Getting close to wildlife - literally

[boxbrownie]

No picture I am afraid but today we took our grandkids to the Lappa Valley Railway near Newquay, it was a lovely day but while sitting at the new cafe/restaurant eating lunch I saw what looked like a Wagtail as it was…..well…wagging its tail, but it had a bright yellow breast and black chin like a Tit…..anyway turns out it’s was a Grey Wagtail, never seen one before and they are a bit rare which makes sense then.

 

Lovely bird.

 

And of course there were the Swans……😄

Edited April 19, 2022 by boxbrownie

[ejstubbs]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

turns out it’s was a Grey Wagtail, never seen one before and they are a bit rare

 

Grey Wagtails aren't all that rare: we certainly see a fair number on river walks around here, although to be fair we are in the right part of the country for them.  The RSPB does say that their distribution within the UK varies according to the season: "Scarce in central and eastern England in summer and from upland areas in winter" is what their web site says.  It's true that there are significantly fewer breeding pairs in the UK than there are pied wagtails, though.

 

The least common UK wagtail is the yellow wagtail, which people often claim to have seen when in fact it was a grey wagtail, which also has quite a lot of yellow on it, as you observed.

Edited April 19, 2022 by ejstubbs

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, ejstubbs said:

 

Grey Wagtails aren't all that rare: we certainly see a fair number on river walks around here, although to be fair we are in the right part of the country for them.  The RSPB does say that their distribution within the UK varies according to the season: "Scarce in central and eastern England in summer and from upland areas in winter" is what their web site says.  It's true that there are significantly fewer breeding pairs in the UK than there are pied wagtails, though.

 

The least common UK wagtail is the yellow wagtail, which people often claim to have seen when in fact it was a grey wagtail, which also has quite a lot of yellow on it, as you observed.

Yes I just went by the amber “scarce” emblem on the RSPB site, I wouldn’t have looked but I had never seen a brightly coloured wagtail before.  Definitely not a yellow wagtail I know that much 👍

 

Funny though as it was sitting in a lighting wire suspended between posts at first I thought it was Tit who couldn’t balance very well with its tail wagging away 😄

Edited April 19, 2022 by boxbrownie

[monkeysarefun]

As far as "close to wildlife" goes this magpie (Aussie magpies are actually  butcherbirds, not corvids) is a regular visitor now and will jump on my arm to eat out of my hand and then  sit beside me for a while afterwards warbling away.

 

They get to recognise  people so hopefully I'll be on his white list come September when swooping season starts. 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[ejstubbs]

12 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Yes I just went by the amber “scarce” emblem on the RSPB site

 

Amber isn't necessarily - or even primarily - an indicator of scarcity: it's considerably more nuanced than that: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/uk-conservation-status-explained/.  Primarily it's to do with long-term or recent trends in numbers of individuals or breeding pairs, although things like habitat loss or highly localised breeding sites also factor.

 

As an example, the House Sparrow is on the red list, although there are still 5.3 million breeding pairs of them in the UK so it's hardly "scarce".  The red status is due to the ~70% in breeding numbers since 1975:

 

 

The Grey Wagtail had a sharp decline in the late 1970s but has been bobbing up and down a bit since then, although recently it has been on a noticeable downward trend:

 

 

The number of species on the UK red list has doubled in the last 25 years.  It now stands at 70, which is roughly one on eight of the 570-odd species on the "British List" maintained by the British Ornithologists Union (which includes rare visitors and "accidentals" - some of which have been seen in the wild in the UK just once - as well as the familiar resident and migratory species).

 

The above graphs are from the BTO Birdtrends web site.  I find that, although the RSPB web site is good for quick reference information, the BTO is better for in-depth data.  The BTO also runs training courses in bird ID and survey methods, so that you can help contribute to their store of data (it also publishes some useful bird ID videos on YouTube to help with that).  I'm going to be attending one of their virtual songbird ID courses from next week, as a matter of fact, and going on one of their field training courses soon after that (you don't have to be a BTO member to sign up for these).

 

As a member of both the RSPNB and the BTO, the way I look at it is that  the RSPB is primarily an organisation that campaigns for, raises funds for and actively pursues conservation activities for the benefit of birds and other wildlife, while the BTO is more of a scientific data and information gathering organisation, with both professional and 'citizen' scientists on its roster.  The BTO collaborates and shares data with other similar organisations beyond the UK, and works with organisations like the RSPB to help inform their conservation work.  The BTO isn't quite as 'slick' as the RSPB in its presentation - that's scientists for you - but it nonetheless performs extremely valuable work and is a virtually inexhaustible information source if you're a serious bird geek.

[Phil Bullock]

Wagtails are always bobbing up and down when I see them! 
 

Flocks of thousands of Pied were roosting in Cheltenham…. And plenty of Greys to be seen on Rivers Wye and Usk when I fish. Don’t ever remember seeing a Yellow though….

[SamThomas]

I used to drive HGV's in & out of Central London & often took my breaks in the road by the Blackheath Tea Hut. The starlings & sparrows would sit on the mirror brackets waiting for an outstreatched hand with breadcrumbs on it to eat from.

At night they were replaced by fox's who would almost take the food from your hands.

[PhilJ W]

I have seen and heard fox cubs in my back garden. Yesterday I found evidence of the vixen making a couple of dens but no sign (or smell) of them. It looks as if the vixen had started the dens then given up, one was rather exposed and the other was near next doors extension and the ground is full of builders rubble. Some neighbours have wooden decking and might find that they have unexpected guests. 

