The song of the skylark never fails to fill me with joy. If I find myself on life support again and this time they have to turn the machines off, I want them play the sound of skylarks as they do it. One of my happiest moments was drowning in the song of a thousand skylarks at Reculver. So, the skylark.
Right now Jackdaws! They are the best birds at stopping the Magpies devouring everything on the table! Plus they have the coolest eyes. If I were a bird I’d aspire to be a Jackdaw!
Being colourblind I appreciate birds that I can easily identify. Robins, sparrows, dunnocks etc all blend into one for me so anything brightly or boldly coloured I am a big fan of. I think that’s why the Kingfisher is my favourite, even though it is technically not blue, it is the bluest and orangest thing in the world. My local river has a few (or one really busy) kingfishers and any time I spot one it makes my day.
You’re right, my favourite bird changes regularly too. At the moment it’s the starling. I admit they are boisterous, noisy, slightly veering towards being bullies and most certainly come mob handed, but they are brilliant parents and absolutely beautiful. Recently I watched an adult tend to its fledgling and it was so patient (yes, anthropomorphism) towards its greedy child. The adult came close and the colours! A much maligned but beautiful bird
Favourite bird? I'm going to say Goldfinch. We get a fair number around ours, I love the colouring, and I really enjoyed Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch', which is a stupid reason to like a bird, but hey...
cheers for this Lev, and cheers to others who have contributed , nice to read them all:) I'm going to join in with the flock even though I don't generally do favourites. I don't have a favourite book, album, nor recipe - too blessed, too many choices to have a fav. But there is one bird species that garners more attention from myself than the rest and that is the Common Buzzard which are frequently heard (mewing) before they are sighted. Most of my sightings are of them drifting steadily upwards on a rising thermal - for that moment they are detached from the conflicts on earth and as the simile says they are as free as a bird. They're wide spread and resident here (UK) and there fore frequently available to witness - absenteeism would only allow the mind and heart to perch elsewhere. Part of the allure is their commonality, a fix is never far away, but then because of this there's the mildest frustration that I never get to see one close up and probably never will, Buteo Buteo always for me.
My current favourite is the Eastern Rosella. Living in NZ, which I won't be forever, it's one of the colourful buggers you mention above that I know I'll miss back in Ireland.
No surprise to you, I’m sure, but my favourite bird is the Swift. A true sign that summer is at least close and the sound of my childhood evenings, lying awake waiting for my midsummer’s day birthday to come. I even have them tattooed on my arm.
My favourite bird is the swift. Surely everyone’s favourite bird is the swift! Anyone choosing a different bird here doesn’t really mean it - they just think that choosing the swift is a bit predictable.
I don’t really need to explain why it’s my favourite bird because you already know.
“Alexa, what is the birdiest bird of all birds?” “The swift, obvs!!!”
For me it's currently Nightjars. Frustratingly elusive but such a soothing churring if you can find them. And a good excuse to wander the woods and heath at night
I am a simple person so I'm going for a magpie. They are beautiful, intelligent and cheeky. It helps that there is a pair nesting in a tree near us and to see them build their nest has been joyful. One of them has only one leg and hops around in my garden making my cat furious
Fieldfare, as I have a lot to thank them for. As an eleven year old fledgling birder in the early 80’s I wrote to the BTO one hard winter asking why a flock was visiting my garden. The response was not only unpatronisingly technical but also actively encouraging. A pivotal moment that helped set my trajectory.
Has to be great tit as it's the first call I learned (tiny foot pump). Or if I'm visiting my family in Australia, the beautiful Splendid Fairy Wren.
The song of the skylark never fails to fill me with joy. If I find myself on life support again and this time they have to turn the machines off, I want them play the sound of skylarks as they do it. One of my happiest moments was drowning in the song of a thousand skylarks at Reculver. So, the skylark.
The sparrow. Features on the crest of my old school, Thurleston High.
Curlews. They remind me of a childhood on the N Yorkshire moors and make me simultaneously weep and smile. The sound sort of curls around your heart.
Right now Jackdaws! They are the best birds at stopping the Magpies devouring everything on the table! Plus they have the coolest eyes. If I were a bird I’d aspire to be a Jackdaw!
Being colourblind I appreciate birds that I can easily identify. Robins, sparrows, dunnocks etc all blend into one for me so anything brightly or boldly coloured I am a big fan of. I think that’s why the Kingfisher is my favourite, even though it is technically not blue, it is the bluest and orangest thing in the world. My local river has a few (or one really busy) kingfishers and any time I spot one it makes my day.
You’re right, my favourite bird changes regularly too. At the moment it’s the starling. I admit they are boisterous, noisy, slightly veering towards being bullies and most certainly come mob handed, but they are brilliant parents and absolutely beautiful. Recently I watched an adult tend to its fledgling and it was so patient (yes, anthropomorphism) towards its greedy child. The adult came close and the colours! A much maligned but beautiful bird
Favourite bird? I'm going to say Goldfinch. We get a fair number around ours, I love the colouring, and I really enjoyed Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch', which is a stupid reason to like a bird, but hey...
cheers for this Lev, and cheers to others who have contributed , nice to read them all:) I'm going to join in with the flock even though I don't generally do favourites. I don't have a favourite book, album, nor recipe - too blessed, too many choices to have a fav. But there is one bird species that garners more attention from myself than the rest and that is the Common Buzzard which are frequently heard (mewing) before they are sighted. Most of my sightings are of them drifting steadily upwards on a rising thermal - for that moment they are detached from the conflicts on earth and as the simile says they are as free as a bird. They're wide spread and resident here (UK) and there fore frequently available to witness - absenteeism would only allow the mind and heart to perch elsewhere. Part of the allure is their commonality, a fix is never far away, but then because of this there's the mildest frustration that I never get to see one close up and probably never will, Buteo Buteo always for me.
My current favourite is the Eastern Rosella. Living in NZ, which I won't be forever, it's one of the colourful buggers you mention above that I know I'll miss back in Ireland.
No surprise to you, I’m sure, but my favourite bird is the Swift. A true sign that summer is at least close and the sound of my childhood evenings, lying awake waiting for my midsummer’s day birthday to come. I even have them tattooed on my arm.
My favourite bird is the swift. Surely everyone’s favourite bird is the swift! Anyone choosing a different bird here doesn’t really mean it - they just think that choosing the swift is a bit predictable.
I don’t really need to explain why it’s my favourite bird because you already know.
“Alexa, what is the birdiest bird of all birds?” “The swift, obvs!!!”
Oh, too hard to choose, but come back to swifts, for the delight they always strike into me when I hear or see them.
Insert all your bingo words here….
Mostly, I think, because they are not like me, they are athletic, slender, mysterious… sigh.
Also, I already know I love the book, as a friend lent me their copy, so now I need my own to re-read (and start my official list at the back in). :-)
For me it's currently Nightjars. Frustratingly elusive but such a soothing churring if you can find them. And a good excuse to wander the woods and heath at night
I am a simple person so I'm going for a magpie. They are beautiful, intelligent and cheeky. It helps that there is a pair nesting in a tree near us and to see them build their nest has been joyful. One of them has only one leg and hops around in my garden making my cat furious
Fieldfare, as I have a lot to thank them for. As an eleven year old fledgling birder in the early 80’s I wrote to the BTO one hard winter asking why a flock was visiting my garden. The response was not only unpatronisingly technical but also actively encouraging. A pivotal moment that helped set my trajectory.