Your day's wildlife

[annedonnelly]

After several years of having them in my garden, mine vanished last summer. Don't think any new ones have returned. Well, there's poo on the patio but I think it's too runny to be a hedgefrog's. I'm blaming the pheasants.

I hope you're not blaming the pheasants for chasing off the hedgehogs

I spotted the Starlings taking nest material under the eaves this morning. I was getting a bit worried as I hadn't seen or heard them recently but maybe they're just making a later start this year. When the chicks hatch I'll be able to hear them calling to their parents when I'm lying in bed.

 

[biggs682]

Well I am sat watching a group of six magpies along with a couple of squirrel's bouncing branch to branch around the magpies, the magpies don't seem that bothered by the squirrels.

 

[Illaveago]

There is a starling that perches on our TV aerial that fools me into thinking there is a buzzard about.

 

[Alex H]

Part of our collection of stone buildings contains an old bread oven, which is slowly self destructing. this is mainly due to the house being empty and unloved for at least 6 years before we bought it. Anyway, the plan is to remove the oven and repair the walls, so at least we have something left to use.

As I was slowly removing the upper wall to the right of the oven, I found this.

According to the web, it's not long for this world, as I've woken it out of hibernation . I've covered it with a roof tile, which should protect it from the rain, but as it was buried in the wall, I don't think it will last long.

 

[Alex H]

It's gone. Hopefully not to another crack in the bread oven!

 

[summerdays]

This is my pest.... follower etc who is always bothering me when I go out in the garden, either for meal worms or whatever is uncovered by my digging

 

[biggs682]

One of todays jobs was to remove some compost from the compost bin and spread it around the various veg plants we have in our raised beds.

As you can see it's got loads of worms working away.

Our home grown conker tree is budding up well, sooner or later going to run out of big enough pots for it.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

My first swallow of the year flitted across the lane I was pedalling along today.

Another swallow yesterday. That makes it summer doesn't it?

 

[Illaveago]

I managed to find the Robin in the top of the tree at the bottom of my garden yesterday morning. He was singing away merrily.

 

[summerdays]

I honestly don't have to look for mine... He just appears almost as if he is waiting for me.... He has even hopped on my hand once!

 

[Cubist]

I meant to post this last week, so if we can bend the title to this fortnight's wildlife... I took the dog up to a local bridleways that leads to a small reservoir last week. There's a system of marsh ponds parallel to the track where the moorland drains into the reservoir, and every so often larger pools have developed. The dog was off sniffing around the edges and so I wandered across and could hear the wonderous chorus of a frog orgy. The pools were absolutely teeming with paired up couples, and a smattering g of waiting hopefuls, all croaking their heads off. Bless.

 

[rich p]

Had my first swallow today. Only one though so ...
Here's the dead corvid hung on a post in a crop field that I mentioned earlier. I wonder if seeing a dead relative puts the others off?

 

[slowmotion]

Did the tits move into the nest box @rich p? We've had a few sniffing about but no takers. I'm beginning to get faintly pessimistic. Last year it all seemed so easy.

 

[Tiny01]

This little fella paid me a visit whilst out on my ride Sunday @ Hyde hall

 

[annedonnelly]

[QUOTE 4233033, member: 9609"]@annedonnelly
revisited Cullernose and this time the Kittiwakes were there on mass, at a guess about 1500

a magnificent beautiful gull

very distinctive bright orange mouth mouth

easily identified by black legs and black tips to the wings (common gulls have flecks of white in the black tips and yellow legs)

although when sitting on the water they give the impression of having white flecks in the wing tips.

we only get to see them when they return to the coast to breed, the rest of the year they spend far out to sea wandering the north atlantic from the Cannaries up to the coast of Greenland,

cliff nesting bird in very busy and noisy colonies

[/QUOTE]

Great pictures. Compared to, say, a Herring Gull they have a softer, gentler face. I think that's really obvious in your second last picture.