Seen today

[Pingu]

Today at the Potting Shed - 3 red sqrls anna wooderypeckery.

And some remarkably fat chaffinches 

[Wowbagger]

Yesterday, whilst Reg and I were heading towards Prickwillow, a greater spotted woodpecker and what I'm reasonably sure was a hobby.

[border-rider]

A kite

First one I've seen since we moved to Wales - they were 10 a penny in Berkshire

This was hovering at the bottom of the Gospel pass, and shouting its head off.  Really skwarking, constantly.

[Luke]

When riding to and from Mildenhall at the weekend - a young deer*, 3 foxes, hundreds of rabbits and a hedgehog. 




* I think. It was dark, and a very brief sighting. But can't think of anything else it could have been.

[Zipperhead]

We saw dolphins swimming in the estuary near Salcombe today. Everybody on the beach ran down to the water to watch. Amazing.

[Wowbagger]

Four fallow deer, this afternoon somewhere near Good Easter.

They were the most spectacularly coloured I have ever seen - fox-red with beautiful white dappling. I think they must vary from year to year, as normally when I've seen them they are a pretty uniform dull brown in colour.

[Pete]

Hornet.  'Buzzed' me just now, as I was completing my lunchtime ride.  Glad to see you, little fellow...

[CathH]

A kingfisher, dashing upriver.  A little blue flash zooming along.

[clarion]

Not today, nor particularly rare, but we saw lots of crested grebe around Suffolk & Cambridgeshire.  A very smart looking bird.

[TimC]

A kingfisher, dashing upriver.  A little blue flash zooming along.

Aren't they great? And so fast too! Yesterday, I was busy watching 'our' cygnets (who are more and more being left to their own devices by Mum) when a kingfisher flew between them at about shoulder height - to the swans!

[TimC]

Yesterday, while out kayaking, we found a young pike, about a foot long, sunning himself in the shallows by Cornard Mill. He was taking no notice of all the little chub and perch around him, and wasn't much phased by us either. He just gently glided back into the weeds to await his next meal...

[Pete]

we found a young pike

Not today - but on our last circuit of Ditchling Common (not a million miles from the Beacon of that ilk), there were a lot of anglers (Anglerus obstreperus), with all their 'bits' spread across the path.  Reckon they were competing to hook the celebrated Ditchling Common Pike which is reputed to have lived in the pond these last 100 years and been hooked and thrown back more often than....

Actually, I tell a lie: I know of no such legend.  But occasionally we've spotted a Very Big Fish do a backflip in mid-pond...

[border-rider]

This chap is about 4 cm long.  He was wandering across the carpet in the lounge, looking at bit lost.

Very new.  I didn't realise they were in this area

[FatBloke]

This chap is about 4 cm long.  He was wandering across the carpet in the lounge, looking at bit lost.

Very new.  I didn't realise they were in this area

Looks more like a newt than a lizard. 

[Wowbagger]

And Fatters works in a bar. He's seen a few. 

Actually, I agree, I think it is newtish.

[FatBloke]

Where's Ken Livingstone when you need him?!   

[Wowbagger]

No longer the force he was - he's been newtered.

[border-rider]

Mrs MV reports a pair in the hall last night

If they are newts then it's a bit of a damning indictment of how damp the house is :0

[nicknack]

A squirrel running around in our garden.

Not very noteworthy for some, but, in the 40 odd years that this house has been in our family, it's the first time I've seen one.

[Wowbagger]

Some pals of ours went to the British Museum last week. Whilst sitting outside in the Chinese garden, Kay spotted an unusual bird and didn't know what it was. She asked her husband and he didn't know either.

When they got home they looked it up and they are certain it was a wryneck, a rare visitor. Kay made a mention of this sighting on the Southend RSPB website and now the London birdwatchers have picked this up and are getting very excited by it. None of them seem to have seen it though.

[pcolbeck]

Bouncing across the lane in front of me yesterday a lovely stoat.

[Zoidburg]

Bouncing across the lane in front of me yesterday a lovely stoat.

Are you sure it wasnt a weasel?

[clarion]

Bouncing across the lane in front of me yesterday a lovely stoat.

Are you sure it wasnt a weasel?

You absolutely sure you wanna go through with this?

[Wowbagger]

An amusing drama.

Dez and I went into the garden to pick walnuts, and came in with a washing-up bowl about half-full.

I could hear a squirrel in the false acacia just outside our garden, clearly after our nuts, but I could see a cat, clearly after the squirrel's. For quite some time the squirrel was making its alarm call, and the cat was circumspectly pursuing the much more agile squirrel. At one point the squirrel panicked and almost scrambled into the waiting arms of the cat.

I think they are both up in the tree still.

[Zoidburg]

Bouncing across the lane in front of me yesterday a lovely stoat.

Are you sure it wasnt a weasel?

You absolutely sure you wanna go through with this?

The forum requests, nay, demands! that we do old chap