[sb67]

After nearly 2 years visiting the place and hearing them everywhere we finally saw and took a photo of a Cetti's Wabler at RSPB Rainham Marshes, just before it flew off very loudly! 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2022 by sb67

[AndyID]

Photo taken at the kitchen sink. Redpoll finches I think.

 

 

[pH]

Heron in Victoria harbour:

 

[Barry Ten]

I've been spotting some smooth newts in my pond:

 

 

[LimboBrit]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

I've been spotting some smooth newts in my pond:

 

 

Is it drunk?

[pH]

A couple of otters in Victoria harbour:

 

 

 

First one is about to eat a crab it has caught (the white thing between its paws) and the second one is just ‘hanging out’. 
 

Despite being in salt water, they are river otters.

[PhilJ W]

The same fox is resting in my garden every morning. I know its the same one because he (or she?) doesn't have a bushy tail. Why is a mystery as it doesn't appear to have mange, the rest of its coat appears to be in good condition. Perhaps its been in a fight with another fox. 

[sb67]

9 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

The same fox is resting in my garden every morning. I know its the same one because he (or she?) doesn't have a bushy tail. Why is a mystery as it doesn't appear to have mange, the rest of its coat appears to be in good condition. Perhaps its been in a fight with another fox. 

 

Has it lost fur from it's tail? I believe Mange start's from the tail, I've a fox that visit's and I'm pretty sure has it  but trying to get medication to it is difficult as he doesn't turn up regularly. 

Foxes also moult at this time of year so it could also be that and it may just see your garden as a safe place to hang out. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by sb67

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

 

Has it lost fur from it's tail? I believe Mange start's from the tail, I've a fox that visit's and I'm pretty sure has it  but trying to get medication to it is difficult as he doesn't turn up regularly. 

Foxes also moult at this time of year so it could also be that and it may just see your garden as a safe place to hang out. 

Some people have reported mange among the local foxes. The problem is that the urban fox population has risen considerably due to lockdown, normally more than half of them die in RTA's in their first year but with the lack of traffic that hasn't happened. The concern is now that many will die from disease and lack of food. 

[sb67]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Some people have reported mange among the local foxes. The problem is that the urban fox population has risen considerably due to lockdown, normally more than half of them die in RTA's in their first year but with the lack of traffic that hasn't happened. The concern is now that many will die from disease and lack of food. 

 

If treated early Mange can be treated but it's getting the right fox to take the meds, unless you can hand feed them it's difficult.  I've been putting stuff on bread and jam and placing them in various points of the garden.  Our foxes are lucky there is a big country park and woods a few hundred yards away so hopefully a supply of food. 

[Barry Ten]

Our local population of foxes succumbed to mange one by one over a couple of years. It was very distressing as we were monitoring them with trail-cams and recognised them as individuals. I think we tried putting out medicine but it had no effect, or the foxes wouldn't take it. We were loaned a humane trap by one of the fox charities but none ever took it (the best outcome for the fox, I believe, would still have been euthanisation). It's only after four or five years that the foxes have begun to return to the garden. They look healthy so far, touch wood.

[sb67]

3 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

Our local population of foxes succumbed to mange one by one over a couple of years. It was very distressing as we were monitoring them with trail-cams and recognised them as individuals. I think we tried putting out medicine but it had no effect, or the foxes wouldn't take it. We were loaned a humane trap by one of the fox charities but none ever took it (the best outcome for the fox, I believe, would still have been euthanisation). It's only after four or five years that the foxes have begun to return to the garden. They look healthy so far, touch wood.

 

That's such a shame, there's possibly 2 out of the 3 that regularly visit. The only meds I can get is the homeopathic stuff. A local wildlife hospital cant give out the proper stuff unless the right fox can get the meds. It's tough as if caught early it can be treated and the fox will recover. 

It's a tough life being a fox! 

[PhilJ W]

Sadly the fox that has been coming into my garden may have died. I was going out this evening when I saw it laying curled up in my garden but despite my making a noise he did not stir. It was getting dark so that I couldn't check on it and its now too dark to see. If its still there in the morning I will call the local council to remove it.

[sb67]

6 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Sadly the fox that has been coming into my garden may have died. I was going out this evening when I saw it laying curled up in my garden but despite my making a noise he did not stir. It was getting dark so that I couldn't check on it and its now too dark to see. If its still there in the morning I will call the local council to remove it.

 

That's a shame Phil, urban foxes have a short lifespan, there's so many obstacles. There was one in my neighbours garden that appeared unusually tame, wasn't eating and didn't look well. Turned out it had Toxomoplasomisis ( I think that's how it's spelt!) caught from eating cat poo! 

[rodent279]

Walking in the local woods yesterday lunchtime,  I saw a small brown creature scurry across the path in front of me. It was no more than a hands breadth in length, long and slender,  with a short tail. I'm pretty sure it was a Least Weasel. No photo, I just had time to think wow, and it was gone into the undergrowth. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by rodent279

[PhilJ W]

I spotted the fox this morning sunning himself in a concealed part of the garden. He looks a bit sleepy but no more than you would expect from a nocturnal animal.

[Reorte]

I've heard rumours that otters have been seen in the canal near me. Not seen any myself, but that'll be something to keep an eye out for.