Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1018701 times)

Crumbling Nick · « **Reply #3950 on:** 05 March, 2015, 10:29:58 pm »

Quote from: cycleman on 04 March, 2015, 06:25:59 pm

I saw a skylark today near Hurst this morning. Singing it,s little heart out as it ascended towards the heavens .

I was equally pleased to hear my first skylark of 2015 last Friday morning, one field uphill from Alvecote Woods (the reserve that docsquid & Steve are managing so successfully).

Deano · « **Reply #3951 on:** 05 March, 2015, 11:57:18 pm »

A huge bushy orange fox darted across my path on the old railway line between Darlo and Stockton last night. Quite a few suicide bunnies, too.

Feanor · « **Reply #3952 on:** 06 March, 2015, 11:19:44 pm »

After 50 years of never seeing a live badger, I can now report one sighting.

Driving Junior # 2 to kickball training last night on some narrow country roads on account of some local road closures, we did spy one badger crossing the road in front of us, and climbing over the small wall into the field at the other side of the road.

Pingu · « **Reply #3953 on:** 06 March, 2015, 11:49:39 pm »

PS: Git!

rafletcher · « **Reply #3954 on:** 07 March, 2015, 03:44:35 pm »

The resident hare in the field behind our house, hunkered down and enjoying the sun. And (a benefit of the bird feeders) a sparrowhawk.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3955 on:** 07 March, 2015, 07:21:32 pm »

Lots of wagtails around recently.

Basil · « **Reply #3956 on:** 08 March, 2015, 03:16:45 pm »

Two (only slightly) unusual spots today.
A pair of Common Terns on the rocks at Llangrannog. That would be unremarkable in Scotland or the East of England, but pretty unusual in West Wales.
Then, on arrival back at the house, a large Buzzard hovering over the field. Buzzards used to be much more common around here, but the Red Kites are now so successful and numerous that they are becoming a rare spot.

Bledlow · « **Reply #3957 on:** 08 March, 2015, 03:26:08 pm »

Beside the pond on our allotment, a dead toad. From the modest degree of drying out, I think it died last night. It looks as if it was killed by a fox or cat, which then found it inedible. Looks like one bite, & dropped before the teeth had gone in far - but still enough to kill.

A pity, but at least the location suggests that we have a chance of spawn this spring. The anurans are up & about now the weather's warmed up, & they'll like today's touch of rain.

loadsabikes · « **Reply #3958 on:** 10 March, 2015, 05:57:36 pm »

The weather is warming up, my bees are flying.
Both hives were very busy today.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #3959 on:** 13 March, 2015, 11:15:14 pm »

Any idea what this is?

Some type of fungus? Obligatory gentle finger poke revealed that it was spongy, yielding, with a thin outer coat. Insect nest? The tree is dead.

Tremendous amounts of fungus and mould of all sorts in Richmond Park since autumn, including lots of one that is new to me, King Alfred’s cakes.

Auntie Helen · « **Reply #3960 on:** 18 March, 2015, 11:43:49 am »

Some very cool birds swooping around and making very high-pitched noises.

My German companion identified them as lapwings or peewits.

Jaded · « **Reply #3961 on:** 20 March, 2015, 06:11:16 pm »

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #3962 on:** 21 March, 2015, 01:54:42 pm »

Lovely photo, Jaded.

fuzzy · « **Reply #3963 on:** 21 March, 2015, 05:45:21 pm »

On Thursday, as I was taking a minibus out to run some teaching assistants through MiDAS, we were approaching a railway bridge over the road (brick built tunnel type). As we set off from the lights, a Red Kite swooped down in front of us, grabbed a road kill pigeon then flew along in front of us, through the tunnel and out the other side

TimO · « **Reply #3964 on:** 31 March, 2015, 07:48:35 am »

Rattus norvegicus, the first I've ever seen in London, even after living here for fifteen years or so. I've seen smaller mice in the Underground, and very occasionally travelling to and from some of the bins in the larger public areas at work (but only very late at night, when there are few people around), but this is the first time I've seen a full sized rat wandering along the street. He (or she) got within about 10 feet of me before realising that I was there and turning tail and running for the gutter, where I lost sight of its destination.

Of course the oft quoted "never more than 6 foot from a rat" figure is statistical nonsense (see this informative BBC article), but I'm still surprised I've never seen one before, even as a remnant of one of the cats foraging escapades.

Canardly · « **Reply #3965 on:** 03 April, 2015, 04:26:56 pm »

Poor old swan at side of a busy main road into town with police escort. It had flown into the side of the Oxford to Cambridge X5 bus, on a bridge over the Ouse, presumably whilst landing or taking off. It was very bad tempered and hopefully, just dazed.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3966 on:** 03 April, 2015, 04:41:46 pm »

Quote from: TimO on 31 March, 2015, 07:48:35 am

Rattus norvegicus, the first I've ever seen in London, even after living here for fifteen years or so. I've seen smaller mice in the Underground, and very occasionally travelling to and from some of the bins in the larger public areas at work (but only very late at night, when there are few people around), but this is the first time I've seen a full sized rat wandering along the street. He (or she) got within about 10 feet of me before realising that I was there and turning tail and running for the gutter, where I lost sight of its destination.

Of course the oft quoted "never more than 6 foot from a rat" figure is statistical nonsense (see this informative BBC article), but I'm still surprised I've never seen one before, even as a remnant of one of the cats foraging escapades.

My son once opened a draw in the small kitchen behind the box office at Ally Pally to be greeted by an enormous rat.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3967 on:** 03 April, 2015, 05:23:22 pm »

If the rats are still running away from the humans, we've nothing to fear. Yet.

Bledlow · « **Reply #3968 on:** 10 April, 2015, 11:15:41 pm »

Not actually today, but since my last YACF post I've seen the following in the wild, in their native habitat:
Cyprinus carpio - yer standard koi.
Mauremys japonica - basking in the sun on banks, swimming, heads poking out of mud in shallow water so noses could reach the surface.
Mustela itatsi - Mrs B was thrilled, this being a rare sight, only a few hundred metres from her mother's house, on the banks of a small river running through a built-up area. BIG weasel!
Sturnus cineraceus - White-cheeked starling
Motacilla alba lugens - a different wagtail
Egretta garzetta - Little egret
Anas poecilorhyncha zonorhyncha - quacking away & looking to be fed.
An unidentified skate or ray, seen in shallow water from a sea wall.

And not in its native habitat, being on the wrong continent, but in the wild -
Trachemys scripta elegans Murrican turtles, pets let loose when they get too big or kids tire of them - & they breed.

Pingu · « **Reply #3969 on:** 10 April, 2015, 11:26:24 pm »

Something I haven't seen for a while: a pair of grey squirrels.

hellymedic · « **Reply #3970 on:** 11 April, 2015, 02:21:58 pm »

I'm at Lanerchindda Farm, near Llandovery. Their bird feeder attracts various finches, tits and other birds.
The rats, and grey squirrels also seem to be enjoying themselves!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3971 on:** 12 April, 2015, 03:57:36 pm »

A swallow and a tree with a honey bees' nest in it.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #3972 on:** 12 April, 2015, 04:40:23 pm »

Possibly swallows, or maybe swifts? I am no expert..

(Not sure why there's a smudge - the lens looks clean but the camera does have a hard life.)

Pingu · « **Reply #3973 on:** 12 April, 2015, 11:14:05 pm »

Them are swallows.

Pingu · « **Reply #3974 on:** 12 April, 2015, 11:17:40 pm »

Wheatear, I think.

Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1018701 times)

fuzzy