The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[Andrew_C]

WHAT!!

 

Little girl, possibly Aus point out window - "It's a ****ing goat!" Mum laughing "No, it is just a goat". "No - it's a ****ing goat"

 

- NSFW, well in not tolerant workplaces anyway. Edited March 13, 2025 by Andrew_C

[LeMarchand]

WHAT!!

 

Little girl, possibly Aus point out window - "It's a ****ing goat!" Mum laughing "No, it is just a goat". "No - it's a ****ing goat"

 

- NSFW, well in not tolerant workplaces anyway.

 

Ah! I do remember that one. No kids, just a site worker and an angry and sweary koala.

[6Foot2]

Link: Otter chaos filmed in Shetland family's kitchen - BBC News

 

An otter was caught on camera causing chaos in the kitchen of a surprised Shetland family.

 

Donna Mouat had spotted the mammal outside her home in South Nesting while cooking dinner.

 

The family went for a look, but the otter then dashed inside and proceeded to knock things off shelves, and even went inside a wall-mounted kitchen cupboard.

 

"It emptied a cupboard but, other than that, there was nothing smashed or broken, remarkable really," Donna told BBC Scotland News.

 

Donna, husband Ryan, and children Geordie, four, and six-year-old Vaila had gone to take a closer look.

 

"When we realised an otter was outside they all rushed out to see, it was snacking on my husband's latest catch," she said.

 

The otter then ran straight through the open door into their kitchen.

 

"I was half way through breading fish for tea, it ran through the three bowls which I had to throw away," Donna said.

 

'Not in the kitchen'

 

The otter then made its escape.

 

"We have a freshwater stream running through garden which goes from loch to sea so we very often see them around - just not in the kitchen."

 

The otter drama happened on 21 February.

 

The Scottish SPCA said people could contact its helpline for advice if they come across an otter, external out of its natural habitat.

 

"Always keep a safe distance as they can be aggressive," the animal charity said.

 

Click the link above for the video.

[6Foot2]

5Foot2 just spotted a black redstart in our garden, rare for the UK, apparently.

 

Link: Black redstart - Wikipedia

 

 

Sadly, we didn't get a picture.

[Koldov]

Had to rescue a hedgehog from my garden last night, due to the unwelcome attention it was getting from my greyhound when I let her out for her pre-bedtime routine. 

I briefly toyed with idea of letting our hound get its nose prickled and would then hopefully learn her lesson and be less interested, but thought the stress on the hedgehog would be unfair.

I've already become accustomed to having to rattle the door handle and flash a torch about to scare off any cats, due to the last one only just escaping by diving through the hedge at the end of our garden. From a standing start our hound managed to come within an inch of the cat and it had started from half way down the garden (unfortunately our hound tried to go through the hedge as well, but met with the sheep fence on the other side and skinned her nose). Now I've got to add hedgehogs to my list of things to search the garden for!

I guess a lot of dogs would chase things like squirrels, cats and hedgehogs, she's interested in the sheep and occasional deer or pheasant, but not as a prey, unfortunately our hound being rescued from racing and being young has a ridiculously high prey drive for small fluffy things. 

Anyway, luckily my neighbour was out doing the same with her dog, so I scooped up the hedgehog and passed it over the fence (as her little dog knows to leave them alone)!

Edited March 21, 2025 by Koldov

[Koldov]

56 minutes ago, 6Foot2 said:

5Foot2 just spotted a black redstart in our garden, rare for the UK, apparently.

 

We haven't seen anything rare, but I am pleased we have a rather 'better class' of birds in the garden at our new house.

Before it was the proper urban mobs of sparrows, starlings, magpies and feral/urban pigeons... now it is goldfinches, lots of tits (long-tailed, great, coal, blue), we also see dunnocks (like a hedge dwelling countryside cousin of the sparrow) and still get pigeons although they are of the wood variety and collared doves. Although not in the garden, we also regularly see red kites, a barn owl and jackdaws. The latter prompted us to fit a cowl to our chimney pot as they would hop along the roof shouting down the chimneys, also when we moved in and had ours swept, the sweep said there was evidence of historic nesting in ours (house had been empty for nearly 2 years) and they would probably be back! This year they have decided to nest in the one next door, which is OK as they don't have an open fireplace.

