Your day's wildlife

[geocycle]

They can get terribly annoyed if you're not quick enough feeding them, can't they? Mine have a routine of flying back and forward past the window to attract my attention. They're feeding chicks at the minute.

Mine clucks as well! Seems to be very fond of fruit such as apples that have gone soft. Their favourite Snacks are grapes. The robins are doing courtship feedin, passing sunflower seeds to one another. Had a juvenile dunnock today. The great spotted woodpecker dropped in and was foraging in the moss on the dry stone wall.

 

[Glow worm]

Swift! First of the year flying over the house earlier. The swallows and martins have been back a couple of weeks here now, so it’s good to add Swift too to the summer list.

 

[Maverick Goose]

The Skylarks were in fine voice near Heughscar Hill near Ullswater yesterday. Also at least 2 Curlews a few miles up the road near Newbiggin today.

 

[slowmotion]

Ms. Blue Tit and her partner finished building their nest last week. Since then, eight eggs have been laid. There will probably be three or four more before she spends all her time sitting on them and incubating for about two weeks. At the moment, she comes into the nest box at 8:45 pm sharp and spends the night there before leaving in the morning. She only visits in the day to fuss about with the eggs. Here she is asleep a moment ago. Sorry, it's not exactly Blue Planet quality.

 

[newfhouse]

Similar story here, but looks like ten eggs. Again, sorry about the dreadful quality. Still exciting though.

 

[Dave 123]

Busy blue tit collecting nest fluff off the garden twine

 

[slowmotion]

Similar story here, but looks like ten eggs. Again, sorry about the dreadful quality. Still exciting though.
View attachment 517427

We got a glimpse of her clutch for the first time today. She'll sit on them for a couple of weeks before they hatch.

 

[Notafettler]

Alas the dog keeps bringing the wildlife back to me. The neighbors are happy with her doing so. I have enough pheasant in my freezer. She is annoying me on the pigeon front. Constantly sitting in front of trees with wood pigeons nesting and barking.

 

[biggs682]

I saw first juvenile Robin this morning sat next to one of it's parents both were too quick for the camera .

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Poor confused hedgerow mammal!

The hedgehogs have been quite active in the back garden. We leave a saucer of hedgehog food (Spike's Dinner) and a couple of mealworms mixed in. Also a saucer of water during the recent dry weather. Lately though, they have been more interested in "huffing" at each other than eating. We had three on the patio having a three way huffing marathon that went on literally for hours! I believe that this huffing is a prequel to making new hedgehogs!
Last night we heard more huffing but this time coming from the driveway. Unusual. We looked out the window to see one little chap trying to impress a very unresponsive 'lady'.

Yes, that is our hedgehog themed shoe cleaner! He was with his lady-love for a while before he figured she had probably backed into a corner for a reason.

 

[newfhouse]

We were visited by a noisy solitary parakeet this morning. There are flocks on the common a couple of kilometres or so up the road but they are unusual in the garden.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Yesterday I saw 2 Oystercatchers on a playing field in Penrith-it feels strange seeing them there, but then the Solway Firth isn't so far away.

 

[Glow worm]

Heard my first cuckoo of 2020 yesterday. Also 6 hobbies back, swooping above the fen.

 

[geocycle]

Spotted a marsh harrier above leighton moss RSPB reserve today. Unfortunately I’d forgotten my binoculars and was just riding past.

 

[Dave 123]

A song thrush in the garden yesterday