Woodland Diaries

[Pootle]

In my back garden a few weeks back in the snow I saw a hedgehog, I initially thought it may be a rat, as it is very unusual to see hedgehogs in the winter, they usually hibernate, but this individual was eating nuts and or bread I had put out for birds. It is very much farmland around where I live, so I have seen the usual rabbits, pheasants, partridges and have been lucky enough to see a pair of hares last week. It is shooting season here now and in addition to the usual bagging of pheasants, there is a lot of culling of wood pigeons as a couple of local fields have had their crops lost in the last 12 months due to these, wood pigeons are the major culprit in the UK for poor crop yields, far worse than rabbits. Just about every wooded area around me has guys in at weekends shooting them.

 

[Monty]

Do you kill the snakes when you see them, or do you just leave them be? Those were Eastern Browns right? One of the most venomous snakes in the world?

I only kill them if they attack me and that has not happened for years. I often walk past big brown snakes within a foot on channel banks. They usually get off the side and hide in the grass as I walk past. What I hate is when I have a blocked pipe and reach in to unblock it and feel the smooth and moving snake.

It is amazing how many live in cracks and holes in channel banks. One bank I walked almost daily last year I would see about one snake a week. When we did landforming work we had a road grader in to knock down the channel. The grader driver saw 15 snakes dug up while he was working and probably only saw half of them. He was telling me he used to get off the grader and move them, but has got more careful as he gets older. He is actually a wildlife photographer when not driving graders. Peter Merritt Wildlife Photographer

 

[epickoala123]

Woodland diaries-8th february 2013: a good idea pays off

Today was a day off school, no homework, no plans, no time restrictions. So the obvious choice for me was a nice long walk And believe I have seen the wood and life of the inhabitants in a different way.

A brainwave occurred before I left, If the deer were in the fields, I shouldn't look down from the woods to the deer in a distant field, I should go directly to the field

A wonderful experience:
Great decision on my part, as I saw the deer up reasonably close, 20 metres to be exact. With is much better than looking down on them for a distance.
This enabled me to get decent views through binoculars, and a half decent photo of them. After watching them for 20 minutes, they became aware of my presence, so I let them be.

Good news:
Another piece of good news was signs of deer occupying my garden. A few branches had there bark taken off, shaded areas that showed signs of them sleeping, and droppings as well.

The wood itself:

As In said earlier, I had no time restrictions, so I could just slowly walk about, enjoying it's biodiversity, vibrant colors, and interesting inhabitants.
An interesting, yet common, sight welcomed me. while viewing a white throat ( i believe), I saw a small group of crows, overpowering a large buzzard. Just reminds you how unexpected wildlife can be.

The next blissful half hour was spent enjoying the sounds and sights. Enjoying the bird calls, and enjoying the tapestry of woodland life.

I did a bit of work for the environment, by cleaning up the mess campers had made. Although I couldn't actually take rubbish for bins (as the bins were full), I was able to round up some rubbish for future cleaning.
As I said in job options for a zoology degree, talking about conservation:"humans made the mess, so humans should clean it up". Not actually to do with litter, but conservation in general. never has the quote been so literal

I saw the roe deer family again from a distance, but since I saw them from up close, I didn't really pay much attention.

The whole walk was very pleasant, and I ran into no dog walkers, which is good if it continues. Not much more on the conservation front, but some of the trees that came down in the winter weather have been taken away.

hopefully You've enjoyed this, comments and questions welcome.

look forward to your wildlife stoties

epickoala123

 

[epickoala123]

In my back garden a few weeks back in the snow I saw a hedgehog, I initially thought it may be a rat, as it is very unusual to see hedgehogs in the winter, they usually hibernate, but this individual was eating nuts and or bread I had put out for birds. It is very much farmland around where I live, so I have seen the usual rabbits, pheasants, partridges and have been lucky enough to see a pair of hares last week. It is shooting season here now and in addition to the usual bagging of pheasants, there is a lot of culling of wood pigeons as a couple of local fields have had their crops lost in the last 12 months due to these, wood pigeons are the major culprit in the UK for poor crop yields, far worse than rabbits. Just about every wooded area around me has guys in at weekends shooting them.

AWWW, your lucky, I haven't seen a wild hedgehog for a year or two now.

 

[Pootle]

AWWW, your lucky, I haven't seen a wild hedgehog for a year or two now.

Sadly the numbers are dropping in the UK (certainly NW England).

How are rabbit populations doing up your way just now? - down here in Lancashire they are pretty low in comparison to previous years due to a myxomatosis outbreak early 2012. They will undoubtedly bounce back though.

 

[epickoala123]

Sadly the numbers are dropping in the UK (certainly NW England).

How are rabbit populations doing up your way just now? - down here in Lancashire they are pretty low in comparison to previous years due to a myxomatosis outbreak early 2012. They will undoubtedly bounce back though.

They're doing well, basically everywhere. I would mention Them in this thread but just like pheasants, seeing them is nothing special at all.
To be honest they're a bit of a pest.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

They're doing well, basically everywhere. I would mention Them in this thread but just like pheasants, seeing them is nothing special at all.
To be honest they're a bit of a pest.

No animal is a pest.

I haven't been seeing much wildlife this year so far but the winter views are beautiful! I've been finding a couple of large bird nests and some burrows in the last few days but not much else. I saw some American Crow and heard some Canada Geese (with the probable Crackling Goose mixed in as well) and saw some little blackish birds with white chests and one was walking verticaly on a tree (anyone have any idea what they could be? Chickadee of some kind?). I've been seeing some Red Fox tracks around but, strangely, no signs of any White-Tailed Deer. I've also seen a few Coyote tracks and just yesterday I saw Bobcat tracks- which I haven't see any evidence of in a good few years!

