Have you noticed anything unusual this spring?
Post categories: In depth
| 19:15 UK time, Tuesday, 26 May 2009
This year we had a fairly hard winter. Remember all the snow? Then spring seemed to happen all at once.
So what we'd like to know is have you noticed anything you think is unusual about this spring? Has the wildlife been behaving differently?
If you have, we'd like to hear about it. So please post a message below.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~28~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Despite the hard winter, the flowers in my garden have been more advanced, with the peonies in flower 3 weeks early. We have also noticed Painted Ladies, which don't usually get into our garden until late summer. We live in Warwickshire.
Complain about this comment
hello gang, think we've seen a puss moth; beautiful big hawk moth. we live in Bristol and have seen privet hawk moths in the past and the other day we saw a lime hawk moth. is this common?
Complain about this comment
We went to our boat last week & found a clutch of moorhen eggs in the engine well at the back of the boat.
Fortunately the nesting bird returned to incubate the eggs.
How long before I can use the boat & can I charge them whilst they are in residence
Complain about this comment
This year is proving to be a spectacular year for the Painted Lady butterfly - one of our regular migrants. This is definitely worthy of a mention on the show! More info on the UK Butterflies website at:
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3080
and observers can register their sightings on the Butterfly Conservation website at:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/sightings_home/1095/migrant_watch.html
Regards,
- Pete Eeles
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk
Complain about this comment
Observed 2 stag beetles in flight circa 9:30pm last Saturday May 23, in my garden in Clapham, London. Is this early for stag beetles? They were rising in the air above a woodpile, and seemed attracted by the candle I had burning.
Complain about this comment
Last year i put a bumble bee box at the bottom of my garden which they have snubbed in favour of a better nest site, my shed. While cleaning out the shed in early April i discovered a pile of grass & leaves and thought a mouse had used it for the winter as i got closer i could hear the buzzing. Over the past few weeks there has been a hive of activity (sorry) and they seem to be doing really well. I've been trying to identify them and i think after watching them go to and fro at the weekend that these are the early bumblebee (bombus pratorum). Its only small and loves the Jasmine in my garden. I have been trying to find out how many are usually in a colony and the only infomation i could find said between 50 & 200, will have to wait and see.
Complain about this comment
Im not sure if its their normal time of year but i was walkin in my local woods in Redditch and the pool thats nestled there was covered in tadpoles. The thing im not sure bout was the size of them, they had just started gettin their back legs. This time last year they were still very small and there wasnt as many as there are this year.
Complain about this comment
Springwatch very rarely mention starlings; my garden is inundated with them, far worse this year than any previous. I can't put any food out for the smaller birds, or indeed any birds because the the starlings take the lot. In Springwatch gardens starlings dont seem to exist; why is this?
Complain about this comment
Living in Cornwall where the weather was much much colder than usual, I have noticed much fewer bees of any sort this spring. Birds seem to be much as usual with possibly more greenfinches than I have seen for some years. Butterflies are somewhat later than usual too, and I think the numbers are smaller.
Complain about this comment
Yesterday, Bank holiday Monday, my wife and I saw hundreds of painted Lady butterflies flying in the same direction across our garden. when we went for a walk later on nearby we saw hundreds, possibly thousands of them, all flying north west. I have never seen this before and have lived in the same area since I was born, 46 years now.
Can anyone enlighten me about this?
Complain about this comment
Last year I only had a couple of tadpoles survive in my garden pond. This year I have hundreds and hundreds and they are doing really well and all look like they have the potential to develop into frogs !!!
Complain about this comment
I have noticed a big increase in butterfly's this year. I was recently in a Tesco car park and there was at least 30 on one shrub alone. In our local park they seem to be everywhere. Some looked like red admirals but there was also a large abundance of lighter brown butterfly's
Complain about this comment
Where are all the Swallows ?
I have seen none in Edinburgh this Spring.
Complain about this comment
whiles walking my dog i past an old drain pipe that has been used as a fence post standing upwards as i was walking past i heard some baby birds and the sound was coming from deep inside will these babys be able to get out i stood back and watched and a parent blue tit went inside to feed just thought this was strange the pipe is about 4 foot long.
Complain about this comment
Hi Springwatch team......For the 1st time in 25 years we have had no frogs visiting our ponds or garden this year, the grass snakes are still around........... but no frogs. There was a late cold spell in Feb. when they normally start arriving, could this be a reason for this strange occurence ???? we live in Eversley in Hampshire.
Chris
Complain about this comment
We have at least a dozen Painted Lady butterflies visiting our garden in Hampshire. We have never seen so many before.
Complain about this comment
MISTLE THRUSH - We have seen our first pair of these for a few years and, guess what, they have started nesting in the cherry tree in our garden - the female started sitting last week. I have never seen Thrushes on springwatch, have you ever featured them at all? they are after all magnificent beirds that are not only very tuneful but also brave in protecting their eggs and young.
Complain about this comment
During the last 18 month we have been watching 2 Little owls. Last year they produced 2 Little little owls. Eventually,the 2 young disappeared. At present only 1 owl is showing. We believe the 2nd owl is sitting on another nest. The site of this nest is in a dry stone wall, which this year we have managed to locate. Bearing in mind we live in the heart of Weardale County Durham, its amazing to watch these little fellows survive such a hard winter. Here's hoping for a further 2 Little owls!!!!
Complain about this comment
Hi
At the moment I am observing a female blackbird fishing for tadpoles in my newly established pond. There is "beach" area where birds can go to get a drink and she has taken to patrolling up and down waiting for a tadpole to surface. She then plucks it out of the water, pops it on the beach, turns it around to her satisfaction and then eats it. I've not seen her take any away to a nest but always seems to eat them herself. She's very efficient - I've seen her take four in less than two minutes. I'm hoping she's going to leave some to grow up. I suspect that she learnt this behaviour as a few weeks ago I observed a female trying to get mud from the roots of a water forget me not - she succeeded in setting the plant adrift but I suspect that she may have found her first tadpole in the mud - if this is the same blackbird of course. Has anyone else observed this sort of behaviour by garden birds?
Complain about this comment
I have seen lots of Painted Ladies in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, which have very faded wings.
Complain about this comment
A respected Butterfly Artist colleague and her husband counted over 420 Painted Lady sightings within a 45 minute period yesterday. Location Charing, Kent.
Complain about this comment
this year even more so than last there has been less birds nesting in my garden, also when i wake there is no longer a dawn chorus!!!!!!
i sit in my garden all day/conservatory, and note the lack of singing in the air.
my garden is a modest acre and natural yet all i see is sparrowhawks swooping through yet no sparrows? and carcasses of robins, blackbirds,
thrushes and coal tits, oh n me gold finches scattering the lawn.
anyone know why.?
Complain about this comment
This evening I noticed the blue tits were flying frantically around their nest box (This box is made from a section of silver birch tree and has been used by the blue tits for many years). I noticed a woodpecker on the trunk of the tree above the box. Then the woodpecker went to the box, popped its head in and out of the entrance then started to peel away the bark from the front around the entrance hole. My husband went out and clapped from a distance; it flew away. We watched with binoculars for a long time before we saw any sign of the blue tits. Eventually they did come back but were extremely nervous about entering the box. They have started to feed again thank goodness. I have never know woodpeckers to behave in this way. Does anyone have any ideas?
Complain about this comment
Hi,
I'm actually after a bit of advice off you!
To our suprise we found a few weeks back that a blackbird had nested in the bush at the bottom of our garden. As you can imagine i was well happy, as an avid birdwatcher i've been watching them intently and 3 little blackbirds are doing well.
My problem and querie is: The nest is in a siloniam climbing bush that is attached to our garage wall. Every year, several times it tends to get caught in winds (as it is at the moment) and falls off. I am very worried about the little blackbirds should this happen and i dont know what i should do if it does. Can anyone offer advice? I would be happy to take care of the chicks should the need arise but nothing would please me more than to see the parents do there job and for me just to be a watchman for them!
I'm so worried for them so please, if anyone can help please do :)
All the best
Glen
Complain about this comment
We where watching the birds in our garden today and noticed a young blackbird badgering a starling which had one of its own fledglings in the garden also. Can you guess what happened next? The starling fed the young blackbird. Following its success the blackbird tried again and it worked.
Complain about this comment
Hi
I have several nest boxes in my garden which are currently occupied by the usual blue tit, tree sparrow and great tit, however the great tit box has an unusual regular visitor in the form of a dunnock which is assisting the great tit parents by feeding the chicks. The dunnock is returning to the box as often of the true parents and sits and waits its turn with its bill full of insects near to the box if the great tit parents are present. The great tits due not seem to mind this 'additional' parent arrangement. Am I right in thinking the dunnock is an adolescent unpaired bird who is simply reacting to the young birds calls and is this type of behaviour common place?
Complain about this comment
Just got back from Morfa Bychan near Porthamdog - saw a painted lady butterfly there - thought this was a bit early but obviously they are out and about everywhere!
Complain about this comment
The frogs mated very early, and by the thousands, but the house martins arrived a month late. The swallows arrived on time. In addition our birds at the bird table have been attacked by a (I think a sparrow and definate not our buzzards?)hawk over a period of several days. He/she sits in the bush adjoining the table and strikes as soon as bird alights. Both male and female woodpeckers are collecting food from the feeder at the same time rather than alternating and our kingfisher hasn't been seen for the last two months.
P.S. Polecat last seen 2 years ago in the Corvedale in Shropshire.
Complain about this comment
I totally agree with the commment about Painted Lady butterflies. Springwatch needs to do a feature on them. Having just returned from a few days in south Devon I have seen hundreds of them. They were flying north in their thousands over the South Hams area.
Complain about this comment
Here in Cardiff, I hadn't seen a House Martin this year till this weekend.
At my local shops where they have nested for years,they have only just arrived and started building nests (most of the old ones having been deliberately or otherwise knocked down. Amazingly, they choose exactly the same points to build even when there are several identical buildings nearby. I think there is a smell they can detect.
In previous years, they have always had their first brood by now, and often feeding young in the first week of May.
The same story at a site near my workplace.
Of course, I shall send all such nesting records to my local bird club and biodiversity records centre (and thence to BTO).
Complain about this comment
In Sawbridgeworth, near where I live, I have seen perennial poppies in flower. Like one of your previous observers, I have seen Painted Lady butterflies at work and in London. The honeysuckle is really early into flower this year. I just wonder whether anyone has seen a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly yet, since this species has dramatically dropped in numbers over the last 2 years.
Complain about this comment
there might be lots of painted ladies about because schools and nurseries can buy butterfly hatching kits (which are painted ladies) for the children to see the life cycle. my mums nursery brought a pop up butterfly house and a tub with 5 caterpillars in, and some food at the bottom .When they formed cocoons the paper they hang from is placed inside the house. unfortunately the children didn't get to see it as they hatched and were released on sunday and its half term.
from Tiegan aged 10
Complain about this comment
I agree with comments regarding a feature on butterflies especially Painted Lady on Springwatch. I have never seen so many in my garden as this year. I admit we are very close to the coast, but counted over 25 this afternoon, hungrily feeding and mating dancing
Complain about this comment
This Spring, the ash trees are later coming into leaf than I have ever noticed before.
Complain about this comment
I have found some 25 or so stag beetle lavea and some 30 - 40 stag beetles in my garden this spring. We have contacted the Stag Beetle association who inform me that these are very rare creatures and we are very lucky to have so many. It would appear that I have two kinds in my garden, one type is a mat black colour, whilst the other is black but with a reddish tinge to its back.
I was wondering if anyone knows anything about stag beetles and more to the point, do they eat live wood, or is it only dead wood that they eat as I do have a couple of fruit trees in the garden and I am a little concerned they may damage them.
from Karen
Complain about this comment
lovely program iv'e been following for years but one important question wheres bill and how is he?if u can not publish the ans please pass on all our bests many thanks for a exerlent program and best wishe's for the exerlent stand in
Complain about this comment
The bad winter has caused a dramatic drop in wren and stonechat numbers in Allendale Northumberland, compared to last year. Pied flycathcer numbers are also down (?adverse weather delaying migration; changes in the Sahel) There are however a lot of adders about!
Complain about this comment
I am on holiday at the moment in Dorset and in the past we have seen lots of rabbits on our travels. However, this year so far we have only seen 3!!
Complain about this comment
Usually too many slugs in the garden-this spring-absolutely none (and no anti-slug measures taken).One successful thrushs' nest but surely they can't be eating the whole slug population.Snails as usual.
Complain about this comment
Could you please tell us more about the different noises that badgers make and when they make these noises? I was awoken the other night by loud badger noises that I think may be called ' chittering'. A sound file would be great to listen to.
Complain about this comment
our swallows have not returned. they have nested for the past 5 years some years two broods... we had a robin nest in the same garage but lower down but this has left its nest with two eggs and two babies... there was no spawn in our pond this year... there have been no aphids, not really bothered about this as i now have beautiful lupins!!! the local fox is driving my dogs crazy... have not seen any hares for the past 6 weeks... we live near brentwood, essex...
Complain about this comment
I live in Lancashire. There have been good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, which is a relief after very poor numbers last year, although Peacock numbers have been a bit lower. I've not seen any of this influx of Painted Ladies yet. Bumble Bee numbers are good, although there are far fewer Honeybees around than last year. Quite a few of the wildflowers are behind where they normally are at this time of the year, but there is a lot of variation between species as to how late this is. Whereas the Bilberry flowering period was earlier this year than last. No cuckoos in the areas of moorland where I normally see them. I have seen very few Sand Martins compared to last year although there are good numbers of Swallows and moderate levels of House Martins.
Complain about this comment
Hi Team, i have found this spring three indiviual fallow deer that belong to different herds in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and guess what? they all have three slots or (toes)on each front leg!!! is this a first???
Complain about this comment
16:00hrs 25th May, Just returned from a short holiday and noticed the
grass needed cutting. Whilst I was cutting around my rockery I noticed a few bees atracted to the centre bush which was glowing like the sun (covering of yellow blossom)I then looked into the bush and saw what looked like a bag hanging down which was moving, I went to get my camcorder to record this activity and using the zoom in facility fully I could safely see the bag was just one mass of busy bees.
