This really is an interesting read....thanks for all your inputs. Great to hear all your experiances.
On the topic of the birdstrikes, is it not most company's policies that if a bird strike is suspected, the aircraft is grounded until an engineer inspects the aircraft? So in the case of even a small bird or two hitting the aircraft with no apparant damage, on landing the aircraft is grounded until such an inspection is carried out?
Seems a little un-neccessary if it is just a small bump with evrything else normal.