Your day's wildlife

[potsy]

From a recent local walk..

 

[annedonnelly]

Coming back from my early morning wander I passed the time of day with a dog walker. He asked if I'd seen anything and I commented that the geese had just flown over. "Oh yes," he said, "I call those precious moments".

That's the sort of attitude we want!

 

[Poacher]

Looked up from making breakfast pancakes just in time to see a male Blackcap nipping into the pigeon-proof cage and taking a Wilko's insect laced suet pellet, before flying back to a Mahonia. No photo, I'm afraid, but I'll keep one eye open until the cyclo cross comes on. Looked like it wasn't his first visit, 'cos he seemed very assured.

Reminded me of that bit on Winterwatch where a Blackcap was feeding on Mahonia nectar; whenever I've seen overwintering Blackcaps in the garden, they've favoured the Mahonia. I'd assumed they were waiting for insects to visit the blossoms.

 

[geocycle]

@Poacher i like blackcaps. We occasionally get them in the garden, the female is quite different to the male having a rusty cap despite the name.

 

[Dave 123]

Mandarin ducks in Plymbridge Woods. Down stream is Saltram, now National Trust. There has always been a wildfowl collection on the duck pond. One assumes there was a breakout by a pair.....

 

[Dave 123]

Coming back from my early morning wander I passed the time of day with a dog walker. He asked if I'd seen anything and I commented that the geese had just flown over. "Oh yes," he said, "I call those precious moments".

That's the sort of attitude we want!

Until they crap on your head as they fly over.....

 

[PeteXXX]

A hedgehog question.
I have either one or two hedgehogs hibernating in a hog house in my garden. Once it/they wake up and start foraging, do I need to clean their house out, as is done with bird nesting boxes, and replace the straw, or just leave it for them to do their own spring cleaning?

🦔

 

[Dave 123]

A hedgehog question.
I have either one or two hedgehogs hibernating in a hog house in my garden. Once it/they wake up and start foraging, do I need to clean their house out, as is done with bird nesting boxes, and replace the straw, or just leave it for them to do their own spring cleaning?

🦔

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/wildlife-questions/49157/hedgehog-house-cleaning

 

[Cathryn]

A few days late but last week, on my bike ride, I saw my first bullfinch. He was beautiful. Made my day.

 

[rockyroller]

have been wondering about our pileated woodpecker this winter. but this morning while moving the cars for the snow plows I saw it! almost went back for a real camera but got this cell phone pic anyway

 

[Tail End Charlie]

have been wondering about our pileated woodpecker this winter. but this morning while moving the cars for the snow plows I saw it! almost went back for a real camera but got this cell phone pic anyway

View attachment 571774

Thanks for posting, I'd never heard of one!

 

[Tail End Charlie]

There was an article in the paper recently about why don't woodpeckers ever get their beaks stuck? Turns out they do, but have developed their beaks so that when they get stuck, the top beak can move to the left and the bottom to the right and then rotating the head frees the beak, a bit like reversing the drill when the bit gets stuck. Of course it all happens so quickly you'd never know it got stuck in the first place.

 

[rockyroller]

Thanks for posting, I'd never heard of one!

it's the bird the old cartoon "Woody Woodpecker" was designed after & yes, they really do sound like the cartoon laugh! that's how I spotted it this morning. I got a much better photo a cpl summers ago, including a baby sticking it's head out of the tree hole nest! if I can find the pics I'll come back & post them

 

[rockyroller]

brushed off the 2 ledges of the bird feeder. I heard them chirping in the trees, so I'm sure I'll be in their good graces

 

[rockyroller]

Thanks for posting, I'd never heard of one!

found the pics I mentioned