Well done Daz. Part time Shepherd goes with the fellrunner territory :D
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I have a Bee's nest in one of the ridge tiles on my roof. Not really worried by it but should I call someone or just let nature take its course and fill up the hole when they are finished ?
I think they must have knocked off for the day as there's no sign of them at the moment? They are on the largish size and not that many but I didn't instantly recognise them as Bumble bees. There are half a dozen normally buzzing round the entrance to the tile with one or two leaving and arriving at a time ?
Several red kites, but as I now live in Aylesbury I suppose that's the new norm - they're still impressive though.
Midges. Lots.
I found a dead one under the nest and a quick search of the internet shows its a Tree Bumble Bee Bombus hypnorum. A recent newcomer to the UK (2001) that has spread northwards from the SE of England. Those half a dozen bees swarming round the nest are apparently protecting it and have "buzzed" Mrs Alf on a couple of occasions when she was gardening.
http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/t...pse5ee30b9.jpg
What's this little beauty then seen fannying about in a scrape on the side of Buckden Pike today? Its coat was a light sandy colour but both it and its buddy nearby had polecat markings on their faces. Ferrets gone wild, ferret polecat crosses or just light coloured polecats?
http://imageshack.us/a/img90/7471/5syc.jpg
And what about this monster crayfish in the beck in Kettlewell. To get the scale each claw was probably an inch and a half long
http://imageshack.us/a/img802/2876/wz2s.jpg
A Ring Ouzel on William Clough. I have seen quite a few up there.