Today's Wildlife Encounter

[Gambatte]

Is that a different one to the usual suspects you've videoed? Have they got names yet?

My wildlife camera is currently pointing at the pond to see if we can spot frogs.

In my tomato.pazzo youtube videos of my garden three squirrels are starring.
Aranci, the guy coming most often, orange fur. He also buries nuts into our lawn. Nuts courtesy of our neighbor Jan, great guy Jan, he even installed a nuts dispenser for them.
Browny, his "friend", slightly darker brownish fur.
Aranci and Browny occasionally dine together on our tree.
Blacky, their acquaintance, coming regularly but not very often.

I think today's guy was Blacky. Extremely curious about the mess on our patio. He climbed into my bike helmet that was standing on the table, realized it was a boring place with no food, ran away.

[Lemmy]

On pegging the washing out this morning (looked like a proper good drying day!) I heard a right cofuffle coming from the neighbours garden. On sticking my head over the garden gate these was a sparrowhawk stood on top of a starling who was not for giving up. Neighbour Keith and I watched on for about ten minutes as the starling tried its best to battle free, even getting on top of the sparrowhawk at one point, but the hawk was determined not to get pecked. Erstwhile a dozen or so jacdaws circled overheard awaiting an outcome!

[noel]

I think I saw a pair of short-eared owls on this evening's run. On Birchenough hill a few hundred yards from the A54.

[Llani Boy]

A single swallow on a telegraph wire during this mornings dog walk.

I saw it from some distance away first and was not sure, especially as its still March, but as I got closer I could see its long tuning fork shaped tail and it let me get right underneath it before it flew away.

Wonderful. I can't wait for tomorrow morning!

[noel]

Nice. What's that they say about one swallow... Hopefully you'll see another tomorrow.

[Llani Boy]

No swallow on this mornings walk with dogs. It was at least 10 degrees colder than yesterday morning with a brisk North-Easterly blowing.

I suspect my new swallow friend is tucked up under some eaves, rueing his early migration and wishing he had stayed in South Africa for a couple of more weeks!

[molehill]

Strapped my fishing rod to the bike and went up the valley for some trouting. Saw my first sand martins arrived and a kingfisher which are not common this far up the river.
If it hadn't been 10c colder and blowing a gale I could have mistaken today for spring.

[harv]

Ey up Moley
No early season trout to report yet? I’m off out tomorrow on a similar venture. Spotted first bluebell out today, and regularly see our resident kingfisher. Chiff chaffs about now too.
Harv

[molehill]

Had a nice fish of 13inches which I returned, first trip of the season.

[Llani Boy]

Which river Moley?

If it's a secret I won't tell anyone!