What did you see in the woods today?

[Jack Bounder]

Saw our first Bugle of the year

Scat rich with beetle carapaces. Badger?

The barred tail feathers from a Sparrowhawk?

The fresh greens of Beech.

 

[Jack Bounder]

Saw our first Swallows of the year and heard our first Cuckoo. Also had some Water Crowfoot in a brook.

The woods were carpeted with Bluebells.

 

[John Fenna]

No photos but today we saw, for the first time this year, the male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker changing shifts in their hole in a Lime tree in my little perm near home.
Every year I try and find the resident Woodpecker's new nest hole and have been watching our resident for something like 8 years now. Every Spring it is a challenge to find the new nest - or has been most years when they have not nested in the same tree, just making a new nest. It is great to watch the young being fed ... but we have yet to see them fledge as we are normally off on holiday!
In the same tree there were Blue Tits bathing in a water filled hole where a branch fell off years ago - very comical to watch, while around the base the Alexanders, Ransoms and Bluebells are all in flower.
It is a shame I forgot my camera!

 

[Robson Valley]

Enjoy your forests.

7PM May 16 Little Bobtail Fire estimated size 20,000 ha = 50,000 acres = 78+ square miles.
Evacs successful, all logging roads blocked 80(?) km SW of city of Prince George BC. Many long lakes for air tankers to fill up
on the fly. Dry WX may mean that the fire even doubles from this size. No smoke in the city so far

 

[Bakwas]

I sat for 20 minutes in a local wood near Leith Hill in Surrey and watched a greater spotted woodpecker flying back and forth to feed her young. I was sitting under a tree about 10m from the tree with her nest and could hear the chicks (what is a baby woodpecker called?) It was amazing to be so close to them. Normally they cop you and are off but I guess the necessity of servicing her young was her driving instinct.

The male woodpecker was flying around the trees nearby, never going too far. I guess he was on the lookout for predator. This really made the day for me.

 

[Jack Bounder]

Not strictly in the woods but had a nice view of a Hare. We don't see too many of these where I live, so nice to see.

 

[GGTBod]

Oak trees as far as the eye could see hidden in the middle of a sitka spruce tree farm more commonly known as the Galloway Forest Park

 

[Joonsy]

today i saw English Grey Partridges, I don't see many of them here nowadays as the Red Leg Partridge has taken over. The grey has a completely different call and it was a pleasure to see them.

 

[Gweedo]

Walking in a wood and no more than 5 feet away from me a 'twig' fell to the ground. 'That sounds a bit heavy' thinks me. Get close to it and its no twig, it's a slow worm; bloodied and missing its tail, but still alive. I think that it must have been the planned lunch for a raptor, who I must have scared off from lunch as I entered the wood. Never been rained on by a slow worm before!

 

[Joonsy]

i saw a honey bees nest in a hole in an oak tree.

and i also saw a red squirrel, it was in a tree (literally carved in) and the tree was in a shed and the shed was in a wood.

 

[Harvestman]

A short walk in the Wye valley woodlands today. Amongst other stuff, I saw

Birdsnest orchid

Herb paris

Red-headed cardinal beetle

 

[DocG]

Four days in Glen Affric ended in the woods above Morvich, just down fron Falls of Glomach.

Two red deer grazing just beyond where we camped + a small herd rushing about on the hillsides.

Two very noisy geese flying through the glens from just after dawn - lost?? Kept circling then landing then taking off, disappearing for 20 or so then returning from a different direction. First heard when asleep and taken for a returning skein (sp?). Any thoughts about why they were behaving that way?

Cuckoos heard in the broad leaf gullies and woods in all the glens.

Large raptor seen circling - boys very excited about it being a golden eagle, but no glasses = no confirmation.

Insects galore in the woods.

Bluebells everywhere outside the high glens - late but beautiful.

Sorry, no photos.

All the best.

 

[Goatboy]

Sounds like an excellent trip Doc. Glen Affric is a lovely place. On the geese front they may just as you thought be a breeding pair that got seperated from the main bunch.
Cheers for letting us in on your trip.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.