What have you seen

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  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited August 2017 #752

    Great wildlife photos on this thread many of which I am unlikely to see in real life.  I especially like this recent one - hope you don’t mind me making it a bit bigger to see it better Bluemalaga.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #753

    No probs N1805 

    I was surprised how deep the bird drops into the water. It does not catch on the wing as the Sea Eagle does, but drops onto the fish and becomes virtually submerged.

    The odd sight prior to this catch was a Kingfisher sat on its fishing perch looking up to the Osprey sat in a tree picking out its supper. The Kingfisher remained motionless for about 10 minutes just focused on the Osprey.

    What happened next was not clear. The Osprey launched from the tree and the Kingfisher flew across the water. The Osprey then chased the Kingfisher.

    I do not know if the Osprey actually targeted the Kingfisher from the outset or just gave chase as the Kingfisher flew across it's path. Either way it was a strange sight.

    This particular bird No28 is the dominant male in the area and has sustained a quite badly damaged wing in its disputes, but still manages to fly to Africa and back each year.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #754

    N1805, as a matter of interest how do you enlarge the photo's we post? thanks

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited August 2017 #755

    Bluemalaga - Thanks for info & great photos.  Have only ever see Ospreys in trees or on nest platform in Scotland & Rutland Water never catching fish.

    Oneputt - I worked it out on the practice area Rochelle set up - How to use club together - Tutorial for uploading photos. There’s various info regarding using different hardware/software etc from members in the discussion.  I understand from posts there that each photo has to have a hosting site from where I understand you use the drag & drop method.  I guess using the following method CT is the hosting site.  Using a laptop, Windows 10 & Chrome. Logged in.  Went to end of discussion to post reply.  Typed in.  Found photo.  Right clicked on it then clicked on ‘open in new tab’ then clicked on that tab, dragged the photo to discussions tab then down & dropped it in reply box.  Can only do it with photos already posted.   [ChasnCath’s method in the How to thread]    If this works it is from your recent story.

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585
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    edited August 2017 #756

    BM

    Also saw the same Bee wolf's couple of years ago, but didn't have a suitable lens with me.

    Minsmere can be a very frustrating place, the times we have walked around there and seen nothing and I 'm thinking I would see more on my local patch.

    It is the only place that I know of where you stand a very good chance of seeing Adders, having said that,this year they did not show for me.

    It is a lovely walk and good cheese scones.

    Just ordered some prints for our club's annual exhibition, really struggled this year to have any exciting encounters with nature, so have raided some pics from previous years.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #757

    GL

    I just took a couple of pics with my canon 100-400 lens, which surprised the other guys around who found their tele lenses to long. All was well after cropping in photoshop, I think I inadvertently trashed some saved files from my hard drive. OOPS

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #758

    April, May and June are good months at Minsmere, good chance of seeing Beardies just outside the Island Hide.  Last year there was a Bittern nesting about 100 yards from the Island hide also have a chance of seeing otters from Island Mere.  I will probably take the van to Fishers Field in late September.  Got a lot on before then, get my bino's repaired at Halesworth and take my Canon DSLR to ACS at Watton to see if they can sort it out.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #759

    GL

    Birds seen along the severn estuary at Slimbridge today included a Bar Tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper and couple of Bar Tailed Godwits with a fairly common bird that bears no resemblance to the spooky looking example in the third pic.

    Finally sorted the focus system on the 5D mk4 

    Met a couple from the other club in one of the Hides from Yorkshire who were stopping off on the way to see the Great Bustard re-introduced on Salisbury Plain

     

  • robsail
    robsail Forum Participant Posts: 1,441
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    edited August 2017 #760

    Took my son out for a sail on Loch Venachar in the Trossachs beautiful day enhanced by an osprey which had caught a fish and was moving in its talons into a more streamlined position. It passed by us about fifty feet away!

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #761

    Impressive aren't they.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #762

    Great photos again BL.  Salisbury plain is a large area, did they say where you can view the Great Bustards?

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #763

    OP

    there is an organisation called The Great Bustard Group who then organise visits to the birds. It may be that they are on MOD land.

    The group have beenimporting birds for a few years.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #764

    Thanks BM

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #765

    Most welcome OP

    The spooky looking bird in the previous post is actually a beautiful bird on the ground and especially in flight

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #766

    An Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar, found in our garden today. he's a large chap, a good three inches when uncurled.

    And in this warm humid weather some field mushrooms have grown well.

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited August 2017 #767

    What a coincidence Brue, just yesterday I was gardening at our son's 'jungle' and came across one of the caterpillars.  I had no idea what it was and had to google when I got home.  

    By the time I'd finished the border I'd seen about 6 of them . 

