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We were walking round the new DCRO Dash route last night (above Castleton) when a flock of about 50 presumably migrating waders flew overhead. The best we could come up with was a 'Trip' of Dotterel (the call sounded right) but we thought it might be a bit early. Any other thoughts? Andy?
Dotterel a possibility Geoff. I saw a small trip on Helvellyn a few years ago. They have traditional stopping off points on high ground eg Ingleborough, Pendle, Ilkley Moor. 50 is a big trip mind
I wondered about golden plover but maybe late for them to be moving
Yes, we've had Goldies on the moors around us for several weeks now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
They circled above us a couple of times, so we had a quite a good look (and listen!) and couldn't think of anything else. I'll probably drop the Derbyshire Ornithological Society a line and see what they think.
Cuckoo at last, heard two on my bike ride, a couple of weeks later than usual.
Looks like my Dotterel have followed me up north! We were walking around the Great Lakes race route yesterday and there were at least a dozen Dotterel wandering around on the summit of Great End. Amazingly tolerant of human presence, but still quite difficult to count. You'd count, maybe, 10 of them and then those rocks just a couple of metres away from you would suddenly start moving!
Brilliant. Nice one Geoff. The word used often by birdwatchers for birds like dotterel is confiding. Phalarope are similar
I didn't actually encounter the wildlife, but I know it's been there . . . . A fox in my garden: the clue is the pile of pigeon feathers on the lawn when I got up this morning.
Cat? Apparently they kill something ridiculous like 37 million birds each year in the UK. If ever there was a made-up statistic...
I went for a nice run round the English gardens in Munich on Friday and saw a very tame great spotted woodpecker on a small tree about 15 feet from me and one of those dark grey red squirrels - I think it's the same species as our native red, but a different colour. It certainly had the little ear tufts.
Perhaps it was a sparrowhawk as they are very good pluckers prior to dining!Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
Was my thought too
Yes, the sparrowhawk is possible; some years ago I saw one dealing with a pigeon on a patch of grass by the roadside not far from here. But I assumed it was a fox because I have actually seen foxes in the garden.
Just got back from Eden valley and saw my first ever Polecat. Next day also saw a beautiful stoat at close range.
I went into my shed to fetch my bike and there was a sodding great big queen hornet crawling about on the handlebars.
A hornet nest in my shed simply isn't going to work (we have already removed the starts of 8 ordinary wasp nests, which reminds me I've spotted another in the corner roof) so I sent her on the way with instructions to find somewhere more suitable.
We have a lot of hornets here, becoming more common every year, there was a massive nest in a tree down the road last year.
Wasps (and maybe hornets too??) are supposedly very good for the garden. And important pollinators. It's just a shame you can't really have them in places where people need to be. It's a shame you can't just pick up their nests and move them somehow, like you can with bee hives. Then you could put them in the middle of crop fields to eat all the grubs. Maybe that's where I'll make my millions - free wasp nest removal, coupled with rent-a-nest for farmers.
We are very tolerant of the creatures, as you say they do a lot of good in gardens and countryside.
But for some reasons they always choose the worst possible places to start building - always in our sheds which are used every day. We just knock off the little nests and hope the queen eventually takes the hint and moves on.
The hornets had a massive nest last year in a section of tree beside the road - just opposite the caravan site entrance, but I doubt anyone else ever noticed it. They were humming all summer, very strong. Unfortunately during the winter the rotten section of tree has fallen away and the nest no more - but they are not starting in my shed!
Whilst out walking today in a wood saw a couple of very recently fledged young Buzzard trying to workout how their wings worked. Didn't hang around as I had my dogs with me otherwise I'd still be there now!
First pair of Swifts over the field near our house on Friday.
First cuckoo of the season for me on Saturday at Sharp Haw,near Skipton,don't seem to get them round Pendle any more,shame
A long eared owl in a small copse not far from Helwith Bridge, while out running last night.
That's what Stolly said eleven years ago to the day - and started this Today's Wildlife Encounter thread.
