• Wildlife

Posted: **Thu Dec 07, 2023 2:49 pm**

About this time last year, myself and a mate had an overnighter at Kershopehead. Pedalling in from Newcastleton, we had a poke around an old outdoor ed centre. The pic below was me posing in the kitchen and my mate sent it to me today to point out the wildlife we'd not seen at the time.
Can you spot them?
Excuse my wardrobe misdemeanours, it was about -10 deg C. The place was spooky and I wouldn't be going in alone in the dark.......

Posted: **Thu Dec 07, 2023 9:49 pm**

Are they bats 'twixt the glazing and those trendy OSB shutters they've installed to complement the hipster bar vibe?

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2023 12:17 am**

Yep, everyone's favourite nocturnal flying mammal. It was obviously dark at the time, so we didn't notice.

Posted: **Tue Dec 12, 2023 8:40 am**

boxelder wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2023 12:17 am Yep, everyone's favourite nocturnal flying mammal. It was obviously dark at the time, so we didn't notice.

That's pretty cool

Posted: **Tue Dec 12, 2023 8:41 am**

There you go ...very seasonal....

Somewhat less than totally wild wildlife....

But it is a nice story, and of course a true one ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67685458

Posted: **Thu Dec 14, 2023 12:02 pm**

Six blackbirds on our crabapple tree. Normally even two fight each other for territory so that's a record. Love blackbirds, especially their song. Best £20 we ever spent on a tree that was. Garden centre ignored it in a corner and we saved it. Lots of phases of pleasure - green leaves, flowers, fruit, autumn leaves, birds eating the rotting fruit as now.

Posted: **Mon Dec 25, 2023 4:10 pm**

Mrs PB and I decided to have a Christmas Day walk up a local mountain, the 750m peak of Cabrafeixet. Just as we reached the top a pair of golden eagles took flight from a few metres away. I managed to get this shot of one of them before they got too far away.

Posted: **Mon Dec 25, 2023 5:57 pm**

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 4:10 pm Mrs PB and I decided to have a Christmas Day walk up a local mountain, the 750m peak of Cabrafeixet. Just as we reached the top a pair of golden eagles took flight from a few metres away. I managed to get this shot of one of them before they got too far away.

Beautiful

Posted: **Sat Jan 27, 2024 3:30 pm**

Don’t think trees come quite under wildlife but ventured out today to see an old tree…

Question is (I’m either being daft or over thinking it) does it mean the tree is 3500 years old or I’m reading it as it’s a cut off from an older tree, planted there and taken well

Posted: **Sat Jan 27, 2024 4:10 pm**

Says parent tree is that old so presumably grown from that or a seed from.that ( or perhaps even the tree that was first brought to the country ?

Pretty sure some trees can live that long yews for example

Posted: **Sat Jan 27, 2024 8:13 pm**

There’s some Scandinavian spruce trees that are nearly 10000 years old - I think they’re all a bit trigger’s broom though since just like yew trees they produce a new trunk when one dies off

Posted: **Thu Feb 01, 2024 6:19 pm**

PaulB2 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 8:13 pm There’s some Scandinavian spruce trees that are nearly 10000 years old - I think they’re all a bit trigger’s broom though since just like yew trees they produce a new trunk when one dies off

This I didn’t know, I’ll have to look into this trunk thing now

Lazarus wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 4:10 pm Says parent tree is that old so presumably grown from that or a seed from.that ( or perhaps even the tree that was first brought to the country ?

Pretty sure some trees can live that long yews for example

Been thinking about the above tree I posted, not much out there on the ‘net but the forest was planted in the 17th/18th century and California wasn’t ‘discovered’ 3500 years ago, so makes sense if it’s a cut off that has been grown (not sure if that tree can grow from a cutoff?!)

- - -

Anyways, todays sighting were seals on The Great Orme

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:28 pm**

A couple of red kites whilst walling over at my brother's. Not seen them in the Lakes before.

Apparently the curlews are back from the coast already. Not heard any yet but if they are here then it won't be too long.

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:57 am**

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 3:30 pm Don’t think trees come quite under wildlife but ventured out today to see an old tree…

Question is (I’m either being daft or over thinking it) does it mean the tree is 3500 years old or I’m reading it as it’s a cut off from an older tree, planted there and taken well

Think it's just that someone took a sapling/sucker from a parent tree in California, or a seed from the parent tree. Seed more likely as they'd have to keep the sapling alive on the long voyage home - although many explorers did this successfully. Those species do live that long on the west coast of the US for sure, and mature ones in the UK can be hundreds of years old - though still teenagers compared to the old growth giants in their native habitat.

It's great finding specimen trees in the UK. Our colonial and botanical history means there are loads of interesting ones dotted around!

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 11:00 am**

faustus wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:57 am
voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 3:30 pm Don’t think trees come quite under wildlife but ventured out today to see an old tree…

Question is (I’m either being daft or over thinking it) does it mean the tree is 3500 years old or I’m reading it as it’s a cut off from an older tree, planted there and taken well
Think it's just that someone took a sapling/sucker from a parent tree in California, or a seed from the parent tree. Seed more likely as they'd have to keep the sapling alive on the long voyage home - although many explorers did this successfully. Those species do live that long on the west coast of the US for sure, and mature ones in the UK can be hundreds of years old - though still teenagers compared to the old growth giants in their native habitat.

It's great finding specimen trees in the UK. Our colonial and botanical history means there are loads of interesting ones dotted around!

Thanks, that’s a good explanation

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 12:47 am**

I've just seen a badger, on the way back from the pub

.

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 8:32 am**

I had the pleasure of following a Barn Owl along a hedge line in the dusk a couple of nights ago ... 100m or so then it banked right, across the road and over a field ... beautiful bird

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 9:39 am**

Another "badger on the way home from the pub" incident in Sheffield this week.

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 10:01 am**

Frogs back in the pond and spawning, hopefully they hatch. The male has finally let go of the female and she's just chilling in the pond now.

Posted: **Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:33 pm**

Osprey Pr0n!

They're back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boqK3DvnpuI

: Screenshot 2024-03-28 at 13.16.11.png (598.78 KiB) Viewed 2140 times

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2024 5:28 pm**

Walking round favourite little woodland today, saw first bluebells out (there), and really happy to see that the ravens have rebuilt and are using the nest which got blown down last year.

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2024 5:38 pm**

First Cuckoo of the year heard today

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2024 5:48 pm**

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Apr 20, 2024 5:38 pm First Cuckoo of the year heard today

That's always a bit special

Posted: **Sat Apr 20, 2024 6:50 pm**

Same here went out for a walk with a friend to see the bluebells and wild garlic around the Malverns and heard a cuckoo.
Isn't it a bit early compared to a normal year ?

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