Your day's wildlife
- Thread starter Flick of the Elbow
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- wildlife
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briantrumpet
Legendary Member
- Location
- Devon & Die
Shield bugs (of "Oh punaise!!" fame) having a feast this morning.
fritz katzenjammer
Der Ubergrosserbudgie
- Location
- Retired to a life of bicycles
This thing was about three inches long when stretched out making its run across the road. I grabbed it before traffic could give it the squish and brought it home to my wife’s garden.
We think it’s a Polyphemus caterpillar or perhaps a new Toyota hybrid.
We think it’s a Polyphemus caterpillar or perhaps a new Toyota hybrid.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Hmm, fairly green with an Internal Caterpillar Engine - definitely a hybrid!
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
Took a drive out to RSPB Frampton Marsh, took the longer walk around it, must have walked 4 or 5 miles, the marshes on the far side are stupendous, flat and nothing else to see but wild land for about 10 miles into the distance.
Trouble is, photography is tricky, a lot of birds are at fair distance.
But..
Black Tailed Godwits
Meadow Pipits
Yellow Wagtails
Spoonbills
Lapwings
Possible Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Redshanks, the list goes on
also, the few i did manage to get half decent shots of...
Golden Plovers
Juvenile Goldfinch (shame i didnt get them both in focus)
Black Tailed Godwits taking a bath...
Didnt get that many successful photos today, rejected a lot lot more but hey ho
Edited to add.
We were stood watching a flock of around 30 linnet, mostly female or young with an odd rose breastfed male among them, feeding on a track in front of us..for 5 minutes perhaps. Suddenly a sparrowhawk flew in, and a furiously fast chase ensued for what seemed an eternity, right in front of us. The linnet survived somehow, it never went far but twisted and turned almost acrobaticcally.
Trouble is, photography is tricky, a lot of birds are at fair distance.
But..
Black Tailed Godwits
Meadow Pipits
Yellow Wagtails
Spoonbills
Lapwings
Possible Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Redshanks, the list goes on
also, the few i did manage to get half decent shots of...
Golden Plovers
Juvenile Goldfinch (shame i didnt get them both in focus)
Black Tailed Godwits taking a bath...
Didnt get that many successful photos today, rejected a lot lot more but hey ho
Edited to add.
We were stood watching a flock of around 30 linnet, mostly female or young with an odd rose breastfed male among them, feeding on a track in front of us..for 5 minutes perhaps. Suddenly a sparrowhawk flew in, and a furiously fast chase ensued for what seemed an eternity, right in front of us. The linnet survived somehow, it never went far but twisted and turned almost acrobaticcally.
Last edited:
mistyoptic
Vintage
- Location
- A parallel reality
Looks like rain, dear. Just outside our lodge at Saariselkä
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Well at least if it has a Caterpillar engine you should be ok for spares.
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
A family of swans spotted on this morning's ride
nogoodnamesleft
Senior Member
Is this a badger?
Caught on my trailcam yesterday
I can only upload a still but the video clip is at https://nogoodnamesleft.net/temp_images/2026-08/isthisabadger.mp4
Great if it might be ('cos it's in my garden). But I don't want to ask around (eg local farmers) as cycling around rural single track lanes I come across far too many dead badgers on the verge and there isn't enough traffic for cars to be hitting them so I worry about "wildlife crime" so if it is a badger I don't want to spread the word.
Caught on my trailcam yesterday
I can only upload a still but the video clip is at https://nogoodnamesleft.net/temp_images/2026-08/isthisabadger.mp4
Great if it might be ('cos it's in my garden). But I don't want to ask around (eg local farmers) as cycling around rural single track lanes I come across far too many dead badgers on the verge and there isn't enough traffic for cars to be hitting them so I worry about "wildlife crime" so if it is a badger I don't want to spread the word.
nogoodnamesleft
Senior Member
Sorry, another question after following what was a trail on my grass that passed by where the badger clip was taken) and found a big hole in the ground. Lots of wasp/bee activity.
In the UK I've only come across wasp nests they make not dig but this was certainly a new hole not dug by me so created by wildlife over 12" x 12" x12". They looked like wasps rather than bees but the in sides of the hole were lots of tunnels and the bees/wasps were entering and leaving the different tunnels.
Given that it was right next to a worn track in the grass (past where the badger clip above was recorded) might it be a ground nesting bee hive that was dug out by badger looking for the grube?
A bit blurred (as they were starting to "react" to my presence):
Wasp nests I've come across have also always been in hotter places eg south facing roof but this hole is right next to a fence meaning it will be in shade most of the day.
I've noted the "trails" in the grass for some time but had assumed they were from the deer (that are a real nuisance) but the badger clip made me wonder, hence following one path seeing where they might have been getting into my garden).
In the UK I've only come across wasp nests they make not dig but this was certainly a new hole not dug by me so created by wildlife over 12" x 12" x12". They looked like wasps rather than bees but the in sides of the hole were lots of tunnels and the bees/wasps were entering and leaving the different tunnels.
Given that it was right next to a worn track in the grass (past where the badger clip above was recorded) might it be a ground nesting bee hive that was dug out by badger looking for the grube?
A bit blurred (as they were starting to "react" to my presence):
Wasp nests I've come across have also always been in hotter places eg south facing roof but this hole is right next to a fence meaning it will be in shade most of the day.
I've noted the "trails" in the grass for some time but had assumed they were from the deer (that are a real nuisance) but the badger clip made me wonder, hence following one path seeing where they might have been getting into my garden).
Looks like a wasp's nest, and at this time of year it's quite likely that a badger dug it out.
Wasps are most numerous and aggressive at this time. If the nest is somewhere you go regularly, take care not to annoy them or have it removed. You can deal with it yourself by buying wasp killing powder to put in the entrance if you're feeling brave.
If it's somewhere that's out of the way - avoid the area until the first frosts kill them.
nogoodnamesleft
Senior Member
Wasps don't bother me. Been getting loads in the kitchen recently (not from that nest) but except for one who put itself under my bare foot (I didn't notice and only found it when I was stung) I find keeping calm around them and they mostly ignore you.
But now I've got to find the badger set and take photos of them (and without asking round).
I normally have my trailcam set close focus for small birds, mice, voles and shrews. But now set it more distant focus on the worn trail through the grass.
