Site Supporter Alf Hartigan Posted July 30, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 Who's seen one whilst out in the countryside? Saw one in Turton yesterday and it was stunning, driving down Greens Arms Road and this massive bird came down in front of me (not swooping for a kill, just to sit on a post). I was right underneath it and it's talons looked bigger than my hands, turned round further down the road to get a picture but it had gone. I've seen them in exhibitions on peoples arms but this fucker was bigger than anything like that, thought it was going to pick my car up at one point, okay exaggerating there. Googled it since, and it was probably one of the larger hawks, absolutely breathtaking to see close up though. Still think it may have been a Golden Eagle, although google tells me it won't be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Steejay Posted July 30, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, Alf Hartigan said: Who's seen one whilst out in the countryside? Saw one in Turton yesterday and it was stunning, driving down Greens Arms Road and this massive bird came down in front of me (not swooping for a kill, just to sit on a post). I was right underneath it and it's talons looked bigger than my hands, turned round further down the road to get a picture but it had gone. I've seen them in exhibitions on peoples arms but this fucker was bigger than anything like that, thought it was going to pick my car up at one point, okay exaggerating there. Googled it since, and it was probably one of the larger hawks, absolutely breathtaking to see close up though. Still think it may have been a Golden Eagle, although google tells me it won't be. Probably a buzzard. Kestrels are probably the most common but not that big. No golden eagles in England now, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mounts Kipper Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Love birds of Prey, always excited when I see one, majestic creatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Steejay Posted July 30, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 Chris Eagles Kidderminster Hen Harriers Mark Falco n Kes Pennant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freds dad Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Robin Van Persie Raheem Starling Dave Pheasant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Alf Hartigan Posted July 30, 2019 Author Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, Steejay said: Chris Eagles Kidderminster Hen Harriers Mark Falco n Kes Pennant Fuck sake, don't turn it into one of those threads. Eden Buzzard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youri McAnespie Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Sounds like a Haast's Eagle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Steejay Posted July 30, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 5 minutes ago, freds dad said: Robin Van Persie Raheem Starling Dave Pheasant 🤣 Dangerous birds of prey them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter fatolive Posted July 30, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 Seen one kill the kids pet rabbit once, sad obviously, but fucking hell was an awesome sight too and I suppose the thing didn’t know it was a newly bought pet, just dinner so fair enough I suppose on a work team building thing once, got volunteered to wear the glove while this kestrel flew and landed on it, even through this chain mail/ leather glove, could feel the grip this thing had on my arm, and the speed it came to me was frightening, don’t mnd admitting that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Alf Hartigan Posted July 30, 2019 Author Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 31 minutes ago, Steejay said: Probably a buzzard. Kestrels are probably the most common but not that big. No golden eagles in England now, sadly. Isn't the bird at Bolton Town Hall a Kestrel that scares the Pigeons off? It looked twice the size of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter only1swanny Posted July 30, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 we had a sparrow hawk and a few owls nearby at our last house.. The owls were dicks and used to hoot down the chimney pots at night, proper noisy.. The sparrow hawk would sit on the fence at the back garden and glare at the dog. Big massive bird. At work they bring a Harris Hawk in once a week to scare of the gulls that plight the yard at the back.. Little Lever's gangster gulls were not even remotely scared of it despite it being huge and scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Alf Hartigan Posted July 30, 2019 Author Site Supporter Share Posted July 30, 2019 Gulls are taking over the world, always had the numbers but seem to have the size now. They're a bigger problem than these scooter robbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjayoghani Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 3 hours ago, Steejay said: Probably a buzzard. Kestrels are probably the most common but not that big. No golden eagles in England now, sadly. They're reintroducing golden eagles to Scotland though. