What have you seen
Comments
-
A good evening out down on the Flats at Alkborough. As well as the usual suspects, Curlews, Lapwings, Redshanks, Avocets, Little Egrets by the score, Black Tailed Godwits and Greylag Geese there was a Spoonbill and, a new one for me, a Glossy Ibis. There was also a small wader, about half the size of a Lapwing, nearly black in colour with a long slender straight bill, Black legs, a white breast and a white patch at it's rear. I am unable to identify it in my bird books, help required.
1 -
That's it, a Green Sandpiper, reading up on it's description on the RSPB website. Thanks, another first for me.
0 -
Sitting in the garden yesterday there were four house martins flying around. That made me start thinking about what I hadn't seen this year in or over the garden.
House martins are far less than usual and I've seen no swifts or swallows. Buzzards, frequently flying over last year, have been almost totally absent. Even the number of sparrow hawks seems to be less. We used to get at least two predate the garden most days last year. The regular greater spotted woodpecker has not been at all for almost a year. Great and blue tits have been noticeable by their absence although I did hear a great tit calling yesterday. There have also been, less butterflies, particularly peacocks and tortoiseshells, and no dragonflies so far apart from one damselfly.
We used to get three or four bats flying around at dusk but since April (when I was given a bat detector for my birthday) I have seen none at all. The rowan didn't have berries last winter so the redwings and mistle thrushes didn't come but that may be expected with no food for them.
On the plus side, we have had a very good crop of blackbirds, sparrows, dunnocks and robins this year and there seems to be more starlings around particularly when it was very hot and they came to our pond to drink and bathe.
I hope this lack of some birds is not a sign of what future years may be like.
0 -
Butterfly spotting on the Buddleia today.
2 -
Good photos brue only seen painted ladies here this the other two not seen at all.
On the way to Cahors am early for medical check saw a Merlin flying low then a muntjac deer and on the way back a small owl on a fence post they were out and about as it was cooler then now very warm.
1 -
Went to have coffee with friends am today and on a different road to yesterday and saw another Merlin on a post and when I came back he was on another post about 100m from the first post, not seen one for a few years and then 2 in two days.
Have got a lot of song thrushes on the field today as we have a lot of cloud and light drizzle so ground a bit damp hence the birds are out, even a lot of starlings.
1 -
Both Jupiter and Saturn are clearly visible in the night sky (from about 9:00 to 4:00) towards the ESE, providing of course that the sky is clear, and if you are fortunate you might also see one or a few of the Perseid meteor shower, as I did last night.
0 -
My heart bleeds for you fish, unable to blast small birds on the ground with your guns because other creatures are doing as Mother Nature intended🤷🏻♂️😢. I guess the overgrown heather gives them too much of a chance you’d much rather have them on bare ground to give you your fix. It’s time it was all banned. Guns have no place in the hands of the public-particularly recently.
0 -
Jupiter has been spectacular in the early evening as it rises in the east, thanks for the reminder (I didn't see a single Perseid!)
We've had an intersting experience driving along the Exmoor coast today, loooking over the Bristol Channel towards Wales the clouds were below us. Will see if I can get a photo or two on here.
0 -
Spotted a Weasel running cross in front of me today on our afternoon walk. This is the second one I've seen over the last month, the first by a river bank near Wharfe, as well as a fox at Yeadon, a hedgehog one night and a barn owl another at Alkborough, two sets of Roe deer below White Edge near Curber, and large Grass Snake near Gainsborough. So as well as all the less common birds seen during our last trip it has been a good month for me nature wise.
2 -
Attempted photos of clouds along Exmoor coast and towards Wales and Porlock. Not busy either, was pleasantly surprised to see quiet roads. Heather moorland looking lovely too.
1 -
We seem to be plagued with Daddy Long-leg Spiders (not the flies). They are everywhere, in the house, in the garage and in the loft. I even found two in the car. Although they can be quite big with a leg span of 2 to 3 inches their silk web is extremely fine making it difficult to see. Going down stairs in the morning I invariably walk through a thread trailed across the stairs or room. They don't bother me at all but why so many? Up until last year I had never seen them.
0 -
Hi Brue
Not someone I have met to date, but the field opposite the campsite at Uphill was, until recently, a regular haunt for Short Eared Owls during winter months.
0 -
Having seen two turtles in one of our local reservoirs before our last trip, today while walking though our town park OH pointed out 4 of them sunning themselves on fence bars in park's lake. I suppose that is one way of getting rid of unwanted "pets".
0 -
Its not been good the last couple of years for SEO's
Uphill has not had any reported that I know of and my usual spot between the Severn crossings is having major flood defence work over 3 years blocking access to their hunting area.
0 -
Hope someone can identify the bird which shed this feather please. Spotted it on a local walk with the dog.
The dog adores feathers but I spotted it and snapped it before she got it 🤣. Immediately thought pheasant until I got close enough its the wrong shape. Google lens offers American birds. We regularly have buzzards overhead and occasional red kites so guessing one of these rather than an owl.
0 -
Bakers, looks like the tail feather of a Kestrel to me but wouldn't be surprised to find I'm wrong.
Had a lovely day at Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall reserves in Somerset today. Sitting having our butties, we watched an Osprey close by hunting for fish over the lake. Several Garganey and a few Great White Egrets. Plus an Eel. Interesting day.
2 -
Whilst In the kitchen this evening, a juvenile sparrow hawk visited the garden pond. She (I think it was a female going by the size), went onto the top pond where there is a pebble beach for the birds to bathe. She kept looking at the beach but didn't venture in. After three or four minutes she hopped down to the edge of the lower pond. She kept looking at the water and she appeared as though she wanted to bathe, looking at the way she was holding her wings. After a minute or so she hopped onto the top of a waterlily plant in the centre of the pond. She was up to her thighs in water and, after having a drink, proceeded to try to bathe but without a lot of success. She stayed in the pond for a good three or four minutes more before fluttering out onto the side. She preened a bit half heartedly and then flew up onto the top of our swing seat before flying across the garden to a trellis. A wood pigeon was already perched on the trellis but didn't bother at all that the sparrow hawk was perched about two feet away. After a further couple of minutes she flew up into a birch tree where she was immediately mobbed by a couple of crows, flying off again with the crows in hot pursuit. In total about 10 minutes of entertainment during which I managed to get some photos but not really good enough to put on here as there was a lot of glass reflection as I didn't want to get too close to the window.
3 -
Sounds as if you had a good day out at a couple of interesting spots, WN. Do you know if they allow dogs on the reserves, as we could well pop over there when we are at Priddy if they do?
0
