The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[southhamster]

If you're in the market for big nests, I saw this a couple of months back:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69107[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[emoji50]

Blimey, that's the size of a London flat!

[elsiegee40]

We visited RSPB Middleton Lakes near Birmingham for the first time today.

 

They had had a moth trap out and were emptying it as we arrived. They had a fine selection of Hawk Moths

 

The birds were great too with probably our best ever view of a Bittern as it flew escorted by an annoyed gull. Nice to watch a Hobby hunting dragonflies too.

[6Foot2]

[6Foot2]

We were disturbed early this morning by a cat at the door and window:

 

Link: What annoying things did you do today? (Merged with Pet Peeves)

 

This evening a (grey) squirrel looked, for all the world, like it was trying to gain entry via the same window:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]61814[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]61815[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]61816[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]61817[/ATTACH]

 

Apologies for the naff quality of my phone's camera.

 

 

This evening we had another cat at the window (a different window: Last time it was in Hertfordshire, this time it's Somerset)

 

 

We have been hearing yowling early this evening, thinking it was on the TV initially. Eventually, 5Foot2 went outside to see what was going on.

 

She found the friendly little tom/queen. He/she looks well cared for, but has no collar. We think he/she has a home, but wants to come inside because it's quite windy this evening.

 

He/she has wandered off now. I think the garden next door might have been investigated for another potential purpose, because I saw our neighbour run down his path at some speed...

 

🐈

[6Foot2]

This evening we had another cat at the window (a different window: Last time it was in Hertfordshire, this time it's Somerset)

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69386[/ATTACH]

 

We have been hearing yowling early this evening, thinking it was on the TV initially. Eventually, 5Foot2 went outside to see what was going on.

 

She found the friendly little tom/queen. He/she looks well cared for, but has no collar. We think he/she has a home, but wants to come inside because it's quite windy this evening.

 

He/she has wandered off now. I think the garden next door might have been investigated for another potential purpose, because I saw our neighbour run down his path at some speed...

 

🐈

 

Upon lifting the blinds this morning, I see that our kitchen waste bin has been turned over and forced open (there is a mechanism to keep curious visitors out) I think the cat from last night is a likely candidate.

[HarryMonkey]

On the subject of cats. Our new one got out and stayed out until around 11pm last night. I closed off the catflap to stop her escaping again but she had other ideas and removed the "gate" that slides over the flap to shut it and took herself off out. No doubt that will be it until late tonight again!!

 

[elsiegee40]

Time to

 

Domestic cats are NOT wildlife and don’t belong in this thread. And we have a particularly murderous one living next door but one

[Dos_Box]

Just been chasing this to get a pic in my back garden. It's a hummingbird hawk moth. Not common at all up here most years!

 

[6Foot2]

Link: River Wildlife Stamp Set | Royal Mail

 

 

These 10 stunning stamps celebrate the remarkable beauty and diversity of the wildlife in the UK’s rivers and streams.

 

Colourful images capture the variety of birds, fish, mammals and insects that live in, above and alongside our nation’s waterways.

 

Five Second Class and five First Class landscape stamps.

[Dos_Box]

Link: River Wildlife Stamp Set | Royal Mail

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69488[/ATTACH]

 

Nice! It's got my favorite UK bird on there, the Dipper

[6Foot2]

Nice! It's got my favorite UK bird on there, the Dipper

 

Absolutely! First class.

 

[elsiegee40]

First white-tailed eagle in 240 years fledges in England

 

https://www.roydennis.org/2023/07/18/first-white-tailed-eagle-in-240-years-fledges-in-england/

 

 

In a landmark moment for conservationists, the first white-tailed eagle for over 240 years has fledged from a nest in the wild in England. The chick is the first successful breeding attempt of the white-tailed eagles released by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation’s project to return this lost species to England.

 

White-tailed eagles are Britain’s largest birds of prey with a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters and were once widespread across England. Human persecution caused their extinction with the last pair breeding in southern England in 1780. In 2019, Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation began a reintroduction programme to restore these iconic birds to the English landscape.

 

Two of the birds released by the project in 2020 – female G405, originally translocated from the Outer Hebrides and male G471, from north-west Sutherland – reared the male chick earlier this summer. The location of the nest, on private land with no public access, is not being disclosed for the welfare of the birds and to prevent any disturbance to them or the landowner either this year or if the birds return to breed at the same location.

The chick was ringed and fitted with a satellite tag by licensed ornithologists from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation enabling the project team to track this historic bird’s daily progress through its life.

 

Roy Dennis MBE, Founder of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, said:

“This is a very special moment for everyone who has worked on, supported and followed this ground-breaking project. Restoring a breeding population in southern England, where the species was once widespread, has been our ultimate goal. Many thought it was impossible but we knew food for eagles – fresh and salt water fish, cuttlefish, rabbits, hares and wild birds – was plentiful. I visited the Isle of Wight as a young birdwatcher in the 1950s, saw the last breeding location at Culver Cliff and knew they should be restored. It is early days, but this is a very significant milestone and we are heartened by the enthusiastic support shown by so many people and that the sight of these huge eagles in the sky inspires hope for restoring nature. We still have a long way to go, but the feeling of seeing the first pair reach this stage is truly incredible.”

