Monday, 29 April 2013

Local wildlife

It's been a real pleasure each morning recently, to see a hare munching away, under the bathroom window...
 ...and then there were two! (Maybe they're working on a few more!)







There have been curlews around for a few weeks now, after a late start. In previous years they arrived at the end of February, but the first I heard this year was in mid-March. My camera is never near when I do see one, so it was a pleasant surprise to see one walk through the viewfinder as I watched the hares!


And then there have been buzzards around a lot recently. With most lambs born in the fields there will have been afterbirth to feed off, if they can beat the gulls, jackdaws & crows to it, and not get chased off. Gulls & crows can be very persistent, dive-bombing & harrassing buzzards.

Male pheasants are in full, bright plumage; females tucked into safe corners in hedgerows & verges, sitting on eggs, becoming as inconspicuous as possible. They really are difficult to see, their colouring fits in so well. 

Sadly, I saw a dead stoat beside the road yesterday, presumably roadkill.

Over the last week to ten days the fields have gone from olive brown to green. At last the temperature has risen enough for grass to grow. Lambs are growing, bouncing around, charging around the field edges, climbing through gates & over walls. And there are plenty of young rabbits around ... have to let Jack loose to scare them out of the garden!

Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Fieldfares


Two Fieldfares seen in the field alongside the house. Like sleek thrushes, similar size but with 'brilliant white' undersides, brown back & wings & grey head.

Stayed around for a couple of days.