wildlife

[Jupiter]

John, you should come down to Adelaide for a holiday some time. In our back yard we see;

Peregrine falcon
Nankeen kestrel
Brown goshawk
Wedgetailed eagle
Brown falcon

and maybe more...

Some time ago I was lucky enough to witness and wedgetailed eagle take a young magpie out of a tree just 20 metres away from where I was standing in my back garden.

Edit: what I'm calling Peregrine falcon might in fact be the Australian hobby. Hard to tell the difference for a novice like me from a distance.

 

[johnstephen29]

Yeah I might just do that Jamus when the kids have left home, we will have a bit more time on our hands.

[brianw]

John
The Red Kytes seem to take no notice of us when they are flying, often barely roof height when I am in the Garden and they think there is food available. 10, 20 or more at a time in places where they are fed regularly. Not exactly very natural to see them swooping between the semis in housing estates.
Jamus
Make the best of your raptors while you can. Many were common here until a few 100 years ago. It is us that persecuted them to rarity status.
By co-incidence the Kites were reintroduced only a few miles away in the Chilterns, in a private park. Another house a few miles further on just happens to have the name Stonor Park. The family name. Any relation? ;-)

[johnstephen29]

Must be a site to see Brian

[RichardW]

Kites have spread into Herts quickly in the last few years, I remember the release programme starting, remarkable success story.

Often see 15+ at harvest time & there are roosts of 50+ in the county.

Ravens are also regular now which are great to see & hear!

[Jupiter]

Brian, yes, they are cousins but we have nothing to do with them. My grandfather grew up in Chiltern, but moved to Australia after the war and broke all ties with the family in England. Alas any chance of an inheritance is forfeit.

[Chris Johnson]

Pretty good for raptors here too.
White-tailed Eagles in the winter.
Peregrine, Merlin and Hen Harrier hunt the headland and coast all year.
Kestrel and Sparrowhawk are occasional.
Short-eared Owl in summer.
Best of all was a white Gyr Falcon three years ago (from the lounge window) 

[ashley]

George Monbiot considers our relationship with the natural world, here.

[Hoy]

How to save a drowning duck: (use the linkunder the picture)



http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/dyrene/isbaderen-lars-36-reddet-and-fra-drukningsdoeden/a/23354239/

[mark smyth]

well done the very brave man

[partisangardener]

I could not resist to show you this Peacock Spiders

 There are lots of species and all dance and look different.

[mark smyth]

Fantastic footage of a peacock spider on David Attenboroughs new series that just finished

[johnstephen29]

An apt name for a very beautiful spider.

[Jupiter]

The little skinks are so much a part of the garden which supports a huge population of them. They are very happy with me for building a rock garden. Lizard heaven.

[Anthony Darby]

Looks like a rainbow skink. Here's one sunbathing in my pot area on Boxing Day. Another Aussie pest.