What have you seen

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  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited April 2017 #452

    Tirril

    You posted this lovely image as a test pic. 449 posts ago, and left me waiting for the follow up pics ever since.

    Please explain if you are just testing our patience or are we about to reap the reward.

    From the few posts that I have read of yours, I would expect that you have many images we would like to share.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #453

    Good day here in Lower Saxony.  Saw 2 x Cranes, Storks, 3 x Yellow Hammers,  dozens of Willow Waberlers, Redkite, Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and a Male Hen Harrier.

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #454

    Been at this site in Holland for a couple of hours and already seen several Ring Ouzels and 2 x Hawe Finches, excitement levels are at mega.  

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #455

    Good day yesterday at Osstvarder Bird Reserve.  Top 2 highlights were juvenile Sea Eagle, too far to get meaningful photo.  The other highlight was pure chance, there were Cetti's and Sedge Wablers singing and I spotted a bird in the reads so took a photo, back at the van I discovered it was a Blue Throat.laughing

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #456

    Lots of "chatty" swallows coming in now, what a relief to get back "home." smile (Six week return journey on average!)

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited April 2017 #457

    ??  Did  any  of  them  get  dragged  off  the  "Flight"  for  somebird  else  ??

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #458

    Ring Ouzel on the site we were on in Holland

     

     

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #459

    Haw Finch at campsite in Holland

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #460

    Whilst washing up the supper dishes there were 6 x Goldfinches on feeders and 2 x Jays, 2 x Dunnocks, 1 x Magpie and 3 x Blackbirds in other areas of the garden.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #461

    Don't get that whilst loading a dishwasher 😉

    We have a song thrush singing at the mo. Biggest doves and pigeons! They beat everything to the food and stick at it 😂. Don't get any goldfinches. 🙁. The pet crow, which appeared a few days ago, seems to have a damaged wing 🙁. It hops mist places but can flap enough to get up if the hop is too great. Boy that beak us something else, it manages to sit in the lilac to get fat balls by series of hops onto patio chair it's really up against the conservatory but it doesn't rush off if the door opens - I don't think it could.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #462

    There seems to be an abundance of Goldfinches up here this year. They're calling from trees and tv ariels all round. Saw my first swallows this morning down by the docks, and there appeared to be quite a few Eider Ducks on the water.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited April 2017 #463

    Two days ago in central Brittany swallows on the little lake where I was having picnic lunch really lifted my spirits befor the hospital visit.  

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #464

    Lots of Greylag Geese at Clumber park this year and it would seem less Canada Geese. Two of the Greylags were having a right dust up today. Seemed to be over who was entitled to a section of an island. It was so intense I thought one of them would not be waddling away. However, despite  appearances the looser managed to flap / swim off, not looking too much the worse for wear, although pursued for a distance by the victor. Who then proceed to have a go at another Goose that look in his direction. I might of course be wrong with the his, as it does not seem very easy to tell with Greylag.

  • groovy cleaner
    groovy cleaner Forum Participant Posts: 208
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    edited April 2017 #465

    saw 2 deer this morning when out with my dogs I was at Hebden Bridge CAMC site, came out this morning and went right up the hill instead of left and downhill was wondering if there was any footpaths to walk on different to where I normally go ,saw a sign on a post one on my side of the road and one pointing over the road so I crossed the road to go investigate went through some trees let one dog off when suddenly in front of me 2 deer came crashing through the trees to my left startled me at first as I not realise what they were at first didn't carry on any further as I wasn't sure if I could or not and it was muddy 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #466

    Friday at SWT Carlton marshes, 2 x cuckoos calling, a dozen or so skylarks, a warden told us there were up to 80 Sedge Warblers and a number of Grasshopper Warblers, saw a couple of the sedgies but heard loads.  In the afternoon went over to Oulton Marshes and the biggest suprise was....2 x Ostrich's.  On the edge of the marsh is a small paddock with sheep in it and they were in the paddocklaughing

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #467

    Wonder if the farmer that owns the field is trying to breed them for meat.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #468

    A kookaburra at Abbotsbury in Dorset today, bred in the UK, quite a large bird with a big voice.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2017 #469

    Walking the coastal path from St Agnes Head to Chapel Porth and back over St Agnes Beacon this afternoon the Stonechats were out in force on the bushes. One of my favourite small birds, really colourful and contrasting with the bright yellow of the gorse bushes. smile

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #470

    We've had a good few unexpected visitors to our bird feeder today. As well as the usual Tits we saw Chaffinches and House Sparrows on the feeder, followed by Goldfinches and then Siskins. 

