Daily Wildlife Sightings

[kielder]

What wildlife have you seen today?

I have seen Blackbird, House Sparrow, and a visit from our resident field mouse.

[shutterbox]

Well Kielder i have been out and about this morning since 4am and got back at 9.30. My target this morning were waterfowl,i saw heron,mallards,canada geese and managed one good image of a mandarin duck (see gallery) i also got a few shots of black swans. If they are good quality i will post later, now it's time for breakfast.

[ellen h]

I went for early morning walk (6.30-9.00am)with my dog and saw the usual bunch of crows hanging around the castle,a male kestrel flying overhead and shelducks landing on Sandpit hill.This is all in the local country park.
While walking through the shrubs and copses there are so many songbirds ranging from the blackbird to wrens and dunnocks.I also heard(but did not see)a cuckoo!
I will be out again later I hope when I intend to sight a little owl.I know where the nest site is but as yet I seem to be the only one not to have seen it!!
ellen

[Rob_D]

Was out doing some atlasing for the BTO Atlas. Had a nice Bullfinch, a Hobby passing over, and located the Buzzards nest (with chicks I think). Also very gutsy Muntjac Deer that walked up barking to within about 5m of me, then looked at me for about 30 seconds before I sneezed and he walked off!

[galanthus]

Been in most of day except for taking teenage daughter for x ray after trying to walk in 4 inch heels whilst full of vodka last night

While out saw several buzzards, grey herons, starlings and the odd sparrow. In garden have had several large red damselfly; 2 male and one female bullfinch;3 goldfinches; uncountable greenfinches;coal tits; blue tits and great tits (complete with squealing juvenille brood);dunnocks;collared doves and juvenille blackbird.

[ellen h]

Alas no sign of the little owl,still will keep trying.
I did though see the harris hawk,an escapee that seems to be surviving very well in the wild.He has been seen catching Rabbits-plenty around at mo!
ellen

[Pete Collins]

I went to Totternhoe (a village in South Bedfordshire, a few miles from my home) this afternoon to have another look at the Man Orchid I found there last Sunday. There were actually four there, within a few feet of each other. None of them were fully out, though, and I failed to get a decent photo.

I saw lots of Common Spotted Orchid and Common Twayblade. On the way back to the car park I spotted a flower that was new to me, which I think is Field Mouse-ear.

When I got home, I was just in time to see a Sparrowhawk in the back garden - it flew in across the neighbour's hedge, failed in its attempt to grab one of the young tits that where around the feeders, and disappeared back in the direction it came.

[kielder]

These are all interesting and varied sightings! some are very lucky in their sightings! There have been a lot of Orchids on this forum recently.

[RobinP]

My sightings today were restricted to my garden as I had to spend some time tidying it up, had some small frogs in the long grass and birds included blackbird, chaffinch, 4 bullfinch (3m), greenfinch, blue tit, great tit, collared dove, wood pigeon, not the most exciting day so will try to get out somewhere tomorrow, maybe try for the man orchids that Pete found.

[kielder]

Oh I hope you get to see some orchids Robin, I think they are stunning.

[Pete Collins]

RobinP,

Probably too late now, but I've sent you a PM with directions to where I saw the Man Orchids, in case you are interested.

Pete

[seamusagleann]

had a supriseingly good day yesterday sitting in the back garden ,spotted siskins ,blackbirds, house sparrows,ringed doves,blue and great tits and a solitary golden eagle. i was even treated to my own one man and his dog display on a nearby hill.

[ellen h]

Been out early(6.30-7am),saw the kestrel chicks in the nest site at Hadleigh castle.Looks like 3 of them ,1 of which seems a bit older than the other 2,may fledge in the next week.
Walked further along country park sighted 7 shelducks,1 heron flying overhead.Watched a small flock of coaltits flitting around in the bushes,heard skylark,wren,blackbird and a blackcap.
Cuckoo surprised me again by flying overhead very low,it alighted in a tree at the far end of the meadow.Too far away to try for a photo
Finally a Fox trotted ahead of me on the track with a small Rabbit in its mouth!!
ellen

[kielder]

Originally Posted by ellen h

Been out early(6.30-7am),saw the kestrel chicks in the nest site at Hadleigh castle.Looks like 3 of them ,1 of which seems a bit older than the other 2,may fledge in the next week.
Walked further along country park sighted 7 shelducks,1 heron flying overhead.Watched a small flock of coaltits flitting around in the bushes,heard skylark,wren,blackbird and a blackcap.
Cuckoo surprised me again by flying overhead very low,it alighted in a tree at the far end of the meadow.Too far away to try for a photo
Finally a Fox trotted ahead of me on the track with a small Rabbit in its mouth!!
ellen

It seems you live in a wonderful area! fantastic to see all that wildlife!

[ellen h]

Originally Posted by ellen h

Been out early(6.30-7am),saw the kestrel chicks in the nest site at Hadleigh castle.Looks like 3 of them ,1 of which seems a bit older than the other 2,may fledge in the next week.
Walked further along country park sighted 7 shelducks,1 heron flying overhead.Watched a small flock of coaltits flitting around in the bushes,heard skylark,wren,blackbird and a blackcap.
Cuckoo surprised me again by flying overhead very low,it alighted in a tree at the far end of the meadow.Too far away to try for a photo
Finally a Fox trotted ahead of me on the track with a small Rabbit in its mouth!!
ellen

Have just had distressing news.The bigger kestrel chick fell from the nest site this afternoon.Details are sketchy but apparently a concerned couple found it,and have taken it either to a sanctuary or vets so they can pass it on to one.As far as I know it wasnt injured.I dont know if there was any attempt to put it back-probably not as tower is quite high and there are the other chicks to consider.Would it have been likely that the parents would have abandoned the nest site if it had been interfered with this way?

[galanthus]

Usual array of garden birds as mentioned in above post from yesterday, however, drove up to brecon beacons earlier and saw two beautiful red kites playing around above us. Made my day

[kielder]

This is so sad, I have looked up parents abandoning their chicks if handled by humans, and I found this on a site about injured birds:

"Returning a young cold bird to the nest will sometimes encourage the parent to push the baby out of the nest, as it is trying to remove a cold object away from other warm eggs or young. Contrary to popular belief, the parents will not be frightened off by your "scent" and will return to feed the baby if it calls for food."

[ChrisJB]

The missus and I drove over to the Yorkshire coast today, visiting, Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head. Lots of seabirds of course, including plenty of the 'Bempton Four' (gannet, razorbill, guillemot and puffin). I also missed a 'bonxie' by about twenty minutes at Flamborough. I was pleased to see my first yellowhammer of the year too and I also saw a yellow wagtail.

Regards, Chris

[kielder]

Sounds like you had a varied day for wildlife sightings!