Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1019258 times)

Pingu · « **Reply #3200 on:** 02 May, 2013, 10:44:59 am »

The dolphins were putting on show at the harbour entrance this morning. Right on cue: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-22365407

tiermat · « **Reply #3201 on:** 02 May, 2013, 12:25:28 pm »

Last week, Saturday in fact, we saw a Neegle. We also saw what looked like either a Buzzard or a Vulture whilst waiting for the taxi to whisk us off to the next town. I shouted at it to "Bugger off, we are not dead, yet"

A bit closer to home, Bertie the bat has returned. We see him around dusk flying around the back garden.

fuzzy · « **Reply #3202 on:** 02 May, 2013, 02:09:54 pm »

We got our first back garden bat action of the year last night too

andym · « **Reply #3203 on:** 02 May, 2013, 06:43:41 pm »

Cuckoos are finally back. Late this year.
Still no swifts. They'll be late also.
First Red Kite out and about too.
Saw a Black Woodpecker the other day too.

Basil · « **Reply #3204 on:** 02 May, 2013, 07:07:56 pm »

I don't think red kites are a sign of spring. They remain around in abundance all year round by us.

andym · « **Reply #3205 on:** 02 May, 2013, 08:48:52 pm »

True I guess. Rarely see them in winter, but they're obviously about. Now the sun has come out, I guess there's a lot more dinner, so get to see them on the wing.

Pingu · « **Reply #3206 on:** 04 May, 2013, 10:11:55 pm »

Ooh - a couple of partridges between Dunkeld & Amulree.

Pingu · « **Reply #3207 on:** 05 May, 2013, 09:48:00 pm »

Another partridge, some hares, a wheatear, some goslings anna red sqrl

David Martin · « **Reply #3208 on:** 06 May, 2013, 09:16:28 am »

Some deer and a heron.

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr

I wasn't expecting the heron but obviously the drainage ditches are deep enough.

PaulR · « **Reply #3209 on:** 07 May, 2013, 12:30:31 pm »

A swift.

I was sitting on the beach at Sandown late on Sunday afternoon, probably the least appealing part of the Isle of Wight (possibly even worse than the car park round the back of matalan in Newport) and was watching a pair of common terns working the surf line when I spotted this little chap fluttering ashore from the south.

I wonder if this was its first glimpse of Britan after thousands of miles, and whether it was tempted to turn around and head back south.

andym · « **Reply #3210 on:** 07 May, 2013, 01:38:11 pm »

Swifts are finally here. Arrived on the 5th, set up home in the rafters right near the bedroom window again on the 6th. Noisy as heck this morning.

About the latest I've seen (well heard) them arrive. Usually is in the last week of April, but I guess it depends on the weather systems.

Riggers · « **Reply #3211 on:** 13 May, 2013, 08:33:07 am »

Seen yesterday. Orange Tip (1).

House Martin or Swallow (1).

Swifts (0). If I were them I'd be staying in France. This weather is ridiculous.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #3212 on:** 13 May, 2013, 12:59:28 pm »

A bat kept me company late last night as I sped south on the B2036 near Gatwick. It was presumably hunting, as it flew along the line of the roadside hedge. Lighting glare from the airport gave me enough to see it by.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3213 on:** 13 May, 2013, 04:25:55 pm »

Seen/heard on our recent mini-tour of the Netherlands (Thurs-Sun)

nightingales - lots in the dunes between the Hook of Holland and The Hague
five European white storks, three of them flying, one sitting on a nest and one strolling through a meadow. An amazing sight.
two herons eating curry
two cuckoos
edible frogs
several types of duck and geese, the latter with many goslings. The biggest brood seemed to have about 15 youngsters in it.
The normal sort of stuff (chaffinches, chiff-chaffs, sparrows, swallows, house martins, swifts)

Pingu · « **Reply #3214 on:** 14 May, 2013, 08:35:21 pm »

First swifts of the year up here.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3215 on:** 15 May, 2013, 11:26:09 am »

One I forgot from Holland: a lesser spotted woodpecker. It was in flight, I saw enough of it to see the pied markings and the up-and-down flight pattern, and it was considerably smaller than the GSWs I see regularly around Southend.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3216 on:** 15 May, 2013, 10:33:36 pm »

A wolf spider sitting on a wall. Perhaps it was lying in wait for the ants which were crawling over the cornflowers. (ahh, summer!)

RJ · « **Reply #3217 on:** 16 May, 2013, 03:49:06 pm »

(Y'day, but ...) - osprey, capercaillie, crested tit, house martin

EDIT: ... and red squirrel.

Steph · « **Reply #3218 on:** 17 May, 2013, 12:46:32 am »

Quote from: Tim Hall on 13 May, 2013, 12:59:28 pm

A bat kept me company late last night as I sped south on the B2036 near Gatwick. It was presumably hunting, as it flew along the line of the roadside hedge. Lighting glare from the airport gave me enough to see it by.

Wednesday, oddly, I went up into London and came back via Gatwick train station. There were groups of house martins and swifts moving North over the city, and a few singleton swallows. I walked back up that road (Balcombe Road, B2036) and as I came under the motorway spur flyover a bat flew at speed the other way.

I have a picture of a lesser spotted woodpecker from Hungary, but the last week or so it has been GSWs drumming each morning. I have had a couple of good views of them.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3219 on:** 17 May, 2013, 01:12:17 pm »

My bike is right outside the window, I can see it from my desk (where I am, as you can tell, hard at work

). A blue tit has just landed on the rack.

Yesterday - a large spider with puce cephalothorax and legs and shiny grey abdomen, in our hall. I don't remember seeing one like that before - I thought it was worth looking at so called Mrs Cudzo to have a look, but she wasn't impressed! Later, and far away, heard but did not see a cuckoo.

RJ · « **Reply #3220 on:** 17 May, 2013, 02:30:55 pm »

Quote from: andym on 07 May, 2013, 01:38:11 pm

Swifts are finally here. Arrived on the 5th, set up home in the rafters right near the bedroom window again on the 6th. Noisy as heck this morning.

About the latest I've seen (well heard) them arrive. Usually is in the last week of April, but I guess it depends on the weather systems.

... and now in Embra. I might have missed them a bit earlier, but not by much, I reckon, as it's such a late year.

Pingu · « **Reply #3221 on:** 19 May, 2013, 06:54:31 pm »

Heard the first cuckoo of the year & I think we saw one too.

Saw a few deer about as well.

Bledlow · « **Reply #3222 on:** 19 May, 2013, 11:05:49 pm »

Reported by Mrs B, seen on her run today, to her horror - a magpie robbing a blackbird's nest of its chicks, fighting off the hen blackbird's attempts to save them.

Pingu · « **Reply #3223 on:** 19 May, 2013, 11:09:20 pm »

Our magpies have been spending a lot of time chasing off the pigeons recently

pcolbeck · « **Reply #3224 on:** 19 May, 2013, 11:15:55 pm »

Not seen but heard, a barn owl making a right old screechy racket on our roof five minutes ago.

Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1019258 times)

fuzzy