Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1018691 times)

Oaky · « **Reply #4075 on:** 25 June, 2015, 01:37:41 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 25 June, 2015, 09:23:29 am

A juvenile goldfinch pecking at weeds growing in the pavement.

First parsed as "goldfish". I was somewhat confused.

I blame the Canadians

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4076 on:** 25 June, 2015, 10:50:32 pm »

That reminds me of a conversation Mrs. Wow had with the mother of a boy who joined my older daughter's class around the age of 10. They were Chinese and arrived here with hardly any English. The boy immediately showed talent at chess and we gave him lifts from time to time. Jan was invited into their house on one occasion and saw a bird in a cage.

"Is it a finch?" enquired my wife.

The lady of the house looked as her as though she was mad.

"No. Is bird," came the reply.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4077 on:** 26 June, 2015, 11:57:16 am »

Buzzard being mobbed by kestrel, seen from train just after Rugby station.

cycleman · « **Reply #4078 on:** 26 June, 2015, 09:30:12 pm »

A buzzerd flying over my house in Slough

Pingu · « **Reply #4079 on:** 27 June, 2015, 11:40:26 pm »

A really good view of a red kite near Drumoak and a bat in our garden at last

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4080 on:** 29 June, 2015, 08:33:38 am »

A sparrow. I thought for a split second someone had thrown a stone at our kitchen window! But it was a sparrow flying into it. It's still conscious but hasn't moved for several minutes, just sitting in the garden. I can see it blinking and moving its tail a little. Hopefully it will recover and fly away (maybe even before one of the neighbourhood cats finds it). But maybe it's got an internal injury and will bleed to death in the garden. Ah, it's moving its head all round now, so seems to be on the mend.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4081 on:** 29 June, 2015, 08:42:56 am »

It's flown away now.

Jakob · « **Reply #4082 on:** 30 June, 2015, 02:16:27 am »

The local skunk momma with her 3 kits. (I had to google what baby skunks are called!). I thought she had moved away, but evidently not, so I have to remain vigilant when walking Hana in our neighbourhood.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4083 on:** 30 June, 2015, 01:03:39 pm »

One of these?

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.simplybirdsandmoths.co.uk/sbam/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Ghost-Moth51.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.simplybirdsandmoths.co.uk/sbam/index.php/0014-ghost-moth/&h=506&w=675&tbnid=b2QZXR5FNvJfjM:&zoom=1&tbnh=150&tbnw=200&usg=__YhpbNZN6l_3rpggXLw4Hkx_-GF8=&docid=DHQAygCNbmBjUM&itg=1

matthew · « **Reply #4084 on:** 05 July, 2015, 06:00:14 pm »

My parents cat as it was my turn to feed her today while they have been away. Boy has she become a lap cat and very demanding for attention in her old age...

Also two red kites circling low over the village in Windsor Great Park, not quite low enough to make me duck but less than 10m.

Auntie Helen · « **Reply #4085 on:** 07 July, 2015, 07:25:21 am »

A stork sitting on a nest.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4086 on:** 07 July, 2015, 12:36:30 pm »

A really lovely scene on the pond at Barling today.

A nest full of moorhen chicks that were so small I think they can only have hatched within the past few hours. There were four in the nest but one had found its way out and was swimming around, being supervised by a parent. Eventually that chick clambered back into the nest, but on its way a sizeable carp got a bit too close and the moorhen parent pecked on its snout and it turned tail and swam away.

Of course, I hadn't taken my camera.

tiermat · « **Reply #4087 on:** 07 July, 2015, 12:55:53 pm »

A whole family of Goldfinches, in our garden, last night. They were right royally feasting on the cornflower seedheads.

What a gorgeous sight they are.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #4088 on:** 07 July, 2015, 02:56:05 pm »

Yesterday a couple of young magpies shouting abuse at an innocent collared dove.

Dove: Oh, do be quiet, you little oiks!
Magpies: Your mum!

cycleman · « **Reply #4089 on:** 07 July, 2015, 07:44:31 pm »

Still enjoying the flock of seagulls choral society on the roof of the hospital building across from my ward (yes I am still stuck in hospital

).

Kim · « **Reply #4090 on:** 07 July, 2015, 08:36:17 pm »

Quote from: cycleman on 07 July, 2015, 07:44:31 pm

Still enjoying the flock of seagulls choral society on the roof of the hospital building across from my ward (yes I am still stuck in hospital ).

Makes sense. University exam season is over, so there's no point in doing it on their roof...

cycleman · « **Reply #4091 on:** 08 July, 2015, 07:05:29 am »

fuzzy · « **Reply #4092 on:** 08 July, 2015, 08:38:46 am »

An unidentified bird this morning- white or pale yellow head and neck with a speckled black or very dark body. About the size of a blackbird or woodpecker. The very brief glimpse I got as it flew across the road suggested a slight down curve to the beak......

Jakob · « **Reply #4093 on:** 09 July, 2015, 08:22:31 am »

Quote from: Jakob on 30 June, 2015, 02:16:27 am

The local skunk momma with her 3 kits. (I had to google what baby skunks are called!). I thought she had moved away, but evidently not, so I have to remain vigilant when walking Hana in our neighbourhood.

And judging by the odour wafting through our windows right now, someone else found that skunk family too!.

tiermat · « **Reply #4094 on:** 09 July, 2015, 08:28:16 am »

Quote from: fuzzy (retd.) AAGE on 08 July, 2015, 08:38:46 am

An unidentified bird this morning- white or pale yellow head and neck with a speckled black or very dark body. About the size of a blackbird or woodpecker. The very brief glimpse I got as it flew across the road suggested a slight down curve to the beak......

Try this:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdidentifier/

fuzzy · « **Reply #4095 on:** 09 July, 2015, 01:57:41 pm »

Thanks tiermat. Had a quick look and nothing jumps out. The closest in shape is juvenile cuckoo but the colouring was all wrong.

Ruthie · « **Reply #4096 on:** 09 July, 2015, 03:04:59 pm »

Is it possible it was a thrush, and the light was catching it funny?

Where is it you live, Fuzzers?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varied_thrush

http://www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Bird/Thrushes.html

fuzzy · « **Reply #4097 on:** 09 July, 2015, 03:09:20 pm »

I live in Marlow (Bucks) and was en route to Maidenhead.

The colour distribution was very much like a white or pale yellow cowl with the same colour peppering of very dark plumage on the body.

As well as the perceived slight down curve on the beak, the tail looked to be quite short though not stubby.

Bledlow · « **Reply #4098 on:** 09 July, 2015, 07:28:34 pm »

Allotment fox tried to beg food from me today. I didn't have any.

Well, that's what you get for feeding it while it was injured. Now it expects it.

Looks as if the injured leg (back right) is permanently damaged (I suspect muscles shortened when it was keeping it off the ground - anyone know a fox physio?), so it walks with a limp & runs 3-legged, but no sign of it being painful now.

Pingu · « **Reply #4099 on:** 09 July, 2015, 08:34:53 pm »

Nice one Bledlow. It might not be around but for you