What have you seen
Comments
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Bluebells making a good show in the woods. Not yet full on.
Surprised to see lilac blossoming.
I agree with you Wherenext the colour is beautiful. Spring is so renewing in so many ways.
Dry day again yesterday, but rain overnight. Damp now. I'm happy as treated, scarifed grass hasn't needed the nearly purchased sprinkler. 1 week to go 🤞
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We just heard squealing and shrieking in the orchard down below this old farmhouse. A young jay was pinned to the ground by a big bird of prey which was pecking at it. The parent jay was circling anxiously but could do nothing. When Rob and I arrived the bird of prey - which actually looked like a peregrine - disappeared fast. We did what we could for the young jay but it was bleeding badly. Now I know a lot of you write on here and say you are keen on raptors of all sorts - I just regard them as murderers of anything smaller than they are. I don’t warm to them at all.
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EuroT I've seen Jays pounce on young Wrens just a few days out of the nest and woodpeckers rob Chaffinch nests to take nestlings. I've heard about Peregrines being attacked on the nest by Eagle Owls. Seen Sparrowhawks killing Woodpigeons.
Unless a sentient being is a vegetarian all of them become both hunted and prey at some point in the eco-system. Do we stop a Spotted Flycatcher from catching butterflies? I like butterflies but also like the dexterity of a flycatcher to manoeuvre itself in flight to take one.
All raptors to my knowledge will only kill for food, self defence or kill a competitor for territorial reasons. I can, though, understand your comment about not warming to them. I feel the same about lions and hyenas.
Well done by the way for trying to save the Jay.
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Euro, I understand that sadness at witnessing rather gruesome but natural events in nature but they are part of the ecosystem and often crucial to balanced habitat health. Odd how some folk increasingly demonise creatures the higher up the food chain those creature occupy. Raptors unfortunately, and irrationally in the opinion of many , have been cruelly persecuted by those at the very apex of the animal kingdom, ‘us’. The Blackbird eating the worm, the Blue tit feeding its young on caterpillars, they all ‘play’ their part and only kill out of necessity not for pleasure like some humans do. Hopefully the Corvid you mentioned returned to good health mind.
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The Blue Tits are keeping me busy on my bird box camera. The nest looks about half built now. It would have more nesting material in if it wasn't for the strict quality control of the little chap.
. They are so funny and entertaining to watch.2 -
Monday was a sunny day 😎. We had brimstone and Holly blue in the garden 😃.
Tuesday was very cold wind, damp and grey so little in the way of butterflies poor things must be having a really tough time.
Brighter first thing today, saw my first peacock butterflies this year. Its turned grey damp and rather windy again. The water in the bird bath seems to have evaporated during the course of the day.
Using the app on my phone I actually saw a willow warbler. I could see it but not identify. Bird song app did. It also told me I heard a common redstart. In all it picked up more than a dozen different birds on my walk.
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Is the video cam installed in the nest box Nevers? it was great seeing them the other year.
Bakers, identifying birds by song opens up so much more pleasure and adds to visual sightings when the little buggers want to stay hidden. BTW - if you see a Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler type bird only fleetingly and wonder which one it was then a good guide is to look at their legs. Black legs equals Chiffchaff.
Had a fleeting 3 second look at a Goshawk flying over the house whilst putting out the bins for collection.
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Yes, the camera is in the nest box. The little chap brings moss into the box, spreads it out with its wings, then inspects the perimeter and takes any moss it dislikes out of the box. It sometimes takes more out than it brings in.
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For anyone who hasn't heard and/or seen a Nightingale in the UK then here is a YT video of one taken at RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. Worth following this persons videos. He does great ones of Bees and Wasps and Reptiles found at the reserve. There is one of a Bittern if you search for it.
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Several reports yesterday and today about Common Cranes being sighted across Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Rutland and Nottinghamshire. I’m currently in Cambridge and saw three birds very high in the sky and presumed they were cranes. Unfortunately I was unable to be 100% sure but they were large, grey and had the correct wing movements. Keep your eyes peeled, no hirundines or swifts yet for me though.
