What have you seen
Comments
-
We were walking down by a local canal and got talking to a lady feeding the birds on the water. She was saying the out of 20 goslings only one had survived the avian flu, and that was due to the volunteers feeding it and the Environmental Agency taking away the infected and dead birds. So sad, but the young one seemed to be doing well.
0 -
Good signs, as long as the cold doesn't strike too fiercely. Out and nearly out, Camellia and Snowdrop.
1 -
Pleasant walk along the Chesterfield Canal on part of the Trans Pennine Trail today. Spotted a Merganser, an odd looking female Mallard, see below, but the highlight was seeing a Kingfisher skimming in water's surface.
1 -
We live on the edge of a big wood and feed and watch the birds all the time. I think the mild weather is messing with them as a woodpecker has been drumming a lot this morning, it worked as a female has just come to his tree. Never seen this so early in the year.
2 -
Well the Mallard ducks here are starting to feel Spring is on the way 2 of the males keep fighting each other, had 4 Cattle Egrets here where we are staying but did not stay to long and did not see an awful lot with our trip to the Brenne a lot of Egrets, Herons, Black Headed Gulls, Crested Grebes and plenty of ducks and a few Buzzards but no Cranes.
1 -
Good start to the 2022 year list, WN!
I’ve topped up all the garden feeders, the usual suspects have all turned up and have been ticked off 🙂Might have a stroll down the canal tomorrow, and a look round Foulridge resser. Should get some ducks for the year list 🦆. 🙂
1 -
Heading anywhere special this year Pliers?
I think, with plenty of fingers crossed, we may try to do some birdwatching across Northern parts of Netherlands and Germany, maybe get out to one or two of the Wadden Islands in May/June. If not we'll use the ferry tickets for a September/October visit to see the return of the geese and waders.
1 -
We've got some tiny fungi growing in our front garden under a birch tree. I haven't seen it before, I've looked it up and the common name is "black earth tongue." It looks like it's name.
1 -
As I said in an earlier post that we have heard both Tawny and Little Owls calling just as it starts to get dark, and we hear the Tawnies again early in the morning. Well last night as I was coming back from our last walk, about 10:15, I spotted one of the Tawny Owls, watching us pass below, who didn't seem to be bothered by the light from my headtorch.
2 -
Just spotted this on the BBC's Science News page of a fantastic murmuration in Is real
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-59748062
1 -
I looked it up and you can eat it but it also said "don't bother." They are only a couple of inches in length, looking like little black feathers stuck in our mossy lawn, which apparently they love.
I'm surprised to see a lot of other fungi types around just now, the damp weather must have brought them out.
Glad to see some frosts today, some plants need the cold to flourish later. I've got some seeds in a tray which need cold, unfortunately our little dog takes out the plants labels on trays left outside and so my cold loving seeds are of the mystery variety...
2 -
The Fieldfares and Red Rings were very active and vocal in the Cider Apple Orchards this morning after our first hard frost of the New Year, also saw a black Mink a creature which I have not seen for a few years now. By the size of him I would guess it was a Hob as he was a big boy.
2 -
With plenty of fingers crossed, we’re hoping to be on the ferry to Santander on the 27th of May. Originally booked for May 2020 and rescheduled a few times since then.
Glad we booked the fully flexible option with Brittany Ferries.
Year list total now only 27, might get over to Brockholes now the children are back at school, should get some different species there. 🙂
1 -
We increased our "new" sightings today on a local walk as we watched a Raven doing the upside flying display trying to impress the following female Raven. Unfortunately they spoiled the good mood by finding them tucking into a dead new born lamb in a field a bit further on. Plenty of live ones hopping about and getting lost from mum.
Lots of singing going on today, we even heard a Marsh Tit calling along with a Mistle Thrush. So all in all even though it was only a couple of degrees above freezing it was full of wildlife, not to mention all of the new buds on plants.
Hope you get to sail away this year Pliers. Birding in the Uk keeps one occupied and entertained but it's always nice to have a few unfamiliar ones to look at.
1 -
We had a walk down onto the Flats but there was not much about as the waters were frozen following a very cold night. Did see a couple of Marsh Harriers, lots of Lapwings and Curlew, a couple of Egrets and Grey Herons, a few Reed Bunting, a Kestral and just a fleeting glimpse of the white tail of what I think was a Water Rail.
3 -
The local paper says there’s a White tailed Eagle circling Bodmin Moor….but the lane is steep, the weather is bleak, and the wood burner needs my attention.
3 -
Yes it was quoted as being one of the IOW releases. Here's the link.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-59905641
1 -
Lots of Geese flying over today, and a flock of Brents feeding on one of the wheat fields. Long Tailed Tits and Bullfinches spotted at Water's Edge NR.
1 -
On our way home from the Brenne area saw two large numbers of Cattle Egrets about 30 miles apart then Large Egrets in another field and a small number of Common Cranes flying and just about to land in another large open field about 50 miles from where were staying and the weather was wet all the way back.
2 -
A birdwatching day on the Dee Marsh area on the Wirral today.
There were about 25+ Little Grebes on the Boating Lake at Shotwick. Disappointed to miss seeing the Great Northern Diver that was there up until today! A large flock of Fieldfares moving along with several Missile Thrushes mixed in with them. A distant view of a Short Eared Owl and a pair of Water Pipits were the best of the rest.
A lovely day having nature around.
1 -
Spotted another couple of Hares this morning while out for our first walk. This afternoon, by our new site, there were flocks of Fieldfares in the Ash Trees.
1 -
I lost a post on here this morning. It was about our regular Fieldfare visitor. We don't know if it's the same one over recent years but he or she is usually alone and territorial. Loves the apples we put out. The main flock can be heard but this one obviously peels off! The photo I took today isn't very good but zooming in shows him and "his apples" a bit more.
2
