For me, here in San Diego, it’s seagulls – so graceful flying or soaring.

When I lived in Minnesota it was purple martins – very graceful in flight. Folks that lived near the river built huge birdhouse apartments for them – they ate LOTS of annoying bugs.

Hummingbirds are fun to watch too.

OTOH, starlings are so awkward in flight. Some idiot imported them from England.

Raptors.

Around here in western WI where we have lots of them, bald eagles, particularly over water while I'm out kayak fishing.

I like to watch the eagles, blue herons and even the geese out my rear windows. All 3 have totally different flying styles for sure.

Barn swallows

I love watching pelicans. Both when the glide along the beach and plunging into the water.

 
Say's Phoebes are quite common here. They are "flycatchers" but go after any flying insect. Just watched an aerial acrobatic performance between the Phoebe and a butterfly. They can turn on a dime, again and again, and almost always get their meal.

All of them. I love to watch any kind of bird.

Osprey - love to watch them fly and catch fish. Have been fascinated since I was a kid on Florida Bay.

When I shred or cut hay, it always brings the local raptors out for the buffet.
Watching them “work” is pretty exciting.
Several hard “flaps” to gain altitude, then fold up and dive at their prey. I’ve even had them drift alongside the tractor then peel off to snatch a grasshopper in mid air.
Awesome show.

quote:

Originally posted by FlyingScot:
Osprey - love to watch them fly and catch fish. Have been fascinated since I was a kid on Florida Bay.

I agree with you about Osprey's. I watched these guys for a few months. This is a pic of them working on their nest.



Jim

Buzzards. Watching them ride the wind and staying afloat, seemingly forever, is enough to forgive their homely appearance.

Buzzard lover here also. How they glide on the currents has always intrigued me. I guess they’re looking for carrion, road kill and any kind of dead critter. They must have a six feet wing span.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
All of them. I love to watch any kind of bird.

This.

I love watching any kind of bird of prey or water birds hunting. Watching them skim across the water or dive is awesome.

So many birds around my house this year including some small black ones I've never seen. Only highlight of this whole situation is watching the birds.

We've got what I think are Hawks across the street in an undeveloped wetland area.

I don't think I've ever seen then flap their wings - they just glide around.

I don't know enough about birds to really know if they are hawks, or eagles, or some falcon perhaps. Even if I did, they are usually too high up for me discern any features.

Penguins.

Hummers and woodpeckers- esp Pileated.

We are fortunate to have many bird species in Florida. My favorite to watch is the swallow tail kite. But they are only around for a short time in the spring. Year-round, definitely the osprey.

I just learned there are flying penguins up in the panhandle!

sat on a bench in Hollywood Cemetery and watched a pair of Osprey's fish in the James one afternoon,

amazing to see,


have seen several hawks glide thru the woods and pic off Squirrels
from tree branches, and they never seem to hit so much as a leaf,


for awkward, I have seen a few turkeys attempt to glide thru some pines to roost, they are like a flying bulldozer, breaking branches all the way in,



favorites are to watch a few fly catchers circle low over a field of grass or weeds in the morning or evening picking off flying insects,

or not bird related, watching bats circle the house and yard eating at dusk,


also not bird related, dragonflys on the hunt can be interesting to watch as well