Wildlife May 2013

[Anthony Darby]

Turtle dove from the front window and an Australasian harrier being harried by four magpies.

[illingworth]

We have been operating a trail camera for several years and are regularly surprised by what shows up.  This moose appeared at the beginning of May wearing a radio collar.  The animal has since been identified as being  collared in February on the Grand Portage Reservation in Minnesota.   Some people think the animal  looks to be in poor health but we speculate that it had  forded the river just minutes before the photo.    A person connected with the program  reports that they have a record of a cow taking an 18-mile journey into Canada two years in a row, using  the exact route, just before calving.  We have not yet heard if it has been  determined if if this is that same moose.

[Jonny_SE]

Really strange           this spring who's so delayed    and yesterday a big pack of Swift ( Apus apus) arrived here...must be the warm South east winds that brought them here......//Jonny

[scatigaz]

Jonny,  Swifts have only arrived in numbers here too in the last few days.

[Roma]

I don't know when I last saw one of these.  They used to be quite common when I was a child (a long time ago )

A Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar

[mark smyth]

Jonny,  Swifts have only arrived in numbers here too in the last few days.

So far its a bad year for swifts. Mine are laying or incubating now. 3, 1 and 2 eggs in nests

[Maggi Young]

This super photo was taken through a window by Mala Janes in a Member's garden in Northumberland... it's a Scarlet rosefinch ( Carpodacus erythrinus ) - not many of these little guys about.......

[Peter Maguire]

That's something special - I'd seen one or two had appeared in the usual migration sites along the Northumberland coast such as Holy Island in the past week according to internet birding sites, but nothing inland (where I assume this fine specimen was).
Lovely picture too!

[Margaret]

We're on holiday in Scotland and the sun came out today. We weren't the only ones pleased to see it! This Lady was not camera shy.

[Anthony Darby]

It's come a long way from the land of its birth. 

[Roma]

These Tweedia caerulea seedlings are overdue potting up but will have to wait till the lodgers move on.  Only noticed them this afternoon.

[mark smyth]

These Tweedia caerulea seedlings are overdue potting up but will have to wait till the lodgers move on.  Only noticed them this afternoon.

Where are Blue tits when you need them!

[Anthony Darby]

Araneus diademata spiderlings. Best not inside a blue tit.

[Roma]

I need all the spiders I can get in the greenhouse.  I always feel guilty squashing greenfly when there are spiders feeding on them but they don't eat them fast enough.