Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1038644 times)

Basil · « **Reply #6750 on:** 17 May, 2024, 07:07:11 pm »

Quote from: JefO on 17 May, 2024, 05:53:15 pm

Two herds of Deer - the first was a magnificent sight. In excess of 350 animals. The second herd was a mere 130 strong! to the west of Chelmsford.

Venison farm?

Jakob · « **Reply #6751 on:** 18 May, 2024, 03:00:49 am »

This guy greeted me this morning at the dumpster.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #6752 on:** 18 May, 2024, 07:14:03 am »

Cool!

JefO · « **Reply #6753 on:** 18 May, 2024, 03:40:20 pm »

Quote from: Basil on 17 May, 2024, 07:07:11 pm

Quote from: JefO on 17 May, 2024, 05:53:15 pm
Two herds of Deer - the first was a magnificent sight. In excess of 350 animals. The second herd was a mere 130 strong! to the west of Chelmsford.

Venison farm?

Nope, just running wild in the wonderful Essex countryside. We even cycled very close to them... they were almost unperturbed by our presence.

Jurek · « **Reply #6754 on:** 18 May, 2024, 08:39:11 pm »

Quote from: Jakob on 18 May, 2024, 03:00:49 am

This guy greeted me this morning at the dumpster.

'kin 'ell!

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #6755 on:** 18 May, 2024, 08:51:32 pm »

The swifts have arrived in Furrybootoon.

Pingu · « **Reply #6756 on:** 20 May, 2024, 11:35:19 pm »

Lying in bed this morning I heard a strange squealing noise coming from outside. It went on for a little while so eventually I got up to see what was going on. In the middle of the road was a starling making the squealing noise because it was being pecked utterly to DETH by a crow.

(click to show/hide)

perpetual dan · « **Reply #6757 on:** 21 May, 2024, 08:08:51 pm »

The Starlings in our garden are fledging, and there was lots of noisy excitement at the bird feeder this morning - with some sitting nearby and being fed by the adults. There were also Jackdaws, but I didn’t see any violence.

Mastodon picture…

PaulR · « **Reply #6758 on:** 24 May, 2024, 09:37:36 pm »

The owls are exactly what they seem around here, thankfully

Jurek · « **Reply #6759 on:** 24 May, 2024, 10:00:38 pm »

Well caught

Tim Hall · « **Reply #6760 on:** 25 May, 2024, 06:36:00 pm »

Somewhere near Strood in the early hours this morning, there was a crashing in the undergrowth and a Wowbadger appeared, going straight across my path. No injuries to mustelid or cyclist.

Kim · « **Reply #6761 on:** 26 May, 2024, 09:10:15 pm »

Muntjac nonchalantly ruminating at the side of the road, just where you clear the gravel after rounding the downhill corner onto The Good Bit™ between Morton Bagot and Spernall Lane. In the absence of other traffic or a stonking headwind, this is usually the point where you're accelerating up to R17, which makes it a suboptimal point to encounter twitchy wildlife.

Fortunately for me, it couldn't be arsed.

nicknack · « **Reply #6762 on:** 26 May, 2024, 10:33:25 pm »

A jay, standing on the hard shoulder of the M2, looking at the traffic.

cycleman · « **Reply #6763 on:** 27 May, 2024, 08:26:17 am »

Walking?

nicknack · « **Reply #6764 on:** 27 May, 2024, 10:47:00 am »

Quote from: cycleman on 27 May, 2024, 08:26:17 am

Walking?

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #6765 on:** 27 May, 2024, 06:52:15 pm »

First juvenile starling of the season in our garden.

JefO · « **Reply #6766 on:** 27 May, 2024, 08:53:32 pm »

Quote from: nicknack on 27 May, 2024, 10:47:00 am

Quote from: cycleman on 27 May, 2024, 08:26:17 am
Walking?

+1

Pingu · « **Reply #6767 on:** 28 May, 2024, 12:25:00 am »

Goosanderlings hitching a ride 🦆

IMG_7776_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

rafletcher · « **Reply #6768 on:** 28 May, 2024, 07:02:15 pm »

A pair of swifts. We don’t see that many here, so always special.

Pingu · « **Reply #6769 on:** 28 May, 2024, 09:56:12 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 27 May, 2024, 06:52:15 pm

First juvenile starling of the season in our garden.

IMG_7840_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Jaded · « **Reply #6770 on:** 29 May, 2024, 09:34:32 am »

Had some visitors this morning

T42 · « **Reply #6771 on:** 29 May, 2024, 09:58:32 am »

Dead pine marten on road in forest. Thought fox at first but colour and body shape wrong.

rafletcher · « **Reply #6772 on:** 02 June, 2024, 01:39:31 pm »

Another bird I can’t identify. It’s flight and general shape are Swallow-like (so not a Swift) but it appears to be solitary, somewhat larger than a Swallow and it’s underside a more uniform light brown.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #6773 on:** 03 June, 2024, 03:22:53 pm »

Not last weekend, but the weekend before, CET Junior and I saw 4 separate cuckoos on the Medmerry marshes near Selsey. The first one I wasn't certain of, having never actually seen a cuckoo before - and having trouble sound-correlating call and flying bird. The second two were much more obvious. They flew overhead. The last one was on our way back.

Researching, it seems that two of the most preferred host nests for cuckoos to lay their eggs are Meadow Pipits and Reed Warblers, both of which are thriving now that they have reorganised the sea defences to the west of Selsey under RSPB supervision, so I guess that is good for cuckoos too.

campagman · « **Reply #6774 on:** 03 June, 2024, 08:59:20 pm »

I'm pretty sure that this afternoon I was joined in the greenhouse by a hornet. It was big and looked quite menacing but it wasn't angry, I don't panic at these things. I didn't get too close and it flew out by itself, without my encouragement.