Any of your bee keeping viewers needing a few bees please feel to come and collect. Steve.
Complain about this comment
We live in Wales and have always had an abundance of little birds that we feed all year thru - predominantly bluetits. This year the numbers are down significantly with only ONE bluetit sighted as opposed to at least 20. Great tits and chaffinches are also reduced
but we have more robins than ever before. Last year we were very unusually invaded by sparrows who with their offspring totalled about 15.
Complain about this comment
We live in NE Scotland and have noticed over the last couple of summers that the Swifts have reduced in number. We have one who annually nests in our eaves and thankfully she, or her offspring, have been returning. Has anyone heard of any problems with Swift migrations?
Complain about this comment
I am lucky to be a volunteer site warden at Swanwick Lakes in Hampshire and last weekend whilst walking the lakes I stumbled across a Roe Deer and she gave birth, to just a single fawn, just 30 metres away at the lakeside. I have been to check on 'Bambi' and is doing just fine - as is mum. Whilst walking back I noticed a big pair of eyes keeping watch on me from a nest box - A Tawny Owl was sitting in her nest! What a fabulous day! Canada geese,Mallards and Coots with their young all come to see me in the mornings when I shake a tub of seed for them. Very fortunate to be so close to nature....
Complain about this comment
there are less slugs and snails around maybe because of the cold winter. my gardener friends have also noticed this.
Complain about this comment
This year, the Bee's are huge and much bigger than normal, is this because of the winter, there a bit more robust?
Why??
Many others have said this also
Complain about this comment
I think I have had a Hornet in my back garden. It was huge!! At least 2 inches long with a brilliant yellow and black body. It was hovering around and testing the ground with its rear. I thought Hornets nest and lay their eggs in old tree stumps. Anyway my cat was stalking it so I quickly picked her up and put her in doors until the creature flew off. Does anyone know anything about Hornets?
Complain about this comment
I am concerned about the behaviour of the crows in our garden this spring. Normally we see the usual raiding of nests for the young to feed to their own offspring but this spring we have witnessed them attacking, killing and eating baby wood pigeons, full sized wood pigeons, rabbits and worse of all a young fox cub !!
The scene is horrendous as is the mess we are having to clear up on a virtual daily basis. Is this because there is a lack of nests or is something sinister happening. I am keeping my small dog indoors just in case.
Whats going on?
Complain about this comment
It's a strange spring indeed - usually we have lots of swallows in this area (Radnorshire)with 2 or 3 pairs nesting on the house - I've seen one pair close by but none on the house. Also we usually have 2 or 3 pairs of house martins nesting here - I haven't seen one yet. The swifts have arrived and are flying in the nearby town but none here - as far as I can make out, physical circumstances have not changed and can only conclude that many birds were lost in their journey to the UK. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this dearth of birds. On the other hand, we have many siskins and goldfinches here (and eat us out of house and home!)
Complain about this comment
on 8th April this year I came across two WEASELS in close contact in a hedgerow, rolling over and over and screeching a lot. They were so engrossed they repeatedly fell out of the hedge and down the sloping bank. They didn't appear to notice me and twice fell onto my feet!! This went on for some time, so I could observe them, but they moved so fast it was difficult to get a good photo. I could see no blood - were they fighting or is it a mating ritual?If fighting for territory, is it to the death? They were pretty evenly matched, like twins. I was fascinated, I have never seen wild weasels before.
Complain about this comment
Hi everyone, Just thought you might be interested in this. Walking along the local canal on Sunday evening i was very suprised to see a brood of ducklings with one of them completely albino. Not really white, more of a light cream including beak. Having lived in the country all my life this is the only time i have ever seen anything like it.
Anyone know if this is faily common and i`ve just not come across it or is it really rare in ducks.
Complain about this comment
Buzzards: Yesterday (Tuesday 26th May) we saw a field full (and I do mean FULL ) of buzzards. As we drove past they looked like a field of tree-stumps - I turned the car around for another look and we saw a recently rough-ploughed field, sloping south aspect with about 45-50 buzzards - all separated by about 5-10m, all facing the same direction and none engaged in eating - all sitting on top of the plough-ridge. After a few seconds observation about 2/3rd of them flew off in various directions - we counted the remainder and about 15-16 were left ( plus a very sheepish looking pheasant ). We'd not seen this many raptors in one place apart from Gigrin Farm in Rhyader for Kite feeding. Any thoughts ?
Complain about this comment
Hi everyone, enjoying Springwatch! Was I imagining it or did I see a fish with a mouth like a duck on last nights show? Thanx
Complain about this comment
We have a nesting box at the back of our house that was occupied by blue tits. However after a few weeks of lots of activity, with the adults constantly feeding the chicks,( which we were able to hear and see,) 2 days ago it all stopped! The adults were sitting on a near by fence looking bewildered. We found 5 dead baby blue tits in the box! What happened to our blue tit family?
Complain about this comment
SINCE MOVING TO THE COAST 5yrs. AGO &GETTING A DIGITAL CAMERA WE HAVE TAKEN AN INTEREST IN WILDLIFE.WE GO ON WALKS ON THE BEACH ,CANALS AND LOCAL WILDLIFE BEAUTY SPOTS,OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY IN THE FLEETWOOD AREA,CREATED OUT OF WASTELAND.THE MOST INTERESTING EVENT TO HAPPEN THIS SPRING WAS THE ARRIVAL OF A YOUNG BLACK SWAN ON FLEETWOOD BOATING LAKE IN APRIL,STAYING A FEW WEEKS. WE HAVE POSTED PICTURES N THE FLICKR SITE OF THE SWAN,DUCKS ON THE LANCASTER CANAL,SPARROWS FEEDING FLEDGED YOUNG AND NESTING HERONS IN STANLEY PARK BLACKPOOL.
Complain about this comment
We had 2 blackbird fledgelings in the garden, here in north wales back in april, the parents still feeding them for a couple of days after leaving the nest. Never seen them this early here.
Complain about this comment
I saw a Blackbird take a Blue Tit that had only just fledged, is this normal?
Complain about this comment
a Canada goose was attacking a mallard duckling for know reason. first it dive bombed on a family of mallards than started too attack the ducklings that's when the duckling got separated. then the goose made its move it picked up the chick in its beak and broke the chicks wing the duckling fell out of its beak and tried to get away then a crow got it. then ate it. why would a goose do that for know reason ? the mallard family was know were near it
Complain about this comment
We have a male chaffinch who visits our garden and he only has one foot,which is deformed, the other leg is just a stump. He seems to manage well enough and takes off to fly ok.Could his condition be the 'warts' that you mentioned.He never hangs about for very long so haven't been able to get a photo.We also have a crow with white stripes in his wings who brings bread to our birdbath,he soaks the bread to soften it bfore he eats it.
Complain about this comment
I live in Cornwall and whilst walking our dog on Goss Moor in the early mornings it seems as though the world has erupted with sound, smell (most likely the cow dung and the deer droppings)and colour. I hear a cuckoo at the beginning of May which is still going strong, the finches are in mas abundance, the bulrushes are thriving, the mallow is beautiful, the flax plants are thriving in several places but there are no newts and tadpoles visible in the ponds. But can someone please tell me which came into leaf first - was it the ash or the oak. My gran was a Devonshire lady who used to tell me a rhyme:-
If the oak be out before the ash then summer will be but a splash but if the ash be out before the oak then summer will be but a soak! So please which way was it?????
Complain about this comment
We were walking on the beach at Portwinkle, Cornwall on Saturday afternoon the 23rd May 2009 and we saw hundreds of little blue things all along the shoreline, we looked in our guidebook and found them to be, By the Wind Sailors. We have never seen anything like this before.
Complain about this comment
I have seen very few kestrels this spring.
We normally have kestrels hunting over the open ground behind our house and nesting nearby, but I have not seen any for a few months now. I have also only seen two while travelling locally recently. On motorways I only see buzzards now instead of kestrels.
Has the kestrel population taken a large hit with the cold winter and also over the last few years?
Complain about this comment
We admired the tenacity displayed by a pair of Robins several weeks ago when they built a nest in a clay pot in our garden, but only after they/she had removed about a dozen pine cones to create space for the nest!
Bob Suthren, Shropshire
Complain about this comment
Where are all the the House Martins,plenty of swifts,they came back to the nest but have dissappeared not seen them again.
Complain about this comment
this spring i have noticed the drop of birds visiting my garden i got feeders and bird tables full of food but no takers what is going on
Complain about this comment
I've had lots of painted lady butterflies in the garden in the last couple of days-far more than before
Complain about this comment
We have a birdox in our garden that was occupied by Blue tits. Nothing unusual there until a Robin started flying close to the box and landing on the hole opening. The blue tits didn't seem to be too bothered. Then the Robin started to bring food to the bird box and presumably drop it into the box from the opening. The blue tits have now fledged and the Robin looks a little confused. Is this a common thing for a Robin to do?
Complain about this comment
We have some new birds to our norfolk garden this spring and we are not sure what they are! There is about 12 of them and we are told they may be fieldfair. can i email photos to anyone at spring watch so we know for certain?
Complain about this comment
Have just joined and read a few comments, my observations. The painted lady butterfly has arrived from Europe in great numbers over the past few days. The lady with the bumble bees may want to get hold of a book by that title by John Feltwell isbn 0-907970-03-6 (can I say this on BBC site?!(nothing to do with me, I have the book)Re the Badger Cull PLEASE comment on air, there is so much inaccurate reporting and the science is for the Badger but the press only want to print the emotive rubbish. Frogs... all gone from my end of a village but OK up the other, disease was to blame.. presenters, please tell people not to try to re-stock into a diseased area. It is merely condemning to death spawn that could have survived if left alone. Also please mention hygiene around bird feeders to help avoid trichamoniasis breaking out again.Thanks
Complain about this comment
We used to have Humming Bird Hawk Moth's visit our honeysuckle - they were amazing to watch, sadly the honeysuckle became diseased and we've had to chop (oops, sorry I mean prune!) it back. We haven't seen any HBHM for a couple of years. Shame. We used to have Elephant Hawk Moth's too on our fuschia bushes, but they have disappeared too... I feel moth deprived...
Complain about this comment
Two weeks ago I saw a pair of red kites flying over Romsey in Hampshire Is this usual?
I didn't think there were any in our area
Complain about this comment
Hi Kate Chris and team
We live in a village called Hessle East Yorkshire, and we have a lovely wildlife garden pond which is visited each year by frogs, toads and newts, we noticed an unusual occurence this year, a male backbird taking newts out of the pond, is this unusual?, we have had the pond for 20 years and have never seen anything like this before. We have had to put a net over to deter him as he seems to have taken most of the newts (from hat we can see).
John & Debbie Roebuck
PS We love watching your programm it's fantastic, and makes people aware of what's going on in nature
Complain about this comment
Over the Bank Holiday weekend there has been a huge migration of Painted Lady butterflies crossing over from the continent to Essex. Some observers have counted thousands, moving north & west in a rapid stream. Several dozen have been using our garden as a motorway service station, feeding up on their way. We hope some will stick around to breed (plenty of thistles & nettles bordering local farmland) so we can have the pleasure of hundreds of fresh insects later in the summer.
Complain about this comment
I have a strange story. I live near Horsell Common and have been watching a pair of Canada Geese. Their goslings hatched around the 20th of May. I also noticed a female Mallard and her 6 ducklings on the same pond. The Mallard disapeared but one duckling remained. The chick is still OK after several weeks of being on its own. I think this may be because the geese are acting as parents to the lone duckling and also scaring other predators away.
Stuart Cossey
Complain about this comment
Two weeks ago a North American Wood Duck emerged from a hole in a cider apple tree (in an old cider orchard)opposite our house with 6 baby ducklings
Complain about this comment
I have noticed a large drop in the number of starlings in my garden over the winter, and a huge increase in the house sparrow population. The baby sparrows have been around for several weeks now, with the first fledging starling only appearing this morning.
Complain about this comment
Hi Team,
I've just been out for a walk along my local river, the Wear, here in the northern Pennines. After watching a single female Goosander for 10 minutes not doing anything apart from looking elegant standing on a rock in the middle of the water, I carried on to see coming down the river another female with her young...all 15 of them! I've never seen a brood that big, is it uncommon to have so many? It was a glorious sight, I followed them downstream, and when the breeding female encountered the standing bird, she chased it off on numerous occasions as it kept trying to get close to the whole party. Is that unusual? And do the young have a special name?
Hope you find this of interest, and that someone might be able to answer my questions,
Thanks
Donna
Complain about this comment
well just tuned in,to prog.....................where is he then, BILL ODDIE..................missing him allready, rgds
Complain about this comment
It is strange that we had such a hard winter howerver my garden seems untuched by the beeting and the wild life dose not seemed to have minded much ither
Complain about this comment
Re headless birds as discussed tonight(wednesday) I have cleared up two decapitated wood pigeons in the past month. I lie in a village in a rural area but my small garden is enclosed and birds of pray rarely come into the village.
Can I use this as an excuse to blame the cat loving fraternity as I can see no other predator?.
Actually I am no fan of the multitudinous swarms of wood pigeons either but why decapitate?
Thanks
Delhi spearman
Complain about this comment
I'm very lucky to have hedgehogs wandering thru my garden and one resident - can anyoe tell me why that they tolerate each other in close proximity for ages before one of the Hogs butting the other - the first time (i think my hog - smaller and browner) charged and the bigger old silver one mooched off after staying still for about 20 mins - last night one was feeding about a metre from the other for ages before being butted and rolled in to ball on its back and stayed then there - my bully wnet back to feeding !!
Complain about this comment
what has happened to the housemartins? They usually arrive at the
beginning of april, followed two weeks later by the swifts, but for the last two years we don't seem to have any at all. The swifts
arrived two weeks late this year, at the beginning of may.
