spuggies and jackdaws and hedgehogs and frogs

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

Been pootling around the Cap d'Agde and Occitanie regions of France for the last week and was delighted to see around a dozen storks yesterday evening as we travelled back to our base on the train.

[ivans82]

4 Little Egrets in the small brook by the Town ground the other day along with the Kingfisher which is a frequent visitor .

[Padge]

Togged this the other day at Bridgewater Garden.

 

Red Admiral

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by Padge

[Padge]

Heron keeping an eye on things at the Three Sisters Country Park, Bryn.

 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

We are about half way through this year's pannage season in the New Forest.  It is running from 11th September to 17th November.

This is the time of year when commoners who are entitled to exercise the common of pannage (also known as the common of mast) can turn out pigs on the forest (and in New Forest jargon, I mean 'on' and not 'in'!)  This is so that they can eat the acorns, ideally before the ponies do.  Apparently, ponies like the taste of acorns, but if they eat too many, they can be, at best, quite ill and, at worst, die.  Pigs like them too and suffer no ill effects from eating them, hence this simple approach to minimising the risk to ponies.

I am told that the pork from pigs that have been eating acorns has an attractive and distinctive flavour, but have never come across any such pork for sale.

[Futtocks]

24 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I am told that the pork from pigs that have been eating acorns has an attractive and distinctive flavour, but have never come across any such pork for sale.

The very delicious (if pricey for the top stuff) Spanish ham is prized because the pigs are acorn-fed - look for "Iberico Bellota" on the label.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Futtocks

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

On 01/10/2023 at 15:50, Padge said:

Togged this the other day at Bridgewater Garden.

 

Red Admiral

 

Was obsessed with catching those with a net on the end of a bamboo pole when I as a nipper - managed it once! Saw quite a few last week enjoying ivy flowers on a stroll around the environs of the 'plague village' of Eyam.

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

1 hour ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Was obsessed with catching those with a net on the end of a bamboo pole when I as a nipper - managed it once! Saw quite a few last week enjoying ivy flowers on a stroll around the environs of the 'plague village' of Eyam.

About 10 days ago, during the warm spell, somebody posted a picture online of 20+ Red Admirals feeding on Ivy, at the same time I counted about 7 or 8 feeding on Ivy at the bottom of my garden, normally I see 1 or 2 at a time, it just goes to show the importance of Ivy to wild life at this time of year.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

I was told recently that red admirals have had an exceptionally good year in this country.  I understand they are now heading south on migration in large numbers.  It's incredible to think of something so small and delicate just setting off across the channel.

[Futtocks]

On the backroads near Old Byland and Hawnby yesterday in the North York Moors, and apart from loads of pheasants who hadn't read the Green Cross Code, I saw a stoat savaging something in the undergrowth. Then we had to turn back because some sheep had escaped and were ahead of us on the road.

So we had tea and a cheese scone with Wensleydale and chutney at the new-ish visitor centre at Rievaulx Abbey instead, which is rather pleasant. Here's the view from our table.

 

[Ullman]

Spotted a pair of little egrets this morning on the (rather full) Castle Hill Lagoon which is part of the Cottingham and North Hull flood defence network.

[ivans82]

Just watched the news with New Zealands bird of the century , the Puteketeke , i only specialise in British birds so i might be  wrong but it looks like a Great Crested Grebe to me .

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

4 hours ago, ivans82 said:

Just watched the news with New Zealands bird of the century , the Puteketeke , i only specialise in British birds so i might be  wrong but it looks like a Great Crested Grebe to me .

I believe you are spot on, Ivans82.  The puteketeke is apparently a southern hemisphere sub-species of what you and I would recognise as a great crested grebe.

[ivans82]

Didn`t realise until University Challenge om Monday that the Wren is now our most common bird  .  Used to be the House Sparrow years ago , and then the Chaffinch  . Surprising really because i find upwards of 20 Wrens nests each year , they only lay in about 2 of them as they build multiple nests for the female to take her pick .

[Padge]

Our wildlife pond has taken on a bit of a wild life of its own, seems to have turned into an alien eyeball.

 

 

[Ullman]

14 hours ago, Padge said:

Our wildlife pond has taken on a bit of a wild life of its own, seems to have turned into an alien eyeball.

 

 

That's superb mate. Thanks for posting.

[Padge]

Following the release of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle film in 1990, a pet terrapin craze swept the country. As the terrapins inevitably grew in size, many became unwanted pets. People started abandoning their overgrown exotic pets and some found their way into the pond at Walton Hall and Gardens in Warrington. The terrapins still inhabit the pond to this day. I caught this one having a minute by the side of the pond a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

 

[Padge]

Orrell Water Park

 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

A few bird species experience a phenomenon called an 'irruption' from time to time.  What happens is that a good breeding season is followed by a bad winter for food.  So huge numbers of the species in question migrate away from their breeding area, where normally most would happily also winter.

One species prone to this behaviour is the spectacularly colourful waxwing.  I was lucky enough to see a few in Hampshire and Wiltshire when they 'irrupted' a few years ago.

Apparently, this winter it is happening again and, sure enough, I see that they have got as far south and west in this country as Hampshire (and perhaps further)  A group of over twenty are spending time in Fleet, in East Hampshire, with smaller groups seen in Basingstoke and Romsey in the last couple of days.