    Spotted our first Sandmartins swooping over the R.Nith as well as the Swallows, and by/on the water was a female Red-breasted Merganser, Reed Buntings, Grey Wagtails and a couple of Dippers.

  • Freelander359
    Freelander359 Forum Participant Posts: 107
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    edited April 2017 #471

    Yesterday, driving back to Bunree from Glenfinnan, a golden eagle was circling overhead.  Unfortunately I couldn't get the camera out in time. The day before, we walked up to see the red squirrels not far from the site. One of them was helping himself to the nuts in the box feeder when another one came up. There was a slight standoff and the first one shooed the second one away. The first one then got into the box completely, letting the lid come down. The second one then returned and sat on the box lid when suddenly it shot up and a head popped out.

    On Loch Linnhe we have seen a Northern Diver but not a lot else so far.

    Going over to Mull for the next couple of days and so very much hoping to spot an otter. This is our third trip and so we plan to spend more time waiting and watching.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited April 2017 #472

    Common Sandpipers & a Redshank on the banks of the R. Nith this morning and then we heard our first Cuckoo when we were walking in the wood around Drumlanrig Castle.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #473

    Saw this ancient oak on a walk this morning around Montacute in Somerset. This was on the edge of the "Ladies Walk" where the local gentry could stroll in their finery through the bluebells.. It's actually quite steep in places so I'm not quite sure how they managed it!

    I'm guessing the oak is very old, possibly 700 years or more.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #474

    What a beautiful tree, Brue. If it was a person it would be described as having character. Old, gnarly and full of wisdom.

    Had a walk around the back lanes and beside the local lairds estate yesterday. Lovely to see so many spring flowers out and Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs all competing with each other. We also heard and saw our first Redstart of the year and watched the Swallows reconnoitring the new horse stable thats appeared since last year.

    We also came across a flower that Mrs WN (resident expert) had never seen before. It was growing in a sunken lane with the open estate fields to one side and a cattle field to t'other. It was about 2 foot high (a few of them around) with a hairy stem. The leaves which only grew on the lower parts were sort of like Geranium leaves, there was the odd flower on the stem but most were grouped at the top but bent over. The flowers were no bigger than your smallest finger nail and in groups of about 6-10, cream coloured with a bit of yellow in the middle. Quite delicate. None of the flower books we have can identify it so if you have any ideas feel free to share. 

    We'll take a camera next time we go that way, although I'll have to download a photo reducing app onto this Mac first.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited May 2017 #475

    How many petals did each flower have, WN? Our flower book uses petal number, style and colour as a code to aid identification. There's a FB group where you can post your picture and they'll help you identify the flower....Wild Flowers of Great Britain and Ireland....I think it's called.

    Walked along the R.Nith today expecting to see the Sandmartins again, but none to be seen, so I guess that they were just passing through the other day. There were a pair of Goosanders, so I suppose that I'd misidentified the female Merganser the other day.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #476

    Hi, NTH. Don't know number of petals but wiol walk that way again some time this week and will check. Don't do Faceache but thanks for tip.

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #477

    Our quick overnight trip to Pendle Hill didn't produce any Dotterals but see Golden Plover and Grey Wagtail.

    On to Malham Cove and sat watching Peregrine on nest of 4 eggs.  Plenty of Wheatears and meadow pipits about

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #478

    I hear Orkney is overflowing with visitors due to the sighting of the Red Winged Blackbird!

    BBC LINK

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #479

    Flowers have 5 petals. Cream coloured with yellow specks. Bell shaped and the flower is spread out along the stalk until the top when they are clustered but would spread out if the stalk grew any further. These are growing on the bank of a shallow ditch, usually shaded with water congregated in the ditch keeping the bank damp. The plants are clumped in groups of about 5-10. Will have to try to get to grips with photos.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited May 2017 #480

    Struggling to identify it, sorry. Definitely need a photo. Can you PM one to me?

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2017 #481

    I had a look in in my Collins book which has photos but couldn't identify it. Hairy stems, geranium like leaves, cream bell shaped flowers. there are a few which might fit but don't quite match. Unless it's an escaped garden plant? Is it one of these, taken in my garden just now? This is a type of Tiarella.