Complain about this comment
Two weeks ago my wife came to me very excited as she had seen a large exotic bird on the bird table. I saw it when it returned later and it turned out to be a Jay. In 12 years of living here we hear jays regularly in an adjacent conifer wood but rarely get more than a quick glimpse as they cross the garden. This sighting made sense as they had been extremely noisy for several days with a considerable amount of juvenile squawking. Young were obviously being fed!
Complain about this comment
We posted a message on the message board, re a big reduction in Sand Martin numbers, on the sand banks on the river Tyne this year, in comparison with previous years.
We had a few replies with other people saying the same thing in their areas.Also some replies added that they had noticed a decrease in House Martins which i hadn't thought about, but i have to agree,(with only one saying they had seen an increase).What do you think this could be down to?
Also viewers may be interested to know that on Tues 20th May while on holiday in Cumbria we saw an Osprey circling above our heads on Loughrigg Tarn, it then flew towards Elterwater where we lost it, it is too far away from Bassenthwaite to be one of the breeding pair,so we don't know whether it was just passing through or a new summer visitor to the Lake District, (or posibly on of the breeding pairs's young from last year?)
Complain about this comment
With ref to the tadpole eating black bird - the blackbirds have found my marginal/submerged pond plants, perfect feeders - I've now had to put replace half the soil and cover with pebbles cos they take beakfuls of mud with I'm guessing worms back and forth all day. Fortunately it's a wildlife pond so a perfect buffet bar
Complain about this comment
we normally get lots of mallard ducks in a garden(backing on to a stream). 3 pairs nomally and normally two pairs stay with their ducklings. We also nomally have about three males on their own. However this year we've had 2 pairs with ducklings but both have gone since the ducklings hatched, we have a couple of male ducks still but thats it. Does any one have any ideas where the rest have gone?
Tarra xxx
Complain about this comment
Re Swift Populations: We have usually a large population of Swifts in the NE of Scotland, however I feel there has been a reduction in numbers. Has anyone else noticed this and do they have any information to support the idea that they are decreasing.
Complain about this comment
More of a question than something unusual: we loved the video clip of the yawning bat in Episode 2, but - do all animals yawn? Cats and dogs certainly do, but we can't recall seeing sheep, cows or horses yawning, and we are arguing whether birds do. What do your film archives (or those of the viewers) have to say?
Complain about this comment
Regarding your comments about birds feeding other species. On Sunday we watched a Coot feed a Moorhen chick on the pond at Parc Slip Nature Reserve, Tondu.
Complain about this comment
Last year, I went into my garden and saw a Sparrowhawk in my pond with it's wings spread across the surface. I thought it may have been in trouble, but as I approached it took off. It was carrying a (dead) Starling. I wondered if it had accidentely fallen into the pond following it's strike, or whether it was deliberately drowning the Starling, although I have never encountered such a thing.
Complain about this comment
We live beside Wenhaston Heath and this year we have not heard the Nightingale, last year we had visits every day, it was wonderful. Is this due to the cold weather as we have had it suggested?
Another odd happening, a female Chaffinch regularly tap at our Windows as if it wants to come in. Just gently tapping or fly slowly towards our window and tap on the glass in flight. It hops along the windowsill keep tapping. What does this mean please. We have seen the same bird in the garden, quite tame and appearing different than the other Chaffinches. What can you enlighten us with please?
Complain about this comment
Goslings Galore! Greylag geese are now resident on a reservoir in the hills only 4 miles from the City of Stirling. I have a fantastic photo of one family with 18 goslings! How do I send this to Springwatch? There are at least a dozen families with 8 or 9 goslings. On a busy day there are 24 fishing boats on this loch, which is less than a mile long. These greylag families can be seen on or close to the shore not far from the car park. There are resident Canada geese too, but greylags resident? I always thought they migrated. But these have been resident here for about 4 years.Why bother to migrate when everything you want is here in Scotland. But pity the farmers if their fields are stripped bare!
Complain about this comment
Morning all, I was woken by the sound of my first Cuckoo of Spring 2009 here in Nottingham...nice to hear it, as I've not heard one around these parts for years.
Ironically, I turned on BBC Breakfast, to see them reporting the fact the Cuckoo has been placed on the 'Red' list.
I've a good idea whereabouts it is, and intend to have a look to see if I can find it later on, if I'm successful, I'll try to grab a picture. :) Have you seen/heard your first Cuckoo of 2009?
Kev J Nottingham :)
Complain about this comment
I believe there is a massive Painted Lady migration taking place over Europe at the moment. The first wave of migrants arrived in the UK last weekend and it won't be long before the next wave arrives. Large numbers moved through Norfolk all last weekend - did the team's cameras at Pensthorpe catch any of it. Will Springwatch be featuring this? More info can be found here http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=142448&highlight=Painted+Lady+Migration
Complain about this comment
Painted Ladies
We are in the middle of what is probably the biggest Painted Lady invasion of all time - and so far Springwatch has chosen to ignore it.
This event is truly stop-press up-to-the-minute news and therefore must be included in the next edition of Springwatch.
It's sunny again today, so get out with your cameras guys and show the Great British public what butterflies are about. The Painted Lady is one of our most attractive and spectacular butterflies, being probably the strongest and fastest flier we have and the numbers over the last few days have been truly awesome.
Butterfly Conservation is organising a co-ordinated count on Saturday between 11:00 and 13:00. all accessible through their website. Please give them some publicity.
Gordon R. Hopkins
P.S. Keep chewing Kate.
Complain about this comment
There was an orange-tip butterfly in the garden yesterday, first for 2 yrs. Hope they're coming back.
Complain about this comment
Does anyone else think the Swift populations are decreasing? We live in the NE of Scotland and every year a Swift nests in our eaves, luckily we do have Swifts that return. However, it seems that the numbers over the last couple of years have noticeably dropped. I wondered if anyone had any similar thoughts or explanations for the decreasing numbers?
Complain about this comment
Hi, Please can you help me? I have dormouse boxes up in a quite wood. In the winter upon checking the boxes I discovered that a creature had made its home on top of an old blue tit nest. I did just see the snout of this tiny mammal and wondered if it could have been a Pygmy shrew. it saw very vertical in one of the holes at the back of the box what is strange is at the top of the nest and hitting the top of the box is the row of droppings so a very clean animal also there are two round holes in the back were the creature went for refuge. I do have a couple of pictures of the box and droppings nor have I cleared the box yet but the animal has definitely gone. Many thanks.
Complain about this comment
Dear Kate & Co
Help!-we have a pair of green woodpeckers nesting in our apple tree about 10 yards from the house. We are delighted but anxious as our neighbour's two cats have registered this fact. We have put defences in place but we are worried when it comes to the fledglings leaving home. How can we help to protect them? Do they return to the nest hole after the first flight? We can find nothing about the family lives of woodpeckers even in the RSPB books.
What with heron watch on our fishpond and cat watch for the woodies we are exhausted - launching our own children wasn't half as wearing.
Any advice would be so welcome. The parent birds have worked so hard-please help us save them.
prettyWoodpecker
Complain about this comment
I live in Essex and can't remember the last time I saw a painted lady, but this week as soon as the sun comes out so do they. I have probably seen more in one glance than I have seen my whole life. They seem to be particularly attracted to a particular plant in my garden - erysimum, Bowles Mauve. I had been wondering if there were so many because I had put in a plant they particularly liked, or because there was a major influx of them this year - judging by other peoples messages it looks like it must be the latter.
Complain about this comment
Last weekend I walked 7 miles in the Northamptonshire countryside,which was swaithed in wild flowers - but surrounded by silence. No bees nor a cuckoo's call. I was alarmed to see no butterflies and ponds devoid of tadpoles.
Shades of "The Silent Spring" and puts a whole new meaning on the term "Springwatch". What is happening?
Complain about this comment
Each morning I pass a swan who must have been sitting on the nest for seven - may be even eight weeks now. What is the average time for their eggs to hatch? I'm worried that something might be wrong.....
Complain about this comment
Hello all.
We were watching Unsprung Wed. and you were talking about hyberbation. Well one evening in January we were locking up outside when we noticed the dog looking excited about something. He had disturbed a doormouse eating corn from the ducks bowl, which is outside the garage. The doormouse made his way down the side of the house, where my son tried to rescue it, when it stoped behind a flower pot. The doormouse bit Sam and landed inside the flower pot were it climbed up a cane and sat at the top with his tail curled around it. As you can imagine we were very suprised and tried to take a photo but the batteries were too low. Nobody thought of using the cameras on the phones. Sam armed with a pair of gloves picked him up and put him back where we found him. He ran into the garage. We would not have touched him normally, but this was so unusual, it was very cold, and now the cat had taken an interest. We have found chewed up material in the garage and the feed is stored in there. We have not looked for him but just hope he made it. We live in rural Cornwall and are surrouned by hazel trees and have previously noticed a few tale tell signs of the round holes in hazel nuts. Sorry theres no photo, we were all so dissapointed we didn't get one as we thought who on earth is going to beleive this. Any comments very welcome.
Complain about this comment
hello springwatchers,
on the subject of unusual observations this spring is it me or are there very few swifts, swallows and house martins this year? Where have they all gone? I went fishing all day yesterday and only saw 3 swallows, no swifts and no house martins.
Complain about this comment
Hi Springwatch viewers
A squirrel in my garden this morning was apparently "hugging" an old deer antler we had left out. On closer inspection I think it was probably chewing on it. I assume the antler must contain some mineral that the squirrel needed. The antler has been in the garden for many years, but I've never seen a squirrel do this before. I did manage to get a picture of it before it ran off.
Complain about this comment
maybe I should have read all the other coments before I made my comments about the lack of swfts, swallows and house martins it seems I'm not the only one to notice after all!
Complain about this comment
Saw a black headed cardinal beatle this afternoon - I am in South Shropshire, not sure how out of the ordinary this is but I have read that they are rarer than the red cardinal beatle.
Complain about this comment
Of course...it should be 'beetle' - silly spelling mistake!
Complain about this comment
In response to jennet9's comment about the swans, I also noticed that two swans who return to nest every year at a river near my home seemed to have been nesting for a long time. Last year, the cygnets hatched on the first May bank holiday. This year, the cygnets hatched two weeks later. I can't be absolutely sure when they laid their eggs but it did seem that they were sitting for a longer period this year but nine cygnets did hatch eventually.
I also have wondered about the school link with the influx of painted lady butterflies. I am a teacher and every year we get five caterpillars from one particular company used by schools nationwide. They turn into Painted Lady butterflies and we release them about now. I have released my last one today as unfortunately none of them 'hatched' before half term. We have been doing this for a number of years and if schools nationwide have been doing the same, could this be one of the reasons for the influx and/or the early sightings? It may be worth contacting the company involved to see if they can arrange to send a different variety of caterpillar each year.
Complain about this comment
This morning my wife saw a big bumble bee, and two smaller bees (half the size) in a bundle on the ground - a woodland path, rollong around together. Is the 'spring friskiness' in the bee world? If not, what could they have been doing?
Bernard
Complain about this comment
Yesterday we were on our way between Charing and Faversham in Kent, in a deep grasshilled valley under tree cover, when out across the road flew - what we both thought looked like a bird as big at least as an buzzard!! but honestly it looked like the colouring of a golden eagle!! but I knew it couldnt be that!!! it had at least 4 foot wingspan!! do you think it could be an escaped bird of prey??? would love to know if anyone else had seen it in that area??? luckily as there was two of us, and we both saw it, we are not going mad!!!!!
Complain about this comment
SATURDAY 16.00 16TH MAY SITTING IN GARDEN IN MALDEN RUSHETT SURREY COULD HEAR COCKOO OVER OXSHOTT WOODS
Complain about this comment
The Mountain Hare on the Black Hill area of the northern Peak District kept their winter white coats until about four weeks ago. Their numbers have held up well and we have seen up to five as we jog up the Chew valley and up to Black Hill.
Complain about this comment
We heard the cuckoo first on the 21st of April at home here in Minard near Inveraray, Argyll. There are quite a few around our home.
Complain about this comment
we heard our first cukoo this year on April 10th, in the woodland on Sewardstone Marsh - they're still calling every day...
Complain about this comment
MAY BUG - COCKCHAFER
There's only 3-days left and the May Bugs haven't popped out yet!
Maybe the sunny weather this coming weekend will help.
Lower Maescoed - Herefordshire
Complain about this comment
Sorry folks but this is a bit of a horror story. Watching tonights Springwatch inspired me to tell about Zero. Our birdfeeders have recently attracted one of Britains most beautiful finches, yes the Goldfinch {particularly keen on Sunflower Hearts). A pair nesting in a tree in the neighbouring garden were acting very agitated one warm sunny evening. Curious as to what was troubling them I went to investigate and discovered a young (not fully fledged) chick on the ground and the neighbours cat was eyeing it up for supper. I took the bird to my garden, a safer place with no cats, and hoped the parents would come to its aid. It was quickly going dark so not wanting to leave it cold and vunerable I made it a nest in a small box and took him into the house. Next morning it was doing fine and I tried to feed it wiv some ground sunflower hearts and mealworms. Still too dark as I left for work for a 6am start I made sure it had feed in the hope it would be old enough to feed itself. When I got home I took it into the garden and after some time it's parents returned and started to feed it. Watching from an upstairs window I could see Zero (named because he was so naughty) sitting on top of my pussy willow tree when suddenly a grey squirrel appeared. My concern was that the squirel would scare Zero into the path of a cat. To my horror the squirrel grabbed Zero jumped onto the fence and brutally tore him/her apart.
Perhaps this story gives us a clue as to why some of our native British birds are reducing in numbers.
Dont feed the squirrels.
Stretford, Manc.hester
Complain about this comment
on 27th of may my mum visited a garden centre in hailsham sussex where they had a delivery of potted scabious out on display, it was a lovely sunny afternoon and she saw well in excess of 200 painted lady butterflies all over the plants and in the roof canopy. fantastic!!
