BCUK Springwatch Thread
- Thread starter Harvestman
- Start date
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Oh yes, it means there are insects about to feed them, and the temperatures are up. Good spot.
I thought I might have seen bats the other night, but wasn't sure as they were only glimpses and might have been birds.
It seems to be the start of what I call the "silly season" for ducks. Love is in the air (or more probably lust!), and I was treated to a stunning aerobatic display as a poor harried female was pursued by several amorous Mallard drakes, with much quacking in evidence.
The flower list grows again. This time a bit of Ragwork in flower
Groundsel
Daisy
Snowdrop
Gorse
Dandelion
Lesser Celandine
Primrose
Daffodil (not really wild, but naturalised in road verges in my area)
Wild strawberry
Dog's mercury
Germander Speedwell
Common Chickweed
Common ragwort
Groundsel
Daisy
Snowdrop
Gorse
Dandelion
Lesser Celandine
Primrose
Daffodil (not really wild, but naturalised in road verges in my area)
Wild strawberry
Dog's mercury
Germander Speedwell
Common Chickweed
Common ragwort
St Davids day coincided with my first sighting of wild daffodils, lots of them in fact. Also found wood spurge in flower. Oh and the ramsons are up, if not yet in flower.
I also inadvertently bagged a cock pheasant in full breeding plumage with the aid of my car. For a change, I wasn't trying to hit him, as he had his girlfriend alongside. Difference between male and female pheasants: hen pheasant sees car, steps into the hedge that she is next to. Cock pheasant sees car, stands there with an air of "I'm looking gooood", belatedly realises that he might be in a spot of bother here, and finally decides that the safest place to be is the other side of the road, which means running across in front of my oncoming car. Splat.
Pheasant stew for tea tomorrow.
I also inadvertently bagged a cock pheasant in full breeding plumage with the aid of my car. For a change, I wasn't trying to hit him, as he had his girlfriend alongside. Difference between male and female pheasants: hen pheasant sees car, steps into the hedge that she is next to. Cock pheasant sees car, stands there with an air of "I'm looking gooood", belatedly realises that he might be in a spot of bother here, and finally decides that the safest place to be is the other side of the road, which means running across in front of my oncoming car. Splat.
Pheasant stew for tea tomorrow.
Groundsel
Daisy
Snowdrop
Gorse
Dandelion
Lesser Celandine
Primrose
Daffodil (not really wild, but naturalised in road verges in my area)
Wild strawberry
Dog's mercury
Germander Speedwell
Common Chickweed
Common ragwort
and now Coltsfoot as well.
There was a Black Headed Gull in full summer plumage in the car park at my local Aldi yesterday. I had a really good day right up until the bit where I realised that I'd driven off with my wallet on the roof of the car. I did a lot of driving, so no chance at all of finding it.
Daisy
Snowdrop
Gorse
Dandelion
Lesser Celandine
Primrose
Daffodil (not really wild, but naturalised in road verges in my area)
Wild strawberry
Dog's mercury
Germander Speedwell
Common Chickweed
Common ragwort
and now Coltsfoot as well.
There was a Black Headed Gull in full summer plumage in the car park at my local Aldi yesterday. I had a really good day right up until the bit where I realised that I'd driven off with my wallet on the roof of the car. I did a lot of driving, so no chance at all of finding it.
I can add violets to my South Wales flowers list now. Saw some in the black mountains today.
1. Groundsel
2. Daisy
3. Snowdrop
4. Gorse
5. Dandelion
6. Lesser Celandine
7. Primrose
8. Wild Daffodil
9. Wild strawberry
10. Dog's mercury
11. Germander Speedwell
12. Common Chickweed
13. Common ragwort
14. Coltsfoot
15. Dog violet
16. Hazel
17. Alder
18. Goat Willow
Don't see why I should exclude trees.
1. Groundsel
2. Daisy
3. Snowdrop
4. Gorse
5. Dandelion
6. Lesser Celandine
7. Primrose
8. Wild Daffodil
9. Wild strawberry
10. Dog's mercury
11. Germander Speedwell
12. Common Chickweed
13. Common ragwort
14. Coltsfoot
15. Dog violet
16. Hazel
17. Alder
18. Goat Willow
Don't see why I should exclude trees.
Yesterday was my birthday, and apparently in celebration, spring took a big leap forward in my part of the world. No less than 5 new additions to my flowering plants list, plus weeping willows in leaf, and 2 bumble bees. Things are moving on apace!
Additions:
Hairy Bittercress
Butterbur
Wood Anemone
Self Heal
Cherry
Additions:
Hairy Bittercress
Butterbur
Wood Anemone
Self Heal
Cherry
Today was my first butterfly of the year. A Small Tortoiseshell. Yaay!
I'm going to stop the list of flowers on March 31st, and see what it amounts to.
I'm going to stop the list of flowers on March 31st, and see what it amounts to.
Today I saw bud break on a Hazel (it was in an urban situation, and in a bit of a suntrap), but many others in the local area are so nearly there.
I also saw a butterfly, it was large and pale yellow (this is the limit of my butterfly ID skills).
I also saw a butterfly, it was large and pale yellow (this is the limit of my butterfly ID skills).
Very much so. In my opinion miles better than Sloe Gin and easier to make. Similar ilk to Drambuie or Chartreuse perhaps? Well one of those posh liquers with slightly spicy notes anyway.....hc
Almost certainly a Brimstone butterfly.
They are a definite spring species. I haven't seen one yet this year. I had my second butterfly of the year today, but I don't know what it was as it was silhouetted against the sky as I drove past. Lots of bud break now, and I can add plum trees in blossom to my list. Less positively, the giant hogweed along the river usk is starting its usual spring surge prior to making the banks impassable.
OK, on saturday I had a wild honey bee walking on my forearm. Later that day I saw my first bumblebee of the year. Sunday afternoon whilst dog walking my wife & I saw a stoat hunting along the bottom of a hedge, near a rabbit warren.
ATB
Dave
ATB
Dave
Watched some bats yesterday whilst in the yard and it was still daylight.
An hour later, brock came crashing through the woods and was making quite a racket whilst foraging and scratching a log.
Frogs were croaking a lot in the undergrowth.
Ramsons have come on in leaps and bounds.
An hour later, brock came crashing through the woods and was making quite a racket whilst foraging and scratching a log.
Frogs were croaking a lot in the undergrowth.
Ramsons have come on in leaps and bounds.
I can add Blackthorn in flower now. Agree about ramsons, and I foraged some wild onion too. Bumblebees now relatively common. Interesting how things seem to emerge in bursts. I had a rush of new things, and now nothing much for over a week. Lots of bud break though - ash, hawthorn, cherry, dog rose, willow etc, and the sycamore looks like emerging imminently. Oh yes, grey poplar in flower too, and masses and masses of wolf spiders about.