wildlife

[Anthony Darby]

Yes, the NZ stock was too inbred, so they seem to have been successful with bees from Sweden.

[Jupiter]

I've been enjoying the seed heads of my cardoons as they dry out, but the galahs have found them and find the seeds irresistible.

[David King]

This is a video I took last year of a Hare less than 25 feet away in the field at the back of our garden.  It's quite a long clip but worth staying with as it washes its ears towards the end.

[johnstephen29]

That's was beautiful David well done, the hare population where I am is starting to pick now since the wretch next door was banned from chasing them with his lurchers, needless to say we don't speak to each other very often.

[Anthony Darby]

We have a good population of hares on the local extinct volcano that is Greenmount. They move out onto the football pitches at night. Very "Watership Down" seeing the silhouettes against the sky or lit buildings.

[johnstephen29]

must be a beautiful site Anthony, but wasn't watership down about rabbits if my memory serves me right?

[Maggi Young]

must be a beautiful site Anthony, but wasn't watership down about rabbits if my memory serves me right?

It was, John, but, like the bald man with a rabbit on his head, it looks like hair from a distance.......
 

(sorry, dreadful joke but I couldn't help myself!)

[johnstephen29]

That is true Maggi, I can only tell them apart if I have my binoculars on or see them boxing, not long now before they are running about like mad things. Your joke wasn't too bad, I've told a lot  worse ones

[Anthony Darby]

 

[mark smyth]

This is a video I took last year of a Hare less than 25 feet away in the field at the back of our garden.  It's quite a long clip but worth staying with as it washes its ears towards the end.

I like the way it stretches its toes while cleaning the foot

[johnstephen29]

The hare always seems to have an eye on you mark to see what you are doing.

[David King]

The hare always seems to have an eye on you mark to see what you are doing.

It was watching me all the time I was filming.  Given how close I was to it I was amazed that it just sat there continuing its routine.  We think it was a female and may have been about to give birth.  I saw it again several times but never so close again and we couldn't see any young.  I doubt I will ever see something like this again.

[johnstephen29]

Sorry David

[Roma]

It's amazing how close you can be to animals if you are perfectly still.  I once watched a squirrel moving her young from one drey to another.  I was fairly close to the new home and saw her bounce along the ground with a second then a third baby then up a tree.  My husband then appeared and did not understand me signalling to keep quiet.  They carry the babies holding them by the tummy with their legs curled up by mum's head.  Unfortunately I did not have my camera at the time.

I had not seen a Goldcrest for a long time.  Earlier this week I was standing admiring Galanthus 'Magnet' when one landed on the wall between my garden and my brother's less than 6 feet from me.  It then flew into the Chamaecyparis.  I did get a rather blurry pic of it on the ground.

[Michael J Campbell]

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) The bottom fell out of the bird feeder this morning and the Goldfinches are having a party on the ground.