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Two buzzards hanging out in the wheat stubble yesterday morning. A flock of lapwings in the same field this morning. I love birdwatching when you don't even need to get out of bed to do it! To be fair I did see birds when I was out running with the dog too. A sparrowhawk flew close past us by the edge of the woods, & there was a pair of little egrets by the Weaver. It's a good time of year for birdwatching.
Two buzzards quite close overhead on Hammerton Knowl near Wildboarclough, then a dipper flying up Clough Brook. I'm looking forward to hearing lapwings again.
Oystercatchers are back in Wharfedale along with skylarks :thumbup: I'm fairly certain we saw two jack snipe yesterday too up above Kettlewell
Mountain hares in their winter coats on our high peak marathon recce today. I'm chuffed to bits, have been wanting to see them for years. I was told they were common in the peak district but never believed that we'd see them or so many! here are a couple of rather bad photos.
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Nice sightings Hes :thumbup:
Oystercatchers back on the site where I work. Fair few Barn Owls about during daylight. I saw one on my way home off-nights, then one tonight on my way home from Keswick and another when at work. Our lass has seen a few on her travels too.
Skylarks ascending over Standedge above Marsden this morning. A curlew calling too. Spring is springing.
A tawny owl woke me up this morning around 5 a.m. t'wooing
Oystercatchers are back on the Ure too DT. Saw a barn owl yesterday evening and was making a cuppa just now and looked out of the window to see a goldcrest pecking about in my apple trees.
Great news Hes
Eight species of wader seen over weekend in Seaton: dunlin, redshank, barwit, blackwit, curlew, common sand, lapwing and oystercatcher. Also shellduck, teal, widgeon, LTT, greenfinch, goldfinch, little egret and coot :thumbup:
Blue tits starting to nest in the garden already !! :thumbup::thumbup:
Spotted a shrew running around in the snow between Bleaklow Stones & Bleaklow Head yesterday. Don't they hibernate?
Three Deer as i ran through the woods in Tod Park this morning. They were on the route of the new Flower Scar race about 200 metres from the finish, never seen them in the park before. Not sure what kind but they were a dark brown colour with white behinds. There was some barking and they ran off 50 metres into the wood then stared at me for a bit. They then disappeared once i got my headtorch up full for a good look.
Dan
Not aware of shrews 'ibernating Geoff.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
Roe Deer DanQuote:
Originally Posted by dantodman
I dont think so from what i found online they looked like Sika Deer, but im no expert.Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Will have to start taking the camera with me.
Dan
I seem to remember there were some Sika deer around Calderdale, Dan. Although I had a feeling they were meant to be in the woods around Luddenden. Perhaps they moved house?Quote:
Originally Posted by dantodman
Just another average wildlife day up here.....a quick morning walk saw an otter, a wee pup of a seal, plenty of herons, a curlew, a fair few oystercatchers and, upon our return, plenty of tits and chaffinches on the bird seed feeder. Off up the hill later, where I'm sure I'll see plenty of red deer.
Was told there have been sightings of Red Deer near Littleborough but not seen any myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr1470
Dan
Mountain Hare on the Moors above the Joan Milk Stone near Midgley on the Bat run last night.
Dan
A fox crossed the road a few yards in front of me on last night's headtorch run. Yesterday afternoon there was a pair of great crested grebes starting to canoodle on the Weaver, but they thought better of it & went back to sleep. The reed buntings are starting to get frisky too - males starting to hang around at the tops of bushes. I haven't heard them singing yet though. Heard my first woodpeckers drumming of the year this week too - 2 at the same time yesterday.
Can anyone identify this for me please? Nothing rare, I suspect, since I saw quite a few on the canal on Thurs. but I'm not very knowledgeable in this area and can't find it in my book.
Attachment 6809Attachment 6810
No expert myself, but they're Moorhens.Quote:
Originally Posted by Latege
Yes they're moorhens. I'd get a new book if I were you!