Complain about this comment
I am not really sure this is something that should be on this particular part of your site, as I don't know whether it is something that happened because of the spring or just due to something else all together!..We were sitting last Sunday morning - it was earlyish..8.15am, we were in our sitting room, with the back door from the kitchen to the garden wide open, all of a sudden my husband jumped up and started to talking to the ceiling of the kitchen and closing the door from the sitting room to the kitchen, saying "oh no you silly thing, you don't want to go in there!" - so of course I had to know what it was..- it was a house martin flying around our kitchen ceiling - we were just frightened that itwould hurt itself, but it seemed to eventually get its bearings and go out of the back door and flew away, none the worse off for his experience. We were able to appreciate the magnificent colours of the bird whilst he was that close but I think the poor little thing would be far better not having had the close encounter with humankind! - Why did he do it though? I thought they had good senses? especially about where they fly into and for how long.
Complain about this comment
We've been passing a tree in our small park (next to our doctors' surgery) on a daily basis and can hear a young bird making a racket inside the tree. We thought it was maybe a woodpecker, then today saw one alight on the back of the tree (we think there is a rear entrance to the nest) and assume it was a Lesser Spotted. There are a couple of round holes in the trunk, one perfectly round. We are watching, or rather listening, for any progress.
Gillyphil
Complain about this comment
I live in deepest darkest Cardiff and have noticed that the city is absolutely teeming with sparrows this spring. I walk about a mile to get to university, and they are never out of earshot. As soon as I pass out of range of one, another takes over chirping. I don't know if this is new this year, or that I have only just noticed it. Either way, the sparrow is very much alive and kicking in Cardiff!
Complain about this comment
Incredibally high increase in small insects in the countryside near were i live, increase in pasrines, alot more wood pigions and a decrease in the sightings of kestrel were they once used to be quite common, Chelmsford, Essex,
Complain about this comment
In Spring 2007 we had 8 families of starlings nesting in various places around the farm in Ryedale North Yorkshire. This was the norm over the previous years. Spring 2008 only 2 nests. Spring 2009 none at all. Never thought I would be saying this but where have all the starlings gone? Swallows have declined from 7 nesting pairs to 2 over the same period despite having the same number of barn and stable nesting opportunities.
On the other hand we have large numbers of tree sparrows - and a cuckoo.
Moorhens are doing very well but coots have disappeared.
Barn Owls in residence (you should see the mess - but worth it) as well as Little Owl and Tawnies.
Complain about this comment
The frogs normally arrive here (west coast of Scotland) at the beginning of February and this year they didn't start to arrive until the end of Feb. Plus - instead of arriving all at once (so it usually appears) they arrived much more gradually in dribs and drabs.
This year however, in the same ditch as the tadpoles, I have seen far more newts than usual - is this noteworthy?
Complain about this comment
The House Martins have just arrived this week in Thorpe on the Hill, Lincolnshire, are they later than usual?
Complain about this comment
Dear Springwatch Team , as a loyal viewer to the programme I would like to tell you about our little oasis in leafy Sunningdale.
We have a frequently used bird table by almost all wild birds, including amongst the various tits/ and long tailed tits, plus 2/3 types of woodpecker, and nut hatches.
This spring, being so warm and lovely I find my flowers are attracting many types of bumble bees and masses of butterflies. We have frequent visits to our front garden by deer (not too good for the shrubs and roses) and in the backdrop of our woodland, foxes and other animals. The jays like our habitat and the damp areas have attracted newts. We have a special place, but are not in the heart of the countryside. We are privileged. Not heard the cookoo yet, but they will be here very soon, probably flying over from Windsor Great Park.
Complain about this comment
Call me a wimp but I didnt like seeing that poor little fledging being pounced on by the weasel last night and even worse the presenters laughing about it. I know it's the law of the jungle and it happens all the time but it aint funny.
Complain about this comment
Hi
The most unusual thing I have seen this spring happened about a month ago (late April). Eating my breakfast, watching the birds as usual, I became aware of a strange chattering, croaking sound and looking into the oak tree behind my house found a lone parakeet, happily preening and talking to himself. He flew over the house on a few days after this sighting but I've heard nothing since.
I live in North Oxfordshire, 5 minutes from the Oxford canal, about a mile from the Thames path and several miles from the M40.
Kingfishers, water voles and so much more can be seen along the canal and Red kites are a familiar daily sight and sound now, but this was my first parakeet. Are they spreading?
Complain about this comment
I live in a rural area just outside King's Lynn, Norfolk. My garden backs on to a river and corn/rapeseed fields. I tend therefore to have a variety of birds in the garden but this year all through the winter I had Yellow Hammers and Reed Buntings more or less resident in the garden. This is the first time I have seen them in the garden and I have lived here for 9 years. What do you think may account for this? They have now gone off to nest but are still visiting the ground feeders maybe once or twice a day.
I would be very interested to hear your comments.
Thank you.
ReedRa, King's Lynn
Complain about this comment
Saw waves of Painted Lady butterflies crossing the field in front of my house in Shapwick Dorset on 25th May.Had a swarm of bees in the garden on 22nd of May as did many other places in the locality Check out the Bournemouth Echo.
Complain about this comment
We have seen a reed bunting feeding from a plate of seeds (1 foot above the ground level)on our feeding station. This was newly installed earlier in the spring and is sited at the edge of our lawn some 20 feet away from the house. The reed bunting has made several appearences later in the afternoon. We live in March, Cambs. Our housing estate is about 200 yards from open fields and drainage ditches which is where you would normally expect to see the reed bunting.
Complain about this comment
Butterflies are seldom mentioned on the programme. Plenty of Painted Ladies, Speckled Woods and Wall Browns this year, but where are the Brimstones, Orange Tips and Small Tortoiseshells?
But I have had my first-ever Whitethroat in the garden.
Complain about this comment
Hi all.
I don't if this is classed as unusual, but, my wife and myself have just started bird watching, mainly in out back garden where we have place out some feeders and a bird table, got to keep the dogs in though. Today at 3:45 PM I saw a Green Woodpecker on the roof of the house opposite. I have a very good book with all the info you need for spotting and identifying all the birds that visit our gardens, I checked and it definately was a Green Woodpecker and according the scale it is not that common, about half way up the scale. I live in Caldicot, South Wales not far from the Severn Estuary. I am over the moon with spotting this, and wow what a big bird at least a foot long.
Complain about this comment
We live in Shrewsbury and the swifts have arrived about 3 weeks ago, but there definitely aren't as many as usual. We have blackbirds, sparrows, wrens, robins, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, collared doves, wood pigeons, magpies, and starlings nesting in our eaves (they are roosting in the roof over our bathroom toilet, and they return every year!). Back in November for a couple of days we even saw a jay pecking worms out of the lawn. I do not put food out for the birds because I have 2 actively hunting moggies, and it would be like condemning the birds to certain death if I tried to feed them, much as I would like to. Our neighbour has a bird table however which is well protected from the cats, and he gets a grey squirrel coming to nick the food every morning. We also get the occasional pheasant in the garden, the cat tried to get one once, and I was worried as they don't fly that well, but it escaped.
In the Harlescott area of Shrewsbury last year we saw the great flocks of starlings swirling around in their clouds, an incredible sight.
Complain about this comment
I would just like to confirm your comments about the influx of painted lady butterflies, we sat in the garden this afternoon and hundreds, in a steady stream passewd over, and are still coming!
Also my son hears the cuckoo regularly when he goes fishing at the Dinas Lake above Aberystwyth, just past the Red Kite feeding station at Nanty-yr-Arian.
Complain about this comment
The flower opening times seem to be all out of kilter, some opening earlier, some the opposite. I also saw a redstart on my willow at the front of the house which I have never seen here before.
Complain about this comment
I heard a cuckoo the beginning of last week in Canobie, Dumfries and Galloway
Complain about this comment
I live in the Scottish Borders and this year we have more swallows than usual, we have 11 active nests under our eves plus one new one being built. Also I have seen more gold finches than I have ever seen, there were 6 at one time on the peanut feeder yesterday mid-morning
I have seen 26 species at our feeding station this year which is 3 species more than last year
Complain about this comment
At first, just 1, then 2, 3, 4, and now there are 5 Red Squirrels in our garden. See them dozens of times a day. Have a peanut feeder just outside the lounge window , and the squirrels can be viewed through the glass from just 2 feet away. They don't run off when they're being watched and up to 3 of them are here at once. They even share the feeder with the local G S Woodpecker. JUST BRILL. I'm located near Newton Stewart in Galloway.
Complain about this comment
Seen lots of painted ladies at the garden centre where I work in Berkshire. Must be a good migration year. They particularly seem to like the flowers of Heliotrope.
Complain about this comment
Yes,i like to go for a drive on my weekends off in the country,I go to places such as chew vally lakes,chew magna,bishop sutton,cheddar,bath,just a few places that has lot's of country walks and wildlife,but i have noticed there are not many butterflys as norm this year,or lady birds?? i've seen one lady bird about 2 months ago. is it just me or has any one else noticed this?? :-/
Complain about this comment
I live in South Yorkshire, but unfortunately the Painted Lady influx did not reach as far as here. However we had a lot of Speckled Woods in April plus quite a few Small Tortoiseshells which were eyeing up the large patch of nettles in the front of the garden. I'd intended to cut about half of them, but my husband was nursing a bad back and I just had an operation, so it never got done. Now I am a proud parent of hundreds of peacock and a few tortoiseshell caterpillars. They are about to pupate and now I have to leave them until July till they hatch. So if you are passing a front garden in South Yorkshire which is covered in nettles, now you know why I have not cut them!!
I have also saw a common blue and an orange tip in April in the garden.
I am now growing nasturtiums so that they will feed the white caterpillars. However if you plan to do this they don't seem to to like the ones with the variegated leaves.
Complain about this comment
I noticed a very strange looking spider in my garden last week. Long stick like body (red and black markings)about 1/4 inch long and definitly 8 legs.
It appeared to like my tomato plants, so left it well alone.
Complain about this comment
I live in a tiny village 1000feet up on a South Lanarkshire moor on the edge of the Pentland Hills next to a SSSI and I have lots of wonderful birds visiting my feeders such as Gold Crests and Siskins, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Blu Tits, Great Tits and Coal Tits as well as Sparrows, Dunnocks, Robins and Starlings, Ring Doves and this year a pair of Red Poll and on the odd occasion by a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Heron and Swans flying down the burn and Wheatears, Curlew and Lapwing nesting on the surrounding moorland and fields.
It is an area that is kind of forgotten when surveys are carried out unfortunately which is sad as it is full of amazing flora and fawna.
I love the programme .... keep up the good work!
Complain about this comment
We have not seen as many Swallows this year, there appear to be just two flying around our property and there is no sign of them nest building.
Complain about this comment
We found a bumble bees nest in our greenhouse! My husband and daughter were having a clear out and found the nest under a cardboard box, which was placed on the raised bed we use for growing toms. We were going to move the nest as it is a bit in the way, but we decided to leave where it was and not disturb it any more.
Great to see, but no toms this year!!
Complain about this comment
We have a Fox family living on our school grounds they seem very healthy as the rabbit population on the school grounds is very heathy too, We are surrounded by farm land on all sides with hedgerows and the area has quite a lot of woodland as well.
Complain about this comment
House Martins,Swallows and Butterflies were late this year in the high country of Co Tyrone.
Complain about this comment
I really am wondering were all the toads have gone this year, in fact I,m rather worried such is the dramatic number I have not seen so far, I live on the banks of a very large pound with a stream at the rear so seeing and dodging many toads was expected, I often counted them and could some times get 25 on my lawn alone. This year some thing is missing... the toads, where are they ? I have only seen the odd one or two and this is such change to the norm. What do you think
Complain about this comment
In this part of Buckinghamshire near Aylesbury, we seem to have a lot of House Sparrows, especially young ones. More so than I remember in previous years.
Complain about this comment
I haven't seen any ladybirds this year. I have noticed less and less over the past few years. Anyone else seen any?
The blue tits in our box have fledged (2 didn't make it). This is a couple of weeks earlier than previous years.
Complain about this comment
North Norfolk
Lots of Peacock butterflies on the North Norfolk coastal path between
Stiffkey and Wells, plus 30th May masses of Painted Lady butterflies on the backtrack from Wells to Holkham
Complain about this comment
We have noticed last spring and this year that woodpeckers are on the garden pecking the lawn as a normal bird. Is this because they have young and need more food?
Complain about this comment
It's been suggested by a warden at Loch Garten RSPB reserve that I contact Chris Packham for the answer to a question that has long puzzled me.
How do cuckoo chicks know how to 'Cuckoo'? If they have been raised by an unwitting reed warbler or dunnock why do they not repeat their calls/songs as that is what they will have heard while in the egg and nest?
P.S Can I suggest everyone visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/webcams/birdsofprey/lochgartenvideo
Livestream video of EJ and Odin, 2 osprey and their 3 chicks. Superb.
Complain about this comment
I live near Poole in Dorset and we'd just got home from a walk this afternoon and looking out of the window I noticed a swarm coming down the street! We looked out and it appeared to be bees and was accompanied by a very load buzzing. We quickly closed all the windows and the swarm continued down the road and off into the distance. I have never seen anything like this. Has it been precipitated by the warm weather?
Complain about this comment
We have had blue tits nesting in a box in the garden for the last 2 years. This year, we heard a woodpecker in the woods about 100 metres behind our bungalow. About 2 weeks ago it appeared in the garden, feeding on peanuts. After a couple of days it was hammering on the blue tit box between 5 am and 8 am in the morning. It has increased the size of the blue tit hole by 50%. In spite of this the blue tit parents have continued to feed the young ones and, once we had removed the peanuts, the woodpecker left us. Can you tell us, please, why the woodpecker has behaved like this. Was it trying to get to the young ones or, perhaps, thinking of this box as a nesting place for itself?
Thankyou
Rosemary & Roy Williams
Aberporth, Cardigan, West Wales.
Complain about this comment
I think the cold winter we have had has inproved the flowers in my Forest of Dean garden this spring. The daffs were better than ive ever seen them and the blossom on all my apple trees and shrubs has been beautiful.
