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[bobleponge]

To be honest I'm not really a birdwatcher,but I love all nature, and the goodside of my job is that allows me to see things that other folks would pay fortunes for.
I dont like not knowing what things are though, thats why I am fishing for info on here, as there are so many birds I've never seen or even heard of before.
Before I was here I was in Chad, and there was a fantastic bird, brilliant irridescent (sp) blue that I'd never seen before, so I did some research. It was a bee eater, never did pin down the exact model though, and it made me determined to find out a bit more about the ones I saw daily.
I did, however, come over slightly unneccesary 3 summers ago when I saw a pair of Hoopoe in my front garden. Fantastic birds.
I've got a pair of cheap Zeiss bins that I bought years ago in Germany, which I use for spotting whatever happens to come along. Our camp has floodlights you could play footy under so dont need night vision at all. I can see out to at least 150m which is comforting.

[smallblueplanet]

Yeah we didn't start out as birdwatchers, out on a walk a friend gave us a look through a mono-glass and we were amazed at the difference it made. Suddenly you could understand what is was about birds that was so interesting!

When we got our own bins we got ones that have a close focus too so and they're really good for bugs like dragonflies and flowers you aren't supposed to get close to - the one's in someone's garden or those just on the other side of the fence!!!

Seen a hoopoe once in Crete, I even got it to 'lift' its crest by clapping groovy looking things! I reckon where you are now, there's so many 'gaudy' birds that the little brown jobs will be the fascinating ones?!

[bobleponge]

There is actually a little one here, its like a wagtail in the UK, about the same size and it does wag its tail. But its yellow on the front and sort of greyish with what can only be described as "pinstripes" down its wings and back.
Cute little thing but cant get a photo as so flighty.
Will try and get one on here though.

[lynda66]

The RSPB: Yellow wagtail

The RSPB: grey wagtail

[bobleponge]

Its a sort of a cross between the yellow and the pied wagtail. The breast colouring is much lighter and the stripey wings and back appear to be more like the pied wagtail.

*contemplates lying in the baking African sun for a few hours trying to take picture of tiny bird*

[lynda66]

well at least you'll get a good tan

[lynda66]

Morning all. Anyone up for a challenge this morning? Carp photo taken on full zoom for a bird, a bit bigger than a kestrel.
Sorry I cant be more elfful but as much as I pleaded it simply refused to come closer.
SBP I am trying to finish "how to identify birds" but theres a lot to read.

could it be a grey backed fiscal??
Grey-backed Fiscal

[smallblueplanet]

Its a sort of a cross between the yellow and the pied wagtail. The breast colouring is much lighter and the stripey wings and back appear to be more like the pied wagtail.

*contemplates lying in the baking African sun for a few hours trying to take picture of tiny bird*

Don't forget yer hat!

File:Africanpiedwagtail.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[bobleponge]

Hats?? Pah. Mad dogs and Englishmen.
Its not that one SBP, its closer to a mix of the yellow and pied that Lynda posted.

*sneaks off work to go and get a tan for an hour in the name of ornithology*

[smallblueplanet]

Okay maddog! Here's the list of wagtails!

Wagtail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[lynda66]

maybe it's just pale cos it's been here all summer, and it's not got a tan yet?? and the drawings do tend to be very bright

and it could be female http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/bird...ail/index.asp#
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/bird...ail/index.asp#

[bobleponge]

[QUOTE=lynda66;327437]

and it could be female QUOTE]
Ahh confused by a female yet again. One day I'll learn.

Well, I cant move for these lot but I have just lost about 3 layers of dermis trying to snap one of these little wagtaily types.

I'll get one though.

[lynda66]

*rubs bobs dermis* ....... that's a strange name for it

well the second one is a pied crow and the first one is a big ugly thing

[bobleponge]

*all soothed now*

Since I've come back to work the "big ugly thing" population has increased 10 fold. There were only 2 in the compound, there's a good 20 of them now. Huge big ugly things they are too. However, and there is always a silver lining, the maribou feather is highly prized by fly fishermen for tying flies. And as I am one, its a bit of a bonus really.

[lynda66]

oh good ..... glad it's better

yeah okkkkkk (hides little fishies in case bob gets his rod out)