Below is a picture I took of Lake Lillinonah- the lake by my house. I'm hoping to see lots of the annual summer wildlife here. Also, I've noticed a lot of fox tracks on the snow that rests on the ice.

By the way, thanks for stealing my signature, epickoala

~Thylo

 

[epickoala123]

No animal is a pest.

I haven't been seeing much wildlife this year so far but the winter views are beautiful! I've been finding a couple of large bird nests and some burrows in the last few days but not much else. I saw some American Crow and heard some Canada Geese (with the probable Crackling Goose mixed in as well) and saw some little blackish birds with white chests and one was walking verticaly on a tree (anyone have any idea what they could be? Chickadee of some kind?). I've been seeing some Red Fox tracks around but, strangely, no signs of any White-Tailed Deer. I've also seen a few Coyote tracks and just yesterday I saw Bobcat tracks- which I haven't see any evidence of in a good few years!

Below is a picture I took of Lake Lillinonah- the lake by my house. I'm hoping to see lots of the annual summer wildlife here. Also, I've noticed a lot of fox tracks on the snow that rests on the ice.

By the way, thanks for stealing my signature, epickoala

~Thylo

Nice photo, I will post a picture of the river don in the snow that I took in the wood, when I visit macduff(I will also post pictures of the wood and the deer).

~epickoala

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I also heard a woodpecker, too. I hope to get some get snow-cover woodland, lake, and animal print pics either tomorrow or the next day.

~Thylo

 

[nanoboy]

That's good that you don't kill the snakes, monty. Your friend took some cool pics. I think I have only seen two or three snakes in the wild in Australia ever.

Thylo, is that lake frozen solid? Can you walk on it, or is it really thin ice?

Epic, looking forward to the pics.

Pootle, I never saw a hedgehog in London. Are they found there? A fox scared me a few times though.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Thylo, is that lake frozen solid? Can you walk on it, or is it really thin ice?

It's frozen but now I wouldn't trust it too much. I did manage to walk pretty far on the cracked ice just yesterday and it seems several fox have been walking along it. Some parts have already collapsed beneath the water and the snow has most likely caused extreme cracks and collapses so you won't be catching me on there anytime soon.

~Thylo

 

[nanoboy]

It's frozen but now I wouldn't trust it too much. I did manage to walk pretty far on the cracked ice just yesterday and it seems several fox have been walking along it. Some parts have already collapsed beneath the water and the snow has most likely caused extreme cracks and collapses so you won't be catching me on there anytime soon.

~Thylo

That's pretty cool! I don't think you will see many frozen lakes here in Australia....

How much snow did you get with this storm?

 

[zooboy28]

Pootle, I never saw a hedgehog in London. Are they found there? A fox scared me a few times though.

I didn't realise that there are no hedgehogs in Australia! Just read on wiki that NZ is basically the only place of note that they have been introduced. Were they ever released in Australia at all? We see them quite regularly here, and they are probably the second most common roadkill species (after possums).

 

[epickoala123]

Epic, looking forward to the pics.

I wouldn't get your hopes up, I've just got 5-6 pictures of the woodland, a view over the river in the snow, a few photos of the roe deer, any pictures I get of wildlife near macduff, and the ones I take in Macduff aquarium.
nothing exciting.

 

[FBBird]

That Whitethroat must have been something else. They are a summer migrant to Britain, & as far as I know, there is no record of wintering.
Also, rabbit & pheasant behaviour is as interesting as deer, or for that matter, Giant Pandas.
Nice to have someone doing a regular thing on their local patch.

 

[epickoala123]

That Whitethroat must have been something else. They are a summer migrant to Britain, & as far as I know, there is no record of wintering.
Also, rabbit & pheasant behaviour is as interesting as deer, or for that matter, Giant Pandas.
Nice to have someone doing a regular thing on their local patch.

Once again, my rookie bird knowledge fails me.

 

[epickoala123]

I feel that this year I should try to see some birds of prey, Any tips fro seeing the following species: Sparrowhawk, Osprey, kestrel, barn owl, tawny owl, long eared owl. help appreciated.

 

[Pertinax]

That Whitethroat must have been something else. They are a summer migrant to Britain, & as far as I know, there is no record of wintering.

I doubt Whitethroats could survive in UK in the winter. Warblers like Dartford and Blackcap that can/do winter here have specific niches they occupy that allow them to do so. I rather think Whitethroats couldn't do it.

 

[epickoala123]

My mum saw a red fox in the garden, I went out but couldn't see it . It would of been my first red fox since I was two.

I did however see the young roe deer, That I have named Bambi.

 

[CambsVet]

I feel that this year I should try to see some birds of prey, Any tips fro seeing the following species: Sparrowhawk, Osprey, kestrel, barn owl, tawny owl, long eared owl. help appreciated.

Kestrel can often been seen hovering on the side of a motorway- so next time you are travelling keep your eyes open. I often see buzzards and sparrowhawks aswell when I'm driving about. Ive seen the ocassional red kite and little owl aswell when I've been driving.

Your much more likely to hear a tawny owl than see one! It makes the classic "twit-twooo" sounds. Barnowls you might see hunting at dawn or dusk- but only local knowledge will help you get that tick.