Your day's wildlife

[Dave 123]

A few more from lunchtime

 

[biggs682]

Just caught this fella having his tea

 

[midlife]

Lily beetle! Not seen any around here (yet) was on Gardeners World last week I think.

 

[annedonnelly]

They love meal worms, soaked rather than dried.

They recommend not feeding mealworms to hedgehogs now. They do love them and so don't eat anything else if given half a chance. And the mealworms don't have enough of the right vitamins & minerals they need. There's a discussion about it here

 

[Dave 123]

Just caught this fella having his tea

View attachment 474776

Bastard!

 

[biggs682]

Lily beetle! Not seen any around here (yet) was on Gardeners World last week I think.

We had a load in our garden a few years ago and they munched all our lillies , luckily the one i saw was at my parents

 

[rich p]

I

We had a load in our garden a few years ago and they munched all our lillies , luckily the one i saw was at my parents

I hope your mum's name isn't Lily...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Here's a question that occurred to me when I saw a pair of goldfinches fly past my kitchen window this morning. Why do smaller birds tend to use their wings in short bursts alternating with glides? Just about all the birds bigger than a kingfisher seem to do a steadier, more constant flight. It obviously suits finches but I don't know why. Does anyone?

 

[midlife]

I think it's something to do with energy conservation?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I think it's something to do with energy conservation?

Wikipedia says:

Small birds often fly long distances using a technique in which short bursts of flapping are alternated with intervals in which the wings are folded against the body. This is a flight pattern known as "bounding" or "flap-bounding" flight.[11] When the bird's wings are folded, its trajectory is primarily ballistic, with a small amount of body lift.[2] The flight pattern is believed to decrease the energy required by reducing the aerodynamic drag during the ballistic part of the trajectory,[12] and to increase the efficiency of muscle use.[13][14]
​

So, it seems that they're built more for powered aero-tuck gliding than for simple flight.

 

[potsy]

 

[potsy]

 

[Kempstonian]

Stills from my GoPro this afternoon...

Each to his own (feeder)

"These things get stuck in yer beak..."

 

[potsy]

Yellowhammer? And Nuthatch..

 

[nickyboy]

Yellowhammer? And Nuthatch..

View attachment 475423

Greenfinch

Not at all common these days, only seen one in the garden this summer