Show us ya birds !

[Billhook]

Swallows lining up ready for off today.

They sit around for the last few weeks of North Wind and cloud and then decide to leave as soon as the sun comes out!  Never did understand birds (of any variety!)

 

 

[nepia]

Don't let @htb talk to them 🤣

[nepia]

@ABtrees I'll take a stab in the dark at Bonelli's Eagle.  We saw three of Spain's five eagles on a Naturetrek trip in Andalucia years ago but I don't remember the differences.

Spot of the day was a Bonelli's over a small town carrying a still writhing snake

[Bob_z_l]

4 hours ago, Billhook said:

Swallows lining up ready for off today.

They sit around for the last few weeks of North Wind and cloud and then decide to leave as soon as the sun comes out!  Never did understand birds (of any variety!)

 

 

Similar from last night.... we've had 3 nests in the stables...2 clutches from each. Reckon this'll be mst of them getting set to go home.

 

[rapalaman]

5 hours ago, ABtrees said:

 

Yes - officially apparently the Short-toed Snake Eagle.

Clue's in the name on the Chough - Alps - due East of Annecy.  You left out the young Black Redstart and do you want to hazard a guess at the big fella with the distinctive silhouette above the mountain. As a clue to its size, it was about 1/2 a mile from me - that picture is heavily cropped and taken on a 400mm.  Think barn door !

Lammergeier? Rare I know

[ABtrees]

1 hour ago, rapalaman said:

Lammergeier? Rare I know

Very, very good. That's exactly what it is.

 

AKA : Bearded vulture or Gypaete Barbu locally.  Very rare even where we were.  They are massive 43" tall and about 8ft wingspan.  Staple diet consists of animal bones which they swallow whole or break by dropping them onto rocks from a great height.  Interesting birds - there was one in the UK last year only the 2nd in 20 yrs - but they reckon that was a young bird over from the Alps.

[Anno]

yep deffo Lammer, superb beasts!

[rapalaman]

Not seen one myself - only on documentaries but always have binoculars and a zoom camera when travelling so seen quite a few birds of prey worldwide, many unidentified though. 

[sime42]

Anyone have any idea who this belonged to?

I found it on top of one of our wood piles, just under the corrugated plastic roof. It's beautifully constructed. I guess robin or blackbird.

[rapalaman]

Looks like blackbird to me - though size not so easy to tell without something to scale it next to?