Edited March 21, 2025 by Koldov

[Dos_Box]

I've been getting some message from a friend out testing a new spotting scope today and he tells me we have had two cranes at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB reserve near me today. They have now gone to Pilling further north.
It's the time of year when some of them migrate via the UK northwards, so no real chance of them settling around here, although we do have a of suitable habitat for them.

[elsiegee40]

1 minute ago, Dos_Box said:

I've been getting some message from a friend out testing a new spotting scope today and he tells me we have had two cranes at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB reserve near me today. They have now gone to Pinning further north.
It's the time of year when some of them migrate via the UK northwards, so no real chance of them settling around here, although we do have a of suitable habitat for them.

I forgot to tell you we saw a an immature Hen Harrier when we were out birding the other day. 💕 South coast location (not Kent) not disclosed publicly due to it being Schedule 1. Heard a Tawny Owl at lunchtime in the same place too which was a bit bizarre!

[Dos_Box]

3 minutes ago, elsiegee40 said:

I forgot to tell you we saw a an immature Hen Harrier when we were out birding the other day. 💕 South coast location (not Kent) not disclosed publicly due to it being Schedule 1. Heard a Tawny Owl at lunchtime in the same place too which was a bit bizarre!

Male or female Tawny Owl? We had a female on the park that wasn't afraid of calling during the day a few years back. It really used to spook the kids!

[elsiegee40]

5 minutes ago, Dos_Box said:

Male or female Tawny Owl? We had a female on the park that wasn't afraid of calling during the day a few years back. It really used to spook the kids!

Male. I guess it’s spring and there are things to be said 😉

[6Foot2]

 

Looks cross, as if someone has just ignored the sign on the outside:

 

Quote

Can't you read?

 

[6Foot2]

Link: Watch: Pod of dolphins spotted in River Orwell - BBC News

 

 

Quote

A pod of dolphins has been spotted close to the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich.

 

The mammals were seen in the water just before 09:00 GMT on Wednesday.

 

Adam Case, of Woolverstone Marina, said they approached his boat.

 

Conservation group the Cetecean Research and Rescue Unit said the pod's move inland was concerning.

 

[sigma]

We sail on the Orwell and know it well.  Over recent years we have seen far more seals, but also mats of green floating weed by the middle of summer. 

[6Foot2]

Link: Invertebrate of the year 2025: vote for your favourite | Environment | The Guardian

 

Quote

Invertebrates – animals without spines – make up the vast majority of life on Earth. The Guardian’s invertebrate of the year contest celebrates the unsung heroes of the planet. Readers have nominated thousands of amazing animals, we’ve chosen a shortlist of 10, and now you can vote for your favourite.

1. The tongue-biting louse burrows in through a fish’s gills, clings to its tongue and eats what the fish eats.
2. The dark-edged bee-fly pretends to be a bee but is actually a fly that twerks.
3. Multisegmented micro-animal Milnesium tardigradum has survived five great extinction events.
4. The flamboyant cuttlefish flashes a dazzling array of psychedelic colours to warn predators they are toxic.
5. The giant Gippsland earthworm can grow up to 3 metres in length.
6. The all-female microscopic common rotifer has thrived without men for millions of years.
7. The fen raft spider walks on water and has been revived from near-extinction in Britain.
8. The ultra-rare amber comet firefly emits a burning flash of light, following by a trailing glow.
9. The Wētāpunga is a flightless grasshopper that’s the heaviest insect in the world.
10. The monarch butterfly migrates for 3,000 miles.

What amazing animals! Now it’s up to you to vote for your favourite, and the winner of the Guardian’s invertebrate of the year 2025 will be announced next week. We hope it’s a chance for all of us to raise a cheer for the marvellous array of life on Earth.

 

Click the link to participate in The Guardian poll.

[elsiegee40]

Stunning day out birding  yesterday. We saw 4 species of owl and we picknicked in the sunshine while watching Bearded Tits and listening to a Bittern booming and a Water Rail squealing. Our first Swallows of the year and a Sedge Warbler singing showed spring is well under way  

Barn Owl in the morning mist

 
Short Eared Owl

 

Little Owl

 

Long Eared Owl

 

Hare

 

Bearded Tit

 

Male Linnet

 

Stoat

 

Wren at full volume

[southhamster]

Some cracking shots there. Looks like you had  a very productive day in the sunshine.

[ticktock]

Stunning pictures.

