Pine martens Friday night, a first sighting for me
The Reality Of Life Is Inevitably Death
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this totally shocked Starling didn't survive the Sparrowhawk's attack
i saw a bird today that def not kestrel or sparrow hawk(too big).
checked my bird book and a looks similar to buzzard or hen harrier.
it was a lighter colour and larger than wharfeego's pics
there was a lot of 'white' to its feathers and a distinctive hooked beak amd yellow legs/claws.
it was about 50 cms head to claw.
it was between pontefract and featherstone alongside the railway.
i have spotted a great spotter woodpecker around here quit a few times
A parrot on our doorstep being mauled by a neighbours cat. The poor little fella didn't make it through the night.
Not every day you have a red, green and yellow bird in your house.