Wildlife 2007

[Lesley Cox]

I could have sworn all worms were pretty slow.

[David Shaw]

We have lived in this garden since 1990 and never seen a slow worm in the village although they are resident just a few miles away in Culbin and near the River Findhorn.
How come one has suddenly appeared? If there is this ne do we assume a Mummy and Daddy and assorted siblings are also hanging out in the garden?
Considering the number of slugs in the garden this year, how do I go about teaching the slow worms to recognise how tasty they are? We should have the fattest slow worms in the Scotland!

[Anthony Darby]

Lesley, the 'slowworm' is neither a worm nor slow. (http://www.mickcoplen.com/slowworms/Slowworms.htm)

[John Forrest]

Nice pic of the swan & brood Tom

[ranunculus]

A few more bird shots for all you nature lovers....all captured on Fuertaventura and Lobos in the spring...

[ranunculus]

...Oops sorry..missed one....

[TC]

Came across a group of House Martins collecting mud for their nests as I was photographing plants at Dunure

[mark smyth]

great bird photos. Arent House Martins cute?! Most people dont realise how blue they are and have hairy toes. Way too many people knock their nests down

[Anthony Darby]

This evening I was painting (with Cuprinol) the garden fence when a pair of Roe deer trotted past the house. One (the buck) decided to retrace his steps and head back into the woods. The doe headed off down the path towards my children's primary school! Photos taken in the gloom, so pretty grainy.

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley, the 'slowworm' is neither a worm nor slow. (http://www.mickcoplen.com/slowworms/Slowworms.htm)

Thanks Anthony for this very nice website. I think they're beautiful and would certainly like my place, if we had them, being wild and untidy as recommended. I'd already gathered they were not worms as such but didn't realize they were legless. (Not from the usual cause though apparently.) The babies are very cute.

[Lesley Cox]

Those bird shots are brilliant Cliff, and not a buttercup in sight!

How do you tell a house martin from a swallow from a swift? We have one but I'm not sure which. They nest in the eaves but seem rather darker than the one above.

Mark, still some improvement needed in your portrait. I think I'm missing the big grin

[mark smyth]

quite easy Lesley
House Martin
In flight looks black and white with a white rump. Actually 'blue' and white

Swallow
in flights looks black and white with tail streamers. Atually 'blue' and cream with brick red forehead and chin. It's a very elegant bird

Swift - not related
in flight looks black with a pale chin. Actually bronzy brown. The boy racer of the bird world

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Mark. Ours have the brick colour on their heads but I've not seen the white underparts, just look quite dark. I'll have a better look next time, but they're mostly away by now.

[Maggi Young]

Where do the antipodean swallows etc go to spend their "winter" ?

[Mick McLoughlin]

This link may help http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/welcomeswallow.html