Wildlife spotting

[Buelligan]

That sounds ok I suppose if you like that sort of thing. Wish I was there actually.

Seeing as you've mentioned Euphorbia Buelligan and we don't have a plant thread on here - do you know much about it as a useful wildlife plant? We had one self seed or re-animate from somewhere and its growing in the wrong place for us. I'd like to move it if there's any value in keeping it.

Ive waited a couple of years for it to flower and admire its tenacity.

I love them, I think they're hugely underrated and very beautiful.  Do you know which it is?  Many of them, I think all of them, have really quite long flowering periods which means they're great for attracting insects (the kind of insects you like about the place) and they often put up with neglect and sites that aren't good for many other plants, so produce insect food in places where other plants might not thrive.  Bear in mind though, I'm sure you know, euphorbias all, AFAIK, have that milky white sap that is almost always an irritant/toxic.  It's not mega-dangerous, like monkshood or something, nevertheless, if you damage it and get the sap on your skin it can burn and cause rashes.  Obviously, it's even worse in your eyes.  So just treat it with respect and wear gloves if you're cutting it.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

They were too far away for me to identify all the participants, but I've just seen a buzzard being harassed by a smaller bird that repeatedly flew straight at it before veering away at the last second. I turned away briefly and when I looked back the smaller bird had been joined by a mate, who joined in the attack. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I saw a buzzard being chased off by a seagull so I don't know what they do to inspire such animosity in other birdies. Or perhaps the buzzards round here are big, easily bullied jessies.

[paruses]

They will be protecting nests/young as the buzzards will be off with them otherwise. Crows get mobbed too for the same reason.

[paruses]

Sat and watched a sparrow feeding a baby sparrow earlier this morning. Heartwarming.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

They will be protecting nests/young as the buzzards will be off with them otherwise. Crows get mobbed too for the same reason.

Ah, thanks. Makes sense. Will all birds do that, regardless of size? These birds looked to be about blackbird size so considerably smaller than the buzzard.

[paruses]

Yes - they don't really give a shit about size. I've seen meadow pipits - which are much smaller than blackbirds - have a go at buzzards and red kites. I suppose they don't need to Steven Segal the intruder they just need to hound it out of the area and it's in the buzzard's interest to cut and run rather than get injured even slightly.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

Thanks again for the info. The smaller birds were pretty relentless and although the buzzard didn't appear to be in any great hurry to leave, he eventually did just that.

[Huxleys Babkins]

We've got foxes in our back garden. A mother and four cubs. It looks like they've been living under some old roof panels that are propped up against the garage which were left by the previous owners. It was quite the novelty to start with, seeing them occasionally popping out for a run about, but they're out all the time now, learning to hunt, playing and that. The garage absolutely stinks now too.

They've been mostly eating birds, but there's the occasional rat or vole. Sadly, we saw them tossing a little fox pelt about yesterday which suggests there may have been a fifth cub that didn't make it. We've been putting a bowl of water out for them each day, although I was quick to stop my other half from feeding them; they are wild animals, they need to learn to hunt for themselves or else we'll never be rid.

The plan is to let them carry on for the next couple of months or so until they are old enough to fend for themselves and they naturally move away. We'll dismantle and bin their "den" so none of them try a repeat next spring. It's been fun having them, but we really do need our garden back.

[paruses]

[...]Sadly, we saw them tossing a little fox pelt about yesterday which suggests there may have been a fifth cub that didn't make it. [...]

I always find that sort of thing very sad even though it's inevitable. Have found a couple of blue tit pulli in the garden over the last few weeks intact and it always makes me pause (before I throw them under a bush to keep the circle of life going). I've ringed a lot of barn owl pulli over the years and hate finding the cannibalised remains of the littlest one (even though that's their strategy and why the species still survives).

I do realise I am mixing mammals and birds here btw. - it's just a general observation on death.

[Flatulent Fox]

I might have seen a Sea Eagle over the hills of Inverary a couple of weeks ago.
                                                                                                                            T'was a big asre flying varmit swooping about the hills as opposed to gliding about the place.
Can't verify as I tried to get a pic whist fumbling in my pockets for my phone,and I have to admit,I found a werthers original first and it took precidence.

Chris Peckham would have done the same.

