Your day's wildlife

[Bromptonaut]

Little jenny Wren but no idea where it is from!

It's used by Beatrix Potter in 'The Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle'. For those who don't know it, an anthropomorphic story about a little girl called Lucie and a hedgehog that takes in other animals washing. It is set around the Cumbrian hamlet of Littletown in the Newlands Valley and on the mountain called Catbells. On page 29 Mrs Tiggywinkle explains to Lucy about the difficulty of dealing with a tablecloth belonging to Jenny Wren and stained with currant wine.

Probably indicative of a Cumbrian/Lakeland usage rather than something Potter came up with when writing the book.

 

[nickyboy]

Spring has arrived in the hills. Rode over the Snake Pass yesterday and saw a Curlew and a couple of Lapwings at about 1000ft
Some big Chaffinch flocks still in the Derwent Valley feeding on beech mast, maybe 50-100 in each flock

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Saw my first bumblebees of the year this morning

 

[summerdays]

Just been in the garden and realise I no longer have frog spawn:

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Chiffchaffs have arrived.

Must be spring

 

[Basil.B]

Saw a Red Kite circling above my house earlier this afternoon. First time I have see one so near my house, though I see them often out on my cycle rides.
Love watching them, so majestic.

 

[Soltydog]

I find that hard to believe. They sound like a kitten, surely you must have heard them ?

The other day was the first time I've heard one Whilst out riding I've been within a few feet of them several times but not heard one upto the other day & it did sound like a kitten. Surprises me that buzzards get chased away by crows, I mean it's like me at 6'5" being bossed around by my 5' wife, ...... oh hang on

 

[BlueDog]

I went for a ride and decided to venture back to the nature reserve that we were at last week, and very glad I did too. There were 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers in a nearby tree - 2 males and one female doing some sort of courtship (or so a Bill Oddie look-a-like told me). As the visit was a bit spontaneous, I didn't have my glasses or binoculars, but a very nice chap who had a 4' lens on his camera lent me his dustbin like binoculars, so I had a perfect view and a brilliant time watching from the hide. These regulars also told me of another nearby hide which is somewhat hidden is great for Kingfishers, so I'll hopefully be going there next week.

 

[Phyllosc]

A cold grey day here in Suffolk. It feels like Spring has crawled back under the duvet...

Nice view of a Brown Hare on my ride today.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

no photos but I have repeatedly heard a male lapwing displaying for the last week - sadly he is too far away for me to see him and I met/bumped into/had a close encounter with a Goldcrest today!

 

[Mireystock]

Two fallow deer yesterday late afternoon. I'm sure it's the same two that follow me about...

"Yeah, here he is again Dave, he's even more red-faced and out of breath than usual."

 

[Soltydog]

[QUOTE 3608110, member: 9609"]Not the best picture in the world, (poor light and a little distant) but a Tree Sparrow (not to be confused with the house Sparrow), quite rare round these parts. RSBP Red Listed with an estimated 93% loss since the 1970s.

[/QUOTE]

We're quite lucky round here & have quite a lot of Tree Sparrows, maybe even more than House Sparrows, but I've not had a check in our garden this year to see what we have

 

[Winnershsaint]

Saw a Red Kite circling above my house earlier this afternoon. First time I have see one so near my house, though I see them often out on my cycle rides.
Love watching them, so majestic.

Not sure where in Oxfordshire you are but I can remember about ten years ago seeing one for the first time swoop down across my car and take something off the central reservation of the M40 close to the Thame/Princes Risborough junction. They are pretty commonplace round here now and we see them on an almost daily basis. Like you I often see them while out on the bike particularly in the Hambleden Valley and cycling through the Assendons and Stonor.

As far as today is concerned two Roe Deer closely followed by two (very friendly) Rottweilers. Also saw a barn owl swooping very low over the field this morning. Was there last spring through until about May/June.

 

[hopless500]

Chiffchaffs have arrived.

Must be spring

Where are you? We haven't got any yet.
They truly are a sign of spring.
Had a song thrush going for it outside the bedroom window this morning

 

[Gravity Aided]

English Sparrows(probably what you'd call a Weaver Finch or House Sparrow) living beside my back door in a nest atop the downspout. And a seagull at work, despite being 40 miles from an appreciable and navigable body of water.(Illinois River)