Observations Of Nature Through The Seasons.

[knocker]

Svalbard Reindeer Are So Starving They've Started Eating Seaweed

https://www.sciencealert.com/northern-reindeer-have-started-eating-seaweed-to-survive

[jtay]

You might have seen this on Country file, but I can't wait for this...

http://www.roydennis.org/isleofwight/

White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction on the Isle of Wight

White-tailed Eagles were once widespread along the whole of the South Coast of England, from Cornwall to Kent, before being driven to extinction by relentless persecution that began in the Middle Ages. The last pair bred on Culver Cliff on the Isle of Wight in 1780....

[knocker]

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by knocker

[ciel]

There has been a very noisy Cuckoo in and around the garden for the past couple of days. This afternoon, in a brief sunny interlude, this one appeared in the open. I’m thinking it might be a female as, although hanging around for quite a while, it was not calling.

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by ciel

[Beverley Lass]

1 hour ago, ciel said:

There has been a very noisy Cuckoo in and around the garden for the past couple of days. This afternoon, in a brief sunny interlude, this one appeared in the open. I’m thinking it might be a female as, although hanging around for quite a while, it was not calling.

 

Well done with your photo capture. They are so elusive.
I was pleased to hear and see one fly in front of me on my dog walk here a couple of days ago.

The swifts also made a very welcome return about a week ago. The sound of summer hearing them screech about. They have so few nest sites now though in the village.

B.   

[ciel]

 

2 hours ago, Beverley Lass said:

Well done with your photo capture. They are so elusive.
I was pleased to hear and see one fly in front of me on my dog walk here a couple of days ago.

The swifts also made a very welcome return about a week ago. The sound of summer hearing them screech about. They have so few nest sites now though in the village.

B.   

It was a lucky capture, BL, although I have spent (wasted ) a fair bit of time peering through the kitchen window today.  The bird was sitting/observing directly above the hedge where dunnocks, which are regular hosts to cuckoos, are nesting.

Edited May 26, 2019 by ciel

[knocker]

Seabirds treble on Lundy after island is declared rat-free

Quote

For years, they were the scourge of seabirds seeking to nest on Lundy.

But since rats were expunged from the island off the coast of Devon 15 years ago, the seabird population has trebled to 21,000 birds.

Puffins have increased from 13 birds in 2001 to 375, while the population of Manx shearwaters has risen from 297 pairs to 5,504, according to a study led by the RSPB.

Black and brown rats, which arrived on Lundy as stowaways on ships, preyed upon the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting seabirds, particularly the burrow-nesting puffins and shearwaters. Between 2002 and 2004, the non-native rats were eradicated – a project opposed by some animal rights groups, who argued that conservationists were favouring tourist-friendly birds over the rats.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/28/seabirds-treble-on-lundy-after-island-is-declared-rat-free

[Polar Maritime]

Could someone please identify this Butterfly please, I'm far from an expert on these.

 

[ciel]

I think, emphasise think, it is a Wall Butterfly, @Polar Maritime. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by ciel

[Polar Maritime]

33 minutes ago, ciel said:

I think, emphasise think, it is a Wall Butterfly, @Polar Maritime. 

Yes thanks very much Ciel..

https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/wall

[knocker]

A couple of late Moorhen chicks

 

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by knocker

[jtay]

[ciel]

Visited SWT Montrose Visitor Centre this afternoon.

A view of the ‘Tern Raft’ with a couple of Common Terns resting there but no signs of nesting by either the Common or Arctic species. The history of the raft project is quite interesting though.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2017/07/whistle-stop-tour-tern-raft/

Also, the man-made Sand Martin wall was deserted, with the last sighting of one bird on 20 May.

[knocker]

Had a look around here yesterday. Very interesting

https://www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR3HLfW0h0V72iUj-uBU-mlSpkaPm1-LUi-vVI46dlWKg5jn_84nNywF_NU

 

[knocker]

Balloons More Deadly For Seabirds Than Any Other Kind of Plastic

https://e360.yale.edu/digest/balloons-more-deadly-for-seabirds-than-any-other-kind-of-plastic

[knocker]

A Pied Wagtail at Trelissick

[Mapantz]

Today is is breeding day in my pond. The Koi are going nuts! The water quality looks a bit cloudy, as you might guess, the spawning doesn't help lol

I completely forgot to put some spawning brushes in and whip them out after, as the bigger fish will eat them.

[ciel]

A couple of immigrant species which have been quite abundant over the past few days. Usually they turn up hereabouts end July – September.

Painted Lady

SilverY moth

 

The Small Tortoiseshell normally the most numerous at this time of year is almost absent at the moment – except for this slightly tattered one.

[knocker]

Who gives a Coot?

[mushymanrob]

On 27/06/2019 at 15:48, ciel said:

A couple of immigrant species which have been quite abundant over the past few days. Usually they turn up hereabouts end July – September.

Painted Lady

SilverY moth

 

The Small Tortoiseshell normally the most numerous at this time of year is almost absent at the moment – except for this slightly tattered one.

its quite shocking the way small tortoishell numbers have declined...they were once abundant, not in my garden they are rarer then commas, speckled wood, holly blue, ringlet  ... i mention those because 35 years ago they were all but absent  and only in the last 20 years have become more common. small tortoishells now are rarer then red admirals too...

 

[ciel]

Goldfinch fledglings

 learning the ropes

Edited July 5, 2019 by ciel

[knocker]

A gaggle at Godrevy

[knocker]

This photo was taken by a friend. We would be grateful if anyone can identify the bird.

[PeteG]

1 hour ago, knocker said:

This photo was taken by a friend. We would be grateful if anyone can identify the bird.

I'm no expert but looks like it might be a young Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler from the shape of thr end of the tail.

[knocker]

1 hour ago, PeteG said:

I'm no expert but looks like it might be a young Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler from the shape of thr end of the tail. 

Thanks