I go swimming most days of the week in an outdoor pool where I live. I have yet to have a week go by that I or someone I am with is not rescuing bees who drop into the water. After being stung twice last year, I now keep a tea strainer on the side of the pool for any swimmers to use.
There have been a lot fewer butterflies in my back yard this year than is typical. Normally there are a lot of cloudless (yellow) sulphurs, red admirals, zebra longwings and painted ladies. However, last week I had a real treat! A black swallowtail butterfly flew back and forth in front of my kitchen window, then landed on my flame bush and stayed long enough for me to take a picture!
I am also very pleased to see a lot of swallow-tail kites in areas I've not seen them before. Before this year, I would see a few singles near the cypress heads, but this year they seem to be in many places, including near my home, and sometimes there are four or five gliding together!
I just tried the Merlin bird identification app on my phone and was astonished at what is going on in our back yard. My hearing is getting dull, so I knew I must be missing a lot. I'd never heard of an Eastern King Bird before. We've always enjoyed the funny little sandpipers along the edge of the river - plenty of them. The most impressive are the eagles and turkey vultures - not many of them lately.
House martins at our caravan in Wales. I'm always glad to see them. But the heat has silenced most of the birds. We are too far north in Wales for kites, but our daughter in Oxford sees plenty.
I just tried the Merlin bird identification app on my phone and was astonished at what is going on in our back yard. My hearing is getting dull, so I knew I must be missing a lot. I'd never heard of an Eastern King Bird before. We've always enjoyed the funny little sandpipers along the edge of the river - plenty of them. The most impressive are the eagles and turkey vultures - not many of them lately.
The other day I was fascinated to discover that Old World vultures and New World vultures are not actually closely related. When I picture a vulture I picture something like an Egyptian vulture, which it seems is very different to an American vulture.
I recall that when I came across other magpies for the first time. A bit different from ours. And I believe others' males don't swoop people in spring (warning: screaming kid; and a parent who seems more interested in filming!)
Common but a very friendly brush turkey just came up to me on a walk up a cape.
For quite a few years, we had a pair of parrots (pretty far in the past now, but my memory is that they were lorikeets) call in for a visit most late Novembers/early Decembers and back again in early autumn. Most autumns there was a young bird with them. They'd stay a few days, and we fed them, also leaving a dish of water out in a safe place. Our place must have been on their route between summer and winter quarters. We did buy the proper seed mix for them, not an ordinary bird seed mix. We moved homes, but told the new owners to watch out for them.
I recall that when I came across other magpies for the first time. A bit different from ours. And I believe others' males don't swoop people in spring (warning: screaming kid; and a parent who seems more interested in filming!)
Common but a very friendly brush turkey just came up to me on a walk up a cape.
Eurasian magpies are loud, but newborn lambs are more at risk from them than people are. I must admit to being fond of (Eurasian) magpies, they are quite comical.
We don't have any native parrots or their relatives in the UK but we have lots of feral parakeets, especially around London. Now those are loud! In many London parks they will eat from your hands.
The other day I was fascinated to discover that Old World vultures and New World vultures are not actually closely related. When I picture a vulture I picture something like an Egyptian vulture, which it seems is very different to an American vulture.
Yes, although it depends on what you mean by closely. Old world vultures aren't actually a single group but are mixed up with eagles and hawks. New world vultures are a group and form the next branch along to the whole eagle/hawk group.
Falcons on the other hand are more closely related to songbirds and parrots, while the whole hawk/eagle/vulture group is more closely related to woodpeckers and kingfishers. (Owls belong to the kingfisher group but it's not clear whether they're closer to hawks or kingfishers.)
And swifts are actually not closely related to swallows and martins, but are hummingbird relatives (of all things) that developed via parallel evolution.
Moose numbers gone down by one third in 25 years in this Manitoba to Saskatchewan border we call home. Ticks are sucking the blood right out of them. More of those ticks for longer. We call them deer ticks. Government calls them winter ticks. Did you know that moose can swim under water? Biology guy from the government tells us they put a camera on a boat and saw one swimming to the bottom of a lake down almsot 20 feet. They go for sodium he said. I did not know what they lick the roads in spring and now I do. Its for the road salt. Moose is good to eat but we aren't eating them these days. Deer and elk mostly. Wapiti is elks' better name.