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-45248409 Youri, I think the Haast Eagle died out as their primary food source, the Moa bird were hunted to extinction by Maori. I saw a reconstructed Moa in a museum and they're feckin massive so Haast eagles must have been huge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bolty58 Posted July 31, 2019 Members Share Posted July 31, 2019 Amazing animals and intelligent too. We have Eagles here (which is why the local AFL team chose that name). Out in the wilds they are scary fuckers. Big bastards who do very well out of road kill and I was recently north of a remote hell hole called Wiluna when I had the most recent of many encounters with them when a dead camel was its morning meal (yes, there are wild camels here left over from the Afghan trails south to north and vice versa). In the middle of the road and they are perched there ripping off lumps of flesh. They clock you from a fair distance and start to lean towards you and spread their wings aggressively in a "this is my fucking meal" pose and they only fly away (very temporarily) when you are right on top of them. This girl is one of'em. Does this before every home game. Spectacular animal but a wanky name though. Such imagination Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green genie Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 5 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said: Gulls are taking over the world, always had the numbers but seem to have the size now. They're a bigger problem than these scooter robbers. Been some great arguments on social media over this. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.devonlive.com/news/seagull-snatched-chihuahua-protecting-young-3120632.amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underpants Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said: Who's seen one whilst out in the countryside? Saw one in Turton yesterday and it was stunning, driving down Greens Arms Road and this massive bird came down in front of me (not swooping for a kill, just to sit on a post). I was right underneath it and it's talons looked bigger than my hands, turned round further down the road to get a picture but it had gone. I've seen them in exhibitions on peoples arms but this fucker was bigger than anything like that, thought it was going to pick my car up at one point, okay exaggerating there. Googled it since, and it was probably one of the larger hawks, absolutely breathtaking to see close up though. Still think it may have been a Golden Eagle, although google tells me it won't be. It will be more than likely be a buzzard. Loads of them around its just folk don't notice them. If you are driving down a motorway for any length of time you will see them circling high up on the thermals. Saw one trying to collect a dead rabbit once. Town Hall and parish church have Perigrin Falcons. Can not mistake their call. It screeches. Pigeons don't hang about. There was a perigrin that regularly hung around on the scoreboard floodlight at the Wanderers. You will almost certainly hear this bird before you see it. Edited July 31, 2019 by Underpants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted July 31, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 31, 2019 Aye, definitely a buzzard unless it's an escaped job from captivity. One mon frequently excercise his BOPs on new house farm playing fields. Popping over to Wales and red kites are abundant now. Was once lucky enough to see a male hen harrier in Scotland, and a golden eagle there as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzo Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 If they carry on letting seagulls evolve in the way they are, they’ll become the dominant bird across the whole country and spread across the mainland. Theyre out of control. Reckon 3-4 of em could take a Falcon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweep Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 Loads of birds of prey around where I live, mainly Kites and Buzzards. I'm also quite lucky that I see a few Barn Owls early evening as well, one of them lives quite close by as well I think, the noisy cunt it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 Saw a Sparrow Hawk murder a pigeon in the snow a while back. Majestic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted July 31, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 31, 2019 2 hours ago, Sweep said: Loads of birds of prey around where I live, mainly Kites and Buzzards. I'm also quite lucky that I see a few Barn Owls early evening as well, one of them lives quite close by as well I think, the noisy cunt it is Was it not a tawny? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweep Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 24 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said: Was it not a tawny? Could be, I never see it, just hear it early evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted July 31, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 31, 2019 5 minutes ago, Sweep said: Could be, I never see it, just hear it early evening. If it's the traditional "towit towoo" (or however you spell it), then tawnies. When you see barn owls in the half light of dusk, hunting, they're silent. Fookin brilliant sight- an avian ghost gliding through the gloom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Site Supporter Tonge moor green jacket Posted July 31, 2019 Site Supporter Share Posted July 31, 2019 Just in case anyone's passing.. This place is a tremendous visit, and great for the kids. https://www.icbp.org/ The displays are excellent, with a bit of humour chucked in, so it's not stuffy. Beware the vulture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweep Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 20 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said: When you see barn owls in the half light of dusk, hunting, they're silent. Fookin brilliant sight- an avian ghost gliding through the gloom. yes, see them flying across the common, one sometimes sits on the little bridge over the river, not that you can ever get close to it though. The other week, I was lucky enough to see a kingfisher in the morning and the barn owl sat on the bridge in the evening - never seen both of them in the same day or even week before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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