It was sat on its nest so I didn't really get a good look at its plumage.

Where was the nest - on a chimney/roof, on the ground, in a tree, top of tree?

Flamingo??

psling wrote:

It was sat on its nest so I didn't really get a good look at its plumage.

Where was the nest - on a chimney/roof, on the ground, in a tree, top of tree?

Top of an isolated tree in a rural setting. There was a twitcher on the canal bank watching it. Generally white with grey/black on the wings (IIRC)

whitestone wrote:Top of an isolated tree in a rural setting.

Quite possibly a stork?

whitestone wrote: It was sat on its nest so I didn't really get a good look at its plumage.

Was it a Norwegian Blue?

A bit of thread resurrection.

Went out this morning to check on the garden and found this in the potatoes



At least one rabbit kit - could only see one moving. The doe had only dug a shallow burrow in the loose earth and the roof had collapsed hence being able to see it.

On our evening constitutional we saw a goldcrest It's the first one I've ever seen so I wasn't 100% sure what it was until getting home. It was hopping around in an ivy covered tree and we were about a metre away from it - completely non-plussed by our prescence.

I fitted some chimney cowls yesterday but last night could hear a Tawny very clearly. That in inself isn't too unusual as they sometimes visit Teapot the Eagle owl but this seemed clearer than usual. Dee said did I think there might be an owl in the chimney, I doubted it but climbed back on the roof to be sure. After removing the cowl I had a good look down and right enough, there's a Tawny looking up at me.

It's not too uncommon for them to nest in chimneys and she looked in good order, so I'll wait until dusk and see if I can spot her mate going in with food. If not, I shall be trying to remove a stuck owl tomorrow.

Todays ride I heard a bird making (IIRC) like a tappijg sound. Like the sound you get when a spoon is tapped on a glass cup. Went to look closer and it was the size of a robbin. Grey with a small black tuft on front of its head. Wouldn't stay still for me to take a pic and seemed to have lost someone (or hiding from me)... best shot I got was probably this


Its at 10 o clock from where the sun is... twas a fast thing it was

It's like a game of 'Where's Wally'

N’ah, where’s wally is easy now

Was moving some slabs around and came across this fella:


About an inch and a half across.....

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 7:21 pm It's like a game of 'Where's Wally'

Honestly... I did find it (I think)

HTrider
Looks like a Hertfordshire spider... I think? Just tried to find correct name for it , unfortunately. Can't find a match.
Used to get these in the house a lot when I was a kid, especially at night.
Don't really see many nowadays.

That will be a black cap then shaf
I used to see one every now and then in my garden but no longer

Got some blue tits nesting in a hole in one of our oak trees, a pair of nuthatches in another one, and there’s a tree creeper nesting somewhere judging by the number of times I see them.

‘‘Tis a good time of year, and nature is oblivious to our human problems

Mike wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:02 pm That will be a black cap then shaf
I used to see one every now and then in my garden but no longer

Spot on Mike. Thanks...


"... Call when disturbed, a hard 'tak' or 'tzek'..."

Wonder which blithering idiot disturbed it

Cyclepeasant wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:35 pm HTrider
Looks like a Hertfordshire spider... I think? Just tried to find correct name for it , unfortunately. Can't find a match.
Used to get these in the house a lot when I was a kid, especially at night.
Don't really see many nowadays.

Interesting. I do get a lot of big spiders in this place (to the point where I had to either get over my arachnophobia or move house....)usually with these markings. But its odd, I live at 140m above sea level and its generally cool and damp here. I always associated monster house spiders with the warm and dry south so I wonder how a Hertfordshire spider has ended up in darkest west Fife.....

HTRider
They have lovely markings! Still occasionally find one in the bath or sink. I carefully catch and release them. Spiders are good at keeping various bug and mite numbers down.
None of my partner's believed that theory! (Strange that!)

Tawny follow up ... I left her in the chimney on Sat afternoon but I couldn't settle on Sat night. A climb back onto and over a wet roof in the dark followed (not recommended) and there was no sign of her. I climbed back up yesterday morning and still no sign of her or any nest. I pulled the stove out to check that she hadn't moved further down and again, no sign. Back on the roof and re-fitted the chimney cowl ... a happy ending for all.

Cyclepeasant wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:54 pm HTRider
They have lovely markings! Still occasionally find one in the bath or sink. I carefully catch and release them. Spiders are good at keeping various bug and mite numbers down.
None of my partner's believed that theory! (Strange that!)

Just leave a cloth hanging down into the bath or sink. The spider will find it and climb out.

whitestone wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:48 am

Cyclepeasant wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:54 pm HTRider
They have lovely markings! Still occasionally find one in the bath or sink. I carefully catch and release them. Spiders are good at keeping various bug and mite numbers down.
None of my partner's believed that theory! (Strange that!)

Just leave a cloth hanging down into the bath or sink. The spider will find it and climb out.

And then our dog eats them!

As well as the usual garden birds we had a pair of bullfinches in the garden today, first I've seen this year. Their presence is a clue to the quality of the lawn as they come to eat the dandelions

A more troublesome visitor was 5 large rats the other night. Two had climbed up the pear tree at the back of the shed and then down to the bird feeder, the other 3 were on the ground beneath eating any dropped bits. Having cut the vegetation between the shed and the fence, where they appeared from, I then needed to make the bird feeder rat proof.

In the current situation I didn't think I should drive across the Island to my workshop to make a bird feeder holder. Luckily I had an old tv aerial laying in the pile of stuff that should go to the tip if it was open. The main tube was freed from the corroding antenna bit, four holes drilled, screwed to the shed and problem solved



When I cleaned out behind the shed (first time I've done this and we've only lived here 4 years) there was lots of broken glass. I picked this up and put it in a bucket which by coincidence ended up under the new bird feeder. Jane thought I'd done this on purpose to catch any rats that tried to climb out and fell off

Edit, having just seen them again I realised they are goldfinches.

Nice shed Sean (lick of paint maybe??)

Got a Greater Spotted Woodpecker nesting - couldn't work out where the drumming was coming from, turns out it's inside a branch on one of the oaks. Need to bicycle up a camera so I can see it/them coming in and out.

slarge wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:31 pm Nice shed Sean (lick of paint maybe??)

It came with the house, the sheets are zinc plated so the paint hasn't adhered properly, I didn't paint it by the way. Jane would prefer I decorated the inside of the house before the outside of the shed I can't even say I'm too busy cycling now

We have a green woodpecker in the garden from time to time, I've heard him in the mornings in the woods across the road.