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spuggies and jackdaws and hedgehogs and frogs


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  • 2 months later...

Skylarks singing their heads off today.

 

A sure sign of spring

 

That really is one of the sounds of spring along with the calls of the curlews, lapwings etc as they return to their breeding grounds.

 

Ullers, in what habitat/terrain did you see the skylarks?

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Hitching a ride.

 

This has received quite a bit of coverage.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31711446

 

Well done to the photographer for capturing this.

 

Cracking stuff.

Wow!

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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That photo is absolutely extraordinary.

                                                                     Hull FC....The Sons of God...
                                                                     (Well, we are about to be crucified on Good Friday)
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Hitching a ride.

 

This has received quite a bit of coverage.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31711446

 

Well done to the photographer for capturing this.

 

Cracking stuff.

Amazing. What I can't understand is how they didn't just attack each other when they got in close proximity of one another, given how nature usually works. It's almost as if they agreed a fare beforehand.

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I saw my first bee of 2015 yesterday. It was on the ground seemingly unable to take off.  There was a programme on R4 about the life cycle of bumble bees last year.  Apparently the queens hibernate and emerge at this time of year to found new colonies.  It said if you find one struggling on the ground give it some sugar and water in a teaspoon and it will revive.  It works! :)

“Few thought him even a starter.There were many who thought themselves smarter. But he ended PM, CH and OM. An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.”

Clement Attlee.

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That really is one of the sounds of spring along with the calls of the curlews, lapwings etc as they return to their breeding grounds.

 

Ullers, in what habitat/terrain did you see the skylarks?

In the farmland around the pretty village of North Newbald, about 15 miles north west of Hull in the southern Yorkshire Wolds.

 

First one I heard was at Wrangmandale Wold. Lapwings are a common sight around the Newbald area too.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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Frogs arrived in the pond on March 1st, the earliest since we built it four years ago.

 

Only just had the time to go out and watch. You have to site quietly for at least 15 minutes but eventually they all pop their heads out and start singing.

 

This was taken from a window as they are rather camera shy!

 

post-29483-0-50827800-1425836737_thumb.jpg

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Frogs arrived in the pond on March 1st, the earliest since we built it four years ago.

 

Only just had the time to go out and watch. You have to site quietly for at least 15 minutes but eventually they all pop their heads out and start singing.

 

This was taken from a window as they are rather camera shy!

 

[attachment=4706:IMG_1686.JPG

 

It's a good sight when the water in a pond, etc almost seems to be boiling with frogs.

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And here's another bit of weasel action. 

 

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=300743

 

The weasel in these photos ended up a gonner.

 

I once saw a heron pick up a weasel towards its tail in its beak. The weasel managed to stretch round and bite the heron on the underside of its beak. It dropped the weasel pretty damn quick.

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Reading this thread I realise how lucky I am, mainly to live in a warm temperate climate. (and on the fringe of built-up area.) I see about half of these nearly every week:  http://www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/4298/Birds-of-Western-Sydney-A-photo-guide.pdf

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  • 2 weeks later...

Saw a red kite near Lund yesterday. It was quite low down over the road so I got a really good view. It was heading north as I was heading south. We were both enjoying the free ride from the strong wind.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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Saw a red kite near Lund yesterday. It was quite low down over the road so I got a really good view. It was heading north as I was heading south. We were both enjoying the free ride from the strong wind.

 

Was the wind simultaneouly blowing in opposite directions?

Under Scrutiny by the Right-On Thought Police

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  • 5 weeks later...

Plenty of summer migrants such as swallows, willow warblers, blackcaps, chiff chaffs, in the country now. It's a good time to spot warblers before the leaves are out on all the trees. Mugging up on the various warbler songs helps too.

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I saw my first swallows of this year at Wigglesworth (near Settle) they were nesting in a workshop I was visiting.  I remarked on it to the guy I was talking to and he said there had been 4 or 5 in the warm spell at the end of March, but they'd been about tor a week and then disappeared, he reckoned they died because the weather turned cold, and there was no food for them.

Which reminds me of a story:

There was a swallow who decided one autumn not to fly south with its mates.  As September wore on into October there were still plenty of flies, but then the weather turned cold, and there was no food.  The swallow fell out of the sky into a farmyard, where a cow crapped on it, the warmth of the ###### revived the swallow and it began to flutter its wings.  A passing cat saw the fluttering and investigated, found the swallow and ate it up.  Which goes to prove that it's not always a bad thing to be in the ######, and if you are you should keep quiet about it! ;)

“Few thought him even a starter.There were many who thought themselves smarter. But he ended PM, CH and OM. An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.”

Clement Attlee.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We had a goldfinch in our garden this morning, I've never seen one before and didn't know what it was. Described it to a friend and he said it sounds like a goldfinch. And it is.

i9396_tcm9-17607.jpg?width=530&crop=(304Never seen one before

“Few thought him even a starter.There were many who thought themselves smarter. But he ended PM, CH and OM. An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.”

Clement Attlee.

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We had a goldfinch in our garden this morning, I've never seen one before and didn't know what it was. Described it to a friend and he said it sounds like a goldfinch. And it is.

i9396_tcm9-17607.jpg?width=530&crop=(304Never seen one before

Lovely little birds, we get them occasionally.  We also get the occasional greenfinch, I thought they were escaped budgies at first...

"When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout"

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We had a goldfinch in our garden this morning, I've never seen one before and didn't know what it was. Described it to a friend and he said it sounds like a goldfinch. And it is.

Never seen one before

Quite surprised you've never seen one before. Saw a pair of them tonight flitting down the street and you see flocks of them in the local countryside.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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Yes, Goldfinches are fairly common up North Hull way. Whether it's got anything to do with the nearby river or not I don't know. I first saw one around 15 years since and was quite taken with its splendour. Robins were quite common until 8 days ago when they seemed to disappear for a few days. I expect they'll be reappearing now the Wildcats have left.

                                                                     Hull FC....The Sons of God...
                                                                     (Well, we are about to be crucified on Good Friday)
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