…and today on the bike I saw snowdrops out by the side of the road. I’ve seen them in gardens this week, but these were the first in flower “in the wild” as it were.
j
Little finches, or something of the sort, have been really enjoying the hummingbird feeder all winter. (Hummingbirds, too, but that’s unremarkable.)
The local shovelers seem to have settled in - I saw a pair this time. I only spotted the female because she was with the make - they look exactly like skinny female mallards until you spot the huge beak.
No snowdrops, but we’re clearly heading into waterfowl breeding season; the local waterways are full of coots and moorhens chasing each other off newly-claimed territories.
And to wrap up the Fulvous Whistling Duck story, I emailed both the RSPB and the park and they both confirmed, yes, Fulvous Whistling Duck. The lady from the park said that it had turned up a couple of days earlier in company with a Silver Wood Duck (another exotic). She said that unusual birds do occasionally turn up and they assume there’s a collection nearby, but they have no idea where it is and no-one has ever come looking.
Looking through my pictures, I found I’d spotted the Silver Wood Duck as well but not knowing about Silver Wood Ducks, I’d labelled it as a female Mandarin.
I saw a shooting star yesterday just after dusk. I’ve seen them before as light streaks very high up, but this one was relatively close and actually looked like something burning. In the time it took me to say, “Holy crap!” it was gone.
A fox - from my office window. It was sitting unconcernedly on the touchline of an (empty and soggy) school playing field. We have any number of urban foxes around here, but seeing one out in daylight is still fairly unusual.
Ooooh, red foxes are so elegant looking!
The suet feeder is commanding serious attention today. Both hairy & downy woodpeckers, as usual, and today for the 1st time I spied with my lil’ eye a nuthatch.
Update: got a better look at my new visitor, and it’s definitely a red-breasted nuthatch.
I was out working by the gate in the propagation area of our local heritage garden in the midmorning. Other folks had left the gate open, but nobody was there except me off to the side about 30 feet from the gate. I glanced up to see an adult male coyote stick his head in to check if the coast was clear - he didn’t look over at me to the side. So in he trotted, proud as could be. He stopped a few yard inside, and then I said in a low voice, “Hi, how ya doin’ today?” He jerked his head around, saw me, and spun around and loped out of the gate.
Later, one of the volunteers was taken aback by a spider that hangs out in one of the garbage cans. It is a crab spider, also known as a huntsman spider, and they get quite large, approaching a tarantula male in leg spread, but somewhat more slender. It wasn’t moving, and she thought it was dead, so I gave it a tiny nudge, and it moved…So did she! They aren’t dangerous to humans normally.
Saw (and heard) an Epic Crow v. Hawk Grudge Match. Tumbling all over the sky. Mr. Crowsey Wales was making quite the racket, but seemed to actually be getting the upper hand. He chased that Hawk all over the neighborhood. Both of these critters were HUGE examples of their kind.
Saw an awesome Bald Eagle while skiing the other day. Magnificent!
Saw a positive carpet of snowdrops, cyclamen and primroses today. We saw daffodils out early in the week. It’s all pretty unusual in England in early February. Early spring? Fingers crossed.
j
Yes, as of today, we have turned the corner towards spring and the wildlife knows. The birds are more active here as well and my cats want to watch their every move.
Wednesday, for the second time I noticed a crow spotting for others that were feasting on road kill. “Car coming!” he yells, and the others scatter. When the car is past, they are back at the feast. Not in my neighborhood this time, but 15 miles away. Smart, smart birds.
Took the dogs for a walk in the woods yesterday and saw the strangest tracks in the snow. I’d forgotten my phone or I would have taken pictures. They were unlike any tracks I’d ever seen, like an X or cross. I theorized an animal with an injury could have made the tracks, but it just didn’t make sense.
When I got home I told my gf I saw weird tracks in the snow. I was going to go back out with my phone and get some pictures, but until then I sketched what I’d seen. She was drinking iced tea, and when she saw my sketch she choked laughing. She laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes.
Nah @kayaker she’s just covering for her Yeti friend.
I was going to suggest yaktrax when you said it was leaving an X.
Today, I witnessed crocus and daffodils. Sadly though, they were on some friend’s FB posts of Vancouver and England, and not here in MN. However, it is above freezing here today.
I’ve seen plenty of Snowdrops and some (cultivated) crocuses but no primroses or daffodils as yet.
Back at the Lee Valley lakes at the weekend, no Fulvous Whistling Duck but I did see Shovelers (who unsportingly flew away when I tried to photograph them) and at least one Pochard. Plus a pair of Great Created Grebes courting, which was cool.
Yesterday evening, I saw a fox in its more normal surroundings - i.e. it all but passed me on the pavement as I was walking home after dark. It just barely deigned to cross the street to avoid me. Since Covid, the local foxes have got a lot less way.
This isn’t exactly nature, but we’re all on the lookout for signs of spring, so I’ll post it anyway.
Yeah, not the best photo, but I had to basically climb into a hedge to get any sort of shot at all.
j
Looks like super-cute nature to me!
I live by a cow pasture. When we first moved in, I had visions of hanging out by the fence, petting adorable little baby cows, but it turns out cows don’t play that. At least, not these cows.
My husband saw this owl in our back yard today! I am stuck at work, so I am really glad he got a picture.
Your husband is a lucky guy! Cool picture.
You guys! A pileated woodpecker just visited my suet feeder.
Those suckers are huge compared to downies and hairies. Such an impressive red crest, too!
I’ve never seen one in my life. Just stood at the window repeating “Oh my god, that’s so cool. Oh, my god! That is so cool!” over & over until it flew away, further impressing me with its wingspan.