Had lots of frog spawn and tadpoles but they now seem to have vanished does anyone know why this might be?
debbiewin
Complain about this comment
Red Kite - Forest of Dean, Woolaston, West Gloucestershire - excellent clear sighting this afternoon. This is the first one I have seen in this area. Previously, I have not seen any between M4 Membury Services area, Berkshire and the mid Wales area. A magnificent bird, lets hope they are here to stay.
Complain about this comment
Hen Harriers.
What a thrill to see a pair of Hen Harriers flying just by the side of our car as we drove near Wandsford,Cambs. The male bird was flying above the female and it was just a magnificient sight. If it hadn't been for Springwatch I might have thought 'what are they?' and that would have perhaps been it. So a big thank you to you and I will keep a watch out for them next time we drive that way, which should be in a week or two.
Complain about this comment
Can you please explain the antics of a magpie. I watched it chase and catch a live mouse in my headlights. I always thought that magpies would eat carrion but not actually chase prey. I was very suprised and would like you help.
Thankyou,
calamity7
Complain about this comment
noticing alot fewer swift, house martin and swallows in the area where i live in sheffield?
Complain about this comment
About a month ago a mallard started spending a lot of time on the roof of a house I can see from my kitchen window. Over the next few weeks other mallards started joining him and we have even seen him have a girlfriend over a few times. There are now regularly 4 - 6 of them on the roof for most of the day, and well into the evening. We live across the road from a park and about 3 miles from a WWT centre so we don't understand why they would suddenly start spending so much time on the roof of a house in a busy street.
Complain about this comment
Since the hard frost and snow this winter I have not seen or heard any Goldcrest in Suffolk (Minsmere or Haverhill). Also not seen or heard them in pine forest of Hale Parlieu, New forest, when this is normally only bird you hear. Is there any evidence of population crash after the hard winter?
Complain about this comment
My garden had a 'small' fall of Painted Lady butterflies over the weekend following their migration. I counte up to 12 at any one time but there were more flitting around, chasing, rarely settling which has made it impossible up to know to get a picture of them. They are faded after their journey and some decidedly ragged around the edges. But they are active and busy. This is the firs time for a few years the garden has had so many.
Complain about this comment
1)There appears to be a proliferation of wild? daisies, with white flower heads at the sides of roads, alongside country tracks etc.
2) Very few butterflies to date
3) 3-4 weeks ago there were plenty of bees around, and some bumble bees, but to date they seem to have largely disappeared.
Complain about this comment
There have been a large number of Painted Ladies about for the last week or so. I work in Prestatyn, live in Dyserth and was out walking in Abergwyngregyn on Saturday, and there were and have been lots in all three of those areas. I've not seen any before, and had to go and look in the books to be sure what they were. Beautiful big orange things, and very fast!!!
Complain about this comment
Yesterday Sunday may31st at Lamorna Cornwall south of Penzance
Continual passage all afternoon, crossing garden, of Painted Lady butterflies all on a mission flying SW to NE at rate of 400 hour
Complain about this comment
Why do our goldfish 'disappear', regularly about this time of year. Every year we think they have been eaten by a Heron but then, suddenly, they return, as quickly as they disappeared. We have gone to great lengths to protect from Heron attack and I don't think it is possible but why do they go deep?
Complain about this comment
Facinating to see the Leopard Slugs. I have seen them in my garden but thought that they were that colour because of what they were eating. I've not seen them mating but will look out for that amazing event. They will be more welcome after seeing that.
Complain about this comment
The things we have noticed this spring is the number of Bumble Bees this year. Our flowering chives are covered as well as all the other flowers. We have never seen so many bees before.
Also feel the bluebells gave a better showing this year and the blossom as well.
Located Churt, Surrey near the Devil's Punch Bowl.
Complain about this comment
We have been lucky to have a blackbird nest a few feet from our kitchen window, over the weeks the female has become quite tame even to the point of begging for food. Weof course offered meal worms which were gratefully received. We however never saw a amle blacky in attendance. Then one day we found an unfeathered young hatchling on a different part of our garden, we thought nothing of it other than disappointment that it had died. However and this is the strange part, we were sitting in the garden when we noticed a male blacky disappear into the bush where the nest was and then reappeared carrying a fledgling. and flew off with it. Later it was found abandoned on a neighbours drive (dead of course) any idea why it should have done this? it left only one in the nest which has since fledged abd is now making a racket wanting to be fed.
Complain about this comment
I'm in Surrey. We have bees that are living under our shed. There is a constant stream of bees going in and out from sunrise to sunset. They go in and out at exactly the same point and if the shed door is open they start flying around angrily as if they can't find their way in. Is this normal? Could they possibly have created a beehive under a shed?!
Complain about this comment
I have just been walking round the village and in the church graveyard next to my house I counted roughly 150'ish Painted Lady butterflies. They have a taste for Centranthus rubra (Red Valerian) which is growing all ove the tops of the mortared stone walls. A relief to see so many again after a few years with so few.
Complain about this comment
I have noticed the spring flowers flowered a little late. They have been larger, more colourful and larger numbers than previous years, as well as seeming to last longer.
Complain about this comment
I work at an open farm and we found a wagtails nest in that back of the tractor that goes out several times a day doing tractor rides around the farm. It was tucked away behind the cab and we noticed the parents flying down to meet the tractor each time it returned. There were 5 or 6 healthy chicks in the nest when we found it and there they remained despite the tractor going off, leaving the parents to collect food in time for its return. The chicks fledged and I have seen them around the farm.
Complain about this comment
We have had a pair of collared doves in our garden for several years now and some years they do manage to produce live young. However, more often their nests are poorly built for and a small amount of wind knocks them out of trees along with the eggs. They chose a different tree this year and we hoped for live young. The female spent about 2 weeks sitting on the nest and then just stopped. We can see no eggs or chicks. Can anyone tell me why collared doves seem to build such scanty nests for birds of their size and why, at least in our case, they seem to so rarely care for the eggs through to chicks and beyond? We have a diverse habitat in the garden and other species, including blackbirds, tits and chaffinches all breed successfully in the garden. Thanks emily
Complain about this comment
I SAW SOMETHING WEIRD THIS MORNING WHILE GARDENING IN PIDLEY CAMBS!!!
There was a sudden burst of cheeping and I looked up to see a Moorhen attacking a blackbird fledgling. It had its beak round the baby's neck and was thrashing it about. The cock Blackbird came in to rescue its young, dive bombing the Moorhen to scare it off. Then one of our friendly Robins joined in the attack. Once the fledgling was dropped the Blackbird went up to inspect it, while the Robin continued to chase the Moorhen out of the garden! The fledgling seemed none the worst for its attack and has been hopping around in the undergrowth since.
Did the Moorhen mistake the bird for a frog, which I imagine might be on its normal diet?
We always have Moorhens nesting on our pond but have never seen this behaviour before.
QUERY
We have Great Tits who raise young in our camera box each year. Just wondered if the brood siblings have a means of identifying each other the following spring to prevent them mating with a bother/sister? Or doesn't it matter in the bird world?
Complain about this comment
Usually I see hundreds of frogs (females carrying the males on their backs)crossing a little lane over a 3 day period during March..and later I see all the baby frogs doing the same in the opposite dircetion (going to/from a lake) however, I only saw approx a dozen this spring.
Is this coz of the cold winter?
Thanks
Complain about this comment
sorry..I meant toads not frogs in above post!
ps I have tried to get the little lane closed whilst the above takes place (as on a normal year hundreds are killed) ...I spoke to a councilor and the countrysude council for Wales but unfotunately they told me nothing can be done????any suggestions?
Complain about this comment
please see my message about busy blackbird on the message board
Complain about this comment
One species I have not had in my garden are long tailed tits. There have been less each year and none up to now. Anybody else noticed this.
I am in Perthshire
Complain about this comment
We've had what looks like a small bumble bee, at least it has a yellow stripe dancing around our bird house on the patio. One bee was there on its own for about a week dancing like frenzy around the box almost following the same path each time then another one or two appeared. Was it giving instruction to the other bees? finally a lot appeared and they are now nesting inside. They sit around the hole with their bottoms facing out sometimes six on the tiny hole and only move when one flies in. They continue to do the dance every time they come in. I can't stop watching them and its only feet from where we sit. My only worry is that the grandchildren would be at risk of being stung. I took a picture and put it on the spring pictures section as I am hoping someone will tell me what bees they are. Last year we had wood bees in a different box but didn't get any of the strange dancing. Haven't seen any snails or slugs yet, seem to be leaving the veggies alone at the moment.
Complain about this comment
Is it unusual to have 2 kestrels nesting within 10 feet of each other. They are both in the same tree - one in a purpose built nesting box and the other in the tree itself.
Both females are sitting on clutches of 4 eggs.
Complain about this comment
Whilst on the Isle of Arran I thought I was looking at 3 Whimbrel but after looking in the RSPB handbook it didn't have them on the west coast of scotland at all. i'll put the photo's on the web site and if some one could give me some idea what I was looking at would be appreciated.
Complain about this comment
My Mum lives in Didcot, Oxfordhire and they have had 2 pairs of Kites feeding in their garden. Quite amazing as they live in a semi built up area.
They aren't bothered if you are in the garden either, they will still swoop down if they see food
Complain about this comment
I think Chris has been rumbled! He must have a bet on with the team to see how many Smiths/Morrissey song titles he can get in!!
I am sure I have now heard 3 or 4 including "Frankly Mr Shankly" and tonight's great one that threw Kate completely " You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby!"
Genius Mr Packham, someone out there appreciates your efforts!
Maria
Complain about this comment
we're watching springwatch to see what happens between kate and chris, we love the way kate giggles when chris talks to her and its lovely the way chris stares into kates eyes (awww).
Springwatch 2009 - feel the love!
Complain about this comment
On the 28th may about 8:30 in the evening I was drawn to a magpie and crow sitting on a roof opposite my house, thinking they were trying to get at the fledgling bird nesting there I stood to watch and noticed that they in turn were watching, a group of Five foxes all well grown and pulling a plastic bag around as if in a game, as they were a well grown I thought this rather comical.
Complain about this comment
I don't know if anyone is interested but to attract Gold finches to your garden invest in a Thistle feeder and Thistle seeds I bought one and 2 days later had 2 Gold finches eating them, they have been back everyday since and have eaten a whole feeder and a little bit more , it ids lovely to see them in my back garden I am also living in a house that is situated between a main road and a Railway line so I don't think it matters where you live just give it a go
Complain about this comment
RE MIMICRY & TRIMPHONES
You were talking tonight about bird mimicry apparently being passed down the generations. Only a couple of weeks ago I heard a suburban song thrush giving a very repectable impersonation of a trimphone. It's not I suppose impossible that someone still has one, but equally I'd've thought that the sound might be part of an inherited repertoire.
And what's up with 'Come On Eileen'?
Complain about this comment
I saw something I have never seen before yesterday, 2 bees that looked as though they were either mating or fighting on a leaf in my garden. They did look very different from each other so I really don't know if it was love or hate going on, does anyone in springwatch land know?
P.S. I'm impressed by Chris Packham's punk collection, what does that make me?
Complain about this comment
I know we all know about the influx of painted lady butterflies, but I hope we have enough of their feeding plants to go round?
Being a photographer it has been wonderful for me to capture these gorgeous butterflies.
My whole of my garden is deicated to wildlife particularly the insects.
http://www.pbase.com/carole_s/image/113039328
http://www.pbase.com/carole_s/image/112902554
, so please please everyone grow the right flowers and give these insects plenty of food.
That way we can all enjoy their beauty!
Complain about this comment
Hi guy's
We were taking my daughter back to her RAF base in Shawbury on Sunday evening about 9pm, and there were must have been what seemed like thousands of May flies. I remember seeing Bill talking about May flies on spring watch, last year I think, but I'd never seen them before. I didn't realise how big they were. We must have driven through them for about 3 miles. It was an amazing sight.
Complain about this comment
Last week, I saw in my garden a strange spider, the likes of which I have never seen before. I have tried to identify it on websites and in my creatures book, but to no avail. It had red legs and a red fore-body, and an abdomen about the size and shape of a peanut - but pale beige. I didn't think to take a picture, but can anybody identify this spider? It was very distinctive. I could do a drawing if anybody thinks this is a very unusual creature.
Complain about this comment
Sunday afternoon Myself and my son were on a bike ride in siddington gloucestershire riding down a dirt track enjoying the sun when in 12 yards infront of us were to oppiste gates entering onto two crop fields a beutifal healthy fox maybe female just crossed the road field to field in no particuly hurry, my son Reece who is only nine was messmerised as hed never seen a fox up close as that truly a greaticous site well impressed to see on a beutiful sunny day great job you are all doing cheers from Duncan Vizor Gloucestershire
Complain about this comment
please can you tell me if the Molly Hedge Sparrow has been seen nesting this year as I have not heard anything about her, thank you.
Complain about this comment
I was at Flamborough Head yesterday. looking among the rock pools, to my amazment there were 7 newly hatched ducks swimming around in a large pool. No Adult duck in sight. However. there were hundreds of gulls, small children and adults chasing them around. I fear they couldn't possibly survive, there was no fresh water. What on earth where they doing there. Any ideas?
Complain about this comment
Here in Edinburgh I saw my first swift this year on 30th April.
Saw three in the sky above my tenement on 16th May and many times since, but by this stage there are usually 6 or 8 in this local area. Worrying...
Complain about this comment
Following on from the comments made last night about feeding young with seeds instead of insects, we have a pair of robins nesting in a copse next to our house that appear to be feeding thier young on sunflower hearts!
When i first noticed the adults coming to the feeder i assumed that they were feeding themselves with theseeds. However due to the frequency of their visits i am sure they are taking them back to the nest.
I then feared that they would choke the yongsters with them but they have been doing this now for about a week so i can only assume that all is well.
Erika Warner
Complain about this comment
For the last 5 days I have had a crow coming to the back of my house around 5am and it 'caws' and throws itself at my patio doors flapping it's wings or walks the length of the back of the house pecking at the glass doors and my kitchen door (also glass) quite frantically as if it is trying to get into the house. It continues for 2 or 3 mins then flys off and seems to repeat this behaviour about every 20 mins.