Brilliant, I thought I recognised the quote.Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Thanks Stolly, this is probably my favourite thread on the forum.
Oh yes, and come back - we miss you.
Never seen a LEO
Did see grey wagtail and GSW on this morning’s dog walk
Love Grey wags.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
Heard my first of the year Wood warbler at Ilkley today.
Chatting to a friend in Llani this morning at the site of where he is building his own house when I saw a Pied Wagtail land on the scaffold with a big insect in its bill before disappearing into a gap between two bricks which is waiting for the imminent fitting of a vent. We then watched food deliveries every 2-3 minutes for the next 30 mins whilst we chatted. Not very keen on having birds moving in before he does I had to make him promise not to remove the nest until they have fully fledged or on my next visit in a couple of weeks I’d put his new windows through!
The moorhens on our local pond have raised young for the first time in years.
Just back from a lovely evening run during which I saw numerous birds which included Curlew, Lapwing, a small covey of Partridge and the first Yaffle I have seen for a couple of years.
I swear I saw a condor over Edale last night, could have been a large crow tho.
We now have wrens nesting under the fascia on the porch and a pair of pied wagtails in our barn/shed. They are very busy - always returning with insects in their mouths.
No doubt the grouse moor keepers will dispose of that in quick time.Quote:
Originally Posted by #bob#
Even though I have been lucky enough to have had a couple of 5* bird spots this year, in my neck of the woods there seems to have been a lot fewer birds about this spring, both resident and visitor.
The only exception is the pretty little Goldfinch, which are everywhere, and of which I encountered many on my walk this afternoon.
That reminds me. Pair of bullfinches in the garden the other day. The only time I've ever seen them round our way.
A deer came to visit our garden (here near Hamburg suburbs, northern Germany) the other week.
Decided to eat many leaves from my apple tree.
Wife took a video of him. Cool.
Out with the dogs this morning and I noticed that there was lots of cuckoo spit clinging to the grass and weeds on the verges. This reminded me that I had not heard a Cuckoo this year and that it was probably getting a bit late in the year to do so. About five minutes later, yes, you've guessed it, a Cuckoo calling from across the other side of Lathkill Dale.
It made my day until this afternoon when I trumped it by picking up 1st V60 at the Bosley Fete Fell Race.
A final thought, which came first the Cuckoo or the Cuckoo Spit?
Nice one. I hear it was quite rainy again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
You hear right!Quote:
Originally Posted by noel
Missus had a Privet hawk moth in the moth trap last night. Not especially rare overall, but we are out of their area so a nice catch for mid Wales.
Magnificent animal, our largest native moth.
Whilst out and about today I sat for around 8-10 minutes watching, from a distance of 18 inches, a Bumble Bee systematically visit the 28 available open flowers on a beautiful white foxglove.
Nothing better than the natural world.
We had a flock of swifts over the garden yesterday. It's rare to see them near us.
Out early driving to Wharfedale 3 peaks, there was a snipe sat on a fence post by the road in Greenhow, then a covey of partridges before Kilnsey. Birds on top of Old Cote Moor were spectacular, Curlew, Oyster catcher, lapwings, skylarks and more. Came home and had to rescue a big toad from our cat in the back garden. It was squeaking, never heard a toad make a noise before. Maybe I should have kissed it, but what do I want with a prince.
The artist formerly known as...Quote:
Originally Posted by MattPo
I had a giant wood wasp trying to lay eggs on the larch roof I've just put on my shed. Big scary looking thing, until you realise it's big "sting" is for laying eggs. There's a pici of one here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/arkins/4799395181
Eagle in Borrowdale on the weekend. We said "Eagle" immediately then went through the possibilities of what else it could have been. We were wondering if we'd got the scale wrong, and were trying to get some perspective. Then a crow went up to chase it off and we could see it's wingspan was about twice that of the crow, which ruled out most other things. I've never seen one in the Lakes before.
Then a family of treecreepers - very cute.