Your day's wildlife

[vernon]

Yesterday the only wildlife that I encountered was Mrs Vernon arguing with the SatNav. I was frightened for my health and wellbeing.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yesterday the only wildlife that I encountered was Mrs Vernon arguing with SatNav. I was frightened for my health and wellbeing.

I find it best not to argue (too loudly) with myself. people ask too many questions!






(sorry it just had to be said)

 

[slowmotion]

A pair of blue tits are very busy in our nest box and are chasing other birds out of the garden.

 

[gbb]

Disregard...complete mispost in wrong place

 

[gbb]

Raptors often present identification problems, especially when you only see them for 3 or 4 seconds...buzzards for instance often have very mixed plumage, some are dark, some light, some are big, some small etc etc.
Tonight, driving alongside the Forty Foot drain, bordered by fenland fields as far as the eye can see, I spotted a large bird swoop down. As I got closer, it took off from about 20 ft away, buzzard size but kinda slimmer, longer neck perhaps and mottley feathers, darkish brown. 3 seconds later i'm past it and its gone. My first thought was...that's not a buzzard, its definitely not a Kite...Marsh Harrier perhaps ? There is a colony of them (or was a few years ago) about 10 miles away, me and the son used to watch them quartering the fields at Eldernell ( a SSSI). But...the Harriers we saw some years ago were big, this was not so big.
I hate uncertainty...but often that's what you get with birds, a quick fleeting glance and its gone.

 

[annedonnelly]

Raptors often present identification problems, especially when you only see them for 3 or 4 seconds...buzzards for instance often have very mixed plumage, some are dark, some light, some are big, some small etc etc.
Tonight, driving alongside the Forty Foot drain, bordered by fenland fields as far as the eye can see, I spotted a large bird swoop down. As I got closer, it took off from about 20 ft away, buzzard size but kinda slimmer, longer neck perhaps and mottley feathers, darkish brown. 3 seconds later i'm past it and its gone. My first thought was...that's not a buzzard, its definitely not a Kite...Marsh Harrier perhaps ? There is a colony of them (or was a few years ago) about 10 miles away, me and the son used to watch them quartering the fields at Eldernell ( a SSSI). But...the Harriers we saw some years ago were big, this was not so big.
I hate uncertainty...but often that's what you get with birds, a quick fleeting glance and its gone.

Yeah, it's nicer when you know what it was, but you can get a thrill from seeing it anyway.

 

[Doseone]

Raptors often present identification problems, especially when you only see them for 3 or 4 seconds...buzzards for instance often have very mixed plumage, some are dark, some light, some are big, some small etc etc.
Tonight, driving alongside the Forty Foot drain, bordered by fenland fields as far as the eye can see, I spotted a large bird swoop down. As I got closer, it took off from about 20 ft away, buzzard size but kinda slimmer, longer neck perhaps and mottley feathers, darkish brown. 3 seconds later i'm past it and its gone. My first thought was...that's not a buzzard, its definitely not a Kite...Marsh Harrier perhaps ? There is a colony of them (or was a few years ago) about 10 miles away, me and the son used to watch them quartering the fields at Eldernell ( a SSSI). But...the Harriers we saw some years ago were big, this was not so big.
I hate uncertainty...but often that's what you get with birds, a quick fleeting glance and its gone.

Goshawk?

 

[rich p]

Goshawk?

..or guesswork?

I have a lot of trouble spotting hobbies and merlins.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

..or guesswork?

I have a lot of trouble spotting hobbies and merlins.

If it's collecting stamps it's probably a hobby. Blokes in cloaks waving wands, though, is harder to identify.

 

[Doseone]

I have a lot of trouble spotting hobbies and merlins.

Sadly no such problem here as we don't seem to have hobbies in this part of Wales. Merlins are very few and far between too - I've only seen one that I can be definite about. Plenty of buzzards and red kites though.

 

[biggs682]

loads today and as we have been to the Cotswold Wildlife park

 

[Fnaar]

Raptors often present identification problems, especially when you only see them for 3 or 4 seconds...buzzards for instance often have very mixed plumage, some are dark, some light, some are big, some small etc etc.
Tonight, driving alongside the Forty Foot drain, bordered by fenland fields as far as the eye can see, I spotted a large bird swoop down. As I got closer, it took off from about 20 ft away, buzzard size but kinda slimmer, longer neck perhaps and mottley feathers, darkish brown. 3 seconds later i'm past it and its gone. My first thought was...that's not a buzzard, its definitely not a Kite...Marsh Harrier perhaps ? There is a colony of them (or was a few years ago) about 10 miles away, me and the son used to watch them quartering the fields at Eldernell ( a SSSI). But...the Harriers we saw some years ago were big, this was not so big.
I hate uncertainty...but often that's what you get with birds, a quick fleeting glance and its gone.

I use this sometimes... not always successfully, but occasionally so
http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdidentifier/

 

[welsh dragon]

We have lots of buzzards, and some red kites. Squirrels are a bit of a nuisance at the moment, and we have more rabbits this year than I have seen in the whole of the previous 4 years. Disease keeps wiping them out usually.

 

[Dave 123]

Barn owl and a herd of 30+ roe deer

 

[Asa Post]

There's a hedgehog in the garden, feeding on some peanuts I put out for the foxes.
The temperature is just on freezing. I hope the poor devil goes back to bed once he's filled himself up.