Outdoorsy Shite Top Trumps: March

[Slubberdegullion]

Flora or Fauna.

Extra points for a photo.

Handicap will apply to those in Forrin. Monthly win will not automatically go to, for example, a Cougar spot. The Cougar will need to be doing something awesome, like fighting a bear or doing sudoku.

Duck doing a vertical take-off all the way up through the branches of a tree, quacking all the way. I think she was saying oh-shit-oh-shit-oh-shit as she narrowly avoided branches and emerged at the top.

There were two drakes sitting quietly at the bottom of the tree, I can only assume one had just said to the other 'fancy a bit of a duck in the canal, heheheh' with an evil glint in its eye.

A big fat bee, bright green caterpillar but sadly no worms in the pile of leafmold/spent growbag compost at the back of my shed.

I'd never even heard of a goldfinch until I tried to draw a picture of something I'd seen in the garden for DH. Now we feed them and have a regular visiting party of 4 or 5.

I tried to get a picture of the bee today but he was very busy and wouldn't sit still for my camera

Yesterday I heard the most amazing bird on the river, like a whumming ooee noise, sounded like it should have come from a synthesiser but I have no idea what it was, I will try and trawl the interweb to find out. I also had a red kite about 1m above my car with a mouse in it's beak, was amazing. I saw a puffin too on the welcome to the national park sign

Very jealous of the deer spot and whatever ariel does for a job (merpirate?)

The collective noun for goldfinches is, aptly, a charm.

OK Exit. Goldfinches bright yellow wing flash, red blob on head, M/F the same, unmistakeable. Chaffinches - male quite a bright reddish colour, unmistakable - female similar markings but drab. Greenfinches - yellow wing flash, male distinctly greenish, female drabber. Bullfinches - stocky shape distinctive, bright pink of male unmistakeable, female buff but still nothing much like it. That's the main ones I can think of. Once you've got those, you can move on to siskins

The rspb has some good pictures, eg female chaffinch

Very jealous of the deer spot
yeah, and the casual 'beck at the bottom of the garden'

I had exactly that experience yesterday evening, of a bird near a river making electronic synthesizer noises, with rolling frequency changes. I tried to see the bird but couldn't.

A partridge (red-legged) crossing the road. They seem to be seasonal - assume they must be bred for shooting and released about now, would that be right?

A small blackish butterfly that flew off before I could get a good look. Twas lovely walking the bog snorkelling hound along the bridlepath at lunchtime. Spring in all its glory.

I saw my first couple of butterflies today too - they were flying away from me so a bit hard to ID but I think small tortoiseshells.

And another seasonal first - myself walking out of the house with no coat, and returning shorn of my fleece too.

I am crap at identifying butterflies. Apart from cabbage whites. And thinking anything with a hint of red is a red admiral. Maybe that can be my spring project, to learn to identify 5 species.

Red admirals are mostly black with red on them.
Peacocks are the ones with 'peacock eye' spots.
The ones with raggedy looking edges are commas
Small tortoishells are ... see below. If you see a tortoiseshell, it'll probably be a small one because (I think) the large ones are very rare now.

here are loads of pics of them and more.

What a lovely site.

oooh I saw my first butterfly of the year too. A tortoiseshell (small) it was.

Afternoon, just had to share my ridiculous excitement at seeing 'our' buzzard sat on her nest today. This will be the 5th year we've seen them at this nest site, and have been waiting with baited breath hoping they will be back again.

Most people I know think I'm plainly daft for being so excited by this but I know that you Outdoorsy Shite people will understand!

Absolutely! That's a heck of a good seasonal spot.

Wow chix - fabulous - yes such things are very much appreciated here.

Where abouts are you (ish)

Golly, I've seen them flying, of course, but never on a nest - how fabulous! Brilliant spot.

That's a good spot!
Nothing much to report here, although my pesky dandelions are already flowering, so I will now spend at least the next 6mths trying to stop the buggers taking over the garden!
It is seriously hot here today. Ds1 would be in shorts given half a chance

My DD is quite likely to demand a waterfight when she gets home from school.

I'm guessing that I'm not too far away from LostInWales. Out in the sticks obviously, and maybe a bit more inland! Beautiful here today too though the early morning fog took a long time to go.

Also saw the first bit of cow parsley out in the lane today, ridiculously early.

The nesting buzzard is a really wonderful thing to see. How fantastic for you.

But actually the humble cow parsley spot makes my heart leap more. It is such a lovely part of late spring, early summer. I shall scrutinise the hedgerows for a sign of it this evening.

Couldn't agree more. I got married on 1st June and we decorated the wedding car with red campion, cow parsley and bluebells.

Think most of that will be over by 1st June this year, but then it was only one sprig I saw today - no sign of buds on anything else although the leaves have been up for a while now.

Beautiful beautiful day here, had a fantastic walk on the beach this morning where my top spot was.... three shire horses being walked in the sea! Not sure as it counts as a proper spot but it was amazing, they were HUGE! Only one man in charge sitting bareback on the middle horse, I stood and gawped like a townie

If you feel like letting me know where you are chixinthestix PM me, I can arrange for a secret signal if we ever meet whilst walking and being outdoorsy and shit

Are you likely to be down the SE end of Wales, either of you? If so, I may need the secret signal too!