Very strange !!!! Any ideas why ???
Complain about this comment
Sorry, Martin, but I have a plentiful supply of slugs in my garden, just sadly not the leopard slug. Unusually I am noticing a lot of what appear to be small crane flies indoors but know it is too early in the year for the traditional daddy-long-legs - are they a relation?
Complain about this comment
I have a black collared dove nesting within the pidgeon spikes on my satelite dish mounting. In one photo you can actually see a spike in the middle row of spikes going through the wing that is wrapped around it. It`s unbelievable how it manoevres around...but it does!
Complain about this comment
Whilst walking on Crosby Beach (Merseyside) last week we found literally hundreds of razer shells....all sizes and all of course empty...lying along the tide line like driftwood. Not sure if its linked to Spring or something more man-made but I've never seen so many before. Any ideas?
Complain about this comment
when out walking yesterday we saw what looked like wool covering a hawthorn hedge about 8ft by 6ft area.On closer inspection we found it was dense webs containing small yellow eggs and tiny black caterpillars I took some pictures and as we have never seen the likes before we wondered if anyone could tell us what they are.
Complain about this comment
I was watching Springwatch last night (or this morning on iplayer to be precise ) and aren't those kites fanastic in Wales. I really must make the effort to drive over there and see them for myself. Yesterday I drove from Rochester in Kent to Liverpool, along the M1, M6, M62, etc and I saw no less than 10 buzzards soaring during the drive and one sitting on a post.So that makes 11 in a 200 odd mile drive. Another species of raptor on the up.
Complain about this comment
I saw two Harbour Porpoises feeding in the Thames of Lower Hope Point, seemingly oblivious to the heavy shipping plying up and down the river.
Complain about this comment
this year most of the flowers in my garden have flowered about a week later or more compared to last year. this continued until the end of april where everything caught up again. i live in bedfordshire
Complain about this comment
have seen my first cheveral this year. also 40 years ago i watched a fox picking sheeps wool from barbed wire i waited and the dog fox went toa nearby stream lowered itself in the shallow water and to my amazment the wool turned black then i realised it was getting rid of fleas. amazed i was.
Complain about this comment
My local cuckoo has a different call from time to time. It does cuck cuck cuck etc (It misses out the coo bit). I wondered if this had a reason, was unusual etc?
Complain about this comment
On Sunday 31st May I saw a rook/crow and a seagull harassing a very large bird which was squawking like a parrot. The smaller birds were attacking the larger with violence I have rarely seen. They swept in with beaks and feet flailing, but unfortunately, it was too distant to determine if there was an attempt to steal food or just drive off a threat. I think the latter more likely as there was such an audible row from the victim that it would be difficult to to retain prey.
The larger bird, which was Heron/Stork shaped with huge slow sweeping wings, eventually veered away until the attack ceased, then corrected it's direction again once clear. I've never seen these two particuler birds work together in such a manner and certainly not witnessed an attack on a Heron/Stork.
What's going on folks?
Complain about this comment
I visited my daughter bank holiday weekend and,while sat in the
garden we saw a crow land on top of a chimney pot, which had smoke
coming out of it,then it spread it's wings and lay across the top of the pot with it's head inside the pot.It did this three or four times. Do any of the springwatch team know why?
Complain about this comment
Several things we have noticed at school
The tadpoles are taking an extremely long time to turn into frogs in the school pond.
We have our own web cam and were hoping to show you our six baby Great Tits but unfortunately the camera went down and they had flown before we got it back on line. Perhaps next year.
We have also got the largest Dragon fly you may ever see.
It is on our pond. I will mail photo of it into you.
Complain about this comment
Do birds have same sex relationships/friendships?. We have a pair of male blackbirds visiting our garden several times a day, never seen either of them with a mate, they just seem to be happy with each others company.
There is no doubt they are the same birds as thet can be identified by their feathers and beaks.
Complain about this comment
More of a question - I saw a very unusual moth this morning, sitting on my car. It had wings like dried and damaged silvery grey-brown leaves, probably about two inches across. The body was darker brown, hairy and quite fat. I have not seen a moth like this before - is it a local insect? (I live in Cornwall.)
Complain about this comment
I have a blackbird that has learned how to get snails out of shells. This weekend I watched as it upended a sanil it had found, 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter, pecked furiously at the soft tissue, got hold and shoock furiously, banging the snail on the lawn. It took several minutes and lots of pulling and shaking but it eventually got the snail body out, chopped in two and fed it fledgling that was waiting patiently in the border. THe shell remains intact. THis morning there was a another slightly larger intact empty snail shell on the front lawn.
Complain about this comment
I've seen three huge hornets, having not seen any for years. Not very nice!
Complain about this comment
Are Oystercatchers getting braver,dafter or both? I recall a time not too long ago when Oystercatchers could only be easily seen where you'd expect to see them - coasts, shingle beds etc. Now, they are a regular sight very close to human habitation.
They are a fairly common sight and sound flying around the centre of the village where I live in North Yorkshire and appear to have found a kack of adapting to live closer to humans.
I visted Scotland last week and saw one brooding two eggs in a flower urn in the Italian Garden at Glamis Castle, and another nesting in the middle of a very busy roundabout on the outskirts of Scone village. Not the most sensible nesting spots but they both illustrate my point.
Complain about this comment
Today at around 6pm i went ut with my camera and to my luck i heard some foxes. i found them in a field as i could see the crop rustleing they were making screaching noises.i ws filming it and i saw the mother run in and then i saw all three foxes run out in a line. tomorrow i want to see if i can film them in better quality. Will they come out at the same sort of time? please could you answer this in tonights spring watch unsprung - wind moriagoblin
Complain about this comment
One for Simon, last weekend at Potteric Carr nature reserve (Doncaster),
one heck of a commotion in the undergrowth, a Stoat then appeared running down the path in our direction, closely followed by a Grey Squirrel, whose intentions were all too clear, now I am no Mammal behaviour expert, but wasn't this the wrong way around, I have seen Stoats be the aggressor on many occasions, but this just seemed really
strange, does this sort of thing happen often!?
Complain about this comment
my garden is usually inundated with blue tits and great tits, last year a pair of blue tits nested in an old water barrel just outside the window and the feeders are usually covered in the little critters... but this year both species disappeared about 2 months ago, ive had a couple reappear today and yesterday but its all very strange! They were here all through the hard winter though, and ive got lots of sparrows and goldfinches and starlings and greenfinches and all sorts so it cant be cos the food isnt to their liking... as i said, very strange...
Complain about this comment
By now we usually have at least 2 Sparrows nests in next doors roof and fascia tiles. We cannot fill the bird feeders fast enough.
This year not a single sparrow to be seen, anyone else noticed a serious lack of Sparrows?
Location= South Coast of Dorset.
Complain about this comment
As we have been watching Springwatch, it has made us a lot more aware of our surroundings, noticing things that we never even realised were there! When walking to work this morning the sunshine was blaring through the gaps in the trees and we noticed something which we have never seen before. We thought they were midges? or maybe greenfly? They were literally falling out of the trees - but looked like a little ball but then they seemed to open up and start to fly back up into the trees just before they hit the ground. It was the most amazing sight but we really don't know what we were looking at. Could anyone help us and explain what this was? There were hundreds of them.
Complain about this comment
Hi.
I live in Lincolnshire. The Sparrowhawk has taken most of the blue tits and robins. We have more sparrows and finches than we normally have.Also a pair woodpeckers which have been feeding on the peanuts.Today we have had several painted ladies. We've noticed the cuckoo is absent. We have only heard it and seen it once this year.
Complain about this comment
We have 1 or 2 bats that are flying around our front garden we didn't see much of them last year but they have come back again and seem to come every night again now. where are they likely to roost during the day is it near by?
Complain about this comment
WE have seen a blackbird killing and take a baby mouse to it's nest This is the first time we have ever seen this is this normal
Complain about this comment
my dad went outside the front garden to water the plants, he noiced there was a hedgehog right outside the door looking at him, we have never been so close to one!
Complain about this comment
I saw my aunts cat attack a fox right next to the back window, and in my own garden i saw a rabbit with a magpie sitting on its head pecking at its ears, why would it do this??
Complain about this comment
on the weekend i was drawing in the garden and i kept on hearing flapping for 10 minutes i knew something wasnt right , so i went over to the formium i parted the leaves and inside was a great tit fledgling , it was trapped so i picked it up and it flew into the woods!
Complain about this comment
i saw a red kite flying over our garden and swooping into our neighbours , in a big circle it was so close i could see its face !
Complain about this comment
Have seen a pair of Fieldfare on 27th May in parkland in Northamptonshire never seen them before in this area
Complain about this comment
i have noticed several things this year, an increase in butterflys and a decrease in ladybirds young birds in general especially blue tits, i am wondering if the team think this is a general thing or could it be the amount of cats we have round here,
Complain about this comment
A pair of collared doves nested in our hanging basket - 3ft from our patio door, the chicks fledged this weekend - but the parents have chased them from the garden and a pair are now sitting on 2 new eggs - but we dont think it is the same pair as they appear more nervous than the first time. What do you think? Is it a different pair?
trojanwatch
Complain about this comment
In our garden out-buildings in Dorset we have not had the usual three or four pairs of swallows nesting. We have hardly seen any at all. Usually there are plenty about, but not this year. We see some swifts, and mistle thrushes seem more plentiful. ???????!
Complain about this comment
Just recently there has been a lot of strange noises in the garden at night. This morning at 0730 my kids woke me to tell me there was a Fox on the patio. I missed it, but I must admit I have been suspicious for a while (since both our rabbits disapeared about two months ago). Tonight at 2030hrs I looked into my neighbours garden at the base of her shed which is 2ft from the fence and suddenly a little head popped out saw me and went back in. We have a fox nesting under our neighbours shed. Can the BBC help in getting some footage as I don't own the kind of specialist equipment to capture its movements?
Complain about this comment
What about the big beetles this year - fantastic! We have just watched a stag beetle zoom clumsily round the garden and have had a number wandering around. Last week cockchafers came into the house and clattered about before being ejected. We have also had two large irridescent green/gold beetles in the broad beans. Can we see some on springwatch please.
Complain about this comment
can anyone help, i have noticed in a hedgerow a large patch covered in a cobweb like substance that is covered in literally hundreds of little black and white banded catterpillars. The patch is writhing with them some sre climbing up and down strands of the cobweb. I have taken photos and video of them but not sure how to upload them to this site. an anyone out there help me identify them?
Complain about this comment
Loads more bumble bees this spring. They are crazy for my Grevillea which because of the cold winter flowered later than usual. Maybugs are around and plenty of white butterflies, peacock, orange tip, brimstone and even a red admiral. My pond has been full of mating great crested newts where we normally only see isolated females passing through.
Complain about this comment
Saw Simon talking about Goosanders briefly on today's show. They are seen as upland birds, but over the last six months I have seen a group of them fairly regularly on the river Ystwyth at Tan-y-Bwlch, less than a mile from Aberystwyth harbour. Is this unusual?
Complain about this comment
Has anyone seen brown hares eating carion?
In April this year, my parents were driving home at 11.30pm at night and saw a brown hare eating the carcass of a dead badger in the road.
I have found some vague references to hares eating meat in hard seasons, but there is not much information, and contacts in the Kent Mammal Group were also unaware of this behaviour.
Complain about this comment
knowle locks SOLIHULL. 3 weeks ago....heron jumped into water in between locks(passing area) to catch a large fat fish ( 12 inches + )was deep water. watched it as it struggled to eat it. did not wade in but jumped in from concrete bank.....your fish are not safe!!!!
I was on the other side.
Complain about this comment
On bank holiday Monday I saw dozens of painted lady butterflies in my garden in Hampshire. Can you tell me how long these butterflies live and how long it takes them to get here? How do they have enough energy to fly all that way?
Complain about this comment
Came home from work last night to find my daughter Alex (8) sat in the garden with a pair of binoculars counting the bird species in the garden. Springwatch has turned her into a 'twitcher'! now that is odd!! She will be desparately disappointed if Simon doesn't film this polecat...no pressure Simon!
Complain about this comment
What I have noticed this year is the absolute profusion of flowers. As each flowers has come into its season - it seems to have gone nuts and the amount of the flowers is incredible.
I take many many photos - keeping a record of what is in flower, when and where, as we wander all over the place for our one night camping trips in our van. Birds, animals, insects, flowers - as I see them I take pictures. I have 5 years worth of pictures now and so know when there are more than the normal of buttercups (masses this year turning field after field bright yellow) Oxalis and wood anemones - a complete profusion oif them this year.
I thnk that it might be because the seasons themselves seemed to be right this year. We had winter - and a good one with snow and cold, we had spring at the right time with warmth and cold snaps, and summer - right on cue.
So although the seasons are right - the flowers have responded en masse, and created an amazing display and riot of colour this year.
Complain about this comment
Hi all your artical about the beaver release in Scotland as far as I am aware this was not the first release in the UK as I worked with the East Kent Trust for conservation to prepare an area of Fen land to make it ready for Beavers . Please see Link attached.
Beavers
In an exciting project with Kent Wildlife Trust, Wildwood has imported several families of European beaver since 2001, to manage a wetland nature reserve in Kent. Some of these beavers can be seen on display at Wildwood and others are now living on a 130-acre wetland at Ham Fen, harvesting the trees and plants, raising the water table with dams and enriching the wetland habitat for other endangered species, including the otter, water vole, great crested newt and wetland birds. Almost every other country in Europe apart from Britain has reintroduced the beaver, after hunting it to extinction to use the fur for hats. Beaver are being released in Knapdale, Scotland in 2009.
Complain about this comment
Sitting on the Allotment last evening, cup of tea in hand, I peered up into the blue yonder to see my first sightings of Swifts this year, I'm not sure if this is early or not? Our village has a very good population of Swifts and as i type this blog they are screeching past my kitchen door in that delinquet style of theirs like mini football hooligans. I live about 25 miles from Pensthorpe in West Norfolk, and incidentally we usually have 2 or 3 pairs of Cuckoos in this village, but this year I have only heard one pair calling to each other (fleetingly)last Saturday 30th.May.... again on the Allotment.
