Wildlife spotting

[Dex Sawash]

Spotty cunts

[Fishfinger]

Speckled bastards

[Fishfinger]

The hedgehogs haven't been around for a couple of weeks, perhaps due to next door's garden landscaping. But there are still nightly visits from a black cat, robins, sparrows, tits, so many starlings and the occasional goldfinch, rat and mouse.

[Gurke and Hare]

Tail-less squirrel in Peckham Rye Park

[Dex Sawash]

Rabbit

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Can we be sure that isn't its arsehole?

[AzureSky]

I saw a Bittern 2 days ago at RSPB Minsmere for the first time in my life. Heard about them when I started getting into birds in the 80's and never thought I'd see one. To see one with my 5 year old son felt incredibly lucky. A bird that was extinct in 1885 in the UK and then down to 11 booming males in the UK in 90's. Anyone else seen a Bittern or anyone other notably rare birds?

[Spoon of Ploff]

think this is a Red Underwing moth... sat here on an oak tree.

[purlieu]

That it is. Gorgeous things, haven't actually seen one in years.

[jobotic]

I saw a Bittern 2 days ago at RSPB Minsmere for the first time in my life. Heard about them when I started getting into birds in the 80's and never thought I'd see one. To see one with my 5 year old son felt incredibly lucky. A bird that was extinct in 1885 in the UK and then down to 11 booming males in the UK in 90's. Anyone else seen a Bittern or anyone other notably rare birds?

No, very jealous. I've heard the Bitterns booming at Minsmere but never saw one.

[purlieu]

My only bittern sighting was about 25 years ago, briefly in flight. Notoriously secretive birds, that's an amazing thing to see.
Seen a lot of rarities over the years, including an adult plumage long-tailed skua, which was a real highlight. Most recent thing was a red-backed shrike just outside town in the late spring.

[paruses]

There are a lot of hawfinch around here . Not mega-rare birds but rare enough to be very excited if I see one in the garden or churchyard.

Seen a few water rail too - again more secretive than rare.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

Can anybody who knows about berds offer a possible explanation as to why the goldfinches, who were all over my new feeder full of niger seeds until recently, appear to have fucked off? I got the feeder in July and within a few days the goldfinches has discovered it and I used to see loads of them every day. I haven't seen a single one for about three weeks now :(

[Fishfinger]

Can anybody who knows about berds offer a possible explanation as to why the goldfinches, who were all over my new feeder full of niger seeds until recently, appear to have fucked off? I got the feeder in July and within a few days the goldfinches has discovered it and I used to see loads of them every day. I haven't seen a single one for about three weeks now :(

As a breed they're migratory, so may have fucked off to warmer climes already. Seems a bit early, but it's possible.

Just as likely, they've found somewhere else with more food and/or better (more protected) access.

2-3 years ago I counted up to 12 goldfinches around the feeders. This year, hardly any. The tree supporting their stuff's since been taken down. The nyjer seed feeders have been moved rather than discarded, but I imagine they won't be back.

[dr beat]

Keep seeing a couple of bats round the Meadows.  We think they are Soprano Pipistrelles called Legend Flappy and Pubes Flaps.  They seem to be going after the midges so it's all good

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

As a breed they're migratory, so may have fucked off to warmer climes already. Seems a bit early, but it's possible.

Just as likely, they've found somewhere else with more food and/or better (more protected) access.

2-3 years ago I counted up to 12 goldfinches around the feeders. This year, hardly any. The tree supporting their stuff's since been taken down. The nyjer seed feeders have been moved rather than discarded, but I imagine they won't be back.

Ah, interesting. Thanks for that. It was lovely to see them so hopefully they'll be back again soon.

[ZoyzaSorris]

I've found I have some popping by every now and again, hang around for a while, and disappear, only for another visit at a later date. I think they just do the rounds, a vagabond, rootless bunch.

[Blue Jam]

Keep seeing a couple of bats round the Meadows.  We think they are Soprano Pipistrelles called Legend Flappy and Pubes Flaps.  They seem to be going after the midges so it's all good

Missed a trick there by not calling them Tony and Carmela didn't I?

Just rescued what I thought was a tiny butterfly but is apparently a Galium Carpet Moth, a species of Geometridae moths which like to fold their wings over their backs like butterflies. Here's mine with its wings open:



They actually eat plants, not carpet, and I think the bats may be eating midges, so stop giggling youse.

[dr beat]

They actually eat plants, not carpet, and I think the bats may be eating midges, so stop giggling youse.

'Well that's good isn't it Casper? Hang on what is your tail pointing at? A moth on my head? No that's a not a feathery winged feature you silly billio it's a...

[Brian Freeze]

I think we've been here five years and have had some years with plenty of goldfinches and some with barely any. This year is a busy year for them. Dont give up hope yet!

[purlieu]

They actually eat plants, not carpet

Indeed, the 'carpet' name is effectively the common family name, they all have very similar markings on. Many of them in the UK, all lovely. That said, the dark wing edging makes me think it's more likely to be a Common Carpet, which is very variable, but much more likely to have those dark patches than the Galium Carpet.

We always get bats flying over the garden in the summer, I'd assumed they were just pipistrelles, but we found a dead one in the yard yesterday which turned out to be a brown long-eared bat. Always really sad to find a dead creature, but at the same time it was fascinating to see one up close, as they're an animal you never really see other than a shape fluttering around. Really amazing to see its face, its tiny nose and teeth, and its claws.

[Brian Freeze]

Saw some bats flitting about under the trees this morning at quarter to six. I still associate them with mooching around at dusk though.

I've been lucky enough to get up close to three bats, amazing creatures that seem to have little to no substance but can fly like bastards.


Frog news - Mrs F has seen two tiny hoppers in our garden that we reckon must have come from the pond. Which is great buy they keep hiding from me. There seems to still be quite a few legless poles in the pond (hard to see as its full of plants and I don't want to disturb them).

Does anyone know if they overwinter and kick on next year?

[purlieu]

That it is. Gorgeous things, haven't actually seen one in years.

Look what I just found in the garden!

[Spoon of Ploff]

Look what I just found in the garden!

wow!

[purlieu]

Beautiful as the hindwings are, the red warning colour was basically it telling me to fuck off. It quickly hid them away after I'd moved back and is now suddenly so well camouflaged that I thought it'd flown off.

[Dex Sawash]

Walked down the river to check out the paddling conditions before dinner. Heron there.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Looks a bit more like a crane than a heron based on beak and body shape but I'm sure someone with actual knowledge will confirm.

[Buelligan]

Looks like a complete and utter heron to me.  Nice feathery weird-walking heron.  Very jealous of the bittern-sighting, remember reading about them when I was small, I think they'd been hunted for the table until virtually none were left, which was very sad, great to hear they're coming home.

Bats in the house every night this week and lots of mozzie bites, need more bats.


_{For Pike}

[Brian Freeze]

Are herons doing well? I seem to see more than I used to. I guess no-one surveys them as they're not under threat.

(And they seem to all look the same so fuck knows how you make sure you're not just counting the same one over and over again)

I used to live near the Lancashire bitterns, didn't appreciate them enough. Married someone from near the Hampshire bitterns which I thought was a nice coincidence.

[Brian Freeze]

Slugs count as wildlife dont they. We've got a six inch piece of hose on the tap from the water butt. For the last fortnight a pair of slugs keep crawling up it and then firing out when I get some water out. Rinse and repeat.