Wildlife 2007

[Lesley Cox]

Just found the Lizard on the same site. It is Gallotia galloti galloti, the Canary Island Lizard.

Sounds like a galoot to me

[mark smyth]

I'm looking forward to see storks during the Czech trip

[Joakim B]

Mark if You want to see a lot of storks Portugal is the place to go.
Around Lisbon and Coimbra there are a lot of rice fields and hence ideal place for storks. They are often 5-10 in the fields and that i nice to see. The wetland also gives room for some nice birds of pray.  (They always fly to high for my camera) 
I can report that in Hungary they have stork nest in most vilages not all occupied but some so there they are more close to people wile I have not seen stork nests in Portugal in vilages. (Maybe due to me not being in the right places.)

Hope You see the storks in the Chech republic.
Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

I seem to remember a stork on a nest on a church in the centre of Vilamoura in the Algarve one October holiday. It left for places south during our stay.

[Paddy Tobin]

Similar in appearance to the stork is the Little Egret which is becoming more and more common around here. There were indications of one nesting quite close to me last season but I haven't seen it this year.

Paddy

[Joakim B]

Paddy
I have the sensation with the popularity of garden ponds (with fish) that is on the rise in Sweden, the egrets are thriving too.
They are often seen feeding on the fish, regardless of if it is bass or koi. 
The storks are also on the rise since there is a breeding program for them in southern Sweden.
Kind regards
Joakim

[mark smyth]

dont tell my mother! I have two Bumble bee nests in the garden. The second one is in down the gap where the soil has shrunk away from the edge of the raised bed

[David Nicholson]

Mothers have wonderful, and mysterious, ways of finding out all things for themselves!!

[mark smyth]

you dont know what she is like. She, Verna, has learnt now not to pull "weeds" but I still have to check the bin for pots of "nothing there" = dormant bulbs.

[Rob]

Hi All

I took these shots of baby bluetits last summer, but have only just joined so thought I’d post them now.

Looking at the red hot poker it’s got loads of fat buds, so hopefully I’ll only have to wait a few weeks to see this years youngsters.

Rob

[Maggi Young]

We're looking forward to the new season's blue tits, too, Rob, they are such friendly chirpy little birds, such good company in the garden. With all the warm weather then cold spells, though not for Luc, it seems, by his comments in the Weather page, I worry that there will be a really nasty return to bad weather when there are nestlings to be fed or fledgings about.... I worry about these things a lot!

[Paddy Tobin]

Rob,

Great photographs and the Blue Tit fledglings should be with us again soon, so more photographs for you.

A robin has nested in ivy growing on my garage wall and presents a danger to those who pass by too noisily as she can fly out suddenly passing very close to one's face. Four eggs await her return. We try to avoid passing the nest but sometimes forget and our dog stands below the nest site waiting in hope for the robin to fly and then makes a snap at her. He likewise spends much time snapping at bees.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Recent new Blue Tit behaviour Rob - if I remember correctly. They also go to flowering currant Ribes sanguineum for nectar

Paddy yes Little Egrets are now nesting in Ireland. Nesting sites are a closely guarded secret. The birds travel the length of Ireland every winter. It is hoped that young ones in the right place at the right time may stay and breed. I was told it's important to have a Heronry close by

[mark smyth]

a while back I showed a nest box made from a birch trunk. It finally went up last Friday beside the living room window where I could watch the future coming and going of adults. I had to take it down because "they will make a mess of the window. Will you clean it every day?" The box was taken down and reposition on my Betula 'Jacquemontii' on Tuesday. It looks out of place but the leaves are out hiding it slightly. This evening when I got home from work I spotted a Blue Tit Parus caerulea poking about on my rockery. It was collecting moss for a nest in my nest box. If the box was big enough maybe I would have the solution to my moss problem. This use of a new box makes me wonder how many pairs of hole nesting birds fail to breed each year becaus ethey cant find a suitable nest site

[mark smyth]

who lives in a house like this?