[Ferris]

Fucking massive eagle did a swoop at us, then whizzed off about 10 feet from the window. Cunts massive. Will get the baseball bat out and try to defend the clan if it comes to it, but looks like it'd have me away in its talons easy.

[BlodwynPig]

Fucking massive eagle did a swoop at us, then whizzed off about 10 feet from the window. Cunts massive. Will get the baseball bat out and try to defend the clan if it comes to it, but looks like it'd have me away in its talons easy.

They are flying downtown?

[Gurke and Hare]

I saw a bird of prey circling over inner London yesterday - to the north east of my Lewisham flat, possibly over Blackheath. I got my binoculars and had a close up look, but it was just a silhouette against the sky really so I had no chance of identifying it.

[Buelligan]

They are flying downtown?

Driving all the old men crazy.

[Dex Sawash]

I saw a bird of prey circling over inner London yesterday - to the north east of my Lewisham flat, possibly over Blackheath. I got my binoculars and had a close up look, but it was just a silhouette against the sky really so I had no chance of identifying it.

Cloaking device

[ZoyzaSorris]

I live down the road from Lewisham centre and have had buzzards and peregrines overhead so could have been one of them!

[Spoon of Ploff]

A Red Kite launched itself out of a tree as I was walking passed t'other day. Damn those things are big. It circled around for a bit doing its call, which I'd not heard before. Here's a nice vid by way of an example: 

https://youtu.be/S49kLYP1iL8

Thanks everyone for keeping this thread up to date. Real joy it is.

[Brian Freeze]

Thanks for the plant help Buelligan, we shall move it and take a photo.

We had a crow on the bird table this morning - bloody hell they are a decent size close up. I was convinced it was a teenage raven. They really arent jackdaws with their feathers dyed.

4 swifts or swallows went overhead at dusk, too high for a numpty to tell the difference. The kids were pretty doubtful when I told them where they'd set off from.

[king_tubby]

A kingfisher yesterday, by the river (obviously). An iridescent flash of blue darting from bank to bank. We also saw tiny fish (minnows? sticklebacks?) leaping from the water at midges.

[gib]

A kingfisher yesterday, by the river (obviously). An iridescent flash of blue darting from bank to bank. We also saw tiny fish (minnows? sticklebacks?) leaping from the water at midges.

How tiny? I've never seen either of those leap.

[gib]

Threw some bread in the river today and saw quite a few chub taking it from the surface. Also a pair of jays having a barney with a pair of magpies.

[ZoyzaSorris]

We had a crow on the bird table this morning

We had a pair of jays on the human table yesterday! we had a bbq and I left all the bits out on the garden table whilst I emptied the dishwasher and pottered for a hot minute in the kitchen. Popped back out to see two lovely bloody ruddy jays standing there amongst the glasses and crockery and cutlery and leftovers, one literally about to snaffle up a vegetarian sausage I had earmarked for me-self. Would have made a brilliant photo. Felt a bit sorry to disturb them but I really did want that sausage. They seemed a lot more willing to stand their ground than their usual skittish selves, only flew off when I came within 5m or so. They can definitely tell we are on the way out.

[bgmnts]

Saw a lovely brown headed duck floating down river and a lovely green headed duck paddling up river today. Green head was trying bloody hard to be fair and I found myself cheering him on. I hope they meet!

[BlodwynPig]

Female and male mallards.

I ate mallard recently. An odd taste

[bgmnts]

Well that's nice.

I caught the one in flight and it was really cool to see. Just mesmerised by it.

[king_tubby]

They look nice, but they're actual rapists and necrophiles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard#Breeding

[Cerys]

Female and male mallards.

I ate mallard recently. An odd taste

You're supposed to cook them, you know.

[idunnosomename]

i saw a blackbird squashed on the road the other day. poor lil fucka

[ZoyzaSorris]

marsh fritillary spoffing out egg mass on to devil's bit scabious



_{(This is a really naughty picture for this thread because I reared the marsh fritillaries in captivity to try and breed them...shhhhhhh. let them go once I'd got the goods though)}

[paruses]

They look nice, but they're actual rapists and necrophiles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard#Breeding

I once stopped a potentially serious sexual assault by Edgbaston reservoir between 3 male and 1 female mallard. They flew out onto the road and one male was assaulting the female while the other looked on so I stopped the car and stepped in. To any one arriving seconds later I looked like a madman flailing at 4 ducks but I am glad I did my anthropomorphic bit.