Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1034743 times)

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4300 on:** 27 January, 2016, 07:02:29 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 27 January, 2016, 05:42:51 pm

Regrettably about to be flock of 50+ - 1 redwings.

maybe

nature red in tooth and claw stuff though

bumper · « **Reply #4301 on:** 27 January, 2016, 09:09:05 pm »

Lots of frogs and toads in the local woods tonight, heading for the lakes in the country park. Very early this year. I had to watch where I was riding, more toad than trail!

Aidan · « **Reply #4302 on:** 27 January, 2016, 09:14:49 pm »

Tawny Owl in the back garden. Couldn't get a picture as where it sits is too dark but seen it on the same branch before. Got to within about 15 feet of it and it didn't seem bothered.

ElyDave · « **Reply #4303 on:** 28 January, 2016, 02:39:22 pm »

driving up the A10 a few days ago in the early evening, a kestrel sat on a fence post. Owls, mostly barn around here have been thin on the ground this winter, possibly it being so mild that they've not needed to hunt so hard as prey is more available.

Umpteen rabbits and peasants in the fields at the moment. At least they're there rather than under the wheels of the landy.

fuzzy · « **Reply #4304 on:** 28 January, 2016, 04:02:27 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 28 January, 2016, 02:39:22 pm

driving up the A10 a few days ago in the early evening, a kestrel sat on a fence post. Owls, mostly barn around here have been thin on the ground this winter, possibly it being so mild that they've not needed to hunt so hard as prey is more available.

Umpteen rabbits and peasants in the fields at the moment. At least they're there rather than under the wheels of the landy.

The toffs are a bit harsh in your area then Dave.......

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4305 on:** 28 January, 2016, 04:29:05 pm »

Green woodpecker yaffling back of home then 30 fieldfare in orchards near Pembridge and a dipper on river at Staunton on Arrow

(seems to breed there as very frequently seen near a bridge, and two years ago heard it singing

)

pcolbeck · « **Reply #4306 on:** 28 January, 2016, 05:16:13 pm »

I have never seen a green woodpecker

A greater spotted one is an occasional visitor to our garden though.

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4307 on:** 28 January, 2016, 06:07:44 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on 28 January, 2016, 05:16:13 pm

I have never seen a green woodpecker

oh !!! sorry hear that, they tend to frequent (perhaps not best word as they`re not common) old pastures with anthills---unlike the great and lesser spotted green woodpeckers get majority food, ants, from the ground. Hope you get to see one, they`re lovely birds

https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/g/greenwoodpecker/

ElyDave · « **Reply #4308 on:** 28 January, 2016, 08:33:17 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on 28 January, 2016, 05:16:13 pm

I have never seen a green woodpecker
A greater spotted one is an occasional visitor to our garden though.

bloody ubiquitous around here, I go out on certain paths for a run and it's like they're hiding the in the trees or something

One harsh winter a few years ago we had one as a frequent visitor to the garden, made a right mess digging for ants in the lawn

ElyDave · « **Reply #4309 on:** 28 January, 2016, 08:33:42 pm »

Quote from: fuzzy (retd.) AAGE on 28 January, 2016, 04:02:27 pm

Quote from: ElyDave on 28 January, 2016, 02:39:22 pm
driving up the A10 a few days ago in the early evening, a kestrel sat on a fence post. Owls, mostly barn around here have been thin on the ground this winter, possibly it being so mild that they've not needed to hunt so hard as prey is more available.

Umpteen rabbits and peasants in the fields at the moment. At least they're there rather than under the wheels of the landy.

The toffs are a bit harsh in your area then Dave.......

hellymedic · « **Reply #4310 on:** 29 January, 2016, 02:48:22 pm »

Green woodpeckers (sartorially challenged woodpeckers in Shedspeak) are fairly frequent visitors to my suburban garden.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4311 on:** 29 January, 2016, 02:57:10 pm »

On Weds eve, whilst driving to Canardly's, a brace of falls deer on the decidedly dodgy roundabout where the A120/M11 meet near Stansted airport.

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4312 on:** 29 January, 2016, 07:24:51 pm »

Bullfinch and a biggish yellow helicopter landing in field next to lane I was riding on ---think it was an elec board one checking power lines after gales

Bledlow · « **Reply #4313 on:** 01 February, 2016, 05:25:58 pm »

Actually seen the day before yesterday.

Three fairly fresh small dogfish, washed up on Brighton beach.

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4314 on:** 02 February, 2016, 03:40:23 pm »

Magnificent views of a pair red kites circling, drifting and twisting low over the road, playing in the wind and with sun shining highlighting fabulous colours of reds, golds , black and white plumage and wings---all six foot span thereof.

No matter how numerous they are becoming doesn`t distract from these wonderful iconic Welsh birds

they really are magnificent and todays display was a marvellous moment

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4315 on:** 06 February, 2016, 01:12:39 pm »

skylark singing ! despite persistent rain....

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #4316 on:** 07 February, 2016, 03:58:43 pm »

Another parakeet fails to figure out the squirrel-proof feeder:

Not happy:

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4317 on:** 07 February, 2016, 04:00:31 pm »

It's not a happy budgie, is it?

rafletcher · « **Reply #4318 on:** 08 February, 2016, 09:00:11 am »

The sparrowhawk again. sitting in the Paulownia tree (it's actually only around 3m high) about 6m from the back door

jamesld8 · « **Reply #4319 on:** 10 February, 2016, 08:34:23 am »

In the brief slightly sunny early morning (before it started to rain again, Feb rain to date 87 mm ) green woodpecker heard yaffling, raven flying overhead croaking like an old door hinge and a red kite circled over garden coming out of small wood adjacent, a probable nesting site as much red kite activity there last year

menthel · « **Reply #4320 on:** 10 February, 2016, 11:53:31 am »

Bleedin' goldcrest in the garden this morning in among a crowd of tits and other LBJs. A new recording for my little patch of suburban W London.

rafletcher · « **Reply #4321 on:** 10 February, 2016, 12:50:28 pm »

Hares "boxing" in the field behind our house. First time we've seen that behaviour.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4322 on:** 10 February, 2016, 02:22:24 pm »

White a lot of activity in the roach pool today. Some of the roach in there are pretty impressive in size now - getting on for 1lb in weight.

One of the pike was on the move as well. I think it's the bigger of the two that I have seen, but even then I doubt that it was in excess of 3lb. I didn't think that there would be enough roach in the pool to support two pike, but I think I generally only notice the bigger roach. Today I watched for quite a long time (the dog was getting bored and telling me off) and I saw a fair few smaller ones. Even so, I think that it was in one of Fred Buller's books that he reckoned that pike were comfortable attacking anything up to 1/3 of their own body weight, so all of those roach need to be on the lookout. The pool is mostly shallow - probably only about 8" of water above the dead leaves on the bottom for most of its area - so when the fish are swimming about there is often a lot of surface disturbance.

Edit: http://www.anglerwise.com/2010/05/31/giant-pike-caught-using-a-large-pike-as-bait/ shows an absolutely monstrous fish that attacked a 16" pike. That's probably about 18lb, so almost 1/3 of the weight of the monster.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4323 on:** 11 February, 2016, 01:14:40 pm »

Sunday evening, a mouse scuttling across the road caught in my headlight beam and later a small fallow deer jumping palely over the hedge. Bearing in mind that it's the second deer which gets you, I rode warily for the next hundred yards but this seemed to be a lone jumper.

Pingu · « **Reply #4324 on:** 11 February, 2016, 03:06:24 pm »

A greay seal pup and it's mother splashing about together in the harbour this morning. I've never seen a pup in the harbour before.