My little bit of heaven

[bobleponge]

Was out for our morning constitutional and saw a "ragondan" in the stream. The boy was very interested and gave said creature a proper barking at, but the ragondan just swam off under the bridge.
I'm not exactly sure what a ragondan is, its like a beaver without the paddle tail, or like a coypu.
Lovely to see him, gave the boy a snooty look before it disappeared.

[coreopsis]

Last week we were coming back from work.OH was telling me about the owl he'd seen earlier on(I'm a hoot-mad).I said to him-hey,there was something on the fence post.
So he turned the car round and there it was-a barn owl hoot sitting on the fence post looking at us-no fear at all.It was absolutely GORGEOUS
You don't have to see their faces to know it's an owl-they way of flying is soooo different.

[Rodley]

Ragondin in France

Was out for our morning constitutional and saw a "ragondan" in the stream. The boy was very interested and gave said creature a proper barking at, but the ragondan just swam off under the bridge.
I'm not exactly sure what a ragondan is, its like a beaver without the paddle tail, or like a coypu.
Lovely to see him, gave the boy a snooty look before it disappeared.

'Tis a coypu. We have them around here, Spelt "ragondin"

[jacob marley]

There is a woodpecker been in the wood over the road from Marley tower's this last week got his Calendar a bit wrong he has been banging away making his sound calling all the lady woodpecker's to come and see the nice new house i am constructing about 3 month's early..jacob

[jacob marley]

Whilst leaning on the gate the other afternoon watching 3 magpie's squabbling over some thing in the field a Buzzard dropped in between them and took whatever it was away the magpie's got mugged...
And when i was out with him in the corner this evening he found a Hedgehog that has got through the winter ok .
Saw a pair of Treecreeper's sussing out a old silver birch tree for nesting site this morning....jacob

[smallblueplanet]

I like treecreepers, not seen any for ages.

[jacob marley]

Well spring has arrived big time this morning heard the Chiff Chaff and i saw a pair of BlackCaps and a pair of Throstle's and a pair of Wood Pecker's what a morning .
I also saw 3 little green bird's i thought they were Garden Warbler's but these were a lovat green all over perhaps some one could tell me so spring has arrived....jacob

[jacob marley]

I have had Blue Tit's and Robin's and Wren's nesting in the garden but this morning i had the privilege of watching a Coal Tit popping in and out of a pile of old seed boxe's whilst he was or she was constructing a nest....jacob

[nick the grief]

grandpadragon i do envy you seeing the Red Kite daily i have only seen one at this location about 15 years ago .... jacob

We've had some reported just up the way from me Jacob but I've not seen them yet. I've still got Siskins on the feeders and the house martins have come back and are starting to nest ... soon be winter

[sewer rat]

The Red Kites are thriving up here too - not quite daily sigtings but at least once a week.
The pair of Ospreys are back and I pass their nest site daily.
At the bird feeding area in the estate garden I work in I have seen Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, Siskin, Yellowhammer, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Waxwing, Bullfinch, Woodpecker and Wren.
See the woodpecker and Treecreepers most days that I am there.
Also sparrowhawks, Buzzards and the occassional sighting of a Peregerine.

[jacob marley]

Just had the Cuckoo say good morning to me as he flew over marley towers (cuckoo is morning in marley twang) and again as he flew on to raid some poor little birds nest....jacob

[jacob marley]

Whilst me and him in the corner was taking our early morning stroll today i noticed a rather large hole had been dug along side the path in the wood and i thought ecky thump what dug that .
Any way after having a good look i could se some grogy bumble bees and then i twiged Brock the badger has called it is about 12 years since i last saw a badger so they must still be about it certainly sorted the Bees nest out...jacob

[tulip]

This is a lovely thread

I'd love to see a Badger in the wild and Hoopoes, Ospreys and Muntjac deer too. Not so sure about a close encounter with a Wild Boar though, closest I've come,was a stuffed one in a museum - those boys are BIG!

See Buzzards daily, circling and diving above the forest. Have Housemartins above the window here - they return each year to build three nests under the eaves. For me they signal the arrival of summer. They are such joyous wee creatures to watch and listen to. Extraordinary, watching them building their nests, collecting scoops of mud from the puddles nearby,
and clinging precariously onto the stonework to add each piece. I feel humbled when I think how far they have flown. Was lucky enough to see one fledge last year.

it's great reading about the different birds and wildlife folks see in their
neck of the woods.

[jacob marley]

Winter is approaching fast and the Fieldfares are going to have a bit of a shock the Blackbirds have scoffed nearly all the holly berrys. and it is only the start of November....jacob

[nick the grief]

On the way back from the Chippy last Night I had a Tawny owl fly at me out of the dark ... damn near poo'd myself