Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

I have a Photobucket account, and all I do is click on the IMG code, hit control+c, then come over to the post reply here, hit control+v. That should import the whole URL, and if you preview, the photo should open up properly.

It's always much harder sounding than it is to do.

If you have a hosting account, such as Photobucket, I believe I can insert the URL for the photo for you (as a moderator) if you can't do it yourself.  I'd need the URL, of course.

Try it, and we'll see how you go.

Kingfisher

My bird for today: The Jay

While it is a member of the crow family, it is the most colorful and also fairly difficult to catch a sighting of.

I don't have a picture to put up so here is an image I found.......

Is the Jay that difficult to spot? I know I have seen them in England on at least one of my visits, although I can't recall offhand where.

Kingfisher

We have several Jays but they are not in our garden they fly up the side of the valley close to the treeline into a neighbours back garden which is opposite my kitchen window. My husband is going to try for a pic if he can sometime this spring.

It would be great to see a pic if you could get one. Kingfisher, Jay's arent that rare to see - but they're not that common either.

But they are fast!!!!!!

My bird, the black-shouldered Kite. A fantastic bird, this is only a juvenile one.

I too consider the kingfisher to be among my favourite birds. It always surprises me how often people say they've never seen them as they are not uncommon. I would guess that most folk have them under their noses but don't see them. Whenever I'm near suitable water I look out for that quick flash of electric blue, but more importantly listen for their call.

I did not get to hear the kingfisher when I was lucky enough to see it. Here in the United States the Belted Kingfisher has an unmistakable sound--like that of an old-fashioned police rattle. Is that what the European Kingfisher sounds like, as well?

Kingfisher

No it's a high pitched rather shrill "squeak", difficult to describe a sound, but my Collins guide likens it to "zii....zii tii". As I enjoy listening for birds I always have my PDA with me with the Collins eGuide to birds on it which includes the calls

It sounds as if I will have to add that to my collection. I have CDs (yes, I know, old-fashioned) with the Peterson's Birds of North America calls, and I also enjoy birding by ear.

Kingfisher

Before I got the PDA, I used a mini disk player with a disk onto which I had copied my birdsong CDs. Each track was numbered and the number written in against the entry in my field guide, so it was simple to zip through the tracks until I found the one I wanted. I was a bit red-faced one day, howeve, when I went outside from the hide where I was birding, then came back in, sat down and said rather loudly "I can hear a wood warbler", which I could, but it was coming out of the headphones on my mini disk which was sat on the shelf and I had forgotten to switch off!!

Just to let you know, I glimpsed an advert tha a national newspaper was giving away CD's with bird songs this week. I can't remember which it was, but I'm sure it will be obvious if you have a look on the front pages.

I'm thinking of picking them up if I can sometime this week so I'll let you know how good they are.

I wish the papers in the United States did the same thing--even when I go to the trouble of picking up some of the UK newspapers here in the States, the CDs are not included .

Kingfisher

I can't seem to find the newspaper anymore - maybe I imagined it! If anyone else knows which one it is please let me know, I would like to get it.