What have you seen

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  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1532

    Sounds good WN, which reserve are you at?

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1533

    Have been outside in the garden this evening, a nice time for bat watching although not so good for moths and other insects. 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1534

    It's an NSG found at Isarmunde, where the confluence of the Rivers Isar and Danube meet. Nearest town is Plattling and there is also a campsite at Deggendorf just off the A3. We tend to stay at Straubing and drive down to the reserve, which has an information centre (closed Mon/Tues) but you can just wander around it. Spring is obviously best time. If you are ever in the area in May then head south through Plattling, turn off for Moos, go past small brewery then follow signs for Isarmunde Infohaus. There's a guest house/inn opposite entrance and adequate parking.

    If you have time then there is an eye opening experience to be had at Plattling. Coming from Deggendorf area you pass the Globus supermarket and as soon as you reach the Plattling town sign turn left and go over a small bridge. Park out of the way immediately then walk back (without crossing bridge) Globus way and you come to some excavations of which some are still being worked. Avoid being hit by the machinery and the staff really don't mind you scoping the pans which sometimes have great birds on them. You can continue through the works and this area becomes an NSG (reserve). It's weird but rewarding. If more info needed let me know.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1535

    What sort of bats do you get Brue?

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1536

    Thanks for info WN

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1537

    We saw a couple Red Squirrels this morning crossing the road along Loch Tay, and heard some very strange calls in the heather when we were out for a walk near the Ben Lawers Car Park but couldn't spot anything. Thought possibly Ptarmigan, definitely not Red Grouse.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1538

    2 x Jay's put in an appearance this morning, first time I've seen 2 in the garden.  Hopefully they will return and I will have the camera ready

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1540

    Great day coming across a lot of backwaters of the Danube.

    Saw first Great Reed Warbler, a Ferruginous Duck and Yellow Legged Gull. Quite a few more reed warblers arrived plus a fall of Nightingales.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2018 #1541

    The Bluetits in our garden appear to have been successful in building the nest and laying eggs. The parents are now feeding an unidentified number of chicks with food all day long. They must be cream crackered. Both parents first land in the adjacent bushes check around for predators, then one always lands on the roof, the other flies onto the hole directly at speed.

    Looking forward to seeing the fledglings around the garden shortly.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1542

    Great photos again Blue

  • Swifty2018
    Swifty2018 Forum Participant Posts: 196
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    edited May 2018 #1543

    Lots of Azure winged magpies on our site near Cordoba in Spain

     

    here

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1544

    Glad to hear that you saw the Barn Owl, and the Hares, at Burnham Wick, B2.

    Talking of beetles we saw a couple of Sexton Beetles, on the path above our site at Killin, working away on some animal's droppings, which contained the carapaces of Emerald Beetles.

     

     

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited May 2018 #1545

    Thanks OP

    Stuck at home at present due to the Tug being with the dealer waiting for Jag/LR to agree a warranty claim. Now into the 4th week of waiting, which is very frustrating. Out of boredom, I dug out my old EOS 1D which has 10 frames per second to compare with my 5D which has seven to compare the ability to catch the bird in more than one position. Even keeping the shutter going at 10fps, only one shot in flight per burst. Back to pressing when I anticipate the bird in the correct position. More practice today by the look of things.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1546

    I don't know whether any of you are interested in the night sky but this is a good web site for checking things out. see here

    I've been watching a couple of interesting planets, one in the east (Jupiter) and the other in the west (Venus), they're showing up quite well late evening. smile

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1547

    Jupiter has shown well from here in the South East, just above the horizon.  Managed to see a couple of its moons a couple the other night but really need a more powerful scope.  I use an app called skyview.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1548

    Lots of larger birds at Isarmunde reserve today. Day started well when aaBlack Woodpecker flew alongside us for a while. Then we saw a Golden Oriole, no less. Things went quiet so we sat on a bank eating lunch and a Wryneck appeared and started singing which attracted a rival not far away.

