Signs of Spring in my little patch ( open thread)

[Cobra]

This is nothing to do with one-upmanship

That post certainly sounds like it.

I also personally knew several of the people who studied red kites in Wales

The people I know seeded the colony along Bledlow ridge, where there were none, and now pretty much cover most of the country, from there onwards.

 

[Cobra]

The hawkmoth was then (and maybe still is) only common to the very south of England.

I get them ( & their caterpillars), here during the summer, feeding off my fuchsias, I'm about 40 miles north of London

 

[Clive K]

He won't be for awhile,

Staff have their own, far more effective than the members one

Good for you.

Prior to this I had no reason to look into when peregrines breed. However, Wiki France has this information;

Falcons often keep the same shelter for several years but, as the nest is very basic, they can also change from one year to the next while remaining (normally) within the same territory. For this reason, it is assumed that Peregrines live in stable pairs over the long term. In spring, the male courts the female by performing aerial acrobatics. Pairs of falcons can be seen spiralling, soaring and swooping. The breeding season depends on latitude and climate. Egg-laying takes place in February and March in the north of the temperate zone, and from April to May in colder, more northerly areas.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Given that I live in one of the most temperate areas of France the information concurs with peregrines laying eggs in February. I looked back on the birds thread on a fishing forum. I saw peregrines in Oct and Dec last year, in mid Jan this year and this post is from the 31st Jan that refers to my initially sighting the pair. The place that the male landed is very close to where they were feeding the chicks.

Been out today walking around a medieval village. I wandered into an old quarry and while looking up at the cliff face not one, but two peregrines came into view. The male was in front and settled on the cliff calling loudly. A female followed, but carried on flying along the cliff face. The male set off after her and a few seconds later a male goshawk appeared from the same direction and gave a fly past. It is moments like this when I feel so priviledged to live here.

And this is the post I made on 14th Feb regarding the parents feeding the brood

went to a nearby village to walk the dog and check if the two peregrines I saw last month had set up home in the old quarry. They had, and were busy feeding a noisy brood. Too far away for me to photograph though so I picked on some more static subjects.

 

[Dale.]

Saw my first tree in blossom yesterday, further down the valley. I'm not sure what tree it is, I saw it in passing. Isn't it too early for cherry?

 

[Cobra]

Isn't it too early for cherry?

If its the ornamental flowering cherry, rather than the fruit tree, Its about right.

 

[Nod]

I'd say it's probably early for cherry in the North but everything seems to be earlier than "normal" this year.

 

[Clive K]

Same here in France. The warmest wettest winter for ages has resulted in things happening way ahead of normal. I fear that it is going to be a bad year for the vegetable growers with no cold spell to kill all the bugs and fungal diseases.

 

[Cobra]

Actually thinking about it, my road was lined with the flowering cherry trees, some years ago.
Late Feb - early march the blossoms started to appear.
Late March through April they dropped, covering the road, paths & parked cars in pink.
It was a nightmare to get rid of it, staining the cars etc

There is only one remaining now, all the others slowly got diseased and died, again that was a few years ago.

 

[Tringa]

Yesterday saw a couple of long tailed tits in our London back garden. We do see them sometimes but not often and today we had a siskin on one of the feeders; never seen one here before.

Dave

 

[Gav.]

First house fly seen today.. it seemed a little sleepy

 

[Nod]

There have been Red Admirals, Bumble Bees and Ladybirds on the course for a month or so. The Tortoiseshell butterfly in the meter cupboard is either still hibernating or has been spider food!

 

[garryknight]

I've seen what appears to be a hawthorn tree, in a location where I can't get close to it, which has had blossom for about a week now. Hawthorn blossom is known as the May flower, for the obvious reason.

 

[Gav.]

I've seen what appears to be a hawthorn tree, in a location where I can't get close to it, which has had blossom for about a week now. Hawthorn blossom is known as the May flower, for the obvious reason.

Could be Blackthorn?

 

[garryknight]

Could be Blackthorn?

Yes, possibly.

 

[Cobra]

The first lot of frog spawn was laid in my pond overnight.
I usually get 4 or 5 fist sized clumps, in total.

 

[davholla]

The first lot of frog spawn was laid in my pond overnight.
I usually get 4 or 5 fist sized clumps, in total.

I am very envious - I have never got it in my pond - I wonder if it is because of newts.

 

[davholla]

I've never heard of Derek Ratcliffe either. But I know what I saw. The birds were prospecting for a nest site when I first saw them. The second time it was obvious from their behaviour and the noise coming from the nest site that both were feeding young. I cannot discount that the possibilities of the chicks dieing or being taken by man or predators because the nest site is not monitored. I know that the ones we saw feeding in the Dordogne were in April because it is written in the book we have in our motorhome.

I was told by an eminant 'twitcher' that I was talking nonsense when I mentioned that hobbys were over wintering on our shoot in Sth Yorkshire. He had to eat his words when I took him to where they predatored on song birds attracted to pheasant feeders. I was told that nuthatches couldn't be commuting in March because they don't lay until April. A couple of minutes footage of our bird table showed that they were. Similarly no one believed me when I said that there was a gyrfalcon on our shoot. But three weeks or so later when a card carrying 'twitcher' saw it we were inundated with people wanting to see it.


I don't live in books. I see things as they occur in nature, and nature doesn't live in books either.

I find it unlikely that you would lie however photos of those hobbies would be wonderful to confirm it.
How many and was it in a sheltered area? I can understand why they stay here if they find an easy source of food which wasn't around in the past.
Where I live I sometimes (not this year) see winter active bumblebees because of Mahonia Japonica.

 

[Cobra]

I am very envious - I have never got it in my pond - I wonder if it is because of newts.

I've no idea TBH, but then I wish I had Newts

There was a local pond in a farmers field many years ago, that we used to fish as kids.
I don't even know if its still there with all the building happening here.
However it contained frogs, toads and Great crested Newts, so I hope so.

Never happy are we?

 

[Clive K]

I find it unlikely that you would lie however photos of those hobbies would be wonderful to confirm it.
How many and was it in a sheltered area? I can understand why they stay here if they find an easy source of food which wasn't around in the past.
Where I live I sometimes (not this year) see winter active bumblebees because of Mahonia Japonica.

The hobbys, a male and female were resident for several winters. The small wood housed a rookery and in winter we would use large feeders filled with wheat to keep pheasants from straying into neighbouring shoots. The wheat feeders attracted squirrels and small birds and it was while I was sat out with an air rifle waiting to shoot the squirrels that damaged the feeders that I saw the hobbys. They were predating on the sparrows and blue tits that were attracted to the wheat in the feeders.

I now live in France where hobbys are also supposed to be migratory. I have seen them in late March and early April flying north over the River Vienne is small groups. The Vienne is roughly the length of the Thames or Severn and runs south to north for over 200 km before flowing into the Loire. It is a conduit for swallows, martins, swifts, cuckoos, ospreys and other migrating birds. But, I also see hobbys in winter locally. Typically they fly low over roadside ditches presumably to ambush any small birds that might be feeding on the ground. I also see honey buzzards in winter. They are supposed to be migratory too.

 

[Topsy]

A couple of weeks ago I was buzzed by a Bumble Bee on high Dartmoor, never seen one up there before at any time of year.

Today I spotted Blue Tits occupying my neighbour's nest box. Not the best shots but I'm a landscaper and don't really have birding lenses, these were Fuji 50-140 with 1.4 converter (and cropped a lot).

 

[Cobra]

Today I spotted Blue Tits occupying my neighbour's nest box.

I've seen a couple of blue tits hanging around the last couple of days, but as yet I've not noticed anyone checking out my nest box, or my neighbours.

 

[Cobra]

A per my on going Hedge Hog thread...

It looks like they are awake, HH droppings on my patio this morning,
Talk about a subtle hint to go to the pet shop, and get meat and mealworms

 

[Nod]

*Makes mental note... Poop on Chris's patio and he'll feed you!*

 

[Dale.]

This last few days, I've heard a Great Tit, giving the odd chirp and call in the garden. Today, it's calling its heart out at the top of the garden.

 

[billgatese30]

We've had blue tits in the garden for the last week/10 days or so and another variety of tit but I couldn't grab the binoculars quick enough to determine its colours (coal tit possibly). Daff's in full bloom and blossoms coming out on our mini cherry (or whatever similar variety it is - it was there when we moved in).

I've also give the grass its first cut as it has started shooting up despite the moss.

 

[garryknight]

Last Thursday, sitting with a friend by the River Ravensbourne in Ladywell Fields (Lewisham), we saw half a dozen great tits, two wrens, half a dozen mandarins (including a pair), a kingfisher (twice, flitting upriver then down), and a water vole. I don't know if it was early for any of these, but it was nice being 'visited'.

 

[Nod]

Got a Robin nesting in the plant pot rack just outside the back door. Only problem might be them flying into the open doors when we're using the conservatory or just got the doors open for other reasons.

 

[Nod]

Gonna be sunscreen time soon! Too warm for long sleeves (on the course) and I'll grill gently if I don't pre-baste myself!!!

 

[garryknight]

Hawthorn in full bloom in Ladywell Fields in Lewisham, a month early according to this webpage:

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/how-to/identify-wildlife/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-hawthorn-and-blackthorn

 

[Gav.]

First Bluebells on the way up..

 

[Clive K]

I heard frogs singing the other night and the yellow butterflies that are always the first to show have been joined by yellow tips and tortoiseshell ones. Our apple trees are in blossom too. Hopefully there won't be any frost in the next fortnight. Won't be long before bluebells and early purple orchids will be lining the paths. My wife saw a redstart yesterday. They are regulars in our garden and nest under a coniferous umberella bush type thingie.

 

[garryknight]

First Bluebells on the way up..

The regular hyacinths are up and I've seen plenty of grape hyacinth (no relation) too.

 

[Nod]

Our cherry tree started to burst into flower yesterday, just in time for the hail to bruise the blossoms...

 

[billgatese30]

Tulips and hyacinths are out in the garden. Greenhouse is seeing the heady heights of 26.5 degrees according to my thermometer, and people say its grim up north!

 

[Dale.]

The Chiffchaffs are calling.

 

[Clive K]

We had what appeared to be a juvenile nuthatch in the garden yesterday. It was paler than the usual visitors and didn't behave the same way. On the wet dog walk this afternoon we passed a bunch of early purple orchids. It looks like the bloomed a few days ago. The ones in another area are still way off blooming. No sign of swallows ormartins over the River Charente yesterday. It won't be long though.

 

[garryknight]

The Chiffchaffs are calling.

My friend and I use the Merlin Bird ID app fairly frequently, and it identified a chiffchaff the other day for the first time in some months.

 

[Topsy]

Spring is here but Winter isn't letting go. Last night we had a big dump of snow, I managed to get a shot of it falling using this setup from my Conservatory doorway.



It dropped about an inch in less than an hour.



This morning the rain started and it is now gone from us but still hanging on up on the high ground of Dartmoor.

 

[4wd]

No snow here for a change, we often get worst spell of Winter in March or even April.
These were spotted at a point I pass daily never noticed before but large clumps this time can't have all grown this year.

 

[Tringa]

Saw my first bat of the year about 20 minutes ago flying over the back garden.

Dave