Your day's wildlife

[gbb]

A day for me today, coulda done, shoulda done so much but kids been at home for 2 weeks...suns kinda shining, im off out, local country park...
Snipe, hunkered down on the edge of a lake by reeds.
Jack snipe, ironically had been within 20 ft of me, only saw it when it was startled away by new arrivals in the hide. Notably lighter build than a snipe.
Two (i assume) treecreepers in woodland, struggled to get a long look at them.
Lots of Bluetits
Long tailed tits
Green Woodpecker
Gray Wagtail
A pair of Ring Neck Parakeets, nestled in a tree, all lovey dovey

Not a great photo, but done at some distance.

Great Crested Grebes,.lots of em
A Little Grebe (Dabchick)
Heron, notably light plumage, made me wonder for a minute but it was in some deep grassland
All the other usual stuff...
A good couple hours ..back to reality now, prepping kids teas

 

[Poacher]

Pair of Mallard just flew in to our little pond. There's not enough duckweed to satisfy them, but they may thin out the tadpole (over)population.

 

[Gillstay]

Tadpoles needed over here. All our frogs seem to have died out. Population was building nicely despite the amount of Pheasant about, but this year none. very sad. No toads either.

 

[Poacher]

Tadpoles needed over here. All our frogs seem to have died out. Population was building nicely despite the amount of Pheasant about, but this year none. very sad. No toads either.

Frogs seemed to be in terminal decline here over the last ten years or so, down to a single clump of spawn two years ago, but this year probably ten clumps. They seem to be developing immunity to that fungal disease. I certainly hope so.

 

[Poacher]

Fun and games yesterday evening, just after 8:15pm. One of several occasional badger visitors, a rather scruffy, bony backsided individual, had a bit of a stand-off with a fox. Usually a fox would see sense and walk away, but this one followed the badger around, diving in and trying to bite its tail. The badger climbed on to a Bowle's Gold grass growing in the pond margin, but the fox was not deterred by the badger's new height advantage and made some successful attacks before the badger made it clear the game was over.

 

[Poacher]

On walks in sheep rearing areas, I gather loose wool from fences etc., bring it home and stuff it into this re-purposed fat ball holder in Spring.
This Blue Tit knows just what it's for, a cosy nest lining!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I used to get frogs in my back garden and I never understood how they got there. Its a small suburban garden with no pond and walls all round.

Not seen any for a few years now.

 

[gbb]

Forgot to post this yesterday, as part of my tide through country park and woodland beside the River Nene, rode past this beauty

Turkey Tail Fungus apparently, used to be used medicinally, very common (although I dont remember seeing it before)

Interesting footnote. I didnt realise until a year ago...there can never again be coal formed from forests, as were hundreds of millions of years ago. Why ? Because back then, fungal organisms didnt exist then so the ancient forests didn't rot down, they simply piled up,, compressed over.millions ofbyears then coal formed.

 

[Proto]

Had a few pheasants on our ‘lawn‘ (aka green stuff) this year, daily visitors, both male and female. Not seen them here before, but on my walks there seems to be plenty of them about. Even had two males fighting on the track to our house who refused to move even when threatened with being run over . Had to get out the car and shoo them away.

 

[geocycle]

A weasel ran across the path this morning on the commute. Smaller than a stoat and no dark end to the tail. I’m not sure what juvenile stoats look like but would seem more likely to be a weasel.

 

[Tenkaykev]

 

[rockyroller]

good morning for critters. Coyote out back in Massachusetts, Skunk & Raccoon in New York

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Last year I put some insect nest sites up in the garden. Boxes with small logs with holes drilled and a load of special card tubes for insect nests.

Interstingly the wood with holes drilled were fairly well used whereas the card special tubes only one used across lots. Maybe the species as the holes drilled in wood varied 4mm ⌀ to 8 mm ⌀ whereas the card tubes were all 8 mm ⌀ (which is meant to be "the ideal for solitary bees?).

 

[rockyroller]

I think this is "orange cat" not 100% sure. I usually look for color, duh, but also stripes on it's front legs and a sort of spot on it's ;eft side. don't see stripes & kinda see a spot. but this one also looks heftier. I suppose it could have put on weight. regardless I think one is a male because it paused for standing "pit-stop" at / on our grill cover

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Seeing loads around at the oment and males foraging on the grass seem very tollerant of other males.

And the reason for all those worms