So its raining today. This is good. Maybe slow these forest fires down. Lake here we are staying at went down almost 3 inchs from when we are here a month ago. I like the grebes and beavers to watch them. Loons too. Couple of bears come by to check if the people left their garbage and stuff out. Put it away then theres no problem.
Been taking my better half to appointments at Salisbury hospital recently including today. Swallows nesting in the eaves of ground floor buildings and they perch on the gutters. I have never seen them close up before. Beautiful.
Welp. Today's morning dip was cut short by the swarming of the fried egg and mauve stinger jellyfish. They are so CUUUUUTE and I love to observe their little floaty wafty behaviours but there were too many to keep safely at a distance. The mauve stinger has a venom that will tattoo you for half a year. BZZT!
Strange because the water was quite chilly. They normally don't mob the beach until the entire sea has reached a tepid 28 degrees.
Just have to remind myself I am in their home not vice versa.
One of my favourites seems to be multiplying this year. The yellow and green garter snakes are busy around our house, eating the bugs, I hope. They seem to be timid and harmless and I try to leave them alone, though there was once a regrettable incident involving the lawnmower in long grass.
This morning on the beach relatively early, a flock of about 70 flamingos flew over the water about 30m from the shore. Very unusual sight along our segment of the Costa because we don't have any wetland and the riverbeds are mostly dry.
Last time I saw a flock was years ago at the mouth of the Guadalhorce south of the Malaga airport.
I watched a coyote strolling down the road outside our house this afternoon and called the neighbours who might have any pets out. You don't get close to those beasts unnecessarily - a woman along the same road lost a finger to one a few years ago.
Sad to say that this is the time of year when dead young seals get washed up on our beaches. There was one yesterday. We have a small local colony. I have no idea why their young die.
Sad to say that this is the time of year when dead young seals get washed up on our beaches. There was one yesterday. We have a small local colony. I have no idea why their young die.
I have no real idea either, save that infant death is not limited to humans.
I heard that pup mortality is about 20%, but that's not unusual for wild animals. Causes include starvation and infection, but behind that failure of the maternal bond, don't know why that is.
Cattle egret have been breeding at Rye Harbour this year. This bird is amazing, as it formerly inhabited S. Europe and N. Africa, but began to spread, even across the Atlantic. Partly because of climate change, I would think.
Much to the joy of my dog, there were three squirrels on the ground during our thirty-minute walk this morning. No, she could not chase them; she was on a leash, but the excitement was worth the sightings every few blocks.
After quite a bit of rain the frogs in the flooded fields opposite have sprung to life and are merrily ribbit-ing and croaking. Nice to hear as I wandered along the path with the dog.
Did I ever mention the grizzlies outside of town? They are pinned in a double fenced enclosure. The University uses them in hibernation studies. The grizzlies were animals that have become acclimated to humans and therefore cannot be released into the wild. Beautiful animals, though. https://bearcenter.wsu.edu/
I saw 3 swifts yesterday. I suspect they'll be the last this year, as the skies have cleared of them dramatically in the last few days. I think their ephemeral nature is part of joy of their arrival but its bittersweet when they go and the skies fall quiet of their screams, especially as at least two of them this year are our babies from under our eaves.
Yes, swifts disappeared a while ago. I hear barking in the night, thought it was the neighbour's dog, then realised that some deer bark, well, muntjac really.
Yes, swifts disappeared a while ago. I hear barking in the night, thought it was the neighbour's dog, then realised that some deer bark, well, muntjac really.
Foxes bark too. The calls of Little Owls can also sound somewhat like a bark.
I saw 3 swifts yesterday. I suspect they'll be the last this year, as the skies have cleared of them dramatically in the last few days. I think their ephemeral nature is part of joy of their arrival but its bittersweet when they go and the skies fall quiet of their screams, especially as at least two of them this year are our babies from under our eaves.
Fly safe and enjoy Africa!
I suspect the arrival of wind and rain is the cause - it feels like autumn is definitely on the way here, but then perhaps October will be warm.
I caught a glimpse of a white heron (kotuku) from the bus yesterday. It was in the river that runs along the end of my street,. Most kotuku live on the West Coast but they also make rare appearances in the nearby estuary.
