What have you seen

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  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
    Name Dropper
    edited July 2017 #722

    Just had 3 of the wettest days ever at Bolton Abbey site, only enlivened by the constant stream of birds to feeder.

    Everything was going swimmingly until a squirrel came along and set about destroying the feeder.  Going out to chase it away and it just sat there   thinking 'you'll get fed up before I do'!

    Bad smashes on both journeys along the A1, making both journeys a nightmare....probably worse for those in the accidents.

     

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2017 #723

    Enjoyed your photos Greylag. There's always something to see. smile

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited July 2017 #724

    Dropped in to Slimbridge on the way home from the Camping shop and was very surprised to see a Cattle Egret in fine plummage.

    Hide nearest to the In Focus shop if anyone is near enough to pay a visit.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #725

    Have never seen the colouring so well on a cattle egret before, thanks!

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #726

    Brue it was stunning sat in the late afternoon sun. Unfortunately the bird has a badly damaged leg or foot, which made its condition even more impressive. Only the third I have seen and the others were in winter plumage.

    The bird is coloured down its back aswell, wonderful surprise.

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited August 2017 #727

    Never seen a Cattle Egret so good to see especially so in the coloured plumage.  Thanks for posting photos Bluemalaga.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
    Name Dropper
    edited August 2017 #728

    Fed up sitting here trawling through page after page and looking for inspiration for a September trip to France and I thought, 'I know what I'll do, share a pic'.

    I think I want to go to the La Brenne area, hence a seperate post.

    Back to more interesting things....I find it a struggle to get any colour into a Cormorant, but yesterday I had a little luck.

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited August 2017 #729

    greylag.  Amazing take off photo & could see the eye colour really well on the other.   Managed to see the squirrel’s photos today as only a small black square yesterday when clicked on view to see larger image. Enjoy France wherever you stay.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,599 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited August 2017 #730

    Greylag, not sure September would be the best time to see Le Brenne. Maybe somewhere near an estuary for wader watching or a coast for sea watching in which case choose Brittany for the sea and somewhere like Ile Noirmoutier for waders. It has a great estuary and you can get quite close to the birds. There's also a small reserve on the island, in the main town, viewable from the elevated path that runs along side it.

    Have given some more info on your post. Hope it helps.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
    Name Dropper
    edited August 2017 #731

    OP 

     

    Thanks for that, you are endorsing another comment given, saying that May would be a better option.  Think I will listen and obey.

    I will check out your suggestion ...Noirmoutier.

    Sitting by the Kingfisher pool this morning not having seen one perch for a while, when this turned up......seems to make my day.

     

     

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #732

    Wow greylag so jealous 😆. Aren't they beautiful? The New Zealand kingfisher is much easier to spot, the site in the open far more and they're even by the sea! But soooo much duller plumage I had to be convinced it was a kingfisher 😂

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #733

    None of the stuff I wanted to see, otters, golden eagles, sea eagles and red squirrels but on the up side did see and photo a lesser spotted woodpecker, haven't seen one in years.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited August 2017 #734

    L.S. Woodpecker, wow. I haven't seen one for years either, and it wasn't a good view then.

    Would love to see your photo, Oneputt, when you get chance. 😊

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #735

    Home over the weekend so will upload then

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #736

    Hope you've seen what you wanted to see, will look forward to the pics.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #737

    Meanwhile, still at home, I took a photo from our kitchen window yesterday. We had a record number of bluetits visiting but I only managed to get three in view. This year, we had three successful nest boxes containing bluetits and a great tit family. The blackbirds are still going strong with fresh broods and we have a daily robin visiting who is just losing his/her juvenile colours.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #738

    Polecat in Cumbria, took me by surprise so pic slightly out of focussurprised

     

     

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited August 2017 #739

    Hope you don't mind dropped it in to see it better.  Great to see wildlife when you're not expecting to see it - thanks for sharing

  • Freelander359
    Freelander359 Forum Participant Posts: 107
    100 Comments
    edited August 2017 #740

    Have been watching the sky for the perseids and have seen 3 - plus a large hedgehog crossing the lawn. Feel quite chuffed.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #741

    Dipper in the High Cup Nick beck

     

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited August 2017 #742

    Got some cracking photos of a (male?) sparrow hawk sat in our garden yesterday. He was perched on the trellis fence for about 30 minutes so loads of time to photograph him. We have lots of sparrows in the garden so he was, perhaps, just waiting patiently for his tea!

    When I can find how to reduce the picture file size to under 500kb I'll add a photo.

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited August 2017 #743

    Let's see if this photo is small enough.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited August 2017 #744

    Disturbed two adult and a juvenile swallow that were roosting in one of the outhouses when I went to feed the quails this morning.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #745

    Returned yesterday from a trip to Suffolk to visit Minsmere, which was rather disappointing as it appears to be the wrong time of year. The reeds were high and the birds were mainly very distant from most of the hides. However the campsite did have a resident mainly white Blackbird which did not seem to be bothered by the other birds.

    The second stop was at Rutland Water for some exercise and birdwatching along the way. Also a session at the Trout Farm that leaves one pond available for Osprey to fish. Again we picked the wrong time of the year as most had flown off to warmer climes with only a few birds left in the area. The night session that I chose happened to be overcast and fairly late when the dominant male bird in the area arrived for supper. 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #746

    Great pics Blue.  I find early mornings the best time to visit Minsmere.  Give it another month or so and it will be all change.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #747

    Thanks OP

    The manager of the site tells me that as the youngsters have left early this year and that it is to late to expect much now this year but the best time is when the young are in need of feeding, may to july. bookings are available from 1st October.

    I am finding that any time there is a distracting background that the 5D Mk4 will not focus very well. Hoping to find a setting that eliminates this but not found it yet.

    Early morning is not my best time these days unfortunately.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
    Name Dropper
    edited August 2017 #748

    I am often disappointed at Minsmere, lovely place, just wish they would cut reeds in front of some hide's.

    Right....what's this bug?   I think I know.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #749

    How about

    Rosemary beetle (Latin name: Chrysolina americana)

     

     

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
    Name Dropper
    edited August 2017 #750

    BM....correct!

    Evidently an alien invader, likes Lavender.

    Really beautiful.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #751

    GL

    Your post reminded me of something we came across at Minsmere. A wasp or bee type creature known as a bee wolf. It looks like a very bright yellow wasp and burrows into the ground, where it apparently takes a bee into which it lays its eggs. The new bee wolfs then feed off the inside of the bee until ready to fly.

    Sadly I did not save the pics.