Tja Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Saw the loveliest bird, twice. In Indiana, and, just across the border in Ohio The American Goldfinch (not my photo) Back in the land of the beautiful Red-winged Blackbird (not my photo) 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Look what I discovered yesterday: A nest full of American Robin chicks! I find it interesting that their naked skin color is the same hue of orange as the parent's breast feathers. I've been watching the nest for the last two weeks but just captured a photo. 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Myssterry Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Fantastic picture, @Muledeer. What an amazing nest, so neat, such a perfect circle. I have been excited to see greenfinches back in my garden. Their numbers nosedived owing to a parasitic disease, but it looks like there is some degree of recovery now. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LVG Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Aw, baby birds! It's been a while since I've seen a nest full of chicks that close up, but I've encountered plenty of fledglings. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tunhope Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 That's a great picture! Baby birds from me too (not quite as 'baby') Baby herring gulls nesting on top of a chalk stack on the Kent coast yesterday. I couldn't get any closer and it was windy so many apologies for the blurriness. ALso, can anybody explain the second photo please? Is it seaweed? Is it a jellyfish? It's a little under 10 inches/ 30 cm in width and was washed up on the beach. (That first photo is really bad!!) Spoiler Spoiler 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 Google image search was no help - it just saw it as a picture of sand. But I found this, image of squid eggs. Spoiler 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tja Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 I'd bet on the squid eggs, @Tunhope & @daveb. A jellyfish would look shiny, and clear. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tunhope Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 Thank you @daveb Switching between the two images, I'm sure squid eggs is what they are. Fancy that! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tunhope Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 I read today that the Purple Emperor butterfly has been seen in Eastern England. It was thought to be extinct in the UK. I've had a Cinnabar Moth in the garden today. Lovely red and blackish wings. Itt didn't settle. I think it was searching for ragwort and I don't have any in the garden. Sometimes I've seen ragwort completely covered by the black and yellow caterpillars. I used to see Cinnabar frequently when I lived up north. Much more rarely here in the south. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 @Tunhope, happily the Purple Emperor has never been extinct in Britain. It's just seldom seen because it generally flies at the top of a woodland canopy. During the flying season, which is around now, you need to put overripe bananas on the ground in a woodland clearing and hope for the best. I know of serious entomologists who haven't seen one in 50 years, and others who see them every year. The Purple Hairstreak is another, I've seen one in 40+ years, my father who is a very serious entomologist who's seen over 1000 different butterflies and moths, including the first Subangled Wave sighting in the UK for 30 years has never seen either in Britain 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tunhope Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 That's really interesting about the bananas @Skycaptain as they're not exactly a native fruit! I'm glad the butterflies are simply relatively rare, not extinct. You've obviously got your father's love of entomology. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Spoiler Recent mule deer photos 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tja Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 I keep meaning to ask: How do you set up a camera, when you've got hooves, @Muledeer??? Nice selfies, though! 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 @Tja Some of us have opposing thumbs😉 The bigger challenge is reading and understanding the camera's operating instructions, because, as you know, most of us Muledeer are illiterate. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 A pair of ducks flew out of the willows alongside the road. One of them collided with my vehicle while traveling 70 MPH. I closed my eyes when it hit the windshield. I had enough reaction time to think "you're not gonna make it..." So I killed a duck with my truck tonight☹️ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 4 minutes ago, Muledeer said: A pair of ducks flew out of the willows alongside the road. One of them collided with my vehicle while traveling 70 MPH. I closed my eyes when it hit the windshield. I had enough reaction time to think "you're not gonna make it..." So I killed a duck with my truck tonight☹️ Oh man, I hate when stuff like that happens. I don't want to hurt the critters. But accidents do happen. How is your truck? 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 The truck was unscathed. I 'm surprised it didn't crack the windshield! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 @Muledeer, these things happen. Just look at it this way, some carnivorous animal or bird is going to have a nice dinner 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tunhope Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 That kind of thing stays on one's mind. I'm glad you were able to keep control of the truck. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Here's a big buck! Spoiler 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LVG Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 There's another right behind me too. We just spotted a cooper's hawk in our front yard with a dove trapped in its talons. Poor dove, but that's what hawks do. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Myssterry Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 A frog was visible in the garden pond - just keeping its eyes and nose above the water. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skycaptain Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Up at mum's in Bradford today, there was a freshly hatched Small Tortoiseshell sunning itself on the flowerbed, and a parent sparrow was teaching the fledglings how to use the bird feeder 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 4 hours ago, Skycaptain said: Small Tortoiseshell Had to look that up as the only tortoiseshells I knew were cats and glasses. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 10 hours ago, daveb said: Had to look that up as the only tortoiseshells I knew were cats and glasses. Are you willing to share that information? is it a bird or a reptile? 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 3 hours ago, Muledeer said: Are you willing to share that information? is it a bird or a reptile? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_tortoiseshell A Eurasian butterfly. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Myssterry Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 I saw a grass snake swimming across a pond today at a water garden centre. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muledeer Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 2 hours ago, daveb said: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_tortoiseshell A Eurasian butterfly. Thanks for that link that is one beautiful butterfly! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tunhope Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 I used to see Small Tortoiseshells a lot, but I don't think I've seen any in the garden this year even though I've let a patch of nettles grow. A fair few Red Admirals though, and lots of Gatekeepers on the marjoram. It's in flower at the moment. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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