Cranes, Bustards, Spoonbills,Kites, Ospreys, Glossy Ibis, and Nightjars.

[ablueclaret]

Amazing what you can see in the UK nowadays.
Even though I lived only a couple of miles away from the first release area for Cranes in the West of England still to see one in flight, nor have I seen a Great Bustard although I pass over Salisbury Plain quite regularly, the rest I've been fortunate to see close up along with the elusive Bittern.
But in someways the bird I'd most like to see is the elusive Lesser spotted woodpecker, even been in the frustrating situation at Arne were someone had spotted one using his telescope but was out of range to the naked eye. Mind you the Spoonbills there always make the visit worth while along with a plethora of wading birds and raptors.

[TheFamilyCat]

The bustards will be extinct soon.

An expensive conservation project saw them flourish in the early 90's and their numbers peaked in 1995 .however they struggled to establish themselves on the continent where much smaller but hardier birds easily picked them off, and fighting between members of the flock further hampered their success.

After this peak, they continued to survive but signs of decline were evident, despite the investment in their future.

But then the project was stopped and the bustard's habitat was invaded by the Indian Chicken, a disorganised, unclimatised but ruthless predator which over the last 6 years has decimated the bustard population and leaves it on the brink of extinction.

Despite desperate pleas from bustard enthusiasts, the RSPCA is not concerned about the bustard's plight, over bird watchers don't care and they will disappear quickly and quietly with little fuss made.

See them while you can.

[ablueclaret]

Nightjars, Kingfishers and Swifts my favourite birds each with its own unique and intangible mystery, birds to be mesmerised by.

[ClaretCliff]

Brilliant, familycat

[Pstotto]

Little Egret fishing on the Stour in town today, never seen that before, but lots of fish of different types for its dinner.

[Quickenthetempo]

Should we stop celebrating the Indian chicken in East Lancs then?