What have you seen
Comments
-
Hi OP
HNY to you both.
We have but a few around these parts and I have not seen any myself although had a couple of attempts, always just missing them. We have a tree loaded with berries in the garden, so supreme optimist hoping for a visit. Guess the lottery is more likely.
Even the Shorties (3) only came out at dusk and only stayed a couple of weeks
Regards
Keith
0 -
Hi Greylag
HNY
Nice to see you are still Birding, as my response to OP. no luck in my area either so far although they are around in small numbers. finding them is not easy.
0 -
One of those fortuitous and unexpected moments, right place, right time, just spotted in the corner of my eye whilst driving along. Instantly knew what they were!
2 -
BM
Still go out every day that weather allows....yesterday I had two Otter cubs swim by and five minutes later a Grey Seal surfaced just under my feet, I'm on a footbridge. The seal is over 17 miles inland.
Waxwings were at Oak Street, Norwich yesterday, tomorrow I am free to try my luck, weather is supposed to be awful so not a lot of point getting the bus in.
My new camera/lens is just not getting used very much.
1 -
-
Have seen them up the Trent near us, one near Gainsborough many years ago, along with other marine mammals.
Reminded me of last years sad seal story.https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/greedy-seal-who-ate-through-8088911
0 -
We saw on up by the moorings on the Tees in the centre of Stockton one year when we were staying at White Water Park.
0 -
Well, I've walked the area several times and have not heard them again. I know they were turtle doves.
I've had my App on every time I've walked the areas.
We've had the sparrowhawk take 2 pigeons in the garden. A red kite swept in for the carcass of the 2nd before we could blink. I watched the sparrowhawk eat the 1st, just the breast. A magnificent bird.
We saw a seal in the Tees when we stayed at White Water probably 15 years ago now. Couldn't believe our eyes at first.
0 -
We once had a Sparrowhawk land on a Woodpigeon in the garden. He polished off the bird there and then leaving just the 2 legs still attached to the lower carcass. He flew off so I got rid of it. Later on he flew in again and landed in the same area and was searching for the rest of his lunch.
Felt too afraid to go and tell him as he looked rather miffed.
0 -
We had an interesting day up the Lyth Valley. For starters we spotted a Red Kite on a couple of occasions around Crosthwaite, which we didn't know inhabited this area of The Lakes. Then as we were enjoying our lunch, in the car, we were entertained by a couple of male Blackbirds searching through the leaf litter, throwing dead leaves hither and thither, searching for grubs. Suddenly both upped and away, the reason being a Sparrow Hawk which flew across in front of us and away over the fields.
0 -
A stand off today, five male blackbirds attempting to establish territory in our back garden in readiness for the new breeding season. Funny to watch the constantly changing positions in the pecking order and tussles taking place. A lot of energy spent on what looks and sounds like a game of avian musical chairs.
0 -
If only I had my camera! Sparrow hawk hit a pigeon in the park this morning, It spotted me and immediately mantled over its prey and stood its ground, I was able to walk up to it, within about 10m, it just stared at me. It won the eyeballing battle and I backed off knowing that in this weather hunting is a life and death activity for both prey and predator. Lots of squirrels (grey only) about, do they predate these?
0 -
Haven't seen a Sparrowhawk take a Squirrel Micky but no reason why they wouldn't. Have seen Buzzards taking the "tree rat" though.
Saw a couple of Cetti's Warblers at Burton reserve yesterday, flitting about in the undergrowth, contact calling.
0 -
Well I think these are Field Fares, we normally get about a dozen each year and they feed of the berries and stay until they are all gone, not Holy, dont know what it is just full of berries and quite a big tree, this year only approx 6 that i can see and so far they have not managed to clear the tree of berries, also have a very tame Robin that flies into the garage as soon as i open the door, it has taken to using my sandal as a toilet
1 -
They are Redwings Rufs. The White eye stripe is very distinguishable. About the same size as a Song Thrush whereas Fieldfares about the size of Mistle Thrush and more grey on them. All the same lovely to see your Redwings.
More than 100 Waxwing on Halkyn Mountain near the quarry. Couldn't get too close as quarry lorries don't take prisoners. We missed out on the drake Smew when we were down on the N.Wales coast the other day. Shame because its a beauty of a duck and a rare visitor up here.
1 -
Had a walk towards our village yesterday afternoon and the one small Lavoir has some old reeds at the one end and out flew a Moorhen not seen one around here before and we have a few water features around the village also the frog and toad crossing is ready for use a few years ago a lot of construction was done as the crossing goes under a road and a small lane is shut at one end so the frogs and toads can go down a ramp and under the road and come out the other side into the old nursery on their way to the large Lavoir they use every year.
0 -
Just had 3 Red Kites flying over and then behind them 7 Common Cranes and they spent s few minutes circling around to get more height before flying north again now got a stiff neck watching them but great to see.
Also this morning noticed we had a casualty by our Lilac bush a dead Jay so perhaps the Sparrowhawk had got at it but got disturbed and flew off so I took the Jay and put it over our wall to the field next door so it will not stay there long as we have had a lot of neighbours cats around the last few nights.
0 -
I think our migration is on the way. Over the last couple of days we have had 12 x Robins and up to 20 x Blackbirds in our garden. Driving along the A47 from Yarmouth there are hundreds of starlings sat on wires and thousand of geese in the fields along the road
0 -
Frogs! A couple of days ago we had the first frogs in our garden pond. This was three weeks earlier than 2023 and 4 weeks earlier than 2022. Normally they come on the first damp and relatively warm night but this year it has been wet and fairly warm for a week or so prior to their arrival. Whilst I like frogs I don't really want as many as I usually get, 80+ last year. They really poison the water in the pond and 40+ clumps of spawn is a bit much although the tadpoles do provide food for the goldfish. The fish that the frogs haven't killed off that is.
0 -
They, frogs, newts and toads need all the help than can get. Our pond has never been poisoned by them, never heard of that happening. Can you translocate some spawn, John? Don’t forget that if frogs can produce just two to adults in a life time from all that spawn they have done well. The odds are really against them, particularly these days.
0 -
The excrement from 80+ frogs in a pond that is only 330 gallons does the water no good at all. As for translocating some of the spawn, our county wildlife trust argues against this as it can / does spread disease from one pond to another. Red leg is just one of the diseases easily spread. But I do agree with you, they need all the help they can get but there are limitations in what we can actually do.
0 -
Frogs do not feed at all during the mating season or even when coming out of hibernation and as such will not cause little if any issue at all with excrement. Once they have spawned most will leave the confines of the water anyway. Yes and you are right, possibly It would be unwise to translocate spawn to areas already populated for the reason you suggest. Best left to do their own thing then.
0 -
Spotted in my garden this morning feeding off my flowering Daphne shrub a Hummingbird Hawkmoth
it paid a couple of visits during the morning, I was surprised to see a "hummer" so early in the year as I thought they were a summer visitor from mainland Europe.2
