Night Birds ( not the walking street type)

[overherebc]

Most nights we like to sit in the garden with a glass or two of the red falling down water and many times just after the light fades a couple of birds fly over, heading for the sea, about half a kilometre away. I can't see them, coz it's dark, nothing to do with the red water, they have a fairly high pitched double call and appear to be quite fast. They don't sound like they are high up, maybe 10 or so metres.

Does anyone have an idea what kind of bird it could be ?

[AjarnNorth]

High pitched double call and quite fast could be greenshank. Listen to this link and see if it's a match.

[overherebc]

High pitched double call and quite fast could be greenshank. Listen to this link and see if it's a match.

Long time replying but have seen them. Can't find a picture to match but they are black and white. Black head wite body and end of the wings are black.

[AjarnNorth]

High pitched double call and quite fast could be greenshank. Listen to this link and see if it's a match.

Long time replying but have seen them. Can't find a picture to match but they are black and white. Black head wite body and end of the wings are black.

Whiskered Tern. Google them for pics and flight call. That's my best guess.

[AjarnNorth]

Or ooops... black head? Maybe Red-wattled Lapwing????

[overherebc]

Or ooops... black head? Maybe Red-wattled Lapwing????

That's them. Strange thing is they are now nesting under the hedge outside my garden wall and have two young walking around.

Now lighter nights and they still come over the garden land about 50 metres away and walk to the hedge.

I'll try to get a photo.

[isanbirder]

Red-wattled Lapwings are the most aggressive species we get here. When you walk within 50 yards or more of their nest or young, the adults, screaming the while, hurtle in like a dive-bomber at head height, veering off just a few feet away. You don't see them come because they're low down against the background bushes or fields. Quite scary the first time!

[Goldieinkathu]

They attack me and my dogs every night on our walk we laugh every day with their sound - "did he do it, did he do it"

[AjarnNorth]

Yep. I have them every time I visit the local fish ponds. And they are the first up and screaming to announce my presence which of course scares off a lot of the other species and puts the rest on high alert. I read somewhere that the US GIs in Vietnam used to call them "communist birds" because when they were trying to walk quietly through areas and stay hidden, the RWLW would announce their presence to the opposing fighters.

Black-winged stilt behave much the same way especially in breeding season. Including dive-bombing your head.

[overherebc]

Now they have managed to raise a couple of youngsters and I've had to turn up the volume on the TV so I can hear it above their noise in the early evening.