Your day's wildlife

[Alex H]

Woken up twice in the night by what appears to be a Little Owl, with a very big gob, sitting on the barn next door.

Managed to record the noise on my phone the second time. Now if I could find a hosting site where I didn't have to go through 20 hoops to upload a file, you could all hear it.

Any suggestions?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Kingfisher flying along the stream just in front of my front wheel on today's potter.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

The long talked tits are back! I had better stock up on their bird fat....

Also I watched a fight between a greater spotted woodpecker and a grey squirrel. It lasted all of 30 seconds and was rather amusing. The woodpecker won!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Woken up twice in the night by what appears to be a Little Owl, with a very big gob, sitting on the barn next door.

We are routinely ' disturbed ' by the callings on a short eared owl (I think we ided it as a female one there a call specific to the female) but it isn't half noisy!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Nuthatches were calling well yesterday. I bet they thought spring had arrived.

 

[Poacher]

Just two long-tailed tits yesterday (they normally turn up mob-handed - at least six), made up for by a maximum of 15 goldfinch, a goldcrest and best of all, a male blackcap.
We see blackcaps in about half of winters, and rather surprisingly at least as many females as males - I'd expect a majority of males so that they can establish territories before the females return from warmer climes.

 

[Poacher]

We are routinely ' disturbed ' by the callings on a short eared owl (I think we ided it as a female one there a call specific to the female) but it isn't half noisy!

Sure it's a short-eared owl? Tawnies are noted for gender-specific calls, and are much more common than SEOs, especially in urban areas. Much more vocal, too, especially this time of year when they're pairing up. There are some recordings of SEO calls on xeno-canto, but a whole lot more for tawnies.
Reminds me, I must go out looking for an SEO - there's been a report of one about 4 miles from me, in a recently opened country park (Gedling).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Sure it's a short-eared owl? Tawnies are noted for gender-specific calls, and are much more common than SEOs, especially in urban areas. Much more vocal, too, especially this time of year when they're pairing up. There are some recordings of SEO calls on xeno-canto, but a whole lot more for tawnies.
Reminds me, I must go out looking for an SEO - there's been a report of one about 4 miles from me, in a recently opened country park (Gedling).

it is very definitely not a tawny. We have plenty of them as well. It could well be that I have misunderstood the recording title in that it stated female short eared owl. It had a very specific call that was like nothing else I had heard, so I had to go and look it up to work out what it was. It could be that a male also makes the same call and that the 'title' is misleading.
Also bear in mind I do not live in an urban area. I live rurally.

 

[Poacher]

it is very definitely not a tawny. We have plenty of them as well. It could well be that I have misunderstood the recording title in that it stated female short eared owl. It had a very specific call that was like nothing else I had heard, so I had to go and look it up to work out what it was. It could be that a male also makes the same call and that the 'title' is misleading.
Also bear in mind I do not live in an urban area. I live rurally.

Fair enough! That xeno-canto site seems to have quite a few female-specific recordings; I seem to get "Media URL could not be loaded." messages on a lot of them though.
My copy of Collins Bird Guide reckons "Call of female a hoarse, baleful 'cheh-ef' (drawn out when begging, 'cheeh-op'). Alarm a harsh 'chef-chef-chef'. Song given in flight (often high up), a quick series of subdued, deep hoots, 'uh-uh-uh-uh-uh...', 6-20 notes at a time, audible to c. 1km. Short, quick wing-claps also given during song-flight. Begging call of young like call of female but more hissing." Make of that what you will - I think you need to hear the bird to make any sense of those descriptions! Nary a mention of male calls, so maybe they know their place and keep their gobs shut! I've only ever seen SEOs hunting in daylight/dusk, in winter, when they've quite understandably been silent. On one memorable occasion one came within about 10 metres - virtually eyeball to eyeball

 

[Levo-Lon]

Squirrels were sunbathing on the patio..its bonkers atm..

 

[Maverick Goose]

Squirrels were sunbathing on the patio..its bonkers atm..

Living dangerously....

 

[Mrs M]

Squirrels were sunbathing on the patio..its bonkers atm..

14 degrees up here today

 

[Gravity Aided]

I saw a grey squirrel today, usually all we have are brown, or fox squirrels.

 

[summerdays]

I saw a grey squirrel today, usually all we have are brown, or fox squirrels.

You can have your grey ones back from the Uk if you would like.... The red ones are much nicer if a little shy!

 

[Gravity Aided]

The fox squirrels are very bright. One used to come to my Aunties front door each day at 12:35 and get a cracker with peanut butter when he knocked on the door.