Harnser Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 I was having a drive around a rape stubble field today to see where the pigeons were. It was raining and was very dull and wet . As I was driving across the field I could see a number of swallows flying about 3 feet off the ground and obviously looking for insects . Because of the weather conditions the insects that they were after were keeping low down and the birds had to fly low to find them . As I drove across the field the swallows started to fly just off the ground all around my truck . They were flying in front of the truck below bonnet level and along side the truck in fact they were completely surrounding the truck and darting to and fro snapping up insects that the truck was disturbing as I was driving along . This was as close as I have ever been to feeding swallows before . A really wonderful sight to see . There must have been 40 or 50 birds following my truck . Opportunists or what ? When I reached the other side of the field I had to turn around and drive back again just to watch them fly and feed on the wing . Wonderful ,wonderful birds . Little things like this can really make your day .Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Hirundines are marvellous flyers. I love to watch them taking mayflies off the river. Wet old day today. I think it's rained all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 it's amazing how much wild life you see sitting in a hide all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul taylor Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Was watching them with my young son this weekend while fishing the mighty Trent. Great to see skimming the water and catching flies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 A nice picture you have painted there Harnser. Some swallows in the village have already had two broods. The swifts, hundreds nesting in this village under the pantiles, have all now gone to warmer climes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I count myself extremely lucky to have access and interest in our English countryside , at any time of the year there is always something to see to make your day . it don't matter how old or young you are you often see something you hadn't seen before. Take the other day when I went for a walk down the marsh , I got as far as the gate down the end of the track when out on the freshly cut grass there was a Fox chasing a Hare , twice the Hare ran to the gate where I was standing and then decided to give the Fox another run around the field , as the Fox got nearer it looked as if the Hare changed gear and accelerated away leaving the Fox in the slow lane . it looked more like a game than evil intent , and both lived to fight a another day Something I had never seen before and maybe never to see again . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Don't we all just love nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 not in the same league as Harnser, but a couple of weeks ago down the bottom of the lane i came across a flock of sparrows...at least a 100 plus of them feeding on gone to seed docks............that i had not seen that many for a very very long time...........when i was very young there were flocks like that everywhere...in the stock yard ...farmyard....on the roads following the grain trailers....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I have a real soft spot for the ol spagger. not in the same league as Harnser, but a couple of weeks ago down the bottom of the lane i came across a flock of sparrows...at least a 100 plus of them feeding on gone to seed docks............that i had not seen that many for a very very long time...........when i was very young there were flocks like that everywhere...in the stock yard ...farmyard....on the roads following the grain trailers....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I count myself extremely lucky to have access and interest in our English countryside , at any time of the year there is always something to see to make your day . it don't matter how old or young you are you often see something you hadn't seen before. +1 - about three weeks ago I had a swallow - one of many, many birds around - fly about 6" past my ear at what must have been 40+mph. One of the permissions I shoot is an old airfield, sown with wheat and they were darting, looping and whirling all over that. To add my off-topic bit, the yearling roebuck I saw last week made my day. Mate and I out shooting on a farm that had been cut a few days earlier and over he comes, bounding towards mate's decoys. Stops. Has a look. Comes in a bit further. Repeats this another few times. He was basically in the pattern, one moment sniffing the decoys, the next looking at my mate quizzically, then me, doing the head-bobbing thing they always do when they're curious. Unfortunately a shot at a pigeon overhead from me sent him bounding off again, but otherwise I think he'd have stayed, watching us watching him. Rather special given you'd have thought he'd avoid a human at all costs, but he was a young'un. Will have to take the rifle next time though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 As a 14 year old lad many moons ago, i was fishing a fenland river. I had been watching a lone swallow skimming the water for flies when all of a sudden a pike took it out of mid air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 We've returned from holiday and have a nest in the stable and they are on their third brood . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 As a 14 year old lad many moons ago, i was fishing a fenland river. I had been watching a lone swallow skimming the water for flies when all of a sudden a pike took it out of mid air. When I first went to work on the estate, there was a large lake which still had the old duck decoy there , ( last used by the N T O for duck ringing ) , and the decoy man who was still alive then, was telling me no young duck was brought up as the Pike used to take them , he also saw a Pike take a half grown Canada goose from a family group swimming across the lake . How big the fish were ? , I don't know but in the hotel near the entrance they have got a stuffed one in a case weighing well over 30 lb which was caught there at some time in the past . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted August 20, 2015 Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 I'll second this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dad Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 couple of years ago went up the river in my fishing boat really early and saw in one of the posh gardens that run down to the river a dog otter and a fox having a tug of war with an eel. first otter i had ever seen on the river too. this year while watching a pea field in the car a stoat ran past with a baby in its mouth with a kestrel dive boming it the stoat kept dropping the rabbit and leaping up to bite the kestrel every swoop this went on for about 10 mins getting further away all the time when about 75 yards away a big crow got involved and settled it and took the rabbit. wonderful to watch a shame no camera. wild life camera men wait a life time for something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshMike Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 Fantastic birds. I am lucky enough to have swallows nesting in my garage every year and have seen the 2 broods this year fledge which is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I was up on the N Norfolk Coast on Thursday doing wildlife survey work and both swallows and house martins were migrating along the coast in very big numbers. I even saw half a dozen swifts with them. Our local swifts have been gone for almost a month so they must have been moveing through from somewhere else. Stacks of waders moving through and at dusk yesterday 140 little egrets were gathering on a secret pool before going up to roost in a close by wood. In the last few days the finches have starting to flock up as well , 60 odd goldfinches yesterday and a big flock of 100 + greenfinches in my woods this morning. Teal wigeon and mallard numbers are increasing every week on the reserve , Autumn is comming fast . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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