Your day's wildlife

[biggs682]

On our back door

 

[sevenfourate]

On our back door

View attachment 786404

Did well to capture that still…….

 

[Windle]

The wife and I had a walk round Low Barns nature reserve near Witton-le-Wear yesterday evening (6 - 8pm), the first time we've been there for years, (although we used to go more frequently). It's changed a bit since we were last there, with a new bird hide and a lot more vegetation / tree growth. Unfortunately the Himalayan Balsam appears to be taking over, there are signs all round the path route asking visitors to pull it out where (safely) possible, but it looks like a losing battle. I don't think the birds cared though, there were many species there, including a Little Egret and numerous Cormorants roosting in the trees on one of the mid lake islands. The concrete weir on the river Wear has partially collapsed at some point, years ago you could almost walk right across it when the river was low. The only place I've ever seen a Kingfisher.
The highlight was at the last (West) hide, as dusk was coming in. We sat looking out over the small lake watching the roosting ducks when a Barn Owl appeared in the distance, flying back & forth over the marshy ground to the west. Another appeared, then a third, frequently coming close to the hide as they hunted, often dropping down into the long grass. Then one of them silently flew right past, probably ten feet from the open window, then again. Next time it alighted on a post just to the right of the hide. (It was dusk so I couldn't possibly have got a photo), but it sat there watching us for half a minute, before taking of and coming right up to the front of the hide, briefly hovering. I thought it was going to fly in! It did this a couple of times, (obviously weighing up the threat) before flying off across the wetlands again. Absolutely magical.
Edited: I forgot to add a photo from Low Barns, this is a view from the South hide, the sun's already setting. The West hide where we were watching Barn Owls is over in the far distance, behind & left of the white visitor centre building.

 

[rockyroller]

initial reaction to commercial grade peppermint oil appears to be favorable for us, negative for rodents

took a bout 2 seconds to repel the rat, within 14 seconds it took another sniff or two then split. the bricks helped I'm guessing. no sign of it at all on the other side

on the other side a single mouse was seen freaking out. if anyone doubts they can cling to a concrete wall ...

I'll be keeping an eye on this spot. if activity stops, I'll block up the left side w/ bricks like the right side. gotta make sure there's no big boy in there before I do. as for the mouse, it has choices, but the clock is ticking

 

[sevenfourate]

Saw this fella early; catching his breakfast in Los Alcazares, Spain……

 

[biggs682]

We had another hog visit last night first one for a few weeks

 

[Poacher]

Badger doing some exercises / posing for glamour shots last night.

 

[rockyroller]

@Poacher those are remarkable

 

[rockyroller]

2 ships passing in the night

 

[Profpointy]

Cormorants in Bristol docks

 

[sevenfourate]

Walked nearly 6 miles in upto 34c temps to visit a small Coastal Nature reserve today (Playa De La Hita, Murcia, Spain).

Pleasant enough way to spend a few hours ☀️

 

[gbb]

No photos but as I was driving back home from visiting my wife in a hospice in wonderful small country house surroundings, a good few acres.of grassland and woodland...a flock of maybe 10 ring necked (i assume) parakeets shot across the vista, all in close formation, long thin tails. Very fast birds when they want to be..

 

[SteveO69]

‘Er indoors saw the Kingfisher again yester day, twice. Once fleetingly, the second time it was fishing from our fence. Dived four times without success, surprising, as the river is teeming with small fish at the moment.
Neighbour also said he saw a pair of Kingfishers last week, so we may have a mating pair….?

 

[rockyroller]

turns out these are chipmunk holes. I've filled them in in the morning & come home to find them opened up, then later covered but I didn't cover them. whoever it was, was hiding their holes. put a camera on them over nite, a cpl times, no activity. decided to watch them during daylight & bingo, little chippy. not gonna worry about them, they don't enter the house

the video shows it doing maintenance with it's front paws

 

[rockyroller]

walking Rosie the cat around I discovered other holes in the hillside in front of our house. there must be a huge network. some of these holes have significant diameters