# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 157
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2024, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3124 "2024-06-01T12:46:59Z")
They were incredibly cute! The other day we had dinner on the porch and got to watch a silly wren begin building a nest in a planter. It’s like a Disney thing at mealtimes around here! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3125 "2024-06-01T14:46:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Turns out it’s a little neonate garter snake Look at it with its head up like a cobra, bein’ all, “Oooh, I’m a scary serpent!” Adorbs. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2024, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3126 "2024-06-01T17:57:59Z")
Yep! He was teeny tiny, acting all tough. Kudos to our dogs who are trained to ignore snakes. They were soo good and were treated accordingly ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3127 "2024-06-08T14:29:52Z")
In Shoreham today, walking the Adur estuary, we saw a great white egret - first time for us in the UK. Now, having said that, at distance and without binocs/field glasses, the only real discernible difference between a great white egret and a little egret (very common hereabouts) is size, which is a bit of an issue for ID (y’know, [small vs far away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh5kZ4uIUC0)). But: (1) This guy was **huge** ; and (2) We’ve seen them before in Normandy, many times, so we know pretty well what we’re looking at; and (3) A quick check on the interwebs reveals several recent sightings in the area - mostly recounted in a slightly bored tone, as in, _Yeah, another one._ Anyway, as I said, a first for us in the UK - so that’s nice. > **[Great egret](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_egret)** > > The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Recently, it has also been spreading to more northern areas of Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. > The great egret was formally describ... > **[Adur Estuary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adur_Estuary)** > > Adur Estuary is a 62.2-hectare (154-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the western outskirts of Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. Part is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserve. > The estuary has large areas of salt marsh. Sea purslane is dominant above the mean high water mark and glasswort below. There are also intertidal mudflats which are nationally important for ringed plovers and other wading birds include redshanks and dunlin. > There is no public acc... j ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3128 "2024-06-08T16:51:15Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > the only real discernible difference between a great white egret and a little egret (very common hereabouts) is size, which is a bit of an issue for ID (y’know, [small vs far away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh5kZ4uIUC0)). That is entirely the bird’s fault for failing to give you a proper perspective. Polite egrets stand next to each other 😀. [![](https://i.imgur.com/YcQafnn.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/YcQafnn.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3129 "2024-06-08T19:37:26Z")
That is one hell of a photo (again) @Tamerlane. j ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3130 "2024-06-08T20:16:34Z")
Yesterday: [![](https://i.imgur.com/c0qVbXT.jpeg?fb) ](https://i.imgur.com/c0qVbXT.jpeg?fb) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3131 "2024-06-08T21:40:14Z")
Nice double! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3132 "2024-06-08T22:47:25Z")
Unreal. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3133 "2024-06-08T22:49:20Z")
Thanks! It’s one of the only full rainbows I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3134 "2024-06-09T02:05:21Z")
[[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/NBEYFVM.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/Lt1lDe3) The deer run this town. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3135 "2024-06-10T05:22:50Z")
I saw a skunk on my way home from work tonight! It had a particularly wide stripe on its back - it was white practically all the way from side to side. Utterly ignored me, of course, and toddled slowly on its way into the underbrush. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3136 "2024-06-10T10:51:47Z")
Babies! (Very tiny eggs) [![](https://i.imgur.com/PeBvEcs.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/PeBvEcs.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3137 "2024-06-10T12:18:01Z")
Which nest is that … ? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3138 "2024-06-10T12:50:36Z")
Finch sized eggs. I’ll be checking again later. Nest is low in a shrub. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3139 "2024-06-10T13:37:04Z")
Walking through the forest park on Saturday, I saw a magnificient pileated woodpecker. Alas, it flew away before I could take a photo. My consolation prize was this: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53782258890_3f24f05e00_b.jpg "PXL\_20240608\_221637449 (1)") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/31573076@N00/53782258890/) Eastern chipmunk who was enjoying the spills from the bird feeder. Birds are messy eaters. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3140 "2024-06-10T20:19:11Z")
We have bluebird babies in the bluebird house. You can hear them chittering away when mom or dad bring food. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3141 "2024-06-11T12:32:31Z")
I’ve put up a few bluebird houses, but never had a bluebird use one yet. On the other hand, we are responsible for the huge number of wrens in our area. My favorite birdhouses are the acorns we have hanging all over the place. A local artist is obsessed with acorns. We buy the small birdhouses. They are expensive, but so cute. The artist had a huge acorn lawn ornament on display at a gallery, someone recently purchased it! [![](https://i.imgur.com/Od8TSP1.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/Od8TSP1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3142 "2024-06-11T23:24:45Z")
Wrens don’t need anything but a pot on your porch to nest in (ask me how I know this, lol). The bluebirds are at least a little more picky. They’re also pretty territorial - they don’t want any other birds nesting too close. Our bluebird houses are a standard wood design. Our local Audubon chapter sells them as does our credit union (of all places). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3143 "2024-06-12T01:53:22Z")
I never get tired of these guys. Waiting for a deer to use the crosswalk; [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/DA07e2y.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/3KIDk85) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=156) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=158)