     

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #768

    We found another one soon afterwards. Must be a good year for them, new to me too although they must be around. smile

  • robsail
    robsail Forum Participant Posts: 1,441
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    edited August 2017 #769

    By the way the new avatar is a picture of a beach on the Isle of Coll off the West Coast of Scotland!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #770

    I can't see it yet, have tried refresh, will probably have to clear my browser history once more. smile

    I spotted Oneputt's new butterfly avatar this morning, I wonder why some new profile pics change easily and others don't?

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #771

    Cleared my history, can now see it, nice pic!

  • robsail
    robsail Forum Participant Posts: 1,441
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    edited August 2017 #772

    Totally incredible! the fact it was so close made it more memorable!

  • CholseyGrange
    CholseyGrange Forum Participant Posts: 289
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    edited August 2017 #773

    Here at Cholsey Grange - a CL on the Oxfordshire / Buckinghamshire border, we have some amazing wildlife.  We can guarantee Red Kites in abundance, which entertain many visitors as they glide on the thermals right above the CL.  

    For many years I have glimpsed or seen a white Fallow deer among the many herds of Fallow deer we have in the Valley (probably 500-600 within the 5 square miles).  This 'White Hart' is a favourite with many locals.    I have never managed to photograph it, but one of our eagle-eyed CL visitors, and keen walker Paul Fredericks managed to capture it this week whilst staying with us.  He is a keen naturalist and publishes his blogs complete with walks and photos on Two Dogs and an Awning

    If you're in search of super views, great wildlife and country walks right from your van, do come and stay.  We have good availability through September and October, when the beech woods will be in all their autumn glory.  You too might just spot the 'White Hart'...

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #774

    Continuing practice with the new camera took me back to Slimbridge along with most of the kids in Gloucestershire. So much for them to do and learn and plenty of room to let off steam. 

    Pic 1 shows a black headed gull just after lifting from the water and doing a shudder to shed the water from it's feathers.

    Pic 2 Lapwing prepares for launch

    Pic 3 Apparently this is an inbred Greylag Goose

    Pic 4 Green Sandpiper foraging for food

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #775

    Cuppa on the bench at the end of the garden by the pond watching the tits in the uninteresting tree. They always find plenty to interest them 😉 and we have a greater spotted woodpecker 😆. Really excited not seen one before. May have to rename the uninteresting  (because it doesn't have a pretty season at all but was there when we moved in and was necessary to screen the garden) to the wildlife tree 😉. Only taken about 30 years to change my mind 😂😂

    Enjoy your day folks.

  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #776

    Great photos at Slimbridge, we were there earlier this year not to many photos for us weather was not good but still enjoyed it.

    We have noticed the swallows are gathering here for the last couple of weeks and that is early here down in the Lot France.

    We have also had a lot of large insects praying mantis and large green crickets ok to look at and photo shots but not keen when gardening and you nearly put your hand on them so hence gloves when gardening. (sorry no photos)

    Have got Cardinal fritillaries flying about but butterflies in general are not good here this year, have had woodlarks, cirl buntings, turtle doves and a pair of nesting kestrels close by, swifts have gone south from the local village church.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited August 2017 #777

    Great photos, Blue. Lots of green sandpipers moving through east Lancs at the moment, but I don't have any photos.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited August 2017 #778

    Inconsiderate little blighters, always just to far away for a decent pic. Two cranes flew past but again to far away Wood sandpiper but to far for my binoculars to identify, but the guy with a scope near me reeled off a list of birds that I could barely see let alone identify.

    heading down to Arne next week, but not sure if the camera will make the trip.

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited August 2017 #779

    Discovered we have tawny mining bees in our recently laid section of lawn.  First thought was what strange worm casts they were but a quick google has put us right. 

    http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/miranda_hodgson/archive/2011/04/11/holes-in-the-lawn.aspx

    First attempt at links hope this works. 

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #780

     We have a couple of caterpillars looking for suitable places, one has gone behind the hinge on the generally closed French door on the conservatory 😲.  Looked them up and think they're cabbage whites. Never mind at least we've attracted some butterflies. Yesterday we had a beautiful comma just warming it's wings and a red admiral on the everlasting wallflower, proper name escapes me at the mo. Everything has been singular this year apart from some blues earlier in the year and whites, but never more than 3 at a time.

    Your link works fine Natasha2 😃

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited August 2017 #781

    Walking to Mort Point [North Devon] we  saw a group of approx. 12 of these last week flying next to a wall.  This was the only one which stayed still enough to capture it with the phone.  I guess they were Northern Eggar Moths as that is the only picture I have in my book that looks like them.  If anyone has a different ID I would be interested to know.