spuggies and jackdaws and hedgehogs and frogs

[Ullman]

Just seen the biggest flock of yellowhammers I've ever seen. The multiple flashes of yellow made a great spectacle.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

2 hours ago, Ullman said:

Just seen the biggest flock of yellowhammers I've ever seen. The multiple flashes of yellow made a great spectacle.

What a lovely sight that must have been, Ullman.  I used to see yellowhammers all the time in the byeways of South Durham, when we lived up there.  They just don't seem to be around my part of Wiltshire in any great numbers.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

On ‎02‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 22:19, longboard said:

Cormorants are found well away from the sea where there is a food supply. Their feathers look great in sunlight, with a range of colours showing.

Fully agree, longboard.  I saw one flying over Salisbury city centre the other day.  It probably lives out on the water meadows made famous by the Constable picture of the cathedral.

[Leeds Wire]

Wandering round the park with my dog this morning, I noticed that the birds were more excitable than they have been recently. I put out the remnants of my croissant onto a fencepost and the birds were all over it immediately.  

I realised that the abundant Autumn berries have gone and the birds might start relying on humans again for a few months. I filled up a peanut feeder when I got home and sure enough, a great spotted woodpecker was munching away on it this afternoon in the back garden.  

[longboard]

On 13/11/2019 at 20:05, Leeds Wire said:

Wandering round the park with my dog this morning, I noticed that the birds were more excitable than they have been recently. I put out the remnants of my croissant onto a fencepost and the birds were all over it immediately.  

I realised that the abundant Autumn berries have gone and the birds might start relying on humans again for a few months. I filled up a peanut feeder when I got home and sure enough, a great spotted woodpecker was munching away on it this afternoon in the back garden.  

Still plenty of berries out here in the sticks and plenty of insects about when it's not peeing it down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ullman]

Saw the first redwing of the season I've seen in this area a couple of days ago. There's been absolutely no sign of the large flocks of fieldfares I saw this time last year.

[Ullman]

On 08/12/2019 at 19:45, Ullman said:

Saw the first redwing of the season I've seen in this area a couple of days ago. There's been absolutely no sign of the large flocks of fieldfares I saw this time last year.

Well until today that is. Saw a really big flock of them in a field west of Walkington this morning. They'll no doubt be tucking into the abundance of hawthorn berries in the area this season. The holly and hawthorn around here have been absolutely laden with berries this year. If you believe the folklore, it's a sign of a severe winter ahead.

Also saw a really big flock of goldfinches near Benningholme as well as three kestrels and a couple of buzzards (no partridge in a pear tree though) so not a bad morning for bod sightings.

[GUBRATS]

Saw quite a few Hedgehogs this morning 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On BBC Breakfast

[longboard]

On 12/12/2019 at 18:01, GUBRATS said:

Saw quite a few Hedgehogs this morning 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On BBC Breakfast

You spineless get!

[ivans82]

Plenty of Fieldfares in West Cumbria , bit low on Redwings , not  seen a Brambling  or Waxwing yet , probably because it`s too mild . Hedgerows sill crammed full of  hawthorn and holly berries , so plenty of food , just few birds to eat it .

[Leeds Wire]

On 15/11/2019 at 23:34, longboard said:

Still plenty of berries out here in the sticks and plenty of insects about when it's not peeing it down.

Yeah, I was in the park at dusk the other day and there were loads of bats flitting around, so I assume there's still lots of insects too.

Our suburban rowan berries were pretty much all gone by the end of October, which seems really early. There were thousands on the ground in our garden, whereas normally they would be devoured whilst still on the tree. I assume this was because there's still plenty of other food around for blackbirds, thrushes etc.

Not a single redwing or fieldfare so far this year either, not even in the park where the berries seem to last a lot longer than in our garden. It's hard to explain.

[longboard]

4 hours ago, Leeds Wire said:

Yeah, I was in the park at dusk the other day and there were loads of bats flitting around, so I assume there's still lots of insects too.

Our suburban rowan berries were pretty much all gone by the end of October, which seems really early. There were thousands on the ground in our garden, whereas normally they would be devoured whilst still on the tree. I assume this was because there's still plenty of other food around for blackbirds, thrushes etc.

Not a single redwing or fieldfare so far this year either, not even in the park where the berries seem to last a lot longer than in our garden. It's hard to explain.

I've seen quite a lot of fieldfares but not so many redwing. Also, there appear to be quite a lot of migrant blackbirds around my patch. The berries disappeared very quickly when we had some cold days.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

On 12/12/2019 at 17:20, Ullman said:

Well until today that is. Saw a really big flock of them in a field west of Walkington this morning. They'll no doubt be tucking into the abundance of hawthorn berries in the area this season. The holly and hawthorn around here have been absolutely laden with berries this year. If you believe the folklore, it's a sign of a severe winter ahead.

Also saw a really big flock of goldfinches near Benningholme as well as three kestrels and a couple of buzzards (no partridge in a pear tree though) so not a bad morning for bod sightings.

