Wildlife September - November 2012

[fredg]

There's a definite shortage of wasps around here this year, they're practically non-existent.
lAnyone else noticed the same?






edit to change title of split  thread by maggi

[Brian Ellis]

Yes, Fred, we've only seen a couple.  Quite amazing!

[Roma]

Thought the the same thing till about four weeks ago when my grandson got stung.  I got stung myself when I disturbed one in a gentian flower I had cut to take to the SRGC summer show.  Since then there seem to be plenty around.  Every time the back door is left open longer than two minutes there is one in the house. When I am weeding in the garden one comes along and buzzes in front of my face.  The berries are ripening on my late raspberries - Joan  J  but the wasps are eating them before they are ripe enough for me to eat.  They hang around the beehives and my husband has been stung twice when feeding the bees with sugar syrup. 

[ronm]

A new record for this area today, Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta. 4 males and 1 female recorded at a nearby pond. This is an immature male as it has the lilac coloured abdominal markings. As it matures these areas will become a rich blue colour. They seem to fly endlessly, very rarely perching at all, consuming approx 20% of their own body weight, each day, of midges, flies, and mosquitoes as they do so.

[mark smyth]

lovely looking dragonfly

[mark smyth]

Saw one on Wednesday, Co. Down, and another last night in Co. Fermanagh. Not bad considering how rare barn owls are in N Ireland. Three in a year and hadn't seen any since the 80s.

[daveyp1970]

A new record for this area today, Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta. 4 males and 1 female recorded at a nearby pond. This is an immature male as it has the lilac coloured abdominal markings. As it matures these areas will become a rich blue colour. They seem to fly endlessly, very rarely perching at all, consuming approx 20% of their own body weight, each day, of midges, flies, and mosquitoes as they do so.

Superb Ron well done.

[Anthony Darby]

Saw one on Wednesday, Co. Down, and another last night in Co. Fermanagh. Not bad considering how rare barn owls are in N Ireland. Three in a year and hadn't seen any since the 80s.

This followed Ron's dragonfly report, but I suspect that it's not dragonflies you are talking about Mark?

[mark smyth]

oops how stupid of me . I forgot to say they were barn owls

[Anthony Darby]

A species that's not reached New Zealand Mark. NZ's only species of owl, the laughing owl, is extinct. The barn owl form in Jamaica is quite spectacular.

[Jonny_SE]

Not so many news about the wildlife this far in 2012...Moose, Roe deer but one really nice happening.....a couple of Falco subbuteo nesting close to my garden...3 youngsters left the nest...spectaculare  flyers i must say......//Jonny

[Maggi Young]

Wow, three young from the Hobby nest? That's very exciting. We don't see Falco subbuteo  (Hobby) around here.  I would think three young is a great success for the pair.

[mark smyth]

Any expert trackers on the forum? What's this track I found? The coin is £1

[annew]

My guess would be stoat or weasel.

[Anthony Darby]

Could it be mink? http://web83.extendcp.co.uk/scottishmink.org.uk/Footprints%20Factsheet.pdf