    We heard something in the sky and right above us  were 2 Honey Buzzards being mobbed by 3 Common Buzzards!!!. Then 4 Hobbies flew past showing off their skill at eating on the wing and finally we saw 2 Red Backed Shrikes. Hardly any small birds but we were entertained.

    Back at the caravan we were sitting outside having a cold beer and had our bins with us. In half an hour we were able to see a Male and Female Spotted Flycatcher, M&F Blackcap, a Tree Sparrow, an Icterine Warbler, Black Redstart, Fieldfare, Robin, and Blackbird, all in the trees and hedge behind the van. So the small birds showed up at last.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1549

    Went to Boat of Garten Reserve today. Very little action: EJ, the female Osprey, sitting on 3 eggs, has not had a feed from her mate, George, since last Saturday, and the staff at the centre are getting worried about her. She has left the nest but only very briefly (as well as nearly being blown off!!), and George has visited a couple of times today but without any fish.

    There was a GSW and a pair of Siskins feeding on the nuts etc outside the centre when I was there. We did hear a Crested Tit as we took the 2 Lochs trail but didn't spot it.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1550

    Up in the night I noticed a back door security light come on and saw a badger rootling around. A few holes in the grass this morning...all over the garden, quite a big area! No doubt a few juicy worms were found. We can hear the badgers calling but that's the first one I've seen clearly. Must ask OH to set up the trail camera now I know the route.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1551

    We had a visit from one a few years ago now, Brue, and it overturned the cage that I had set up for the small birds to feed safely in and also to make sure the pigeons and squirrels didn't pinch the food. I put the outside light on, about 2 am, and there it was staring back at me, most belligerently. It wandered off and as we had some rabbit visits I decided to fix the fence at the bottom of the garden.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1552

    Quieter day on the bird front today but we stopped on a bridge whilst out on the bikes, over a small river, to have a drink of water. The Mallards below made a right kerfuffle and looking down we saw a badger swimming straight up the middle of the stream, then 50 yards further up it did a graceful dive and disappeared from view. Just goes to show that if you're not out and about you can miss a lot.

    There was some lovely blossom on what can only be described as Pea Trees.

  • neveramsure
    neveramsure Forum Participant Posts: 712
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    edited May 2018 #1553

    What a lucky sighting that was WN.cool

    Sadly not many badgers in my area, in fact I have never seen one other than on tv. frown

    Must make more of an effort and visit a known area when on holiday.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1554

    Oops, mea culpa!!!

    It wasn't a badger I saw swimming but a BEAVER! Bit differentembarassedembarassed

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1555

    I'm glad you said that, I was a bit perplexed....laughing

    We put out our trail camera on badger watch last night, results...one terrier tail, one plump pussy cat and much later a badgers nose...so OH will try again in a better spot.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1556

    Typical. Went back to same spot, waited half an hour with camera this time and nothing.

    Did see a White Stork today.

    Hope you get to feel better soon Brue. I hate it when my sinuses play up.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1557

    Thanks WN.smile

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1558

    A grey wagtail passed us in the middle of the North Sea.  It was heading East

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1559

    There are a few Oystercatcher on the fields in front of the site, and we are a long way from the sea here at Carrbridge, and then today I spotted a couple of Terns flying above the river at Spey Bridge, although I wasn't able to identify which species.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited May 2018 #1560

    We had a robin alight on our balcony in the middle of the Med a couple of years ago.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #1561

    Oystercatchers will and do breed quite a long way inland, a bit like Curlews on the moors, NTH.

    We saw a Common Tern today on a river and we're about 500 miles from the nearest sea! 

    Birds eh? Who can count on them to be in the right places?

    Had a lovely surprise today when we spotted a Male and Female Willow Tit feeding together and both going back to the nest. The small birds were to the fore today which was a nice surprise. We watched a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on a dead tree as she rearranged herself after a bath. Bit miffed that we couldn't find the nest of the singing Penduline Tit but you can't win them all.