KholRabbi
Love the show. Can I go on the 'Dirty Weekend' with Kate humble PLEASE!!!!!
Complain about this comment
No shortage of bees in our garden. We have a nest which a badger has tried very hard to destroy but was not successful. The bees work hard all day long and it is lovely to hear them. We leave them alone and they do not bother us. The young bees come out of the nest into daylight, fly around as though they are drunk then suddenly fly off to start collecting pollen from the flowers in the garden. It is quite fascinating to watch them.
Complain about this comment
I run the UK Glow Worm Survey and I've been receiving reports of glow worms very early this year. Normally people don't start seeing them in any numbers until the first week in June, but this year the first report came in on 15 May, and new reports are arriving daily. If anybody wants to report glow worms, please go to www.glowworms.org.uk and fill in the survey form.
Robin
Complain about this comment
On our Suffolk farm we have an owl nest box - which has been used by kestrels for the past 4 years, successfully rearing 4/5 young each year. This year, the kestrels had laid some eggs, but when my husband looked again he found 4 quite different eggs in the box. He was sure they were owl eggs - & we saw a barn owl leave the nest box. (He hasn't checked again, for fear of disturbing the birds.)
I don't know if it is unusual for owls to evict kestrels from a nest box - but it certainly surprised us! We are still wondering what happened to the kestrel eggs - we found no broken eggs below the nest box site. Any comments or information, please!!
Complain about this comment
I live on the coast and each year at around this time the calls of hungry baby seagulls can be heard from most roofs. However this year I have not seen any young seagulls anywhere. Hardly any of the birds seem to be fighting for prime locations on roof tops or even mating, could this be because of the harsh winter? or because there just happens to be less food this year so they wont waste their energy bringing up young who could starve or contend with them for food?
Despite being worried about the lack of chicks this year (because it could mean something's gone wrong in the sea) I can't honestly say that I miss having a pair of agressive seagulls on the roof as they attack the cat and yell at anyone who trys to put the washing out!
But seriously is there something wrong with the fish around the Kent coast? Or do seagulls naturally have a break every few years or so?
Could the Springwatch team address this on unsprung please?
Complain about this comment
Squirrels!
We have a trio of squirrels that live in the trees behind our garden, the other week we noticed one of them eating a big pink flower that he/she'd taken from the plant my neighbour has growing up the fence, is this unusual as we've not noticed a squirrel eating flowers before, since then it's happened again and last year one of them found a chocolate bourbon in the garden that one of the children had dropped and ran off with it, what exactly do squirrels eat!!
By way when Chris' hair was blonde and spiky it rocked!!!
:0) Tiggers and the troup x
Complain about this comment
Hi
Something very strange happened in my dads garden a few days ago and I would really like to know if this has ever been seen before. My dad has a great garden and I visit him most days, it's full of so much wildlife. He has a major amount of slow worms this year and we are always picking them up and putting them out of harms way. The other evening he witnessed one of them attempting to eat another one. The head and a fair bit of the body was in the larger ones mouth. My dad felt sorry for it and pulled it out of the mouth of the one trying to eat it. I know he shouldn't of got involved but he found it upsetting. The rescued worm was lifeless for a few seconds, then came back round and made it's way back in to the bushes. I would love to know if this is normal behaviour? I know that they eat slugs but I didn't think they were agressive to each other. I just thought it was worth mentioning and I would be interested to know if anyone else has seen this behaviour before.
Shelly, Dover, Kent
Complain about this comment
Further to my post about our flower-eating squirrel I have posted a picture on Flickr (it comes under the name littleestherd)
:0) Tiggers
Complain about this comment
Painted Lady butterflies: Mentioned last night on the show that we have had a larger than normal migration this year. I wonder, did they all cone through my garden near pewsey, Wilts?
Saturday 23rd around 2pm we noticed them, all flying along the hedge (roughly NNW). Counted 50 per minute. carried on all afternoon at the same rate and still doing it every day until Wednesday at least, counted 48 a minute that day. That makes 60,000 even if they only did it 4 hours a day! do they all come through here, or are they this dense across the whole country?
Have not seen many this week, and none seem to be staying here.
Complain about this comment
I have noticed that this year there is an almost complete absence of ladybirds in my garden. No one near me uses pestacides and there are plenty of aphids but no ladybirds. Usually I have sevaral different varieties but this your nothing. Has anybody else noticed this?
Complain about this comment
Further to the comment from the person who has heard his Blackbird singing 'Come on Eileen' We have one that sings 'Hooray for Holywood'
Complain about this comment
SWIFTS - There has been some posts here asking where are all the swifts and have they declined? I guess something must be happening to them as I've just seen the latest edition of Birds of Conservation Concern 3, and they've been listed as 'amber' which according to the criteria means a decline of up to 50% in recent years! Also, if you look on the RSPB website and click the Springwatch link they are asking people to help them help swifts.
Complain about this comment
SadlyI have noticed lost of dead bumble bees. There have been alot of live ones though but why so many dead?
Complain about this comment
Several years ago the blue tits pecked out pointing to nest, well-hidden, behind a facing board. This year we have a family of colourful greater spotted wood-peckers nearby. Yesterday one flew into a window below the tits' nest and was stunned. We watched it for more than an hour, until it recovered and flew off. We are sure that it must have heard/spotted the tits while it was recovering; almost immediately a wood-pecker raided the nest by putting its pointy beak under the facing board and pulling out the young. We have gone right off wood-peckers!
Complain about this comment
I have just read a note about slow-worms. I recall that many years ago my brothers caught some and tried to keep them as pets. They were very quickly released back into the wild, especially when we realised that they were trying to consume each other.
Complain about this comment
On a more cheery note than my previous posts today, I am delighted to report that the grass-snake colony is thriving again this year (they have been around for about five or six years). Swimming, and presumably fishing/frogging, in our and our neighbours' pond, and sun-bathing in the reeds. At least one is buried in the warm and cosy compost heap with just its head, and flicking tongue, poking out. I understand that they lay their egss in compost heaps at this time of year and stay around for a little while afterwards, so hopefully we shall have more of them next year.
Complain about this comment
I live with a stream at the bottom of my garden. This year for the first time I have heard a strange birdcall from the wood opposite. It sounds like"one-one-zero-zero-one"! What can this new birdcall be?
Please let me know if you have any ideas.
Complain about this comment
This hot spell of weather has been noticeable by the silence as there have been no honey bees in the garden. There are three different types of bumblebees, tiny bees and mining bees but no honey bees.
Complain about this comment
Just read some comments about blackbird songs, we had one for years that did avery good impersonation of an alarm clock (we nicknamed him the 'alarm clock bird' - not very original, I know!) and this year there has been one that does a very good R2D2 impression!
Complain about this comment
Hello there, I had been looking for an e-mail link but could only find this, so here goes! Last night you were talking about pike taking coot chicks, well I have seen that and waterhen chicks too but a long time ago, back in the 1950's. Also at that time there was an incident of a pike and a swan on a big pool named "copmere" at Eccleshall nr Stafford. It belonged to English Electric and my late father worked there, I remember well he telling me about a pike they found in the "margins by the segs" which was dead; along with a swan, also dead. These had been dead for a few days and they estimated the pike as being a possible 50lbs when alive. It had tried "eating" the swan and had the whole of the swans neck down it's throat. Unfortunat there were no photos but I remember it did get into one of the local papers back then. This I swear is the truth!!
Complain about this comment
Every year we are visited by lots of mallard ducks and a few mandarins. this year, among the mallards was a pure white duck. It appears to exactly like a mallard. Is itlikely to be a albino mallard? We have taken photos of it.
Complain about this comment
around the Oxspring area I have seen more Lapwings than ever before
Complain about this comment
On a trip along Glen Fearder on Deeside, I heard cuckoos very clearly in a largely Birch forest and estimate possibly 3 or 4 pairs
Complain about this comment
The date on which the Glen Fearder cuckoos were heard was May 19 2009
Complain about this comment
I would like to ask Simon, how on earth does he explain, when filming the bats over the lake with the heat seeking camera - the fact that as the bats flew, they showed up as small light shapes, but there was a reflection of these small white shapes in the water????????????????
Complain about this comment
Abergavenny area. Last night as my family watched the closing credits of unsprung , we heard a strange electrical noise like somthing shorting out. It turned out to be a bat that our cat had brought into the sitting room. THe bat was unharmed and proceeded to fly around the room for at least 5 minutes before finding the open door to the garden. Both my children said that they could hear its echo location calls as it flew around the room but other than it's initail distress call i couldnt hear a thing, not even the sound of its wings as it flew inches above our heads around the room. It was very small as we could see when it landed on the sofa at one stage. Its body was no bigger than a 50 pence piece. Would this have been a baby or a very small particular bread?
Complain about this comment
Painted Lady butterflies seen in Scottish Highlands: one on 30 May in garden 5 miles north of Lochcarron on west coast opposite Skye; one seen several times or maybe several butterflies on 31 May in meadow a mile or two from the first (both these in pristine condition); one seen in Inverness on 2 June, very tattered.
Complain about this comment
Hello.....
For the past week there have been hundreds of 'PAINTED LADY' butterflies in my garden and swarms throughout West Cornwall, but today, 3rd June, they seem to have suddenly disappeared. Where have they gone ???
from ....marineartist
Complain about this comment
We have a pair of swans on our local golf course who have hatched 6 signets which is fantastic. At the weekend when I was playing I noticed one of the swans limping to the point it was wallking a few steps and sitting down, can anything be done about this as I know swans are protected by law but the signets are only very young (2 weeks at the most) If someone Interferes will this harm the relationship with the parents and signets. I did mention it to the owners in the golf house.
Complain about this comment
We were gardening a couple of weekends ago, and discovered a wrens nest in the garden. we stopped gardening incase we had disturbed them, and for the next week or so monitered the chicks being fed. We went away for the weekend and all chicks fledged while we were gone! I am hoping for another brood.
Complain about this comment
I've noticed reasonable numbers of small tortoiseshell butterflies in Cornwall this year but have also noticed that they appear to be quite pale in colour. I haven't seen any painted lady's.
Complain about this comment
You did n ot know all the cuckoo 'rhymwe': it goes
In May do sing all day
InJune do change his tuen (sort of stutters over the cuck bit)
In July away do fly (the adult parent birds)
In ASugust, go he must (the young of this year)
Hope Chris reads this - he'll be up to date with Dorset lore then
CRE
Complain about this comment
We were so depressed about the lack of cuckoos in all the usual spots this spring so tonight went to Kenmore Hill, Perthshire close to home, which is usually fool proof- we were rewarded with not one but FIVE! And spent all evening watching and listening as the sun was slipping away to the western hills and light fading over Loch Tay. We also saw a redstart and some crossbills. The thought of no cuckoos in future is unthinkable.
Complain about this comment
Can someone tell me why a mob of starlings attack other birds when they come near the food post and veg patch?
Complain about this comment
I don't know if this is related to winter and the trees not turning green until late, or more likely the lack of nest sites but this year in my back garden in North Wales our blue tit box was due a family (for some reason our box is occupied one year but not the next. So we got quite excited about seeing the blue tits carrying the nest material back and forth, until a pair of Great tits appeared. We don't usually see them much and an almighty competition started, when the great tits were out gathering material the blue tits popped in and this frenzy contiuned until my dad was shocked to see the larger great tit tackle the blue tit and hold it against the ground!
So the great tits claimed this box which is far too small for them, they spent a lot of time trying to widen the hole and it did not take long for the chicks to be soon reaching the hole.
Although we can assume both blue tits and great tits were successful as 4 chicks came out of the box yesterday, and the garden today has been covered in blue tit chicks.
Complain about this comment
I live between caernarfon and porthmadoc and this is the first year I haven't seen any Red Admiral or Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and no Ladybirds either
Complain about this comment
I live at Oundle near Peterborough, I have had a Mistle Thrush coming to my Bird Table everyday for a good feed. But on the 4th June at 13:00 it wasn't just my regular visiter who came but it's mate as well. I was wondering if this means that if they have young are they bigger and closer to fledging?? and do you think they might bring them to the table aswell??
Complain about this comment
can chris or simon tell me what a cheveral is saw one for the first time in 40years. thanks guys. brightombre.
Complain about this comment
We have lived in our house for 5 years and this is the first spring we have had a foxes and 2 hedgehogs in our garden (very cool am loving it)
Complain about this comment
I do not know if it has anything to do with the winters weather, but a fortnight ago we recorded seven species of Cetacean on the North Coast of Caithness in three days. Minke Whale, Pilot Whale, Killer Whale, White-beaked Dolphin, Rissos Dolphin, Common Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise. It could have just been due to the fact we had calm seas and could see things easier. It was a fantastic week anyway and I saw five out the seven species.
Complain about this comment
i have recently had a hugh birth of newts in my pond which i am shocked about because the pond is only a year old, i pulled some weed out the other day (before i new the newts were there) and to my horror found about 14 baby newts entangled in it, lucky no casulties and all are well and happily swimming round getting bigger by the day
Complain about this comment
For the past 7 years we have had Goldcrests visiting us in West Wales and breeding successfully. This year we have not seen any. We also have not seen any Long Tailed Tits or Siskins this Spring. Is this because of the very cold winter?
Complain about this comment
Whilst on a walkabout the other day we passed a tree completely covered with catapillars and their silk (see links below for pics)
Anyone seen anything like this before?
can you I.D the catapillars?
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/DSC_0712.jpg
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/DSC_0717.jpg
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/DSC_0718.jpg
[URL=http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/?action=view¤t=DSC_0712.jpg][IMG]http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/th_DSC_0712.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Complain about this comment
Whilst on a walkabout the other day we passed a tree completely covered with catapillars and their silk (see links below for pics)
Anyone seen anything like this before?
can you I.D the catapillars?