 

The birds are one of three territorial pairs that have now become established in southern England and the first to breed.

 

Steve Egerton-Read, White-Tailed Eagle Project Officer for Forestry England, said:

“We are thrilled that this moment has happened and at such an early stage in the project. At only three years old, it is remarkable that the pair have successfully bred, with most white-tailed eagles not attempting to do so until they are at least four or five. This pairs’ ability to breed and fledge their chick at this early age is extremely encouraging.”

 

“It is really hard to put into words just what an incredible moment this is for the return of these iconic birds to England. It is evidence of just how well the eagles are starting to fit back into this landscape and how, with a little help, nature can begin to return and thrive. Although it has not been possible to set up a public viewing site at this location, we are hopeful that one of the other pairs that has become established in southern England will choose to nest in a location that we can share with the public in future years.”

 

To date, 25 white-tailed eagles have been released by the reintroduction project with 16 still surviving. A further release of young white-tailed eagles is planned for later this summer from the project team’s base on the Isle of Wight.

 

The reintroduction of white-tailed eagles is conducted under licence from Natural England, the Government’s wildlife licensing authority. All of the young birds involved in the project are collected under a NatureScot licence from the wild in Scotland and brought to the Isle of Wight.

[elsiegee40]

At the rescue this afternoon we admitted an albino House Sparrow nestling!

[southhamster]

We rescued this creature from a watering can yesterday. At first I thought it was a hornet (eek) but it's a mimic called with stunning originality the hornet beetle or golden haired longhorn. Never seen one before.

[Dos_Box]

We rescued this creature from a watering can yesterday. At first I thought it was a hornet (eek) but it's a mimic called with stunning originality the hornet beetle or golden haired longhorn. Never seen one before.[ATTACH]69572[/ATTACH]

 

Oooh, not seen one of those before. I doubt we get them up here though (unless they invest in technical fabrics), from the posts I could find about it, it's quite uncommon, so you are very lucky.

[mikeprice]

two from a few weeks ago when we were on a cruise round Mull in a small boat

 

Sea eagles - they got the boat as close in as they could but they were still a bit far away and against a brightish sky - so not great for photos - and I could have done with a bigger lens!

 

 

 

There were reports of wales around - but they had moved on when we were in that area - did see some dolphins (at a distance) and some porpoises

 

 

and some goats and ducks and cows and sheep and stuff

[stevejp]

 

There were reports of wales around - but they had moved on when we were in that area - did see some dolphins (at a distance) and some porpoises

 

RIGHT, you lot, own up - who’s towed the Isle of Mull down the coast into Cardigan Bay?

 

[6Foot2]

...There were reports of wales around - but they had moved on when we were in that area - did see some dolphins (at a distance) and some porpoises ...

 

RIGHT, you lot, own up - who’s towed the Isle of Mull down the coast into Cardigan Bay?

 

 

Perhaps it was an accident?...

 

[mikeprice]

RIGHT, you lot, own up - who’s towed the Isle of Mull down the coast into Cardigan Bay?

 

 

I meany Whales

 

you KNOW that!!!!

 

 

 

(and you know what my typing is like - I mean - it spell checked OK and didn;t have any semi colons in it

what more do you want????

 

 

 

 

BTW - we knew there had been sea mammals in the vicinity because we were looking at the Whale Watch app - you can report any sightings and they get put on a map when verified

 

so if you are in a possible sighting area then you can check out what has been see in the last few days

Edited July 31, 2023 by mikeprice

[stevejp]

I meany Whales

 

you KNOW that!!!!

 

 

 

Apologies - yes, of course I knew - just my weird (ie warped) sense of humour.

 

[Dos_Box]

Just got back from walking my brothers dog at lunch and noticed this just near my front door.

Not sure what it is, but thinking it's possibly spider egg related, but not like one I've ever seen before.

 

[HarryMonkey]

Vapourer moth eggs.

[Dos_Box]

Vapourer moth eggs.

 

Thank you, I do get those caterpillars in my garden

Mystery solved!

[6Foot2]

This landed on my garage door while I was digging in the garden this afternoon:

 

 

A Google image search tells me that it's a box tree moth (a non-native species, first reported in Kent in 2007)

[elsiegee40]

This landed on my garage door while I was digging in the garden this afternoon:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69788[/ATTACH]

 

A Google image search tells me that it's a box tree moth (a non-native species, first reported in Kent in 2007)

 

Yes definitely the highly destructive non native box tree moth

 

A neighbour planted a box hedge which turned out to be infested with them in the spring of last year and by the end of the summer every box on the road had been stripped of leaves