Your day's wildlife

[summerdays]

OK I've just been topping up the pond from the water butts as it is getting very low it's been so dry and I noticed lots of these.... anyone able to identify which variety of damselfly, mayfly, dragonfly etc they are?

There are lots of the empty shells and about 5 + that are in various stages of blossoming....

It's only the third year as a pond so it's the first time I've noticed these ... though I had spotted them in the pond.

 

[Katherine]

I was riding through Heaton Park today when I saw a heron swoop down in front of me to a large pond carrying a large wriggling rat. I watched it for about 5 minutes as it alternated between shaking it and dipping it in the water until eventually the rat went still and the heron gulped it down.
I've just Googled 'heron eating rat' and it seems quite common!

 

[summerdays]

Wow I've never heard of that .... Herons have gone up further in my eyes.

 

[gbb]

Ooh, sometimes you get a 2 or 3 second glance at something and think...whaaa ??
Yesterday, early morning, edge of the Forty Foot drain, typical fen countryside, a raptor, stood at the edge of the drain, lightish grey...harrier ?...ive seen plenty of marsh harriers, don't think it was one...hen or montagues perhaps..really quite light grey was the striking thing. A first for me if it were either of them..never hoped to see one.
This morning, barn owl perched atop a fence post, then another maybe a mile further on. Very regular sightings in these parts.The Forty Foot is just teeming with wildlife..swans, ducks, cormorant, geese, owls, harriers, buzzard, GC grebe, little grebe, herons etc etc. The fens may be flat and boring but theres plenty to see.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I re dug our pond at the back end of last year, yesterday I decided to take some oxygenating floating plants out of it as they spread like mad. Scooped a load up in a net and was about to chuck it on the side of the pond when I spotted a newt amongst them. Amazed they found the pond so quickly.

 

[busman]

I got my beady eye on you.........

 

[biggs682]

Load's of cowslips this morning whilst out walking.
It's hardly surprising the bull fell over !

 

[biggs682]

Just got back home from early morning ride and found this lot of snails munching our freshly planted runner beans

 

[Katherine]

Just got back home from early morning ride and found this lot of snails munching our freshly planted runner beans

View attachment 87718

Bad boys.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLL THEM

(This refers to the snails above, I thought I had quoted the post)

 

[Tail End Charlie]

This morning I saw these on my back lawn. I had seen them a few days ago but didn't have a camera handy. I was surprised to see them again. Lovely noise they make and I love watching them walk about, it's as if they are joined by string, if one moves the others follow.
I went inside and was confronted by a first world problem - no bread to feed them with !! So they had to make do with croissant. They didn't seem to mind.

And this afternoon saw a weasel whilst I was out.

 

[Mrs M]

Today I saw a gigantic bee and two ladybirds, hopefully signs of a good summer.

 

[Katherine]

This morning I saw these on my back lawn. I had seen them a few days ago but didn't have a camera handy. I was surprised to see them again. Lovely noise they make and I love watching them walk about, it's as if they are joined by string, if one moves the others follow.
I went inside and was confronted by a first world problem - no bread to feed them with !! So they had to make do with croissant. They didn't seem to mind.

And this afternoon saw a weasel whilst I was out.

Apparently they like defrosted peas / sweetcorn.

 

[Mrs M]

[QUOTE 3677677, member: 9609"]was he as big as this whopper - found him in the house a few weeks back I'm guessing it was a queen

[/QUOTE]
Nowhere near this size but still a whopper!

 

[Andy_R]

Now I'm confused - 3 blackbird chicks in the garden. They have their breakfast at the same time as me. Must be 2 broods and 2 sets of parents.

And the tits are busy feeding chicks too. It's all happening. And I became a grandfather for the second time yesterday, must be the season.....

Very unlikely, Blackbirds are agressively territorial, to the point they will attack other Blackbirds