It's encouraging to hear that Buzzards are doing well in the SE. Here in Somerset, Buzzards are quite a common (but always majestic) sight gliding above the levels. I had a very exciting wildlife encounter the other day while out for a late afternoon walk. I spotted something in the verge which initially I thought was a bit of rope, I stopped and walked back a bit and away it slithered away before I could snap it; however, it had the very strong tell-tale v markings of an adder. This was such an exciting spot for me as I've never seen a snake in the wild in the UK before. Part of my love for protecting our wildlife can be traced back to the Animal of Farthing Wood books by Colin Dann and subsequent Beeb cartoon and Adder was one of my favourite characters (even if she was a bit misunderstood by the other critters!) and so it was a happy encounter - even if truth be told, it made me jump a little.
We were in the studio with the 'wall' slid back this morning when I heard a mewing from up above ... I rushed out and there, circling in the sunshine above us were three buzzards!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were there for ages, mewing and riding the thermals ........ absolutely wonderful :luv: We've seen one, sometimes two, over here quite a bit in the past year, and I thought they may be nesting in the old oak woodland down towards the river and marshes .... they seem to have produced a family :luv:
One of my happiest memories is of us laying on the grass on a glorious day at Carn Euny in Cornwall about 6 years ago, watching a buzzard circling over us .... I never dreamt that I'd be watching three of them over my garden on the edge of Norwich
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
At the moment we are following the antics of a group of 4 fledgling great tits and their poor beleaguered parents. What a bunch of rowdy little monkeys they are! Chattering to each other and jumping in and out of the water, racing around the garden and eating all my bird food.
For the last few weeks I've been watching a pair of crows, one is the adult, very bedraggled looking, and the other is the young one.......lovely and sleek and shiny. The young one keeps squawking at the adult and obviously attempting to get food from the adults empty mouth, the adult keeps chiding the youngster. Very amusing.
At least one of our dragonfly nymphs has metamorphosed ... OH spotted this exuvia ( exuviae are the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures that are left after ecdysozoans, including insects, crustaceans and arachnids, have moulted).
Think it's a Hawker dragonfly, possibly a Norfolk Hawker
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A large Hawker just flew through the door into our living room, went around the room and back through the door into the garden ... I wonder if it was 'the one'
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A Golden Oriole flew low across a woodland path in front of me today, with a brilliant flash of yellow and black. I hear them all the time but they are usually high up in the pop.ar trees so difficult to spot.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Posts
A glow worm's never glum
Cos how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum!
One of my happiest memories is of us laying on the grass on a glorious day at Carn Euny in Cornwall about 6 years ago, watching a buzzard circling over us .... I never dreamt that I'd be watching three of them over my garden on the edge of Norwich
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
At least one of our dragonfly nymphs has metamorphosed ... OH spotted this exuvia ( exuviae are the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures that are left after ecdysozoans, including insects, crustaceans and arachnids, have moulted).
Think it's a Hawker dragonfly, possibly a Norfolk Hawker
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A glow worm's never glum
Cos how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum!