Wildlife 2007

[mark smyth]

Out surveying today I came across a 'pond' in large dip in a field. The amount of frog spawn was amazing. The pond was roughly 120m in circumference - 120 very large paces by me. There were 3 lots of spawn that were roughly 7, 9 and 12m along the edge of the pond.

The pond
The largest amount of spawn
The spawn
and my shadow for comparison

[Lesley Cox]

What an amazing sound that will be when the tadpoles are all hatched into frogs! I hope the pond doesn't drain or dry up too soon and kill off most of them.

A colleague in whose nursery my own small version resided at one time, had a large fish tank of tadpoles in his kitchen for a while. One morning he came down to make his breakast and found the house alive with hopping frogs!

[John Forrest]

I remember when as a young lad collecting about 100 snails in a bucket and hid them in the house . You can imagine the scene the next morning. After that I was encouraged to collect sticklebacks and other pond dwellers.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm surprised you weren't confined to postage stamps John!

[TC]

 I thought that I would add to the wildlife forum with a few local observations.  Spring has not yet arrived in the west of Scotland but things are starting to move.  The Birds are starting to display and sing and their plumage is coming into full colour as the Blue Tit shows. We have flocks of about 1,000 greylags and a few Pink Feet Geese locally, feeding up before they head off for Iceland.  Our resident Whooper Swan herd are busy hoovering up grass as fuel before they leave us at the end of the month.
On a visit to Dawyck Garden today - Snowdrops again, I saw a Stoat in its white winter coat, and a male Hen Harrier whilst en route.  At Dawyck there was a Red Squirrel with Common Buzzards overhead and on the way home, in the middle of nowhere we stopped to look at the view and a Red Grouse popped up to see what we were doing.  One unwelcome visitor in the garden was a N.Z.flatworm which must have come in a plant pot as I certainly did not bring it back with me when I was there two years ago.

[Maggi Young]

delightful, Tom. Hope you had a good birthday?

[TC]

Thank you Maggi.  At 65 any birthday is a good one!!

[Maggi Young]

We've just been out for a little  evening stroll with Lily the westie and we heard tawny owls calling.  We used to hear them all the time but since the council chopped down all the big trees across the road we haven't heard them for ages. Nice to know they have found another home in the area, not too far away.

[John Forrest]

Nice to hear about your wildlife ( wel not your actual wildlife if you get my drift) It must have been a cold day for the blue tit all fluffed up like that.

[mark smyth]

good news is the first Swallows and Sand Martins are back in the UK. They were seen in South Wales but one swallow doesnt make a summer

[Anthony Darby]

Doesn't quench a thirst either.

[mark smyth]

very good

[KentGardener]

Hi All

spent a wonderful day in the garden yesterday.  Below are a few pictures taken (on the second new camera in two weeks - had problems with the first, £80, one - but actually much happier with this £125 one).

Blackbird singing its little heart out



Narcissus Surpirse!



As a child, I never used to see these spiders - but have been noticing them for about the last 5 years.  Does anyone know what type they are?



Another of the spider



Fred!



regards

John

[Anthony Darby]

Your spider is a crab spider (Thomisidae) and could be a female Misumena vatia, John? It is found "mainly [in] southern England and southern Ireland. Usually well concealed on flowers and shrubs where it ambushes visiting insects." It is quite common in Europe.

[Andrew]

Good or Bad ?

It also plays dead!