Wildlife early 2009

[David Shaw]

I'll try, Anthony, (people say I can be trying anyway) but don't hold your breath.

[Anthony Darby]

Cliff,

Don't worry about me chiming in again.... I'm can't get past the thought of the "wee pond" that the tadpoles came from.

Here are some pics of the 'wee pond' I took on Easter Monday, when I took the kids and Heidi up the hill to roll their painted hard boiled Easter eggs. I'll take some more at the weekend. Finally, Heidi relaxes in the kitchen after her walk.

[Paul T]

Now there's a dog that thinks she's a person!! 

[fermi de Sousa]

Now there's a dog that thinks she's a person!! 

From the way she's sitting she thinks she's a teenager!
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

Well she has just passed through doggie puberty. It'll be a while before I'll can face a rare steak again!

[Ragged Robin]

I thought I would share some pictures of Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) that I took last weekend. I was on my way to join a local group excursion to see Gentiana verna (amongst other things) in Teesdale in the North Pennines. As I had to cross several moorland ridges to get there from Newcastle I set off early, hoping to get some pictures of Red Grouse from the car whilst the roads were quiet. I was lucky to find a pair backlit by sunshine, just off a small track, and fairly confiding - just what I had hoped for. 
The male bird has the rather fine red feathers over the eyes, the female looks the same except for these gaudy extras.

Peter, I really enjoyed your photos of the Red Grouse in the heather - the male looks so showy with his red eyebrow feathers but it looks as is he said something inopportune as the female is stomping away! 

Did you also have luck with the Genitana verna?

[mark smyth]

David! A starling feeding a young cuckoo LOL It'll be a first for Europe

[Ragged Robin]

Anthony, terrific photos of your Easter egg rolling walk - any wildlife found by Heidi in the 'wee pond'?  She is beautiful and full of character sitting on table - Weimaraner's definitely think they are human - Jazzy does too and is always in the thick of things... she is at the other end of the spectrum at nearly 14 but still thinks she is a puppy  

[Ragged Robin]

Saw a slow worm sunning itself on a rock in the raised bed this morning - by the time I went for my camera it was slithering underneath but it was a lovely sight so sleek and in the peak of condition with darkish sides - I think it might have been a female.  Anthony, do you think it eats ants as well as worms etc ?  Perhaps that's why the ants moved house in my previous post? 

[David Shaw]

Mark, I admit to not having seen a baby cuckoo before. The parent bird was definitely a starling, the baby was definitely NOT a starling. The whole scenario was a classic text book description of a host parent feeding a baby cuckoo. If we did not see a cuckoo, what do you think it was?

[Anthony Darby]

Anthony, terrific photos of your Easter egg rolling walk - any wildlife found by Heidi in the 'wee pond'?  She is beautiful and full of character sitting on table - Weimaraner's definitely think they are human - Jazzy does too and is always in the thick of things... she is at the other end of the spectrum at nearly 14 but still thinks she is a puppy  

There's no visible wildlife in the wee pond except frog tadpoles, and the seven wee frogs I released yesterday, from the taddies on my classroom windowsill. Heidi occasionally flushes up a pheasant or spots a rabbit, but the latter soon disappear into their burrows (I was Googling 'parental care in rabbits' for my third year class today and found a web site that suggested they lived in 'buroughs'. Er ... hello ... anybody in?!! )

I would be surprised if slow worms ate ants, but an ant nursery with larvae and pupae may be a gourmet supper if they are not attacked? Formic acid in the eyes is not nice.

[mark smyth]

David you saw a starling feeding a young starling. They fledged this week.
http://www.arkive.org/european-starling/sturnus-vulgaris/image-A7350.html

[ranunculus]

I loved your blue tit sequence, Anthony, so I thought I would give it a try.  I discovered it is very difficult without a tripod or remote. The bird is incredibly fast and, of course, there is no warning of arrival or departure at the tiny hole in the bird box. These are my best efforts, taken in between some very heavy rain showers.

[Lesley Cox]

They're great pictures Cliff, coming AND going. I hope all the young ones are well.

[Peter Maguire]

Did you also have luck with the Genitana verna?

Yes, very successful. I'm putting toegether a group of plant plant pictures from the trip which I'll put on the site over the weekend in the 'travel/places to visit' section so people can see what's around in Teesdale. We're going back in July for a second trip to see the later flowering species so I'll be able to add them later.