Just heard my first Cuckoo of the year. I'm excited now but in 2 months time after the others have joined in, they'll be doing my head in.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:22 am Just heard my first Cuckoo of the year. I'm excited now but in 2 months time after the others have joined in, they'll be doing my head in.

Annoyingly, I can't hear them any more. My hearing is shot to pieces and I have tinnitus at a couple of different frequencies. Even with my hearing aids in I can't hear them.

Saw my first swallow the other day. I think that means summer is here!

Saw my first swallow the other day. I think that means summer is here!

Only one? You know what they say

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:59 pm

Saw my first swallow the other day. I think that means summer is here!

Only one? You know what they say

Go on Stu give us a clue.... are you saying it’s not summer yet? Do I have to go looking for another one?

Seen quite a few swallows over the last couple of days, not summer though, well not yet. We've got a pied wagtail around the garden so it's probably got a nest in one of the walls somewhere nearby.

Stu, cuckoos are territorial and the same bird return to the same area year after year.

Unfortunately the cat found the rabbit kits, there were actually three of them, earlier this week, so no more bunnies. Well for now.

My ride this evening was the closest I’ve ever felt to inhabiting a Mint Sauce strip. Huge bees bumbling about, butterflies, birdsong, a carpet of bluebells, deer all over the place, squirrels scampering past my wheels and the last rays of an unseasonably glorious day. Nothing exotic, just nature being amazing. I’m a lucky chap.

Go on Stu give us a clue

"one swallow does not a summer make"

An allusion to the return of migrating swallows at the start of the summer season. From a remark by Aristotle (384 BCE – 322 BCE): "One swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy."

Stu, cuckoos are territorial and the same bird return to the same area year after year.

Yeah, we usually have three Bob but I've only heard the one yet.

Wa hey, spied a blue tit on the telephone line that crosses my garden (I appreciate this is not that rare but I'm doing the BTO back garden bird recording thing (currently free) and so far all I've spotted are spuggies and bloody pigeons)

Our swallows have been back for two weeks now. They've started nesting.

Charliecres wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:08 pm My ride this evening was the closest I’ve ever felt to inhabiting a Mint Sauce strip. Huge bees bumbling about, butterflies, birdsong, a carpet of bluebells, deer all over the place, squirrels scampering past my wheels and the last rays of an unseasonably glorious day. Nothing exotic, just nature being amazing. I’m a lucky chap.

This is a lovely time of year. It's no wonder that a lot of folk songs start with,
"As I was a walking one morning in May"
I broke into one this morning on my exercise ride.

Our swallows have been back for two weeks now. They've started nesting.

First arrived back in the barn yesterday. We didn't seem to have as many last year so I'm hoping this year will be a full house.

"As I was a walking one morning in May"
I broke into one this morning on my exercise ride.

Must still be early - I read that as 'w@nking' which made me question Lu's exercise programme, although I did wonder if Mr Motivator could have proved more popular had he done the same.

Yesterdays ride and I saw summat. Wont bother with the pics as I didn't actually manage to get it in frame. But will describe and someone'll know...

So I stopped to get past a gate and heard rustling in the undergrowth behind the wall. Went over and saw the cutest little furry thing. Was about the length of a forearm (Daves... any Daves). Brown but white streak across face. Face looked like that of a mouse. Was able to bend its whole body back on itself which is summat I npticed when it seemed to be playing hide n seek with me after...

Went to my bike to grab phone so I could take a pic but it'd gone. Rustle, rustle and I managed to spot it hiding further down the undergrowth and seemed to be finding a decent spot inside the dry stone wall. Walked over and tried to lean over and capture a pic but obviously didn't manage.

Any ideas


Wasn't a mouse or a rat or an otter! Didn't seem to have whiskers. Had an inquisitive look about its face. Wasn't a squirrel. Seemed to be a playful boy/girl. Not hairy but furry...

Sounds like some kind of mustelid to me - stoat, weasel or, less likely, a polecat? Also, escaped ferret!

Given where you are Shaf, it's most likely a Stoat, they tend to use drystone walls as shelter and as dens. As Craig says, it's one of the mustelids or weasel family. Have a watch of this - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... d-fearless

Sounds like a Stoat or Weasel Shaf. Theyre very similar looking but different sizes.




Or it could be a Polecat

Wow... you lit shoukd be on Attenborough... Stu. Twas one of them 2... Stoat or Weasel. Really made my day did seeing it. Think it might have been intrigued at what I was playing (had the Quran on in the framebag soeker thingy)...

Can't wait to go there again as I also realised that there's a small stream hidden nearby.

Thanks folk

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:54 am Sounds like a Stoat or Weasel Shaf. Theyre very similar looking but different sizes.




Or it could be a Polecat

Twas this very badboy/girl in the first image

Some folk reckon that it's hard to tell the first two apart, but it shouldn't be.

One is weasely recognised, the other is stoatily different.

That reminds me of a walk up Beinn Bhreac a few years back where we saw a cheeky weasel sticking its head out from under a rock. It wasn't till ages afterwards I spotted this stealth tag under Photos of you on Facebook!

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:29 am One is weasely recognised, the other is stoatily different.

Ho ho . I believe 'stoating' or 'stoatin'' is a Scottish term meaning brilliant or wandering aimlessly? The one and only time I've heard it 'live' was by Janice Toner whilst conversing with Eddie Clockerty in one of the best TV series ever . The DVD of this series eluded me (well, all of us) for years and was eventually, amidst huge celebration, the final one added to my collection. Had a crappy bootleg copy for a long time.

Stoatin' adj.

[1]Brilliant, fantastic. it wiz a stoatin' day

[2]Well inebriated. He wiz stoatin'


Also,
stoater noun

[1]Very attractive person Ah wiz oot wi a right stoater last night.

[2]Black eye. He punched me in the eye and gied me a stoater

Lovely word.

"It's not possible to knit it with a shorter full-length sleeve, is it?"




Sorry, back to the wildlife

And just to please Stu - heard our first cuckoo about five minutes ago

Give it 2 months Bob and you'll be right fed up with it

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 1:12 pm Give it 2 months Bob and you'll be right fed up with it

Nah, can hardly hear it because of the bloody curlews and oystercatchers!