WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU TODAY - 2017

They vary as there are about 26 out of over 40 that look like Ladybirds and can have up to 20 spots The alien predator Harlequin Ladybird can also have 20 spots and is not always easy to separate.

 

La plume de ma papillon de nuit est dans ma portable

 

We went for a walk alone the Severn Estuary at Oldbury, the tide was high and just about to be on its way out. On the muddy patches we cane across a group of mixed small waders.



Zooming in






Every now and then they took to their wings


When they turned, with light on their white bellies they, looked silver


A lapwing

 

At the yacht club we came upon a wheatear






On one of the stiles sat this racing pigeon, seemed to be enjoying a rest in the shade and very reluctant to move.


Around the nuclear power plant's cooling lagoons




On top of the power plant was this peregrine. Unfortunately it was just too far away and too high up for my little camera hence this rubbish photo. But we could tell what it is right?

 

These were flying over us last night.
Up to 35 of them at any one time.

 

Autumn migration has started.
Spotted Flycatcher.


Young Redstart.


Sedge Warbler.


Common Whitethroat.

 

Starlings having a bath.

 

Some of the house martins are yet to fledge


We were at our allotment yesterday and found this grass snack had pushed its head into the holes of our netting (each hole is only 1x1cm). The more it twisted the more it got tangled and more solidly stuck. It took us quite a few minutes careful cutting to free it with only a slight damage to its scales. In thanking us it left us some very pungent scent.

 

@HsuH, the 'yellow stuff' certainly is foul, I've had it on me too!!

Lovely shots of the Martins, there are very few around here.

 

Another two visitors to the pond.

 

We had a visitor to the front garden yesterday and she must have spent a good 45minutes demolishing her victim and I got quiet close to her.Didnt see the hole at the top of her right leg until I had downloaded the photo and it looks like the bone is showing but not 100% sure.The problem I had was although I got within a few feet of her she was moving so fast eating the bird and I was trembling a bit I couldn't get the photos perfect
I am a blonde idiot as I downloaded these Sparrowhawk photos a couple of hours ago and forgot to press the post reply button as I was so eager to go off and do something else

 

Just a quick question for everyone.

On three occasions over the past few days, I've seen a group of about 30 swifts hunting and catching their food over the house. Is this a normal thing for them? I always thought they flew separately or in pairs, never in such big groups.

 

@Sandy Ground it is the end of the breeding season for them so they should be migrating to Southern Africa so they could be groups of families that have all joined together,parents and juveniles and they will stick together feeding up and travelling their winter feeding grounds and there is safety in numbers.

Over here we have often seen gangs of up to nine birds flying fastround the buildings where they hunt for food and I love to hear them screaming and they remind me of little jet fighters

Swifts only touch ground to lay eggs,brood those eggs and to feed their young.They eat,sleep and even mate on the wing and if they get grounded it can be awkward for them to get airborne again because of their long sickle shaped wings