Thanks. They are in the book, pages just stuck together!Quote:
Originally Posted by Splatcher
If they had a noticeable tail and white flashes on the lower back legs then they be Sika deer but they normal let out a high pitch whistle as an alarm call and are very switched on not easy to get close to.Quote:
Originally Posted by dantodman
No noticeable tail, no white flashes in a group of three this time of year (Mature doe with last year’s kids) ran off and then barked at you from a distance all sound like typical roe deer behaviour, more likely to get close to roe than Sika too.
Not an expert but have a fair bit of experience with them.
ATB
Tahr
Three Roe Deer yesterday, plus a great mixed flock of birds. All sorts, some I couldn't quite ID. Wren, Blue Tit, Gold Finches, possibly a Green Finch, possibly Reed Buntings and/or Twite(?).
Just had a sparrowhawk barrelling through the garden. It went for a woodpecker on the nut feeder, but didn't catch it.
Where we lived in Carlisle there was at least one Sparrowhawk that lived very close by. It was seen in the garden a couple of times trying its luck. Its a great thing to see!! I remember being in a hide at a pond near Wigtown, Dumfriesshire and I saw something chase a gull right round the pond and take it just above the hide. No idea to this day what the raptor it was, but it was spectacular. As it happened the gull managed to get free and landed in a somewhat stunned state behind the hide.Quote:
Originally Posted by Splatcher
Saw the same 3 deer this morning and im still thinking they are of the Sika variety. Kicked myself for not taking my camera but was lucky to venture out after this weekends Hobble escapade.
Dan
ps Upon asking a dog walker if he had seen the deer run past he said 'the 3 deer I see them all the time' will be taking the camera with me from now on so photos will follow
on the pond at the moment we have 30 or so gulls,
we have never had so many in the 6 years i have lived here.
any ideas why?
we used to have moorhens,little grebe and coot but since a mink appeared last year they have all gone,
hopefully they will return one day.
A couple of oystercatchers on Swineshaw res in Glossop.
Dan Looking at your location they could be Sika, be good to see some photos. Sika are often said to have a slightly sinister look on their face, and they look at you like you own them money. :confused: We have a few near to where I live.Quote:
Originally Posted by dantodman
ATB
Tahr
Nothing this morning when i took my camera with me. Will get some photos soon though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
Dan
Saw the Deer again this morning but unfortunately they turned away just as i was getting my photo, so it isn't too clear. They seem to have a quick look at you then get out of there, but i have got a good idea where they are coming to seems they pop down early morning for some nice foilage. 3 morning runs this week and i've seen them twice so more photos are to follow.
Attachment 6830
Dan
Just a Woodpecker at head-height alongside the track (on Saturday afternoon) by the edge of Half-Moon (Heath-cum-Kirkthorpe)
Wondered what the hell it was when it started, as there's a railway line at the other side of the oxbow lake
I quite often see Foxes in this area too
Attachment 6838
Brightened copy of Deer photo, can anyone identify the type of Deer ??????
Dan
Attachment 6839
This is a photo of a Female Red Deer which is almost identical to the deer I have seen.
Dan
Could be , difficult to judge size from pics but they have white patches on bums.
Anyway get pics quick as there is a move to cull 50% of deer, on fairly spurious grounds seems to me.
Sparrowhawk taking out a Goldfinch on my lawn , very quick and feathers everywhere but that's nature I guess . I suppose I made it easier for the hawk by attracting loads of birds with all the feeders I have.
The photos are a bit blurred but looking at the shape and size of the targets (the white bits on the bum) I think I can see what looks like a small "tail"on the left hand deer, this looks like the “anal tush” this is how you distinguish a female Roe deer from a male once he has cast his antlers. As I can see no tush on the right hand deer and given the time of year. I would say that this is either the female’s kid from last May or it is brother and Sister from last May. Mum will have scampered away as the older deer are usually a bit more wary than the young ones.Quote:
Originally Posted by dantodman
On a red deer the white bum is usually off white, it has a bit of a yellow tinge, if the colouring is pure white it is not a Red, it also extends from the bum up onto the end of the back, red also have a black line running down the middle of the back and a tail that is around 7”ish long.
ATB
Tahr