Choice Nuggets from my Wildlife Blog
Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
Having finally managed to acquire the macro lens I've been wanting for over a year, I find I am too busy to use it. I shouldn't grumble really because my time is being otherwise engaged by the recent arrival of number two son, Samuel James, alongside the already busy schedule dictated to some extent by number one son and budding naturalist, Joe. … [Read More...]
Blue Tit fledgeling (Cyanistes caeruleus)
As I mentioned in my video post at the beginning of May about the Robins, we've had plenty of nests in the garden this year. It's been a few weeks now so here's an update of their progress: The Starlings successfully fledged from the nest above our bedroom window about four days ago The Moorhens chicks who'd only just fledged at the beginning … [Read More...]
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
When we first moved in, these birds nested in our ramshackle coal shed for a couple of years, then after a particularly bad year in which many more than usual didn't make it back over the Sahara, we've been a little bereft. Hundreds of them and their close relative the House Martins (Delichon urbicum), still frequent our airspace and this year … [Read More...]
European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
No doubt the imminent arrival of our second son, hopefully over the next few days, has softened my outlook on this species. Yes they're non-native, indeed a highly invasive species and as such extremely problematic to our ecosystem, but for the past couple of weeks this little rabbit and its siblings have been a great source of amusement. Each … [Read More...]
Nesting Robins (Erithacus rubecula)
So far this year we've been having a bit of a bumper year for nests. Starlings have returned to last years penthouse suite above our bedroom window, the Moorhens who share our hen's food successfully incubated 5 eggs, Blackbirds are again nesting in my lean to shed, House Sparrows are nesting in both our roof and that of our closest neighbour … [Read More...]
Slime Mould (Reticularia lycoperdon)
A very odd species which looked exactly like the expanding foam used in cavity wall insulation oozing from the bark of a very old and recently dead perry pear tree. Thanks to user Fenwickfield at iSpot I now know that this is Slime Mould Reticularia lycoperdon previously classified as Enteridium lycoperdon. Slime Moulds are a strange class of … [Read More...]
Even More Daffodils!
A last few images of the locally abundant Wild Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus). It's been a particularly excellent year for this species around here, the unusually harsh couple of winters seems to agree with them. This particular lot are extremely close to our house in Newent and utterly irresistible to toddlers! IMG_8973 by … [Read More...]
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