Nature watch.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

18 hours ago, Herman said:

My winter buddy on the scrounge.

He looks a big lad. Ours is much smaller. And the one at our horse's stable is even smaller.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Headless seal on Pothtownan beach yesterday. Probably boat damage. Dog not interested in it at all which was surprising.

[Herman 9,759]

31 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

He looks a big lad. Ours is much smaller. And the one at our horse's stable is even smaller.

He's a greedy pig. I feed him with leatherjackets and other things and he's never full.😀

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

I was sort of your way today @Herman, well Luton Airport from Lowestoft. Red Kite were the dominant raptor compared with the buzzards round this way. I think I spotted a raven coming up to Newmarket, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Herman 9,759]

A bit of a drive today!! Luton itself is butt ugly but it is surrounded by some great countryside and plenty of good places, and road kill, for kites to thrive.A few years ago buzzards were the main raptor around this way but kites have taken over. A highly successful reintroduction, although a bit too successful in some areas.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Plenty of Buzzards in our area but have only seen one Kite all year. Plenty of roadkill around our narrower lanes.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

The amount of roadkill I see is staggering. Deer, pheasant, fox, badger and the occasional polecat 😥

[sonyc 5,517]

Nice story. Pingo's!

Looking these up and I see there is actually a pingo trail. Surprised not to have known about these when my grandad came from Thompson.

But ... there are many small ponds (often surrounded by willows) all over Norfolk. I used to wonder if they were where German bombers had discharged their bombs before returning. Probably not.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/23/buried-ponds-to-be-excavated-in-norfolk-to-revive-wildlife?

 

[Herman 9,759]

It nearly made it. Chomped by a snail just before Christmas day.

[wcorkcanary 4,334]

Just over a year ago we dug this pond/ pool.  Settling in nicely. 

[Herman 9,759]

Nice work Corkio. Looks like a proper nature reserve. 👍

[wcorkcanary 4,334]

13 minutes ago, Herman said:

Nice work Corkio. Looks like a proper nature reserve. 👍

Were getting  there,  the owner and i are constantly  looking for Ways  to improve the land for wildlife. Its about 23  coastal acres, with  approx 800m of shoreline,  with a couple of small cove beaches and partially tide separated  headland / island . When I started there,  16 years ago, it was just a series of silage/ cattle fields  , with very  little variety/ diversity. the fields are now either  small hedge lined meadow  or native woodland. What she doesn't know is that I'd do a day  a week there for nothing... its that beautiful  now. Have taken grandkids camping there  too, convinced  them that a neighbours peacocks calling was in fact monkeys  on a small island offshore .... known to this day by them as monkey  Island 😉👍😇. 

[TheGunnShow 5,940]

Should wander back onto the West Pennines soon. Will be interesting to see if the recovery from the wildfires of a few years ago is gathering pace.

[Herman 9,759]

 

[Herman 9,759]

This little fellow hitched a ride with a load of plants from Italy. He's in a warm greenhouse now so hopefully he's ok.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

2 hours ago, Herman said:

This little fellow hitched a ride with a load of plants from Italy. He's in a warm greenhouse now so hopefully he's ok.

Nice one 👍

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

So, me and my mate had a twitching day yesterday, as opposed to a walk, with birdwatching as a bonus.

We were largely successful in our targets: Cattle egrets at Martham, good views of at least 5 short-eared owls in the dunes at Winterton, and Sanderling and a good sized flock of about 30 snow buntings on the beach.

Oh, and Whooper swans on Ludham airfield.

It was a good day 🙂

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Wings of a Sparrow

[horsefly 4,300]

13 hours ago, Wings of a Sparrow said:

So, me and my mate had a twitching day yesterday, as opposed to a walk, with birdwatching as a bonus.

We were largely successful in our targets: Cattle egrets at Martham, good views of at least 5 short-eared owls in the dunes at Winterton, and Sanderling and a good sized flock of about 30 snow buntings on the beach.

Oh, and Whooper swans on Ludham airfield.

It was a good day 🙂

 

Sounds a splendid day! Saw my first frog of the year in the garden yesterday.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

2 hours ago, horsefly said:

Sounds a splendid day! Saw my first frog of the year in the garden yesterday.

My frogs are definitely late. I've had them in January before...

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Walking the dog yesterday and a Buzzard flew just feet over my head and perched on a wall no more than 5 feet away. Closest I have been to one. The field behind the wall belongs to a kind old lady who rescues animals so it was full of sheep, ponies, goats etc.

I would imagine the large amounts of animal **** attracts other species other than birds. I know when we **** pick the field where Mrs KGs horse is, the amount of birds who swoop in to eat the insects and worms that the **** attracts.

Apparently Buzzards are flourishing and have quadrupled since the 1970s.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

8 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

Walking the dog yesterday and a Buzzard flew just feet over my head and perched on a wall no more than 5 feet away. Closest I have been to one. The field behind the wall belongs to a kind old lady who rescues animals so it was full of sheep, ponies, goats etc.

I would imagine the large amounts of animal **** attracts other species other than birds. I know when we **** pick the field where Mrs KGs horse is, the amount of birds who swoop in to eat the insects and worms that the **** attracts.

Apparently Buzzards are flourishing and have quadrupled since the 1970s.

One of my favourite birds, and there's not many days when I don't see one.

[Herman 9,759]

11 hours ago, Wings of a Sparrow said:

One of my favourite birds, and there's not many days when I don't see one.

There was a bit of a punch up above work yesterday again. A buzzard happily circling on the thermals but the gulls weren't happy and making a racket to scare him away. I'm not sure where the gulls are nesting but they make sure nothing gets near them.

[Van wink 2,994]

When the conservationist Chris Packham saw a badger he had befriended lying dead in the road, he was so upset that he felt compelled to write an emotional tribute to its passing.

In a moving eulogy on Twitter, the television presenter said he had first come across the badger last year, during lockdown, and went to see the female every evening - admiring both its beauty and standoffish nature.

But on Thursday evening he found that the badger, which he had named Golden Sow, had been fatally struck by a vehicle.

In his tribute Mr Packham wrote: “I met this beautiful badger in the lockdown spring. I went to see her every night and slowly won her trust. I called her the 'Golden Sow', she appeared haughty, was more standoffish than some of her group and this made her my favourite. Last night I found her . . . She was still warm. It's a 30mph limit and a straight road.”

He added: “I don't see how anyone could not see her and don't understand why they just left her in the middle of the road. What is wrong with people?”

Chris Packham shared a picture of his sad discovery

Mr Packham, who presented BBC’s Blue Planet Live and Animal Einsteins, went on to describe how he gently picked up the badger and sat with it in his car before being overcome by sadness at the waste of such a beautiful creature.

He wrote: “I picked her up and sat in my car with her in my lap. She smelled lovely, musty, sharp and of the woods. I touched her nose and stroked her head, smoothed her ruffled fur down and felt her long perfect paws. She was heavy, probably about to give birth...

“She was made of the place I love, she had teased and taunted me emerging from her sett, she had held my breath as I lay frozen on her ground, she had made my heart skip beats... and now hers was still forever.”

Mr Packham went on: 

According to recent figures, 39 animals, including six badgers, five pheasants and five hedgehogs, are reported killed on UK roads every day.

More than 14,600 animals are run over and killed each year, with the A1 and the M6 responsible for the largest numbers.

However, the true number is thought to be far higher as most deaths are not reported.

The Badger Trust estimates that more than 50,000 badgers are run over and killed each year, while a study by Nottingham Trent University in 2020 estimated that as many as 335,000 hedgehogs are killed on UK roads every year.

Mr Packham's account left many of his social media followers in tears, with several calling for greater protection for wildlife through schemes such as nature corridors allowing animals to cross over or under roads.

Annelisa, an amateur photographer wrote: “Your beautiful words and compassion for her brought a tear to my eye. I also found one of my clan on the road outside my home last year, 20 mph limit…There really is never any excuse for speeding.”

Ash Gerrard, a design student, said: “I’ve driven down to Cornwall and back for work yesterday/today, around 800 miles of driving. Honestly could not believe how many badgers I saw dead at the side of the road. It’s so sad.”

 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Badgers are fine unless they invade your garden as they did ours last summer. There is a sett quarter of a mile away. But they had never been to our garden before. My brother's ashes are buried down the bottom of the garden and the beggars dug up next to them and used the hole as a latrine.

I posted on the Neighbourhood Network if there were any suggestions but most replies were aren't you lucky. Er No actually. I was fed up filling in holes were they had dug for worms and grubs.

[Van wink 2,994]

8 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Badgers are fine unless they invade your garden as they did ours last summer. There is a sett quarter of a mile away. But they had never been to our garden before. My brother's ashes are buried down the bottom of the garden and the beggars dug up next to them and used the hole as a latrine.

I posted on the Neighbourhood Network if there were any suggestions but most replies were aren't you lucky. Er No actually. I was fed up filling in holes were they had dug for worms and grubs.

Used to love evenings spent in the New Forest Badger watching, a treat in my eyes. 

[Herman 9,759]

Lovely programme the other night with Chris Packham walking and ruminating along the river Itchen. Quite simple but you get to understand him a bit better. 

[Pockthorpe 531]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

Lovely programme the other night with Chris Packham walking and ruminating along the river Itchen. Quite simple but you get to understand him a bit better. 

I watched that Herman.Thought it was bloody marvellous. He was very open and honest and came over really well I thought.

My eldest son now lives in Southampton and he’s always raving about walks along the Itchen. Apparently we’re going there next time I visit and I’m going wild swimming. I need no persuading. 

I’ve also really enjoyed the programmes with him and Megan McCubbin. 
 

[Herman 9,759]

Aye, I think it is his step daughter and they have a great working relationship on their programmes. Definitely a good watch. 

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

Just watched the Chris Packham walk. He's a very deep and complicated person is our Chris. I think he's great.

Megan McCubbin is great too, very knowledgeable and her enthusiasm on her subject is infectious.

[(Hoola)Han Solo 324]

Short eared owl I photographed at St Benet’s Abbey near Ludham. Also saw some at Winterton a few weeks ago.