Seen today

[Wowbagger]

What sort of snake is that, Scott? And is it a toad it's consuming?

[scott]

It's a garter snake (haven't had a chance to narrow it down farther yet), and that is a toad.

That's the biggest, or at least widest, garter that I've seen; I'm wondering if it's gravid. I'll try to figure out the species once I get a chance. Time for us to down our own toads, er, have dinner now...

edit: it was an Eastern Garter. I determined this through a long, involved, complex process which involved looking in the field guide and seeing that the Eastern is the only species that's here.

[marna]

Perhaps a less-than-welcome sighting: Harlequin Ladybird.
Settled on my shirt for a few seconds as I was out cycling this lunchtime.
They are a known pest and are displacing our native species I believe, but I don't know whether sightings should be reported in some way...

You can report them here if you like: Harlequin Ladybird Survey - home - I don't know what they do with the information, though, other than plot the spread of the creatures. I've reported allotment ones a couple of times.

[Mr Larrington]

It seems a kestrel has moved into the field next to the office.

[Chris N]

It seems a kestrel has moved into the field next to the office.

One perched on a roadsign on the way in to work this am - about 10 feet from me.  And not today, but last week: a peregrine with a pigeon in it's claws, here.

[bobajobrob]

A small dragonfly clinging onto my finger. You can't see it but the tail had red and black stripes.

[Pancho]

An owl!

There I was having a crafty fag out of sight of the house when a white owl swooped over my bonce. I think he must have been in the tree I was standing under.

Very Harry Potter.

[Mr Larrington]

Two dead badgers on Sunday.  However, they were spotted from the car, so don't count in the AUK Dead Badger Challenge.

[mike]

a red kite, circling over the primary school playground..

[Wowbagger]

a red kite, circling over the primary school playground..

Wot, in Essex / Cambridge?

[Wowbagger]

Fox cubs! Lots of them - well, four or five at least I'd say. Beautiful spindly little creatures with enormous pointy ears.

One of them had clearly had a mishap of some sort which had deprived him of about ⅔ of his tail.

[mike]

a red kite, circling over the primary school playground..

Wot, in Essex / Cambridge?

apparently yes - I wouldnt know a red kite if one bit me on the arse, but I was in the pub garden watching it and everyone was getting vey excited.  Several people knew about a breeding pair over by saffron walden which is only 3 or 4 miles away.

[FatBloke]

Just saw our cat come within a gnat's whisker of catching a cockatiel in the garden. 

She's not tasted one of those before!  Nom! Nom! Nom!   

[pcolbeck]

A greater spotted woodpecker on the apple tree in our garden.

[Mr Larrington]

a red kite, circling over the primary school playground..

Wot, in Essex / Cambridge?

I saw one near Alconbury last year, and must admit to being quite surprised.

[harrumph]

I saw one near Alconbury last year, and must admit to being quite surprised.

Nah - they're like great crested newts these days.

Just like 'em. Except with feathers and that.

[onb]

Well yesterday actually a wild black rabbit .

[TimC]

Swallows in our water meadow. They fly like they really enjoy it! I can't remember when I last saw them in the open like that.

[simonali]

Had a kestrel land right in front of my car earlier. Luckily I was already braking for a corner, otherwise it woulda been a deceased one!

[nicknack]

A lizard ran across the road in front of me today.

Sadly he was going left to right just as 3 cars were heading towards me. I didn't stop to look to see if he made it. 

[rogerzilla]

A stoat bouncing across the Baydon road, just after the M4 tunnel.

Oh, and a muntjac yesterday morning, but they're unattractive vermin 

[Pete]

a red kite, circling over the primary school playground..

Wot, in Essex / Cambridge?

I saw one near Alconbury last year, and must admit to being quite surprised.

We were driving up the M40 last month and saw what definitely looked like two red kites flying above the motorway somewhere near Aylesbury.  Unless someone can suggest any other large raptor-like bird with a deeply forked tail, that they could have been...

[rogerzilla]

They're fairly common round here, but two at once is unusual.

[Adrian]

We were driving up the M40 last month and saw what definitely looked like two red kites flying above the motorway somewhere near Aylesbury.  Unless someone can suggest any other large raptor-like bird with a deeply forked tail, that they could have been...

Those are red kites. There are always lots of them to be seen when on the M40 between Wycombe and Stokenchurch

[simonali]

Saw a green woodpecker in my work car park on Friday. Made a right old racket as it flew off upon seeing me!