Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1018295 times)

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #5625 on:** 26 June, 2020, 10:17:46 pm »

A male bullfinch, bold as brass eating the seeds from a thistle in the garden.

Salvatore · « **Reply #5626 on:** 28 June, 2020, 01:33:05 pm »

A nonplussed, possibly oblivious hedgehog and a curious and cautious cat just before sunrise this morning.

https://youtu.be/kWRQzAfYuBY

SteveC · « **Reply #5627 on:** 28 June, 2020, 01:45:47 pm »

Quote from: Aunt Maud on 26 June, 2020, 10:17:46 pm

A male bullfinch, bold as brass eating the seeds from a thistle in the garden.

We seem to have a pair visiting regularly at the moment. We've had occasional sightings over the years we've been here, but this year is different. Whether it's just both of us being here all the time, so having more time to look, we're not sure. Either way, it's a lovely sight.

SteveC · « **Reply #5628 on:** 28 June, 2020, 01:47:45 pm »

Quote from: Salvatore on 28 June, 2020, 01:33:05 pm

A nonplussed, possibly oblivious hedgehog and a curious and cautious cat just before sunrise this morning.

https://youtu.be/kWRQzAfYuBY

A good few years ago, when we had two cats, MrsC and I were sitting out on the patio after dark when a family of four hedgehogs appeared. The cats completely ignored them as if they weren't there.
The 'hogs seemed to be unaware of us as the smallest ended up walking over our feet. Very tickly.

T42 · « **Reply #5629 on:** 28 June, 2020, 03:12:51 pm »

Yesterday, during a morning stroll to the next village, what looked like the stripped hind leg of a roe-deer and a scrap of bloody skin & fur a couple of feet away. Also, larks singing.

Andrij · « **Reply #5630 on:** 28 June, 2020, 08:36:50 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 28 June, 2020, 03:12:51 pm

Yesterday, during a morning stroll to the next village, what looked like the stripped hind leg of a roe-deer and a scrap of bloody skin & fur a couple of feet away. Also, larks singing.

Wonder what the deer did to piss off the larks.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #5631 on:** 28 June, 2020, 10:02:44 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 28 June, 2020, 03:12:51 pm

Yesterday, during a morning stroll to the next village, what looked like the stripped hind leg of a roe-deer and a scrap of bloody skin & fur a couple of feet away. Also, larks singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHW1BYxTTo

Salvatore · « **Reply #5632 on:** 30 June, 2020, 12:40:09 pm »

Quote from: SteveC on 28 June, 2020, 01:47:45 pm

Quote from: Salvatore on 28 June, 2020, 01:33:05 pm
A nonplussed, possibly oblivious hedgehog and a curious and cautious cat just before sunrise this morning.

https://youtu.be/kWRQzAfYuBY
A good few years ago, when we had two cats, MrsC and I were sitting out on the patio after dark when a family of four hedgehogs appeared. The cats completely ignored them as if they weren't there.
The 'hogs seemed to be unaware of us as the smallest ended up walking over our feet. Very tickly.

Other cat-hedgehog interactions in my garden were (a) staring at each other, or rather in the dark the cat was peering and the hedgehog was using its sense of smell. After about 20 seconds they both retreated. And (b) the hedgehog being caught unawares by a cat walking behind it and doing the spines-up-and-roll-into-a-ball routine. And (c) last night, probably the same 2 as in the video above (cautious co-existence - see below).

