What wild things have you enjoyed seeing recently?

[Extollager]

Though Wikipedia says the rose-breasted grosbeak is rarely seen on the ground, this morning I had an excellent view of one eating seeds under a feeder, right by the window. Source for photo below: Wikipedia (Jaquith).

 

[Bowler1]

No photos, but I've seen House Martins nesting under the eves of a house near me. I've not seen this for years, as I've been living near London and I'm up NORTH now. Wonderful to see.

They won't be doing the same in my house as I'm a new build and any space under the eves is well blocked up with insulating plastic. Progress, how nice.

London has Parakits taking up all the small bird air space, you can't miss them.

 

[Alex The G and T]

We have a saying: "You don't see Cougars; they see you." Shy and Sneaky, these Pumas.
35 years on the Alex Homestead and we've laid eyes on a Mountain Lion about 3 times.

The first was most dramatic. Bringing the newborn, younger daughter home; her first trip up the half-mile of bad road between the street and the house. A Catamount leapt out, directly in front of the car, and trotted nonchalantly up the road for half a minute. I was enthusiastically whispering about what an amazing experience; whilst the Mother was shouting, "Agggg It's going to Eat my Baby!!!"

If anyone were tempted to subscribe to the notion of "Spirit-Animals"; That's a powerful Omen, right there.

Rare as the sightings are; we always know that the Panthers are lurking out there. Toby-Dawg (RIP. sniff) would let us know. Toby befriended Deer, skunks and foxes; and He had a complicated relationship with 'coons. (Depending on age, and temperment of said 'coon.) But Toby would throw-down with the bears. His voice would drop deep in his chest and he could make the gnarliest looking bear back down.

Oh, but Toby was worried about Cougars. He'd charge towards the woods, barking, then back down; whining and checking his flanks. Repeat. Repeat. So we knew that the Puma was present.

The other tell is the large scats, stuffed with fur from rodents. I've seen scats with skunk and coon fur in them.

All of which leads to today's current event. The little calling card in the gravel, right between our cars, just off the front walk.

They like to leave a mark. A scuff, a scrape and a little squirt; which says, "Kilroy was here and this land is mine."

 

[Venusian Broon]

We have a saying: "You don't see Cougars; they see you." Shy and Sneaky, these Pumas.
35 years on the Alex Homestead and we've laid eyes on a Mountain Lion about 3 times.

The first was most dramatic. Bringing the newborn, younger daughter home; her first trip up the half-mile of bad road between the street and the house. A Catamount leapt out, directly in front of the car, and trotted nonchalantly up the road for half a minute. I was enthusiastically whispering about what an amazing experience; whilst the Mother was shouting, "Agggg It's going to Eat my Baby!!!"

If anyone were tempted to subscribe to the notion of "Spirit-Animals"; That's a powerful Omen, right there.

Rare as the sightings are; we always know that the Panthers are lurking out there. Toby-Dawg (RIP. sniff) would let us know. Toby befriended Deer, skunks and foxes; and He had a complicated relationship with 'coons. (Depending on age, and temperment of said 'coon.) But Toby would throw-down with the bears. His voice would drop deep in his chest and he could make the gnarliest looking bear back down.

Oh, but Toby was worried about Cougars. He'd charge towards the woods, barking, then back down; whining and checking his flanks. Repeat. Repeat. So we knew that the Puma was present.

The other tell is the large scats, stuffed with fur from rodents. I've seen scats with skunk and coon fur in them.

All of which leads to today's current event. The little calling card in the gravel, right between our cars, just off the front walk.

They like to leave a mark. A scuff, a scrape and a little squirt; which says, "Kilroy was here and this land is mine."

View attachment 133727

when you wrote about befriending deer I thought immediately about this video that I had just seen!

 

[Alex The G and T]

Yes. I have seen this foot stomping, myself.

 

[Montero]

Huh, very distinctive and more obvious than I was expecting.
We keep rare breed sheep and they stamp their feet at us at times - no, I do not want to be trimmed, back off. It can be either front or back foot, but they don't do that big high stepping stomp walk. Can't comment on their behaviour regarding bears as in UK and no bears. Dogs it is run a distance and turn and check.

