- Location
- South West Scotland
Built the box last year, good to see it used.
it is very frustrating to see it happen and you can’t helpWe never had badgers here until a couple of years ago. Never see pheasant or partridge chicks or even nests anymore. Plenty of dug out bumble bee nests though I wonder how long till I stop seeing them because the badgers have eaten them all
grass hopper warbler, does it sound like a fishing line winding in?Can't like this thread more!
On my walking rounds this morning, I heard skylarks, chiffchaffs, grasshopper warblers, and woodpecker among others; saw and heard goldfinches (very uplifting birds to have around), buzzard, jay, pied wagtail, swallows (they came last week, and stayed through the gales), wrens, wood warbler (I think); and I do wonder if there are marsh and willow tit around the place - there's a bird that sounds like a bluetit that's smoked high tar ciggies since a chick, and I'm sure it's one of them.
Last night I saw and heard the barn owl, and the bats (pipistrelles). I'm still able to hear bats.
There are trees and shrubs in the hedges at all stages of growth - noticed new seedlings of Ash that will be transplanted to fill in gaps where and when needed. Taking a risk, maybe, but at the moment there's no disease in the trees.
Noticed yesterday that crab apples planted into sycamore dominated hedges are now in blossom and full of bees.
Terrible, isn't it. Won't say a peep about the snipe or the curlew, but I almost trod on a snipe last week.
Earlier in the week, the cuckoo passed through - on his way to probably the last suitable habitat in the locality that's big enough for it. I haven't heard a female or juvenile cuckoo in years. There's been too much suitable habitat lost since the 1980s to highly subsidised, government endorsed (which party doesn't matter), non-farming activities, unfortunately.
It isn't always agriculture that damages the countryside.
Couple of my late grandfathers records from one of his old bird books.
A very keen conservationist he wrote little notes of the rarer birds he saw whilst farming.
I "borrowed" that book off my dad as i always enjoyed leafing through the pictures growing up. It was published in 1969 and sits by my window so i can ID birds. Page 14 is very interesting reading as it attempt to predict what the future for conservation and birds might be like.
grass hopper warbler, does it sound like a fishing line winding in?
Imagine a trilling like a tiny pneumatic drill at just below the pitch of a grasshopper, reverand, and you'll have it. They never seem to draw breath, morning, noon nor night. The song is quite pleasant, and is a nice harbinger of summer.
This was a recent survey result on a 80ac block of wheat near out yard - and see the advice re controlling foxes, these guys are not like the Packhams of this world, they understand the countryside and that some species need to be controlled to help others
Hi Clive
Really impressed with the number of birds seen tonight, I have no doubt there was more than the below but we tried to blitz a number of fields tonight in order to get a feel for what’s about. I’ll list the species below however if you would like a break down per field then let me know.
Common Snipe - 30
Woodcock - at least 5
Fieldfare - 4
Golden Plover - 2
Skylark - at least 35 - favouring the rape
Grey partridge - 4
Stock Dove - 1
We ringed 2 woodcock and 2 Skylark, we could have ringed the stock dove but was in poor health so released it without ringing.
Skylark tend to be in larger flocks which we leave alone and look to ring the individual birds.
We saw at least 10 foxes and could see in the Thermo that they were flushing some birds. I think Ground nesting birds may struggle to be successful with this number of foxes. 7 of them were in the fields leading up to your offices. 3 were over the other side of the field in the rape.
All in all a brilliant night and just shows how your farming methods improve wildlife habitat.
Cheers
Ben
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Which group is that with @Clive ?
It's many years since I've seen and heard Tutle doves, they used to be quite common here once over.A turtle dove on a small Pond we made. That is on a field corner dedicated to the small seeded grass habitat they like cultivated up every Feb. We’ve got 4 IBCs a short distance away to top up the pond with. View attachment 793900
Great thread been started here. I love my conservation and spend a lot of time on habitat creation/grey partridge project/corvids control etc. Love seeing all the wildlife. Few pics below;
Lapwings are in full swing on land destined for winter bird seed and hope they proliferate with some protection...
Wild flower meadow is getting going.
I enjoy the wild flower margins when they’re absolutely alive with bees etc.
Agree with some previous posts re badgers digging bees out. V obvious on our lighter land. View attachment 794072View attachment 794074View attachment 794076View attachment 794082View attachment 794084
And "Crapweathershire", amusing as it is, isn't massively helpful with location. We have a few lizards, but really pretty scarce here.
I’m in the top end of Nottinghamshire. I think it says if you tap on my name? It’s definitely a great thread and shows what we could be doing or are doing off our own backsVery nice, but what part of the country please?
This thread, in particular, is so much more informative when we know the location; Ideally county 1/4, i.e. East Yorks. Just saying.
Interesting Hare; quite different to the English version. Looks like he’s been in the wars with ear split in two.
Wild flower areas looking great, I bet they fair buzz when the sun shines.I’m in the top end of Nottinghamshire. I think it says if you tap on my name? It’s definitely a great thread and shows what we could be doing or are doing off our own backs
They certainly do. I’ve not learnt all the different type of bees yet though. I think I should make a record of what’s where. I’ve got a big poster with them all identified up in the office but my head is always pointing down at the screen or paperwork when I’m there!Wild flower areas looking great, I bet they fair buzz when the sun shines.