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/DSC_0712.jpg
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/DSC_0717.jpg
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/edoclaura/DSC_0718.jpg
Complain about this comment
Has anyone seen or heard of this before...
A young fledgling magpie was killed on the road on Tuesday during the day. At dawn 3.30 ish Wed morning I was woken by a raucous din which became louder and louder as I lay thinking 'it's only magpies!'
Eventually I decided something had to be wrong and got up to see 16 magpies - many of which were walking around the by now flattened fledgling screeching and squawking. Every time a car came they flew onto the nearby roof and returned once it had passed. This must have continued for 20 minutes. At one point one went up to it and pecked although it didn't seem to want to eat it but pulled it and moved it around. Then they suddenly left. Could this have been a show of emotion for the lost fledgling? I couldn't think of any other reason for it, and why so long after it had been killed.
Complain about this comment
fantastic picture spectabilis - my parents have a similar one in their garden but on a much smaller scale in a wijelia bush. The caterpillars are amazing as they drop down to the ground on silk threads. - not sure which species mum and dad think they are called Procession moth caterpillars but cant find these in my books!
Complain about this comment
My Mum saw Springwatch she thinks on Thursday 4 June and there was an item on bees. A book was mentioned and she can't remember the name. Can anyone help please?
Complain about this comment
There used to be lots of great tits in my garden now there are not a lot.
Complain about this comment
I have a large amount of birds feeding in and around my garden which is great, i have all manner of adults and young birds feeding from the table and numerous feeders. Today i had a visitor which i have no idea what it was suffice to say it was a large bird of prey which for me is fantastice. My question is can anyone help me with what it was, it's back and wings were light grey in colour,light brown or tan legs and the chest from what i could see was pale, i'm not sure if it was an adult or a juvenile but it was a beautiful bird that sat watching for a few seconds before leaving.
Please let me know if you know what it was ?
Complain about this comment
Was amazed when driving to work this morning... there was a woodpecker walking along the edge of the Wessex way just past LV roundabout just pecking at the grass.... really set me up for a Saturday at work!
Complain about this comment
I'm not sure how unusual this is but we think it is unusual and the man next door who has lived here for over 30 years has never known it: We have for the last 4-5 weeks had mallards in our gardens - we back onto allotments but front onto a main road. We have been getting 2 males and 1 female. However, today we have some tragic news, the female came onto the garden as normal, then showed some strange signs with her head and neck, becoming limp, my husband went to her to investigate and she died in his arms. He noticed that her throat was full of blood, but no signs of any objects in there. Any suggestions from anyone? Also, we now have the 2 males on the garden, in somewhat confusion, is there anything we can do to help them?
any comments welcomed. thanks.
Complain about this comment
I'm not sure how unusual this is but we think it is unusual and the man next door who has lived here for over 30 years has never known it: We have for the last 4-5 weeks had mallards in our gardens - we back onto allotments but front onto a main road. We have been getting 2 males and 1 female. However, today we have some tragic news, the female came onto the garden as normal, then showed some strange signs with her head and neck, becoming limp, my husband went to her to investigate and she died in his arms. He noticed that her throat was full of blood, but no signs of any objects in there. Any suggestions from anyone? Also, we now have the 2 males on the garden, in somewhat confusion, is there anything we can do to help them?
any comments welcomed. thanks.
Complain about this comment
Hi, I've noticed this year since walking my new puppy how much wildlife is on your doorstep, but have been baffled by the strange shaped boxes I've seen in my local woods. They are dome shaped and have a 2" slit at the bottom and generally seem to be placed each side of a tree. I was wondering whether they are for birds or something else??
Complain about this comment
We have noticed how late the swifts are this year and also how few of them we seem to have here - Suffolk/Norfolk border. Can anyone else comment.
Complain about this comment
I've noticed an extraordinary amount of cuckoo spit this year. ecspecially on the lavender. has it been a good year for these bugs ordo they just like lavender?
Complain about this comment
I know magpies are very bad when it's nesting time in your garden when they come and steal eggs and baby chicks.
But how can you discourage them and are they bad for any other garden wildlife?
Complain about this comment
i have just spent 4 days at my caravan in wales in a beutiuful bay near abber. we was sitting watching the sea when before our eyes we saw dolpins playing in the sea it was a very hot day and we could see they were loving the warmth, we think there was 3 seperate groups and quite a large number, we actually followed them as far as we could as the travelled round the bay, what a privaledge, it was beautiful
Complain about this comment
We found proof of reincarnation today whilst watching the Skylark's nest! Compare the chicks with famous composers noted for incorporating birdsong into their music (links as follows) and you will see we're right...
Antonin Dvorak:
http://www.cadenza-productions.nl/photos/dvorak.jpg
Olivier Messiaen:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Music/Pix/pictures/2008/07/25/messiaen460.jpg
And of course Ralph Vaughan Williams:
http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/SCCWebsite/SCCWSImages.nsf/WebLookupImageByUNID/docid971BD3924F703F348025735C00330175/$FILE/rvw2websmall.jpg
Thank you for a delightful programme - a highlight of our year, every year.
Clive and Robyn, aka Bayswaterbasement
Complain about this comment
Good afternoon, I have just had a parrot type bird,possibly a cockatiel, on my bird feeders. Grey body,yellow face with a red spot on each cheek,and headtufts. I assume it has escaped from someone. I have photo but not sure how to attach it or send it to you. Regards
Complain about this comment
We have seen an unusual bird species this Spring, residing on a lake in Newport, Gwent. The bird looks like a large Mallard, but with a wider stance and chunkier neck, pale bluey-green legs and bill (which is slightly wider and chunkier than a Mallards'), and unusual colouring: the head is metallic blue-green - as it is all down the back of the neck, the front of the neck and chest are white, and the body feathers are a beige-brown. It also has a cute up-curl to its darker short tail feathers.
The two birds in question reside alongside Mallards and are presumably a mixture of species?.. although with what, we're not certain.
If anyone could please give us an idea of what these birds are, or if we're right to assume that they're a cross-bred species we'd love to know.
Also, if anyone in Springwatch could give an email address - or mobile number - we would happily send across photos.
(oh, and wonderful series, as usual! We look forward to Springwatch and Autumnwatch every year.)
Complain about this comment
I was very excited to see in the garden on one of my teasel leaves a small bumble bee mateing with a queen bee. I took some photo's of it and hope they turn out. I too have had lots of painted ladies on my flowers in Berkshire.
Complain about this comment
Watched tonights show and the picture of the albino blackbird, i live in sunderland and have a blackbird which visits my bird bath and it has a white chest and a few white wing feathers. It is its 2nd year.
Complain about this comment
dear springwatch
this year i have noticed many unusual things,
question for the team , one odd thing - quacking squirrels?
on the weekend i heard a strange quacking followed by a cat screeching noise , i listened to it for along time in the woods at the back of my garden . i looked closely and i saw a squirrel making these noises - its about five quack like noises folowed by a long cat like screech. what was he doing? then in the afternoon i heard it again and saw not the squirrel making the noise but another squirrel shakig its tail vigerously probably aat the quacking squirrel.
quacking squirrels whats it all about?
Complain about this comment
Quacking Squirrel?
Dear springwatch
this year i have noticed many unusual things,
question for the team , one odd thing - quacking squirrels?
on the weekend i heard a strange quacking followed by a cat screeching noise , i listened to it for along time in the woods at the back of my garden . i looked closely and i saw a squirrel making these noises - its about five quack like noises folowed by a long cat like screech. what was he doing? then in the afternoon i heard it again and saw not the squirrel making the noise but another squirrel shakig its tail vigerously probably aat the quacking squirrel.
quacking squirrels whats it all about?
Complain about this comment
Hi Everybody,
Standing in my kitchen earlier this week, I had the back door open and a lacewing landed on it, nothing unusual in that except that it was blue, sky blue, I have seen many green ones before, but never one this colour, is this at all unusual? any comments please, sadly by the time I got my camera it had flown off.
Complain about this comment
I had two pairs of swifts nesting at either side of our eves. one evening about a week ago I found a featherless chick on our hammock about 10ft from the wall and well to the left of one of the nests. It was still alive but I could not figure out how it survived the 20ft fall and how it managed to land there at all as it was so far from the nest. I tried to save it but it had died by the following morning and since then there has been no sign of either of the pairs of swifts. Can anyone enlighten me as to what may have happened. Thanks
Complain about this comment
I posted this message some time ago and am eager to know if I was right?
Hi
I have several nest boxes in my garden which are currently occupied by the usual blue tit, tree sparrow and great tit, however the great tit box has an unusual regular visitor in the form of a dunnock which is assisting the great tit parents by feeding the chicks. The dunnock is returning to the box as often of the true parents and sits and waits its turn with its bill full of insects near to the box if the great tit parents are present. The great tits due not seem to mind this 'additional' parent arrangement. Am I right in thinking the dunnock is an adolescent unpaired bird who is simply reacting to the young birds calls and is this type of behaviour common place?
Complain about this comment
10 june 2009 2230 HRS
Our own Springwatch in garden .Just had a FOX in the garden. first time weve seen one up close .
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT !
Complain about this comment
Congratulations and many thanks for a brilliant Spring Watch series; we think the new team have got it just right.
A few comments from my own recent experiences and would value any comments from others (especially from the team please?)
We have had quite regular sightings of Choughs over the past few weeks at St Albans Head in Dorset and visiting bird watchers have been surprised to find them so far East.
At home, just south of Wimborne,we are very concerned at the growing number of magpies in our garden over the past few years; sometimes 4 or 5 at a time recently. As lovely as it would be to see one or two occasionaly, we feel sure they are stealing from other nests as we also appear to have a decline in the numbers of other species. Any suggestions for correcting this trend? Would your laser torch help Simon?
Visiting my sister who lives in "the undercliff" near Ventnor, IOW I have taken photos of badgers feeding in their garden including taking honey from a hand-held wooden spoon. Would love to send in some copies but not sure how to do so?
Complain about this comment
Where are all the flies this year? I back onto woodland and farmers fields and usually have to have those door nets up to stop big black flies coming into the house. This year there have hardly been any , only a few small flies that get trapped in the conservatory. I use a fishing net to scoop them out again - it really works.
Complain about this comment
Not perhaps that unusual but after seeing your skylarks in their nest on springwath I thought I'd report a sighting (and hearing) of a skylark at Heathrow airport. I also heard one last year.
It was happily hovering and twittering quite high above the grass between the boundary fence and the north runway yesterday morning.
Complain about this comment
dug a wildlife pond last year and at the weekend we saw a male and female broad bodied chaser dragonfly mating and laying eggs.
there used to be about a dozen swallows nesting in the barns of the farm next door to us, but we hadn't seen any for years, but today we discovered one nesting pair feeding young, so are hoping that this will be the start of their return.
Complain about this comment
My husband and I found the clip about the rescued Honey Buzzard extremely interesting, especially as having stayed on holiday in Gozo and Malta many times in the autumn, only to find that these magnificent birds who are then migrating back to warmer climes, are stopping to rest in the parks there, only to find that the 'hunters' are waiting in readiness to shoot them!!!!
Two years ago, one shot bird was rescued, and flown back to Germany by Lufthansa, to be treated again,(it had already been shot the previous year).
Surely the time has come that something can be done to stop these 'hunters' from killing every migrating bird that flies over these lovely islands?
Complain about this comment
HI EARLY THIS YEAR, IN JANUARY-MARCH WE HAD 4 ROBINS VISITTING THE GARDEN. I NOW KNOW THEY ARE NOT AROUND DO YOU HAVE ANY REASON FOR THIS?
Complain about this comment
Can anyone remind me of the name of the "new" bumble bee that was mentioned on springwatch, the one that has flown over from the continent, as I think that I have some in my garden. They look as if they have an orangey/yellow furry jacket on, some have a buff tail and some just have stripes.
Complain about this comment
LIVE IN STAFFORDSHIRE, NOT SEEN ANY LADYBIRDS THIS YEAR??
Complain about this comment
Hello All, although not technically Spring, there is something that I would like an answer to. I have, in the last week, noticed large numbers of small bumble bees in our cherry tree. On closer investigation I could see that they were interested only in leaves at the end of branches, and these leaves were deformed (curled in upon themselves). The leaves seem to have been turned into nurseries by another insect. They are covered in what appear to be small black eggs; the insect responsible looks like a small nymph - black, and the size and shape of a ladybird nymph. The bee visits each affected leaf, and - looking as closely as I could - seems to be probing the eggs with its proboscis. Has anyone any idea what they are doing - and if I have completely misread their behavious?
Complain about this comment
We have a Bee colony that has set up home in one of our bird boxes. They arrived as only a few, i thought they moved around in swarms with a princes bee from another nest. The size has now increased to about a dozen plus and very active. Is this normal.
Complain about this comment
Help! we are currently in france and have found a new borne Kestrel chick. we cannot get to the nest to put it back. what should we feed it?
Complain about this comment
Hi All
I am no gardener however I researched some strange activity on my garage wall to find out that I have around a hundred ladybirds 'hatching'. I had no clue whatsoever what they were until looking at photographs on google images. The house is a new build and I thought it may be the new brick that attracted them however maybe a little naive as none of the other garages around have them. Do I just feel honoured that they have chosen our wall and should I be concerned that there are so many?? I read some of the comments and wanted so say whilst scarce in some areas, in abundance in my garden :o)
Complain about this comment
Hi
We have noticed more hornets this year than previous!
Is much known about what makes a 'good' year for them?
Complain about this comment
In the TS27 area of England, we have noticed at least half a dozen honey bees in the wild roses in my back garden.
Complain about this comment
Having moved two planters away from a wall, I saw a 2-3" long black caterpillar clutching a thick stalk of grass. It had a large round pale-coloured head with two eyes/eye-markings on it. The body was black and there were five pairs of legs holding the grass. Can anyone identify this? I haven't seen anything like this before.
There has also been a young cuckoo on my bird table this week, being fed by a Dunnock. How common is this, please? We back onto countryside. Thanks, Leslie-phil
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS