Your day's wildlife

[Cubist]

I reported on here earlier that I'd seen a pair of Common Sandpipers up at Cupwith reservoir. For the last couple of months I've only ever seen one at a time, until yesterday evening. As we got to the reservoir I could hear at least one, and two adults appeared right alongside us. They were making loads of noise and started to tease the dog. She trotted off towards them and they flitted off, just ahead of her, staying right on the edge of the water. I whistled her off them and they circled back behind us as we made our way off across the moor.

Today my suspicions were confirmed. I kept the dog in close, and sure enough I got a fleeting glimpse of a juvenile. The parents stayed close though, still trying to draw us away, so I was able to get some great phone video of them

 

[annedonnelly]

The blackfly on our potatoes and echinops , the ants seem to be having a feest on them .

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The ants could be farming them rather than eating them. They "milk" them for some sticky stuff the flies excrete.

 

[biggs682]

The ants could be farming them rather than eating them. They "milk" them for some sticky stuff the flies excrete.

oh i presumed they were munching them

 

[Fnaar]

What shall we call these 2 ?

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Cow 1 and Cow 2

 

[Fnaar]

[QUOTE 4856408, member: 259"]But the cow on the left is much smaller...[/QUOTE]
Tiny and Shifty.

 

[PeteXXX]

No photographs of any of todays ( and last nights) wildlife.
Out on a night ride in North Norfolk, I just missed squishing a toad, got buzzed by several bats, one of them swooping up a few inches in front of my face! two mice and a close shave with a hedgehog, so I only just didn't test the strength of my Conti tyres versus his/her spines..

Plus so many moths that it was impossible to avoid them all..

 

[annedonnelly]

oh i presumed they were munching them

Some info here

 

[MikeG]

Some info here

The little buggers have co-operated to give our new apple trees leaf curl. Not an issue in an older tree, but quite a big deal for these newly-planted ones.

 

[potsy]

A few recent visitors..

Scruffy looking goldfinch.

Fluffed up juvenile wood pigeon?

Camouflaged blue Tit

Nice collared Dove, a frequent visitor but very nervous.

And finally a more well turned out goldfinch.

 

[Bazzer]

Nearly hit by a pheasant on the ride into work. Frequently hear, but less often see them, on a stretch of unadopted road. 5.45 this morning some dopey bird decides at the last second to burst from the undergrowth, not into the field but across the front of my bike, somehow just clearing my front wheel and handlebar in a flurry of squawks and feathers.

 

[gbb]

Early commute, 6am, just crossing some old brick pits and a fox, rather ragged looking popped out the bushes in front of me and trotted along, me behind it, getting closer. It heard me, spun round and instantly off into bushes. I must have been 15ft away when it saw me.
A few miles on, quiet road runs parallel to the A1M...I'm chugging up a slight incline...there's a deer stood right in the middle of the road, watching me approaching....waiting....waiting....waiting....and he's off .
Too big for muntjac...just had a Google, probable roe deer.

 

[annedonnelly]

A lovely family of five Bullfinches.

I was only walking up the hill because the gear cable snapped as I tried to change down from the big ring. Otherwise I'd have been struggling up the hill and probably not noticed the birds.

 

[biggs682]

Whilst sat at my parents house tonight this goldfinch came for a visit.

 

[biggs682]

First cygnets i have seen this year

 

[annedonnelly]

[QUOTE 4860394, member: 9609"]May be a disappointing end to the story - the Dragonfly stayed where it was in the photograph for about 4 hours (apparently the wings should be ready for flying after about 2 hours) but it has been cold, a little damp and very windy, (I think it has made a poor choice to emerge today) Then we notice it has come off the lilly flower and is lying barely moving on its side in the water and the forecast for the next 36 hours is for heavy rain and cold. So rightly or wrongly (as in shouldn't interfere with stuff I don't cairn), I gently scooped it out with my hand and after a little while it started to crawl, so I tempted it onto a stick and have propped that up on top of where we keep the logs, after about half an hour it adopted its hanging position as per the photograph, I think that is important for its wings to form properly ? and least it will be out of the foul weather that we have now and for all of the morrow. Hopefully it will make it as they are truly beautiful and fascinating insects.[/QUOTE]

I'd have done the same. Fingers crossed!