Nature Notes

[ErrolTheDragon]

There's a gardening thread which may overlap with this one but I thought people might like to share nature sightings as the season changes. What we see if we can get out for a walk, plants coming into leaf and bloom, creatures in the garden, birds flying overhead - whatever.

Yesterday along the canal: busy wrens, 3 butterflies (tortoiseshell I think). Lots of Lords and Ladies arrow-shaped leaves. A little bank of primroses, lots of celandines and some wood anemones. Yellow iris leaves starting to shoot up in the edge of the canal.

@GuyFawkesDay Are you sure it wasn't an unhatched egg? I don't think they usually use the same nest for a second brood as of mites and the smell attracting predators.

Could be, but I'd have thought the babies would have squished it?

We drove to the more remote side of the local hills this morning. Lots of stonechats, and larks (unfortunately they were calling but not really singing) , heard curlew and cuckoos. The heather is still dark and the bracken only partially out (which is good as when fully out it's hard to push through on the narrow part of the path up the valley) but a lot of the hillside was brilliant green with fresh growth on the bilberries. Hardly saw anyone until we were nearly back at the car.

We've been out and about, but nowhere beyond our usual haunts. The sparrowhawk has been been busy and nabbed another bird from the garden. I saw my first poppy yesterday. And today I saw a couple of young trees (I think sycamores but not 100% sure) completely stripped by caterpillars.

I have just been at the computer and a goldfinch popped up and looked in the Velux window. Great view!

Today we went up to a hill where the skylarks were singing.

The foxgloves are starting to come out, and wild strawberries are flowering.

Local walk this evening - we saw a hare in the field we were in.

I don't have any, but really enjoying wisteria and Laburnum trees in other people's gardens.

I haven't seen any wildlife recently

Found this mole on our driveway yesterday.

Deer running down road this morning.

This thread is lovely. I've just spent 10 minutes searching mumsnet for a nature thread. I'm giving it a wee bump in the hope that it will restart.

I spotted a clump of snowdrops in the verge whilst driving back from the shop yesterday. A little shining brightness in the winter gloom.

Thanks for bumping this lovely thread.

We have a spotted woodpecker who has started coming to our bird feeder every day.

I will try and get a picture and post it here.

All of the bulbs I planted in the autumn have started to emerge from the soil and it is nice to think that Spring will be along before too long.

I saw a pair of goldcrests on my walk yesterday - heartstoppingly tiny, bright, delicate little things. DS (age 5) was fascinated. We’ve also spotted wrens on our frosty morning wanderings, which involve collecting old man’s beard and twigs and interesting stones and floating leaves down the stream in our local nature reserve

We've had a spotted woodpecker visit our bird feeder too. The resident robin got all thuggish and refused to share the food source.

Anyone doing the rspb bird count at the end of the month?

We have robins too, but we put their food on the ground so they don't need to face off with the woodpecker.

I was thinking this week I should start a new nature notes thread for this year so delighted to see this one reappear!

One unexpected sighting recently - I heard some furious chirping from the garden, when I looked it was 2 kestrels on the lawn, wings outspread, having some sort of face-off.

Wow kestrels on the lawn is a rare sight. We get the odd buzzard and there is a pair of tawny owls I hear at night.

Here's one of the lovely robins.

Had a face off with a fox this morning when opening my living room blinds. Bold as brass in the middle of the road.

I also did a tour of the garden to see what's coming back to life, dog rose, honeysuckle, hazel, ash, rowan and silver birch all showing tiny buds.

'Our' robin was having a good meal on the bird feeder earlier and was joined by a couple of coal tits, and later two grey squirrels with a significant amount of red colouring too which surprised me. Some bulbs are poking their tips above ground in the garden but I'm forgetting what I've planned and where so it will be a surprise at what colours end up where this year... definitely tulips, daffodils and snowdrops though

We've got a regular pheasant at the moment, and also there seems to be a local pterodactyl heron flying over quite regularly.

There appears to be fresh growth of garlic mustard, which is surprising given how cold it is.

Lots of bird life today during our walk on the village lanes - geese, buzzards, a heron, a thicket full of tree sparrows and two zephyrs of bumbarrels. (see upthread if you're wtf?)

I have just discovered this thread, is it ok of I join you please? I absolutely love seeing what all the wildlife is up to, especially the birds.
Today I have seen 3 types of geese on a local lake (Canada, Greylag and Bar-headed) there were also some tufted ducks as well as all the usual mallard, coots and moor hens. A new swan had rocked up and the swans that live there with 2 of last year's cygnets were seeing them off!
Dh noticed a magpie was building a nest, seems a but early but I have also seen the wood pigeons er...coupling in our garden.

Welcome, SnugglySnerd!
Iirc pigeons are unusual in being able to breed pretty much year round.

Thank you! Yes I think pigeons have several broods a year don't they? I have enjoyed reading through this thread this afternoon!