Your day's wildlife

[annedonnelly]

Quick question for all you wildlife experts: I've just come back from a long weekend in Norfolk, and was struck by just how many rooks there were about. It seemed like every other stand of trees had a few nests in, and the were rooks all over the place. Is this 'normal for Norfolk' or have they had a very successful few years? The rookeries were each only a few nests, suggesting they were newly established, but it's not a part of the country I'm very familiar with.

I think it may be normal - I don't know the area either but this book talked a lot about Norfolk I think. I may still have the book and I'd be happy to pass it on if you want to read it - send me a PM.

 

[annedonnelly]

A heron, smugly standing in a field, daring me to stop and try to photograph it - I didn't bother. I have more photos of the *rse ends of herons then I know what to do with

Anyway, why do they stand in fields (usually ones with cows in)? I thought they were water birds

They eat worms & frogs & stuff that they can get in fields. Possibly easier than fishing.

 

[Learnincurve]

I saw a mink today, I've never seen a mink before, this one ran in front of me, stopped, hissed and then ran off again.

 

[nickyboy]

More a case of wildlife I didn't see.

The good weather has encouraged my garden visitors to presumably migrate to their summer quarters. Lesser Redpolls gone, Coal Tits gone, Goldfinches (almost) gone. Looking on the bright side, I'm no longer restocking the feeder every couple of days

 

[Mrs M]

Took the "rat run" back road to work today.
Saw 4 deer munching in the field next to the cows and cute wee calf. Also a pheasant ran/flew across the road in front of us.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Young fox and a munjac a couple of miles outside of Leicester

 

[Mo1959]

Beautiful morning here. Lovely listening to the skylarks, curlews, lapwings. Not so lovely seeing a squished red squirrel and loads of flattened frogs. Presume they are crossing the roads after visiting ponds to spawn.

 

[nickyboy]

There were some interesting (to me) things on the ride today.
A Common Buzzard soaring over Bramhall/Hazel Grove. It just goes to show how strong the population is these days that you get them in suburban areas
A pair of Oystercatchers in a field. Always such a smart looking bird
A weasel ran across the road in front of the bike. I don't think I've ever seen one when I've been on foot but quite a few when on the bike. I suspect I startle them. When I'm on foot they've got plenty of opportunity to disappear
A swallow. First of the Spring for me. The amazing thing was that it wasn't in the Cheshire lowlands that I went to first. It was the top of Pym's Chair at about 1500ft above sea level
Loads of Chiffchaffs singing but not a single Willow Warbler yet, despite cycling through lots of promising habitat

 

[Crackle]

Egrets, I think. I thought they were Herons until I looked at the picture properly

 

[nickyboy]

Egrets, I think. I thought they were Herons until I looked at the picture properly

Amazing to think that 30 years ago they were a major UK rarity. Now there are lots of nesting colonies and easy to see all year round if you go to the right places (like the Wirral)

 

[biggs682]

Not wildlife but nature, a holly seed has started to grow in a crack on a n other tree

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

more swallows and this pair are definitely a pair... DAMHIK

Not the best photo but I only had the compact camera with me and this was taken whilst moving as well.

 

[KneesUp]

I think it may be normal - I don't know the area either but this book talked a lot about Norfolk I think. I may still have the book and I'd be happy to pass it on if you want to read it - send me a PM.

That's very kind, but I've a bit of a backlog of books at the moment. I'll put it down as 'normal for Norfolk' unless I hear otherwise

Also - apologies for missing your reply yesterday.

 

[Soltydog]

Nothing much of interest today, but there seems to be a lot of bees about on my commute. Don't know if thats a sign of a good summer ahead (fingers crossed)

 

[Lullabelle]

The biggest bee I have ever seen, starting to worry about GM crops if they are doing that to bees