Your day's wildlife

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Proto

Legendary Member
Heard a thud this morning, 6:30 ish, thought it must be a window banging. Went down to find this poor creature dead on the ground, really sad. Sparrowhawk, young male, (I think?). Surprised at the weight for quite a big bird, only 85gms.

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OP
OP
Flick of the Elbow
Location
Edinburgh
Heard a thud this morning, 6:30 ish, thought it must be a window banging. Went down to find this poor creature dead on the ground, really sad. Sparrowhawk, young male, (I think?). Surprised at the weight for quite a big bird, only 85gms.

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Our window had a victim too today, a juvenile robin.
A few years ago we too had a sparrowhawk victim, hit the glass balustrade around the patio. Injuries looked identical to yours.
Is yours not a female btw ? The males have a slate grey back and have orange barring on the front. The females have a brown back and brown barring.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
I was idly looking out the window this morning at some duck families swimming through clumps of seaweed quite close to the waters edge in less than a metre of water when I saw a seal just a little further out swimming along parallel to the shore.
I wondered if the seal was considering a duckling for breakfast, is that likely?
 
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Proto

Legendary Member
Our window had a victim too today, a juvenile robin.
A few years ago we too had a sparrowhawk victim, hit the glass balustrade around the patio. Injuries looked identical to yours.
Is yours not a female btw ? The males have a slate grey back and have orange barring on the front. The females have a brown back and brown barring.

I'm no expert, only passing on what I was told by my 'wildlife' chum. He thought it probably a young male, something about the buff tips on the feathers on the back, and at only 84g, a female would be a fair bit bigger.
I put it in the woods last night and surprised to see it still there this morning, intact.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
On the edge of our urban estate this morning, a deer.
Not Muntjac or similar, this one was taller and leggier, maybe 3 to 4ft high from ground to ears. Only a few second look at it but enough time to know its not one of the smaller varieties..
Peterboroughs Parkways (the dual carriagleways round the city) are often bordered by treelines, often 30 to 50ft deep where no-one really ever enters so i suspect they take refuge in there during the day. Its not unusual to see muntjac on the wide verges 30ft away from 70mph traffic, the nearby treelines give them a sense of security i suspect.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
The common wall lizard being a little shy today...
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Reminds me once when i was walking a country road path near Stamford many years ago. As i walked, i suddenly stopped...i saw an eye :wacko:. I had no idea where, in my periferal vision i saw an eye ?
I scanned around me...and there sat a lizard on a wall, almost invisible but the eyes gave it away. Remarkable how the human eye and brain are seeing things, processing them, rejecting the non important stuff but alarming you to potential danger perhaps. (i know a lizard isnt dangerous, but animals potentially are and deep in your brain, it must retain that)
 

Dave 123

Legendary Member
Another early morning wander around Wembury this morning. In the morning I walk from the car park toward the old HMS Cambridge, then walk back along the beach. I do a bit of birdwatching on the way out, and beach combing on the way back. Today I was looking for sea glass.

juvenile Stonechat
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An Oystercatcher looking for its car keys
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A Chiffchaff.... and a cricket
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Treasure!
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A foal
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Its mother
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biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
Saw this load out for walkies earlier today

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nickyboy

Norven Mankey
I'm no expert, only passing on what I was told by my 'wildlife' chum. He thought it probably a young male, something about the buff tips on the feathers on the back, and at only 84g, a female would be a fair bit bigger.
I put it in the woods last night and surprised to see it still there this morning, intact.
Juvenile (ie hatched this year) sparrowhawks all have the same plumage. They slowly develop the adult plumage over 2-3 years
I'm fairly sure yours is a juvenile (adult birds tend not to fly into windows) but, without taking detailed measurements you can't tell male from female. Weight isn't a good determinant as juveniles often struggle to catch prey and can be very underweight
 
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