I'm still looking out for any large flocks of fieldfares and redwings in and around the New Forest.  I cannot recall seeing more than about a dozen of either species at the same time.  I suppose this could be good news; they have not required to come here to find the right temperatures and food.  I'm just not sure.

[ivans82]

I fully believe it is definitely linked with Global Warming . We have such mild winters now , if that is mirrored across the rest of Europe , they have no need to escape to a warmer area .For instance in West Cumbria where we often see Waxwings and Bramblings , i have yet to see one in the usual places this Winter .

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

2 hours ago, ivans82 said:

I fully believe it is definitely linked with Global Warming . We have such mild winters now , if that is mirrored across the rest of Europe , they have no need to escape to a warmer area .For instance in West Cumbria where we often see Waxwings and Bramblings , i have yet to see one in the usual places this Winter .

I've a horrible feeling you could be right, Ivans82.  I suppose waxwings are a species that come here in very variable numbers from one winter to the next; I believe it is called an irruption when they migrate across here or elsewhere in continental Europe in very large numbers, but I am not aware that bramblings are equally erratic.  And, as I say, the lack of fieldfares and redwings is really strange.

I suppose the positive for them is that they have not faced the challenge of a long migration flight.  When I lived in a village called Embsay, on the southern edge of the Dales, I remember coming across a dead redwing once on a narrow lane out of the village where I was walking the dog.  It was very early for the species for the species to have got here - about the second week of September.  I thought how ironic it was that it had managed the perils of a flight across land and sea, only, I presume, to be hit by a passing car in a Dales country lane.

[Ullman]

On 13/01/2020 at 17:41, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I'm still looking out for any large flocks of fieldfares and redwings in and around the New Forest.  I cannot recall seeing more than about a dozen of either species at the same time.  I suppose this could be good news; they have not required to come here to find the right temperatures and food.  I'm just not sure.

I've seen a couple of large flocks since I last posted. You might well be right that the weather just hasn't been cold enough to drive them further south.

Highlight of the last few days was spotting a group of three bullfinches. I normally only see the odd one and that's not very often.

[Ullman]

Loads of kestrels out hunting this morning. Must be rich pickings in those waterlogged fields.

Skylarks not singing like they were last week though.

[Padge]

A couple of daffodils have flowered in our garden, a bit early to say the least.

 

[Ullman]

19 hours ago, Padge said:

A couple of daffodils have flowered in our garden, a bit early to say the least.

 

Can't remember ever seeing so many daffs out so early. Some have been out for weeks.

The blackthorn has started to blossom in this part of the world, weeks ahead of when it usually does.

[Padge]

3 hours ago, Ullman said:

Can't remember ever seeing so many daffs out so early. Some have been out for weeks.

The blackthorn has started to blossom in this part of the world, weeks ahead of when it usually does.

The frogs in our pond have also started giving us a dawn chorus, something we wouldn't normally expect in February.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

On 25/02/2020 at 18:42, Padge said:

The frogs in our pond have also started giving us a dawn chorus, something we wouldn't normally expect in February.

Plenty of daffodils out in South Wiltshire, and the snowdrop flowers are already just about over.  The first primroses are out too.  I enjoyed reading of your frog activity, Padge, as I haven't seen or heard any frogs yet, either in the garden or in the New Forest.

My wife and I are just back from one of our almost daily dog walks in the New Forest  (We have a Catalan sheepdog - what else, as a Dragons' fan, could I realistically have?!)  Two signs of impending spring (and it is sunny, if windy, and about 8C today) were in evidence.  First, the small, local population of ravens was definitely a bit more vociferous than previously this year.  Second, a caterpillar ambled across the pathway in front of us!  I am no butterfly/moth/caterpillar expert, but, looking at the internet since coming home, I wonder if it might have been that of either a drinker moth or fox moth.

[Leeds Wire]

I just saw a goldcrest in Golden Acre Park. It was jumping around in a hedgerow and I got to within arms length of it. Unfortunately I left my phone at home or I would have provided photographic evidence.

I've never seen one before and it's really made my weekend!

[Padge]

1 hour ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Plenty of daffodils out in South Wiltshire, and the snowdrop flowers are already just about over.  The first primroses are out too.  I enjoyed reading of your frog activity, Padge, as I haven't seen or heard any frogs yet, either in the garden or in the New Forest.

My wife and I are just back from one of our almost daily dog walks in the New Forest  (We have a Catalan sheepdog - what else, as a Dragons' fan, could I realistically have?!)  Two signs of impending spring (and it is sunny, if windy, and about 8C today) were in evidence.  First, the small, local population of ravens was definitely a bit more vociferous than previously this year.  Second, a caterpillar ambled across the pathway in front of us!  I am no butterfly/moth/caterpillar expert, but, looking at the internet since coming home, I wonder if it might have been that of either a drinker moth or fox moth.

Up here we don't usually see daffodils until early to mid-march, spring moves North at about 2mph.

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Padge said:

Up here we don't usually see daffodils until early to mid-march, spring moves North at about 2mph.

It's grim

[Padge]

Just now, GUBRATS said:

It's grim

It is for the brothers.