I am sure there will have been significant numbers of them turning up across Yorkshire, especially in the East Riding, as they will have come across the North Sea from northern, continental Europe.  Has anybody been lucky enough to see any?  Here is the link to the RSPB page about them:

Waxwing Bird Facts | Bombycilla Garrulus (rspb.org.uk)

[Leeds Wire]

1 hour ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

A few bird species experience a phenomenon called an 'irruption' from time to time.  What happens is that a good breeding season is followed by a bad winter for food.  So huge numbers of the species in question migrate away from their breeding area, where normally most would happily also winter.

One species prone to this behaviour is the spectacularly colourful waxwing.  I was lucky enough to see a few in Hampshire and Wiltshire when they 'irrupted' a few years ago.

Apparently, this winter it is happening again and, sure enough, I see that they have got as far south and west in this country as Hampshire (and perhaps further)  A group of over twenty are spending time in Fleet, in East Hampshire, with smaller groups seen in Basingstoke and Romsey in the last couple of days.

I am sure there will have been significant numbers of them turning up across Yorkshire, especially in the East Riding, as they will have come across the North Sea from northern, continental Europe.  Has anybody been lucky enough to see any?  Here is the link to the RSPB page about them:

Waxwing Bird Facts | Bombycilla Garrulus (rspb.org.uk)

Lovely post, thanks.

I live in on the northern edge of Leeds district, so it's not really urban but not rural either. 

I think we are lucky to get the best of both habitats, but I've never seen a waxwing. 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

26 minutes ago, Leeds Wire said:

Lovely post, thanks.

I live in on the northern edge of Leeds district, so it's not really urban but not rural either. 

I think we are lucky to get the best of both habitats, but I've never seen a waxwing. 

Thanks for the post, LW.

One of the good things about waxwings is that they can turn up anywhere when in this country - urban or rural.

About 30 years ago, when I lived and worked in the north, I was asked to do an interview on BBC local radio at their Middlesbrough studio.  It was about this time of year and had been a cold and raw day.  It was dusk when I arrived in the town centre and parked the car down a small side street.  As i set off on foot for the nearby BBC studio, I was aware of a chirruping sound just above me which I didn't recognise.  Looking up, I saw about ten waxwings huddling up on a telegraph wire just above me and right up against a street light which no doubt was giving out a bit of heat!  A great sight - and a reminder that you can come across waxwings anywhere!

[DavidM]

15 hours ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Thanks for the post, LW.

One of the good things about waxwings is that they can turn up anywhere when in this country - urban or rural.

About 30 years ago, when I lived and worked in the north, I was asked to do an interview on BBC local radio at their Middlesbrough studio.  It was about this time of year and had been a cold and raw day.  It was dusk when I arrived in the town centre and parked the car down a small side street.  As i set off on foot for the nearby BBC studio, I was aware of a chirruping sound just above me which I didn't recognise.  Looking up, I saw about ten waxwings huddling up on a telegraph wire just above me and right up against a street light which no doubt was giving out a bit of heat!  A great sight - and a reminder that you can come across waxwings anywhere!

I’d love to see one in my garden 

[Ullman]

On 15/01/2024 at 18:09, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

A few bird species experience a phenomenon called an 'irruption' from time to time.  What happens is that a good breeding season is followed by a bad winter for food.  So huge numbers of the species in question migrate away from their breeding area, where normally most would happily also winter.

One species prone to this behaviour is the spectacularly colourful waxwing.  I was lucky enough to see a few in Hampshire and Wiltshire when they 'irrupted' a few years ago.

Apparently, this winter it is happening again and, sure enough, I see that they have got as far south and west in this country as Hampshire (and perhaps further)  A group of over twenty are spending time in Fleet, in East Hampshire, with smaller groups seen in Basingstoke and Romsey in the last couple of days.

I am sure there will have been significant numbers of them turning up across Yorkshire, especially in the East Riding, as they will have come across the North Sea from northern, continental Europe.  Has anybody been lucky enough to see any?  Here is the link to the RSPB page about them:

Waxwing Bird Facts | Bombycilla Garrulus (rspb.org.uk)

Not been lucky enough to see any but they're well known for turning up in the car park at Sainsbury's in Hessle on Hull's western outskirts.

[Padge]

My wife reloaded a bird feeder today with a mix of seeds and suet pellets, within 3 hours starlings had emptied it by eating all the suet pellets and throwing all the seed on the floor (snow), they really are a pain at times.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

1 hour ago, Ullman said:

Not been lucky enough to see any but they're well known for turning up in the car park at Sainsbury's in Hessle on Hull's western outskirts.

They seem to turn up in supermarket car parks quite often; some of the current influx in Hampshire have been in a Co-op car park, and I think they have, in previous years, been spotted at an Asda car park on the outskirts of Southampton and at Waitrose in Romsey.  At least they seem willing to try various supermarket brands!

I think their apparent liking for such places may reflect how supermarket planners design such places.  Typically, the car park, for aesthetic and practical reasons, will be broken up by trees and shrubs.  The trees are often ornamental varieties, which means they will have colourful berries from autumn into winter, while the shrubs will be things like cotoneaster, in other words also with bright berries.  it is, of course, those which catch the eye of the waxwings (where other species of bird have not already cleared all the berries!)