Salvatore · « **Reply #5633 on:** 02 July, 2020, 08:56:52 am »

Half an hour of courting in my garden last night. He was more keen than she was. Mostly him circling her (with lots of grunting) and attempting to mount, at which point she would shuffle forward just enough to frustrate him. But she didn't run away. Here's a minute of it:
https://youtu.be/zAUOBfYr3So

And if you want to see exactly how keen he was

(click to show/hide)

ETA: It matches this description from a paper from University College Cork

Quote

Courtship behaviour in hedgehogs is characterised by the male circling around the female with one or both sexes snort- ing loudly (Reeve & Morris 1986). According to Jackson (2006) this ritual may continue for over an hour, with the majority of displays fail- ing to end in a successful mating.

benborp · « **Reply #5634 on:** 02 July, 2020, 11:41:49 am »

A young black redstart decided to spend the night in the house. Had twenty minutes of hovering and inquisitiveness before he decided to leave this morning.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #5635 on:** 03 July, 2020, 09:08:54 pm »

A hen bullfinch eating honeysuckle berries

SteveC · « **Reply #5636 on:** 07 July, 2020, 12:51:20 pm »

Quote from: SteveC on 28 June, 2020, 01:45:47 pm

Quote from: Aunt Maud on 26 June, 2020, 10:17:46 pm
A male bullfinch, bold as brass eating the seeds from a thistle in the garden.
We seem to have a pair visiting regularly at the moment. We've had occasional sightings over the years we've been here, but this year is different. Whether it's just both of us being here all the time, so having more time to look, we're not sure. Either way, it's a lovely sight.

And yesterday lunchtime there were two male bullfinches on the feeder at the same time.

slowfen · « **Reply #5637 on:** 07 July, 2020, 02:47:59 pm »

Over last few days walking on fens

Brown hawker
Water vole
Marsh harriers
Bittern (flying)

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5638 on:** 07 July, 2020, 03:01:39 pm »

Woodpecker on our peanuts just now. Unfortunately its raining and that combined with the low light under the tree canopy the nuts are hung from no pictures.

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #5639 on:** 07 July, 2020, 09:50:14 pm »

Quote from: SteveC on 07 July, 2020, 12:51:20 pm

Quote from: SteveC on 28 June, 2020, 01:45:47 pm
Quote from: Aunt Maud on 26 June, 2020, 10:17:46 pm
A male bullfinch, bold as brass eating the seeds from a thistle in the garden.
We seem to have a pair visiting regularly at the moment. We've had occasional sightings over the years we've been here, but this year is different. Whether it's just both of us being here all the time, so having more time to look, we're not sure. Either way, it's a lovely sight.
And yesterday lunchtime there were two male bullfinches on the feeder at the same time.

Tops.

Pingu · « **Reply #5640 on:** 13 July, 2020, 08:34:46 pm »

Two kingfishers

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #5641 on:** 13 July, 2020, 09:31:34 pm »

2 red kites yesterday, mooching around hopefully over a field while a farmer moved it.

orienteer · « **Reply #5642 on:** 13 July, 2020, 10:24:18 pm »

Stag beetle on the patio. Used to be one in the garden every year, but some time since I last saw one.

ElyDave · « **Reply #5643 on:** 14 July, 2020, 08:41:01 am »

Is this a yellowhammer? The apparent crest is befuddling me, unless it's just got out of bed

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5644 on:** 14 July, 2020, 09:37:31 am »

Yes a yellowhammer.

sg37409 · « **Reply #5645 on:** 14 July, 2020, 08:47:10 pm »

A pine marten near Tayvallich

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5646 on:** 14 July, 2020, 11:42:04 pm »

Two guineafowl wandering along the road just outside the village this afternoon. Makes a change from pheasant and partridge.

ElyDave · « **Reply #5647 on:** 15 July, 2020, 10:16:48 am »

In a nice cream sauce with prunes and brandy?

ElyDave · « **Reply #5648 on:** 16 July, 2020, 11:33:52 am »

What's this plant called? It's a weed/wildflower (depending on your POV)

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5649 on:** 17 July, 2020, 07:07:12 am »

Quote from: ElyDave on 15 July, 2020, 10:16:48 am

In a nice cream sauce with prunes and brandy?

Indeed they are very tasty!

They don't do well in the wild in the UK so I assume these have escaped from somewhere. The adults are fine in the wild its just that they are not good at sitting on their eggs so the eggs don't stay warm enough to hatch. A farm about four miles away used to have a large flock of them not sure if they still do.