Author Topic: Seen today  (Read 1000120 times)

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6175 on: 21 May, 2022, 08:52:51 pm »
Ten storks in a field and a green woodpecker.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


rr

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6176 on: 22 May, 2022, 12:00:00 am »
A small, 15cm, grass snake on the cycle and foot path at the bottom of our road.

Sent from my motorola edge 20 using Tapatalk


Re: Seen today
« Reply #6177 on: 22 May, 2022, 02:59:21 pm »
Young fox passing through the garden this morning, and now a toad returning to the water fountain feature for the first time this year.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6178 on: 23 May, 2022, 11:30:28 am »
In the middle of town yesterday, or rather above it, a hawk being mobbed by some crows. At first I took it for a smallish buzzard but the wings were all wrong and they rarely venture into urban areas anyway. I think it was actually a peregrine falcon. Apparently they nest on a tower in one of the university buildings, as well as in the Avon Gorge.

And last weekend heard but not seen a cuckoo, which means it's summer (Delius wasn't quite right he's forgiven because :P).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6179 on: 23 May, 2022, 11:50:07 am »
I was out with a mate yesterday on the MTB near Belvoir Castle and spotted a crow attacking a magpie on the ground.  It tried to fly off with it as we approached but dropped it.  It was still alive but in a real mess and with hindsight I should have finished it off.  I suspect the crow came back to do the deed once we had left.

Not a particularly pleasant experience but my mood soon improved by spotting a group of contented-looking calves 100m further on:


Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6180 on: 23 May, 2022, 02:46:01 pm »
Cygnets!



It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6181 on: 24 May, 2022, 08:18:35 pm »
A little Owl on a roadside gatepost.
It didn't stay when I stopped the bike.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6182 on: 24 May, 2022, 08:54:38 pm »
I saw a goldcrest on my morning walk, a little over arm's length away.
I was all  :smug:
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6183 on: 24 May, 2022, 09:37:00 pm »
First sighting of our pipistrelles tonight.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6184 on: 25 May, 2022, 11:09:08 pm »
Saw the first fox in our new area (was getting a lift home from the big boss after a works dinner) and there it was crossing the road.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6185 on: 25 May, 2022, 11:13:21 pm »
Saw the first fox in our new area (was getting a lift home from the big boss after a works dinner) and there it was crossing the road.

No doubt after a chicken...
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6186 on: 26 May, 2022, 08:13:25 pm »
There were indeed bluetits nesting in our box, evidenced by the chicks peeking out of it during the course of today. I expect they’ll fledge overnight. Tomorrow and Saturday are forecast warm and dry, so hopefully they’ll get set before the cold on Sunday.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6187 on: 27 May, 2022, 05:33:29 pm »
Yesterday I found a tree bumblebee with damaged wings in the garden. Today I found three! One had no wings at all.


IMG_0610_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6188 on: 28 May, 2022, 09:01:31 pm »
Our garden is a bit sad on the bird front compared to our last place but today we had some new visitors
IMG_0641_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6189 on: 28 May, 2022, 09:50:13 pm »
Starlings seem to be recovering well atm.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6190 on: 28 May, 2022, 10:42:17 pm »
Damselflies by the river today.
No dragonflies yet.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6191 on: 02 June, 2022, 09:53:23 pm »
Sadly dead, a really lovely looking all chestnut fox cub by the side of the road.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6192 on: 02 June, 2022, 11:36:33 pm »
A large swarm of (presumably) bees flew over neighbouring gardens this arvo sending the fence erectors running for cover  :o

And walking back from town tonight we saw a fox  :)

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6193 on: 02 June, 2022, 11:39:24 pm »
I have never seen a swarm of bees before. It was quite something.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6194 on: 03 June, 2022, 01:10:39 pm »
We once saw one on a section of wall near the seafront at Budliegh Salterton. Fascinating, as were the horrified reactions of passers-by who were at no risk whatsoever  :-\

We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6195 on: 03 June, 2022, 01:12:19 pm »
One time I was visiting my sister's mother in law in Cambridge, and whilst I was there she got a phone call to come and catch a swarm of bees - apparently the local beekeeper's association had a hotline & callout rota for such things. Her car was in for service, so I got collared for transport.

The swarm was dangling out of a small tree in a garden, and the capture process was to gently lift up a cardboard box under the swarm, then nudge the bees gripping the tree with a stick until the swarm dropped into the box (or that's what it looked like from a safe distance).

The next step was to transport the bees, in the box, in the back of my car (small VW Polo hatchback, parcel shelf removed for bike transport reasons) to an available spare hive 5 miles off. Driving along, with 20 or 30 bees flying around in the car, plus the boxful, was "interesting".

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6196 on: 03 June, 2022, 04:07:25 pm »
Yesterday whilst out on the MTB, various including heron stood on the path I was riding - flew off before i could get the camera out, damselflies at Wicken Fen, and saw and heard a sparrowhawk as I rode down another riverbank further on. Plenty of geese, swans, ducks, coots about
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6197 on: 03 June, 2022, 09:28:26 pm »
The starlings brought the fledglings to our garden today. Which was lovely to watch. Less great was finding one dead later.

Re: Seen today
« Reply #6198 on: 03 June, 2022, 10:52:04 pm »
Not seen but the blue tits have fledged their brood from the nest box on the shed today.  Definitely seen, the robins have a healthy brood of 5 near to fledging chicks in the nest box on the garden fence.  I had a great view of very yellow, very wide open “Feed me NOW” beaks as I mowed the lawn.  Also saw a hare on my ride this evening, running along the lane verge.  I love the way they move, so distinctive.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Seen today
« Reply #6199 on: 04 June, 2022, 11:25:18 am »
When I was 5 or 6, the bees kept by some neighbours (a couple of houses and one street away) swarmed in a tree in our garden. I wasn't scared of the bee swarm but I was terrified when the neighbours came round in their beekeeping suits, smooth shiny white from head to toe with apparently no faces. It only made it worse when they spoke to me in human voices and claimed to be my neighbours. "Don't be scared, it's Mrs Apperley." I think the suits looked to me like spacesuits and as I knew actual astronauts wouldn't be in our garden, they must be some sort of space alien. And no faces!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.