What have you seen

Walked around the lanes today. Many Redwing with a few Fieldfare and a bonus with 2 Bramblings which I haven't seen around our village for over 10 years. Also saw a Buzzard on the ground in the middle of a field eating its breakfast. Looked like rabbit pie. 

Hi OP

Does Minsmere have a massive flock of starlings like I witnessed this morning  on the Somerset levels at Ham Wall. There must have been hundreds and hundreds of thousands all taking off at the same time. It appears that due to the level of mist, they seemed somewhat unsure and returned to the reeds a couple of times giving three spectacular flights. The fly past was not as long in time as the evening murmurations, but extremely loud and very impressive. The process began with very loud chirping for 10 minutes or so and groups flying low above the reeds. Then large numbers  flocked in to the same area until the reeds became black with birds. Followed by a split second of silence, then the hum of thousands of wings beating at once as the birds flew up again. Marvelous sight, but the mist restricted the view somewhat.

The Warden suggested this would continue for a couple of months with luck, so if anyone is interested, it is worth getting up early for.

No most of the starlings at Minsmere and other East coast site will eventually make there way to Somerset and join the thousands already there.  We have about 25 that hang around our garden area and apart for a short period where others join them they tend to stay all year.

I'm pretty sure that Somerset have the largest flocks in the UK during the winter

Thanks for the info. Last winter there were quotes of 750,000, incredible that they perform this on a daily basis. Our garden flock consists of 5 and they also perform in the evening, flying out of their large conifer for a few laps then roost for the night.

On my lunch time walk on Salford Quays today I saw a kingfisher. At first I saw a small bright blue bird flying just above the water and wasn’t sure what it was, (I’m no expert on birds) then watched it perch on a low overhanging branch and couldn’t mistake it. It stayed there for a minute or so until I got closer when it flew off.

Whoopee, or should that be hoopoe? Perched on a fence near our apartment. Try as I may I couldn't catch it with its crest up. Fabulous sight in flight to! 

Great sighting mickysf   a bird I have not been lucky enough to see even though I have heard it!

I wonder if this is the same Hoopoe I saw at Flamborough head earlier this year? I couldn't get near enough to take a photo,a crowd of twitchers seemed to think they had exclusive rights to it, it was actually in the back garden of a bungalow so they would have had a good view from the kitchen window