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We saw our first Swallows and House Martins yesterday flying over the River Nidd at Sanquhar, although they were not around this morning.goes
Earlier in the week, on our last walk out around 10:15 at night I nearly tripped over a Tawny Owl which was stood at the side of the path, possibly feeding. It could not have heard us coming, as It was raining and blowing hard, and we were about 5 yrds from it before it flew away.
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Still no hirundines, but saw several red kites being buffeted by the high winds as we travelled north up the A1. They seem to cope admirably though probably enjoying the challenges of the turbulence, well they appeared to be.
I’ve just been informed that Swifts are amongst the last of the migrants to arrive on our shores, not related to swallows and martins I’m told but more closely akin to the hummingbirds. Strange but true it seems.
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A couple of unusual sights today, one as we drove back to the site along the A76. Feeding by the edge of the road was what at first took to be Rook, but as we passed we saw that it was a jet black Pheasant. I have seen dark coloured ones before but none ever a black as this one was. Unfortunately there was no place to stop to try and get a photo of the bird. Arriving back at the site, in the mid afternoon, there was a Bat flying round in the bright sunshine!
We have been lucky with small birds too, having seen a Willow Warbler and heard Chiffchats, a Nuthatch being very vocal today, along with Greenfinches, and down on the River Nidd were two pair of Goosanders.
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There is a shoot near us that deliberately release only melanistic pheasants onto their land. I don’t know why but there are too many of these non native birds around us and they do unfortunately impact negatively on the natural wildlife. Beautiful birds that they are, sadly they are only there for the shooting!
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Got both the Nightingales singing either side of us both in deep bushes and just gone quiet so the local Robin right my turn now to sing so there.
Lots of butterflies now the weather is a bit warmer and sunny and the ants are out as well very tiny ones to quite large ones.
Have seen Swallows, House Martins and Crag Martins but no Swifts yet, also the Cuckoo is busy everywhere around here.
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We too have seen more Swallows today as well as Sand Martins down at the harbour at Maidens, and a pair of Stonechats on the gorse.
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Just going through my ‘records’ and noted that around this date last year we were seeing quite a few Alpine Swifts up and down the east coast of England. There was a suggestion that climate change was a driving factor and that they could soon be breeding here. Not seen or heard of any this year so far. I’m also still waiting to see any of the hirundines around us.
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At last, twenty or more Sand Martins between the Ravine and Sandend although the winter storms have not been kind to their traditional nesting sites in the cliffs with several sections eroding and falling onto the beach. Do they dig out new holes? Lots of insects about mind so much for them to feed on.
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Well a short trip into the Brenne and n the way saw a Osprey flying over one of the lakes and then a Peregrine Falcon also flying over the car, did stop at a local bird hide and only 1 couple in there mainly Great Crested Grebes including a female sat on a nest and a local Heronry nearby with a lot of herons flying about and then a local bird watching group arrived in the hide and a bit chatty so left and then we came back to Obterre and had a short walk about with a Nightingale singing and saw a lot of Swallows about still no Swifts yet.
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Walking along near Ben Lomond there were lots of Willow Warblers both heard and seen in the birch trees, as well as Chiffchats and a Blackcap heard. As we changed to conifers we spotted Siskins and Long Tailed Tits.
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Had an email from Adrianne at Burnham Wick CL to say Lapwing chicks have now hatched. This will be the first lot for some time.
Anyone staying in Cromer look out for the peregrine falcons on the Parish Church Tower. 2 of the 3 eggs have now hatched
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We are now at Killin, and have heard, just a few minutes ago, our first Cuckoo of the year. Lots of bird song here, as well as the usual Tits and Wrens there have been, Siskins, Spotted Flycatchers, Mistle Thrush, Willow Warblers and Chiffchats.m
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Another good day out walking with a different chorus of Coal Tits, GPS, Goldcrests, Cuckoos and Tree Pippits. However the highlight of the day was seen a couple of Red Squirrels.
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More small birds about today, as well as those listed above we saw Nuthatches, Greenfinches and a Treecreeper. However the surprise was seeing the work of Beavers, which I didn't realise inhabit the swampy area at the Killin end of Loch Tay.
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