Today's Wildlife Encounter

[Tahr]

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.

Yes I agree very spurious grounds, done with the aid of an organisation that thinks the only good deer is a dead one :angry:, and while in some areas deer number are too high this is a local problem only. Balance in all things.

ATB

Tahr

[dantodman]

The photos are a bit blurred but looking at the shape andsize of the targets (the white bits on the bum) I think I can see what lookslike a small "tail"on the left hand deer, this looks like the “anal tush” this ishow 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 wouldsay that this is either the female’s kid from last May or it is brother andSister from last May. Mum will have scampered away as the older deer areusually a bit more wary than the young ones.

On a red deer the white bum is usually off white, it has abit 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 alsohave a black line running down the middle of the back and a tail that is around7”ish long.

ATB

Tahr

there are 3of them and I'm guessing it is a mother and 2 of last years offSpring, from what you say a male and a female.

Dan

[Tahr]

In the next month mum will kick the two kids out of her territory to make way for this years young which will be born in May, so you may only start to see one deer for a while. If the mature doe has done well over winter she will have twins again, if conditions have been hard she will give birth to one young, in very exceptional circumstances she will have triplets. At the end of July the beginning of August you might see a Buck following her around hoping to get lucky as she comes into season.

Getting photos of truly wild deer, not ones in a park without the use of very large lens is not easier, well done. Keep an eye on her and see how she goes. If you find any just born young Kids in the grass do not touch them, she will know where they are and will come back for them, she won’tbe so keen if she smells your sent on them.

ATB

Tahr

[Splatcher]

Sparrowhawk through the garden again this morning. First time I saw it come through there was nothing to catch. Half an hour later there was a bluetit on the nut feeder, & then suddenly there wasn't. The hawk didn't even seem to slow down, just grabbed it on its way past & flew off over the hedge.

[Rob Furness]

Dead (unfortunately) pipistrelle found today in a light shade at the mother in laws house. Must've flown in when the back window was open and for some reason couldn't get out again :-(

[molehill]

First pair of Bullfinches back in the garden, hammering the buds on the thorn trees. Great to see them again, probably sorting out their territory for the coming breeding season, I hope they stay. The most beautifull of birds, the colours of the cock bird at this time of year are so hard to match (as in paint/draw). Stunning.

[wharfeego]

Dead (unfortunately) pipistrelle found today in a light shade at the mother in laws house. Must've flown in when the back window was open and for some reason couldn't get out again :-(

Make sure it is definitely dead rather than just 'ard asleep, hibernating.

[GeoffB]

Starting to get busy on and around Kinder. Lapwings, Golden Plover (heard, not seen) and Curlew were about this weekend.

[Rob Furness]

Make sure it is definitely dead rather than just 'ard asleep, hibernating.

You have me doubting it now, but it were dried out and light as a feather so I'm sure it was dead. Might have hibernated originally and then been dried out by the lightbulb

[wharfeego]

You have me doubting it now, but it were dried out and light as a feather so I'm sure it was dead. Might have hibernated originally and then been dried out by the lightbulb

From that description I'd say it was definitely NOT resting!