• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Search results

thxpress_search_the_forum Search Opus
  1. condor1992

    Spring and summer 2024

    After an exhausting term 2 in university physics, I realised I had not been out birdwatching since the start of the year! Three trips to Thetford Forest followed, which resulted in incredible great grey shrike photos. Currently hoping for a golden eagle encounter in Spain, as well as seeing...
  2. condor1992

    Goshawk or Sparrowhawk? (Norfolk, UK)

    Saw this confusing hawk today over a large forest where both species are regularly seen. Goshawk or sparrowhawk? I initially thought goshawk, but then began to doubt it significantly. If I just had the first photo I would have said goshawk without thinking, but the second one confuses me (same bird)
  3. condor1992

    Shaming birdwatchers on social media

    Birdwatching is a fun activity, and in the process you can meet some great people. However, not everyone is as friendly as others. Recently I have seen a surge in birdwatchers shaming others on Twitter and other sites. Photos have been taken of birdwatchers without their consent, and then...
  4. condor1992

    Red-breasted goose, Cley Marshes, Norfolk

    Thursday 4th January 2024. Surprisingly difficult to pick out in a flock of wintering brent geese. Its association with a flock of brent geese identifies it as a vagrant from N Siberia rather than the other option. Entire flock briefly flushed by F-35 jet over reserve
  5. condor1992

    Pallid harrier, Warham Greens, Norfolk

    Photos from Thursday 4th January. Around 14:45-14:50 in "could-be-better" light conditions. Second year running this rare harrier returns to winter here
  6. condor1992

    Pallid or Montagu's?

    In August 2021, I observed this ringtail palltagu's harrier, but am not sure which one of them it is, specifically. It is definitely a palltagu's- slim, 4 primaries, very long tail, but am clueless which one exactly. This occurred in an area of Russia where both are equally likely to occur
  7. condor1992

    Harrier species

    Quite a while before I saw the confirmed pallid harrier at Warham Greens on Thursday, I was observing a very strangely-coloured ringtail harrier for some time. It is of an unusual colour, in my opinion, to the hen harriers I am used to. These are the best photos I could obtain. I waited to see...
  8. condor1992

    Merlin or Kestrel

    Found at sunset at Warham Greens. Very small raptor, seemed uniform brown when evaluated. Took off in low level flight with rapid wingbeats. There were a lot of white patches under the tail
  9. condor1992

    Norfolk Coast Rarities

    Today's bike ride stretched from Sheringham to Warham Greens, near Wells next to the sea, and back. Compared to my other bike rides, most notably the 60-80km ones in Spain, this was shorter but the amount of steep hills made it an absolute nightmare! Part 1. Cley Marshes After arriving at Cley...
  10. condor1992

    Common Eider Morecambe Bay

    I was thinking of visiting Morecambe Bay to see common eider this summer. I've heard some good things about Foulney island, and although the tides do unnerve me, how good are the views of the eiders there, typically? If not, is South Walney still any good for them? I've also heard there are...
  11. condor1992

    Winter 2022-23 and my hopes for this winter

    As I prepare to return to my favourite wetland again upon hearing the news that hen harriers and merlins have returned there for the winter, I decided to remember what last winter was like. This was spurred on by the realization that a small bird of prey on one of my January photos was in fact a...
  12. condor1992

    Warham Green

    Has anyone been to Warham Green, near Wells? Was thinking of going out there sometime to see if I could get good views of hen harriers as well as that pallid harrier which again rocked up there (plus perhaps the eagles which live there). Any advice? I also had this longstanding wish of seeing...
  13. condor1992

    Winter 2023

    So, autumn is nearly over. For me, the time of the year is over when I sought fungi, both edible and delicious as well as rare and poisonous for photos. Best find this year was the ultra-rare Imperator rhodopurpureus, an absolutely stunning bolete found in grassland at Windsor, although 20 years...
  14. condor1992

    July 2023- Beautiful birds and rare fungi

    In July, I visited Alicante in Spain and, despite the searing heat, managed to see quite a lot of interesting things, although there was no repeat of the spring, where a lesser flamingo and 3 elegant terns turned up in the area. My main target was what I call the azurewing, Coracias garrulus. I...
  15. condor1992

    How to find scorpions (in Spain)

    Currently, I'm trying to find a scorpion in the Alicante area. Recently I became aware of all the yellow scorpions in this region being assigned to a different species, Buthus alacanti, which is why I spent quite a bit of time searching for them today in Clot de Galvany, though half-heartedly as...
  16. condor1992

    Visiting superlative trees in the UK

    There are superlative trees in the UK. I was surprised to hear it, but there are some majestic, very old, very beautiful individual, named and dated organisms, the age and size of which is incredible. In autumn 2022, I tried to see some of the best ones. One of the trees I saw may be the second...
  17. condor1992

    Elegant/Lesser crested tern

    I recently realised I have taken a much better photo of the bird yesterday. What I find interesting is the absolutely MASSIVE dagger-shaped yellow bill the tern has (compare to surrounding terns, also to the bill of a confirmed elegant from the same meter or so of area: Elegant Tern (Thalasseus...
  18. condor1992

    Most memorable bird encounters

    Starting this thread in the hope others will chime in with their most memorable bird encounters. I've provided 5 of mine below, with the best photo of the day, as well as a rating I gave to that birdwatching day, with a 10.0 being an ideal day. 5. Sierra Espuna 04/2022 Rating: 5.7 Species...
  19. condor1992

    Recommendations for the UK

    Currently, I'm torn between visiting Surrey to see Colin, or visiting Northern England to see a lady's slipper colony a warden has graciously told me I may visit. Problem is, it is 3.5 hours to the lady's slipper colony. The cuckoo is much closer and easier for me. Is anyone aware of Colin's...
  20. condor1992

    Elegant tern?

    Currently I'm having a fight with an ebird moderator who is witholding my observation from ebird on the grounds that he isn't sure that the tern is. What is that tern? It was sitting next to the confirmed elegant tern I posted earlier in the gallery
  21. condor1992

    A day of rarities

    I have never visited Torrevieja by bike, because I thought it too far away. A 35km bike ride in 1 direction, after all! Well, to the area I wanted to visit. Distracted by reports of an elegant tern at El Pinet, I almost cut the trip short as I rode past. If I had done that, that would have...
  22. condor1992

    The absolute most frustrating bird in existence

    Today I went out to visit El Molar again, still not over what happened last time. Last time, I tried and failed to get photos of a common cuckoo in the area, just being content with its (beautiful) calling. Although El Hondo attempted to compensate, with a short-toed eagle perching obligingly on...
  23. condor1992

    70km by bike

    It was an early start today. Today my target bird was the common cuckoo. I didn't think I would see a short-toed eagle, or golden oriole. Either of these would be far, far better. For a long time, I saw nothing. The first birds I encountered were two bee-eaters near a palm plantation, and then...
  24. condor1992

    Spain bird of prey

    Today I saw a very large bird of prey (or so it seemed to me) near a wetland. I've attached photos below. My guess, based on the massive-looking head and significant white all over the body, is that that is a short-toed eagle, but am not really sure
  25. condor1992

    Sierra Oeste de Madrid

    On the 6th April 2023, I had the best birdwatching experience I ever had. Even better than the bearded vulture encounter last summer. I have not, ever, experienced anything like this yet. To do this trip, I met up with a local guide, John Muddeman. Before I set out for the trip, I didn't have...
Back
Top