Seen today

[Tourist Tony]

A pair of Great Tits flying in an agitated fashion near a climb I was trying (and failing) to do.  Watching them a bit closer, and listening, it became apparent that they were nesting in a crack in the rock, halfway up the next climb (Pine Crack at Stone Farm).

Which route were you on, Tim? Haven't climbed there for years

[PaulR]

Scruffy little long-tailed tits in considerable numbers raiding the hydrangea just outside our window, bold as brass and not put off by three of us watching from about three feet away.  A bit later I went out to inspect the plant and realised that the birds must have been feasting on scae insects - or at least grabbing them ad carrying them home to their young.

[Tim Hall]

A pair of Great Tits flying in an agitated fashion near a climb I was trying (and failing) to do.  Watching them a bit closer, and listening, it became apparent that they were nesting in a crack in the rock, halfway up the next climb (Pine Crack at Stone Farm).

Which route were you on, Tim? Haven't climbed there for years

Stone Farm Crack, next to Cat Wall, but couldn't get off the ground. I think they're using 11.4m/s^2 for gravity instead of the more usual 9.8. In reality it's a year or more since I was there and I'm not as bendy & stretchy as I once was. Erosion means the starts of many climbs are further up, IYSWIM. Managed, after a fashion, Pinnacle Buttress which is shown as 5a in my tattered guide book.

[rogerzilla]

We now have a pair of bullfinches (Mr and Mrs).  Haven't seen any of those for years.  The bastard squirrels have also found the seed and are arriving four at a time; Cat minor is doing a reasonable job of chasing them back up the tree.

[RJ]

Peregrine, having a cr@p.  Little ringed plover.  Lots of seabirds (guillemot; razorbill; kittiwake; shag).  Staggering quantities of thrift.

[Riggers]

Well, actually seen on Sunday to be precise. Wasp nest in our garden. Domed paper nest is currently about 80mm wide x 100mm deep. I'm gonna have to keep an eye on it methinks.

[rogerzilla]

A buzzard, flying 18" off the ground (wings almost touching the tarmac) and about 10 yards in front of my bike.  Then it veered off through a gap in the hedge and, once it was above the field, slowed down so we could have a good look at each other.  Then it was off.

[border-rider]

Sure it was a buzzard & not a goshawk ? They tend to fly like that; they sometimes surf down the road in front of the car on the displaced air wave

[Auntie Helen]

Seen today in my garden as I was coming back from a walk with both doggies





Fortunately I managed to hustle both doggies inside before they saw him/her. Poppy the Cockapoo would have liked nothing better than to snap up a baby blue tit. She and Lucy were kept inside until he hopped away into the hedge. Hope he's OK.

We had bluetits nesting above our shed but I hadn't realised they had managed to raise a chick to fledging stage already.

[rogerzilla]

Sure it was a buzzard & not a goshawk ? They tend to fly like that; they sometimes surf down the road in front of the car on the displaced air wave

Looked too brown for a goshawk, although they are the same sort of shape.

[Riggers]

M'wasp nest. And you can see what busy bees they've been, and continue to be…

[border-rider]

The queen wasps were very active here a month or 6 weeks ago; lots of small nests appeared, just a couple of cm in diameter, over one weekend inside my sheds and in the attic.  I knocked them all down as they started and they've not reformed.  Just one in a chimney left that I can't reach.

Interesting to see an outside nest, riggers.  I've only ever seen them inside buildings, where they're protected from the elements

[Tourist Tony]

Sure it was a buzzard & not a goshawk ? They tend to fly like that; they sometimes surf down the road in front of the car on the displaced air wave

Looked too brown for a goshawk, although they are the same sort of shape.

Goshawk females are browner and bigger than the males. The keys are deep chest, eyebrow, and tail length, in that sort of view.

[Riggers]

The queen wasps were very active here a month or 6 weeks ago; lots of small nests appeared, just a couple of cm in diameter, over one weekend inside my sheds and in the attic.  I knocked them all down as they started and they've not reformed.  Just one in a chimney left that I can't reach.

Interesting to see an outside nest, riggers.  I've only ever seen them inside buildings, where they're protected from the elements

Seems to be a hive of activity. I think I might have to cut off the branch and ship the whole thing somewhere else, most probably at night when it's colder and they're inactive. Trouble is we only have a small garden, and we use it all. So… means going through the house, and we live in a town. Nearest rough ground is a good half-mile away. So do I walk or take the car? Hmmmm… interesting. A recipe for disaster or huge comedic potential. And no, I don't own a video camera for possible You've been framed. It'll be you've been stung.

[clarion]

We had a few queens trying to get into the building here at work about a month or so back.  Fortunately, they were all dissuaded.

[rogerzilla]

We had a few queens trying to get into the building here at work about a month or so back.  Fortunately, they were all dissuaded.

/resists obvious joke

[Riggers]

Hmmmmm, some of the flight patterns of my wasps do look a tad 'mincy'. Should I be concerned.

– worried of Brighton

[AndyK]

Anyone know what this is? My neighbour found it on their plants. It's about 8mm long. thought perhaps a young 'Devil's Coachman'.

[Riggers]

Or young ladybird* larvae.




*No, not lady boy

[rogerzilla]

Anyone know what this is? My neighbour found it on their plants. It's about 8mm long. thought perhaps a young 'Devil's Coachman'.

Any unidentified bug is a "Blood Sucker".  Trufax.

[border-rider]

Or young ladybird* larvae.

^This, I'm pretty sure.

[Pingu]

There's only one 

[CountrySickness]

Male Gtr spotted woodpecker feeding it's young on our feeders, said youngster then slipped under my sparrow-netting defences around my veg patch to investigate my carrots and beetroots, a sample of one "proving" woodpeckers are much cleverer than sparrows?

Off dormousing now, so best wake up the hounds.

[Rig of Jarkness]

Quite a few youngsters hopping around the garden this morning - dunnocks, great tits, blue tits and robin.  The local neighbourhood moggie is getting a lot of attention from the parents.

[L CC]

Magpies.

I love them.