Yes, swifts disappeared a while ago. I hear barking in the night, thought it was the neighbour's dog, then realised that some deer bark, well, muntjac really.
Foxes bark too. The calls of Little Owls can also sound somewhat like a bark.
I know foxes' bark quite well, as in London you hear them a lot. In this part of Norfolk very few of them. The damn farmer has put security lights up, and I wonder if the muntjac trigger them.
This afternoon I was driving south of Spokane, returning home. A half mile ahead of me, a young moose started to cross the road. We stopped to let it cross over. No one would want to hit such an animal.
@Climacus we have black swans on our river sometimes. It seems they were introduced as a game bird here. They are partially protected, but there is a hunting season when they may be shot.
Apparently my Mum was almost pulled into a river by one as a child, but her mother attacked it with her umbrella and it let her go. I never knew my maternal Grandmother but she sounded like a formidable woman - all 4ft 10 of her.
Wow, Huia. I was chased as a small lad down a hill up on the North Coast one day by a white one. Gave me quite a fright, but nothing like being pulled into a river!
I think there are more foxes in London than many rural areas. I think we hear the vixens yowling amorously.
I stayed with a friend in Acton, London in May. Both afternoons a fox came down the long garden, paused outside the glass back door, and then continued through a gate into the neighbour's garden. The friend said the fox did this regularly.
I have lots of urban fox stories. Of course, some people hate them, and get them shot. But they say that quite quickly those will be replaced by a new lot.
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I am also very pleased to see a lot of swallow-tail kites in areas I've not seen them before. Before this year, I would see a few singles near the cypress heads, but this year they seem to be in many places, including near my home, and sometimes there are four or five gliding together!
The other day I was fascinated to discover that Old World vultures and New World vultures are not actually closely related. When I picture a vulture I picture something like an Egyptian vulture, which it seems is very different to an American vulture.
Common but a very friendly brush turkey just came up to me on a walk up a cape.
Eurasian magpies are loud, but newborn lambs are more at risk from them than people are. I must admit to being fond of (Eurasian) magpies, they are quite comical.
We don't have any native parrots or their relatives in the UK but we have lots of feral parakeets, especially around London. Now those are loud! In many London parks they will eat from your hands.
Falcons on the other hand are more closely related to songbirds and parrots, while the whole hawk/eagle/vulture group is more closely related to woodpeckers and kingfishers. (Owls belong to the kingfisher group but it's not clear whether they're closer to hawks or kingfishers.)
So its raining today. This is good. Maybe slow these forest fires down. Lake here we are staying at went down almost 3 inchs from when we are here a month ago. I like the grebes and beavers to watch them. Loons too. Couple of bears come by to check if the people left their garbage and stuff out. Put it away then theres no problem.
We are hearing whipbird pairs in the morning , but they're hard to see.
Strange because the water was quite chilly. They normally don't mob the beach until the entire sea has reached a tepid 28 degrees.
Just have to remind myself I am in their home not vice versa.
AFF
Last time I saw a flock was years ago at the mouth of the Guadalhorce south of the Malaga airport.
AFF
* so-called as they can be seen perched on bins taking discarded food...
I have no real idea either, save that infant death is not limited to humans.
Plovers are flying round with their warning calls.
Neither can be said to sound musical, but its nice to have them around.
Six Black Cockatoos flew around overhead at our favourite cafe this morning.
Fly safe and enjoy Africa!
Foxes bark too. The calls of Little Owls can also sound somewhat like a bark.
I suspect the arrival of wind and rain is the cause - it feels like autumn is definitely on the way here, but then perhaps October will be warm.
I know foxes' bark quite well, as in London you hear them a lot. In this part of Norfolk very few of them. The damn farmer has put security lights up, and I wonder if the muntjac trigger them.
Two black swans in some flooded fields from the bus today. I don't see them often here.
Apparently my Mum was almost pulled into a river by one as a child, but her mother attacked it with her umbrella and it let her go. I never knew my maternal Grandmother but she sounded like a formidable woman - all 4ft 10 of her.
I stayed with a friend in Acton, London in May. Both afternoons a fox came down the long garden, paused outside the glass back door, and then continued through a gate into the neighbour's garden. The friend said the fox did this regularly.