CycleChat Springwatch!

[theclaud]

I didn't want to show my ignorance again. Once was enough to shatter my wafer-thin self-esteem
These little buggers look scarily lethal though. I think I was lucky they died of the stench in the kitchen

The needle-nose is a nectar-feeding thing, not an evil bloodsucking thing. Talking of evil, I got bitten by a spider at night over two weeks ago, and it's still slightly painful. Sinister twin puncture marks. Well it's either a spider or a very small and slightly coy vampire.

 

[rich p]

The needle-nose is a nectar-feeding thing, not an evil bloodsucking thing. Talking of evil, I got bitten by a spider at night over two weeks ago, and it's still slightly painful. Sinister twin puncture marks. Well it's either a spider or a very small and slightly coy vampire.

Ouch! Oneupmanship, eh? Your attacker had two small pricks but mine only had one.

 

[slowmotion]

Not heard a cuckoo for years.

We heard one on Monday when we were walking on The Lizard in Cornwall. Absolutely glorious sunshine too. Fabulous.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

[QUOTE 2444496, member: 9609"]Guillemot City - One of the many great sea stacks at St Abbs, each one a nesting place to many thousands of Guillemots, for the next couple of months the noise is defining, (and the smell breathtaking) when the young are ready to leave in early July they still can't fly, and just have to jump many hundreds of feet into the sea below. They will all leave in a couple of days of each other, a spectacle I am yet to witness.

Zoomed In

Some Bridled ones in there (white line behind eye)

They appear very brown when the sun catches them on the water

[/quote]
Excellent!

 

[Arch]

I've found a new way to walk home over our reserve, and everything has burst into life this week. Today I could smell the lilac blossom for the first time.

My walk takes me out onto the road just in time to pass the council tip and the cement works, oh the bucolic bliss.

 

[nickyboy]

No photos I'm afraid, but seeing plenty of Yellowhammers this spring....are they migrant or resident, anyone know ?
They're not rare round here, lovely seeing them perched atop hedges, but seem to be seeing more, and early this year.

Yellowhammers are largely migratory. In the winter they seek out places where they can find seeds. They head south and west and then return to the countryside in the spring where they largely eat insects. They have become much rarer in the UK, largely due to modern farming practices so well done

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Where'd he go?

Up this morning and there were only 2 in the nest. My first thoughts were that there had been a mishap during a stormy night but they're just about to leave too.

A last meal

Then I had my own breakfast. Came back and...

...all gone.

It's amazing just how much they've grown in the space of just one week.

 

[coffeejo]

These swans nest in the same spot on the Taunton-Bridgwater canal every year (I posted a photo of them on the nest pre-hatching on the Photography thread a few weeks ago) and mostly keep to their side of the canal, leaving us to enjoy the tow path in peace whilst appreciating these beautiful but brutish birds from a safe distance.

I took these on Bank Holiday Monday - should be heading along there again tomorrow but since I doubt the weather will be as friendly, I may or may not stop to take more photos.

 

[laurence]

The needle-nose is a nectar-feeding thing, not an evil bloodsucking thing. Talking of evil, I got bitten by a spider at night over two weeks ago, and it's still slightly painful. Sinister twin puncture marks. Well it's either a spider or a very small and slightly coy vampire.

the Bee Flys are harmless to humans, but they lay their eggs near the nests of miner bees and the larvae then feed on the bee eggs.

saying that, Bee Flys rock! they are almost as cool as hoverflys

 

[laurence]

talking of hoverflys... hoverfly shooting season is now open...

 

[rich p]

One of these little buggers flew in today...

 

[hopless500]

Got a brood of robins in our workshop and a song thrush nesting in a bramble thicket at the back of our ditch.

Ah, just got what a Squibble is. Oh, I'm on form today!!
We have squibbles too, and they are a right pain in the

 

[Rezillo]

Turtle dove in our garden today and the past few days. Not one of a pair this year

 

[Rezillo]

Today at Ranworth Broad, Norfolk

This pair did a face to face necking dance, unfortunately parallel to where I was, so snaps looked like one bird with two necks until they swam off

This one carried its catch around for a minute before deciding it was too big

A couple of loners.

 

[matthat]

My better half has been sat at the kitchen table doing various jigsaws over last month or so, Whilst sat there she's seen a robin flying around the garden and had said she thought there must be a nest near by!! So on Saturday morning 1 of our cats was parading up and down the garden wall showing a lot of interest and also mother bird was chirping like a loon!! So off i went to have a look and found pictured birds nest. Unfortunately we didn't act quick enough because when we got home from work that night 1st escapee from the nest had been caught and deposited on kitchen floor!! So now we have 3 cats indoors climbing the walls because we wont let them out,so the rest of the chicks stand a chance of getting out!!