 

[Hugh]

Here's a photo (not mine) of the flowering sea kale I was going on about earlier. It just seems to go on endlessly into the shimmering distance.

 

[The Judge]

We went on a guided walk at a nearer nature reserve yesterday and had rather more success in nature-watching.

Lots of yellow flag iris, not just here around the bigger ponds, but everywhere on the site, as well as a good deal of water mint and water forget-me-not. The usual wildflowers, especially nettle (as I found to my cost -- luckily also dock leaves in abundance) and horsetail, together with meadowsweet and wild angelica (no flowers on either yet), comfrey in bloom and Lady's smock, aka cuckooflower, which happily coincided with the cuckoo we heard calling there there -- some of the people on the walk actually saw it.

We heard a good many other birds, though none we could have identified unaided -- Merlin was in constant use -- including reed bunting, reed warbler and cetti's warbler. We didn't see so many -- not to identify, anyway -- but they included great crested grebe, heron, stonechat and a hobby (which we'd have had no chance of identifying even if we'd been able to get a fix on it with the binoculars, as it was just a fast moving speck!).

With so much water there were a good many dragonflies and damselflies, mostly little blue things (even the guide was vague about them save she thought some were hawkers) and glory of glories, an orange tip butterfly (which are apparently common but I've never seen one before). Less pretty but rather spectacular, some chicken of the woods bracket fungus.

And back to pretty, or at least cute, the first duckling we've seen this year -- a mallard, I assume.

 

[Matteo]

Dinner time.

 

[Orcadian]

No photos, but I've seen House Martins nesting under the eves of a house near me. I've not seen this for years, as I've been living near London and I'm up NORTH now. Wonderful to see. They won't be doing the same in my house as I'm a new build and any space under the eves is well blocked up with insulating plastic. Progress, how nice.

I'm in the Scottish central belt. Haven't seen any house martins for years... When I was a child they used to nest in the eaves of the bungalows near me - loved seeing them. Not even any swallows this year, so far. Round here we usually see them in April. :/

 

[THX1138]

Yesterday saw several swallows flying around, wish I had more time to watch them.

 

[Orcadian]

I was on a bench at the local railway station a few months ago. A herring gull flew up onto a litter bin close by (a bit too close for comfort). It pulled out a paperbag, took it down onto the ground, turned it upside down and shook out the crumbs. So very astute.

 

[Montero]

Saw 6 swallows yesterday, best count so far, and they were chasing I think a kestrel and the whole parade whizzed across about 10 feet above my head - a little quick for me to say kestrel or sparrowhawk but I think kestrel. Came up over a stand of willows and off behind a building.
The willow are now all shedding their seeds and there are specks of white fluff drifting on the wind and making patterns on the water surface of a stream, showing standing waves.

@Orcadian did you see this in Planet Earth III - I know I've posted this on SFF before but thought it worth a repeat - not just astute but understand bargaining.

BBC One - Planet Earth III, Series 1, Human, Sir David Attenborough and the stealing macaques

Sir David explains the macaque behaviour that has left a lasting impression on him.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Orcadian]

@Orcadian did you see this in Planet Earth III - I know I've posted this on SFF before but thought it worth a repeat - not just astute but understand bargaining.

BBC One - Planet Earth III, Series 1, Human, Sir David Attenborough and the stealing macaques

Sir David explains the macaque behaviour that has left a lasting impression on him.

www.bbc.co.uk

Thanks for the link! I love David A's programmes but sadly I don't have a TV or TV licence. thus cannot watch any TV or iPlayer stuff. Amazing to think that monkeys would have an understanding of bargaining, though. Will try to get partner interested.. He has a TV.

 

[Montero]

I think the David Attenborough clip is more fun, but this article covers quite a lot of it. These Are Bali's Thieving Monkeys Who Ask For Food in Return Some of the bartering shows an understanding of higher value of items, which is even more impressive. In the Attenborough clip one of the maqaques is shown grabbing a flip flop off someone's foot as they walk past, leaving them hopping.