[Dos_Box]

I sent the afternoon at Foulshaw Moss, on the Kent Estuary, on Saturday and got a few good spots in (and foolishly left my camera in the car).
There is (or rather was) a second pair of Ospreys in residence, however the female hasn't been seen since last week and just the male is left hanging around by the nest.
The new nest is about a quarter of the distance from a hide than the original one (still being nested on this year) which you can see here - https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/osprey-webcam

The pic of the Osprey is the lone male near the new nest.

And lots of lizards out trying to soak up the sun, but were very sluggish and made for some great camera pics.

 

 

 

[southhamster]

We have loads of robins about at the moment. There's one nesting in our toolshed. I'd been pottering about in there for half an hour before I even noticed. I can't not go in there sometimes, but leave some bird food on the side for it and it dosen't seem bothered. If I try to sit on the bench they turn up demanding food now! Sometimes 3 at once which surprised me as I thought they were quite territorial.

[6Foot2]

 

[thimon]

We've finally got a couple of birds in the live streamed bird box at our Prep School. Nest made, just need eggs! 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3pg91xMph97pdNDseYGRHA/live

[elsiegee40]

12 hours ago, thimon said:

We've finally got a couple of birds in the live streamed bird box at our Prep School. Nest made, just need eggs! 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3pg91xMph97pdNDseYGRHA/live

For the first time in 9 years, we have no nest in our camera box this year ☹️

[6Foot2]

 

[Dos_Box]

I was given some iris bulbs last year, and they have come us very nicely, the others are now out and I'm trying to keep them out of the sun too much now.

 

[6Foot2]

Link: Mosquito-borne killer disease threatens blackbirds - BBC News

 

Quote

A mosquito-borne disease freshly arrived in Britain has spread large distances, with scientists racing to understand the risks to wild birds.

 

Infected insects can spread the deadly Usutu virus to blackbirds, raising fears for the famous songsters.

 

New data shows Usutu has spread across much of southern England in five years, and has been linked to declines in some blackbird populations.

 

Scientists are monitoring its spread amid warnings that mosquitoes and the diseases they carry may expand their range under climate change.

 

"We've seen that the virus has spread further than we thought it might do, and it's persisted," Dr Arran Folly of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) told the BBC.

 

Scientists at the APHA in Weybridge, Surrey, have been tracking mosquito-borne diseases in wild birds for decades, amid warnings, external that climate change is turning Europe into a potential breeding ground for the insects.

 

Longer summers, hotter temperatures and heavy rainfall are creating conditions for the nuisance insects to move into areas that were previously inhospitable to them.

 

Until 2020, all results came back clear. Then, after the summer heatwave of that year, Usutu was detected in several blackbirds in Greater London.

 

"Blackbirds specifically are quite susceptible to the virus and since 2020 we've found a decline in blackbirds of approximately 40% in Greater London," said Dr Folly.

 

"It gives an indication that in the future we might get other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes emerging in the UK."

 

Diseases such as Usutu are a growing threat to wild birds, amid a host of other pressures, including habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use.

 

What is Usutu?

• Usutu virus was first detected more than half a century ago around southern Africa's Usutu River

• It has since spread around the world, reaching Europe three decades ago, and was picked up for the first time in the UK in 2020

• Blackbirds are particularly susceptible to the virus, which can also infect horses and, from time to time, humans.

• The virus is regarded as generally of low risk to people, and there have been no human cases reported in the UK to date., external

The latest data shows that Usutu has spread further than the scientists expected.

 

It has now been detected in wild birds across much of southern England, at least as far west as Dorset and as far north as Cambridgeshire.

 

How big a risk Usutu poses to wild birds is uncertain. The virus has been linked to mass die-offs of blackbirds elsewhere in Europe, though that doesn't seem to be the case in Britain.

 

And the blackbird remains one of the commonest garden birds with numbers holding steady in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, and in the north.

 

To untangle the puzzle – and gather more data on blackbird numbers – the scientists have joined forces with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

 

They are calling for volunteers to count blackbirds in their gardens over the summer months to find out more about the comings and goings of the birds.

 

Around now blackbirds are breeding and raising their young, frequently seen hopping along the ground and singing from the branches of trees on summer evenings.

 

Lucy Love, a garden birdwatch ambassador for the BTO, knows the blackbirds in her gardens by sight and has grown fond of them.

 

"They're beautiful birds – intelligent, friendly and they have the most beautiful song with a lovely melodic tone to it," she explained.

 

"And we cannot lose them – they're a vital part of our ecosystem."