As I am trying to write several posts for the blog before I head off on holiday, I thought I would cheat a bit and use various social networking sites to write a post by finding out what peoples favourite British birds were and why.  

I put the question out on my personal Twitter feed and Facebook page, as well as texting a couple of “birdy” friends to find out. 

You can see from some of the responses I got below, there is a wide range of views and reasons.

A, Gloucestershire: “Probably not a common choice but my favourite bird is the jackdaw.”

AO’H, Montrose: “Eider duck, I can id them in various plumages and love the way they sound!”

BG, Kendal: “Goldfinches, for when I was a child chasing flocks of them over fresh cut grass rows ready for haymaking! My summer bird.”

AR, Edinburgh: “Little Grebe. Character beyond their diminutive size, and the way they ‘disappear’ underwater without a noticeable ‘dive’.”

DF, Aberdeenshire: “Personally, ospreys since I’ve spent so much time working with them. Hard not to love a long-tailed tit though…”

JW, Edinburgh: “Swift is my favourite, because it livens up the city skies in the summer with its aerobatics.”

PF, Bournemouth: “Tough call. But I would have to go with peregrine purely because of its speed and elegance!”

CB, Belfast: “Yellowhammer, their appearance is amazing, that rusty coloured back, but most of all they are one of the last birds singing in late summer and I just think how lucky we are still to have them about, a symbol of mixed farming and the diversity of the countryside!”

MP, Hampshire: “Swift! A master of flight and a symbol of summer and freedom.”

H, Edinburgh: “For me, any of the corvids. Why? Because of their intelligence and the fact they get undeserved bad press.”

KB, Montrose: “Golden Eagle – cos it’s gorgeous!”

KC, Co. Down: “Light-bellied brent goose. Largest body size northernmost breeding bird in the world, clocking up 5000km per annum round trip.”

JMcC, UK: “Too many to choose from but it would have to be the kingfisher purely for how beautiful it is…”

TL, Newtownhill: “Ptarmigan, beautiful bird, you need to work hard to see one and you only find them in high lonely places, one of the best.”

SO’H, Montrose: “Eider for sure, for their amazing hardiness and adaptations – also for looking awesome and having a great call!”

RA, Carnoustie: “Pintail, they’re the most elegant looking duck with their chocolate brown head and are the most numerous duck in the world.”

RB, Montrose: “Possibly the osprey as it got us back into birdwatching!”

HB, Rossie: “I do have a soft spot for little terns. They show no fear when defending their eggs and young, even chasing off great black-backed gulls which are vicious predators 5x their size!”

KB, Co. Antrim: “Gannet! Master of its environment!”

PMcC, Co. Antrim: “Blue tit because that was the first bird that got me interested in birdwatching.”

KM, Carrickfergus: “Cuckoo, expects everyone else to do the work and deserves long holidays in the tropics!”

NC, Aberdeen: “Long-tailed tits for their unusual and elegant appearance and their interesting family relationships.”

WV, Edinburgh: “Got to be blue tit for me. I still get a thrill when I hear them. Had a whole family today. Makes me smile.”

PM, Laurencekirk: “Robin, due to their Jeykell and Hyde nature of appearing nice and quiet around humans but turn nasty and vicious when fighting with each other.”

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Adam – Montrose Basin Ranger