What wildlife did you spot today?

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August) available until March 31st, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
normally they're (more) nocturnal, but lately there's a lot of nine-banded armadillos out in broad daylight, one of them walked almost over my toes a few days ago without feeling concerned...
yesterday afternoon i had a 5ft. boa stretched out across the (dirt) road at a nearby place: they're not venomous but still can be aggressive and bite. this one was friendly and followed my advice to vacate the road (as stupid hominids around here kill snakes for nothing...) --- it's the first time i ever saw a snake slide backwards!
 
The damage looks too neat for damage I've seen from red and roe deer.

I note there are beavers not too far away - https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/beavers-set-to-bring-biodiversity-boost-to-south-downs-wetland/
That’s helpful, though Meonside is 18 miles off to the west of here. The other introduction at Black Down is nearer at 8.4 miles but it says they’re in an enclosure.

I might phone Meonside Farm as it’s the farmer that led the reintroduction at Meonside.

Ought to get the SIM card topped up in my trail cam and hide it nearby. While the bridge is being repaired there’s nobody about, usually I worry it’ll get spotted and nicked.
 
Last edited:
I saw a cat and a fox, they were nose to nose and totally unafraid of each other, I guess they were acquaintances of old.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nigelp
I didn’t spot whatever did this, I’m assuming it’s a deer. The access is very limited and there are no hoof prints in the mud anywhere, even the bramble doesn’t look trampled. Whatever it is getting up onto the fallen tree to eat more bark, it’s quite a long reach when there are more accessible bits to eat.

Location, near Petworth, West Sussex.
Water vole
 
Blackcap; I just heard one of these noisy kids. There is not much else that that sounds like them in woodland and it is always a sure sign of the spring when they turn up. They can be observed when the trees are bare after that it becomes harder as they are often hidden.

 
  • Like
Reactions: nigelp
Blackcap; I just heard one of these noisy kids. There is not much else that that sounds like them in woodland and it is always a sure sign of the spring when they turn up. They can be observed when the trees are bare after that it becomes harder as they are often hidden.


Still waiting for ours :)

But, if you can tell them apart from Garden Warblers by song alone reliably you're a better man than me :)
 
Did you see teeth/incisor marks on the branch?
In the wood rather than the bark, no. The wood is being peeled but not really marked. There’s a lot more today, I’m wondering now if it’s grey squirrels due to the lack of any trampling or prints.

There’s a pond over on the other bank, a bit up and left of there that has domestic ducks. The guy feeds them and I see a gang of grey squirrels there regularly eating the food.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7238.jpeg
    IMG_7238.jpeg
    837.8 KB · Views: 6
  • IMG_7239.jpeg
    IMG_7239.jpeg
    837.5 KB · Views: 6
  • IMG_7240.jpeg
    IMG_7240.jpeg
    964.3 KB · Views: 6
  • IMG_7242.jpeg
    IMG_7242.jpeg
    902 KB · Views: 7
Squirrels strip the bark of a number of species of tree to get to the sweet cambium layer underneath. I have never seen them de-bark a tree as neatly as in the photos and they don't tend to take the bark off fallen trees - usually moving up the trunk off living specimens. Other animals that will debark trees at the lower levels include rabbit and hare but that doesn't look like suitable habitat for either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nigelp
Still waiting for ours :)

But, if you can tell them apart from Garden Warblers by song alone reliably you're a better man than me :)

Still waiting for ours :)

But, if you can tell them apart from Garden Warblers by song alone reliably you're a better man than me :)
I could never do that but since we dont get any warblers here. The deduction is a simple one. They are one of my favorites but I like the nuthatch best of all x
 
  • Like
Reactions: Broch
Could be. Squirrels tend to ‘stripe’ bark for bedding and leave obvious incisor marks and fluff it up. They could be eating it but usually find plenty of other food. Would be interesting to catch the culprit.
Squirrels strip the bark of a number of species of tree to get to the sweet cambium layer underneath. I have never seen them de-bark a tree as neatly as in the photos and they don't tend to take the bark off fallen trees - usually moving up the trunk off living specimens. Other animals that will debark trees at the lower levels include rabbit and hare but that doesn't look like suitable habitat for either.

I didn’t get a good pic, bit a lot of the bark is underneath in chips, so maybe they’re getting the cambium?The tree is a Field Maple and despite falling is still doing the Spring thing and I suspect the maple cambium is pretty tasty stuff. Maybe there aren’t any obvious incisor marks because the cambium is coming away on the chips?

Looking at the third pic, it’s right out over the stream where the bark has been taken. It’s got to be an athletic climber to get there. Without a trailcam out, I reckon the gang of greys are probably eating there, maybe using some for nest material too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nigelp
Magpies herryin the blackbird and thrushes nests :(

There are wee broken blue eggs all over my garden.

I know everything lives as best it can, but I don't have to like it, especially when it's magpies.
 
A bunch of common blackbird males. They have returned along the first common cranes and a buzzard! That means spring is here... sort of.
Other then that the usual; foxes, deer, moose, hares, the standard array of garden birds; Bullfinches, blue and great tits, Eurasian nuthatch.
I have seen tracks and traces of otters, but not the animal itself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nigelp
Excuse the terrible photo, but spotted six or seven roe bucks the other day. I couldn't get very close but you can just make one out here
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20250308_075346474.MP.jpg
    PXL_20250308_075346474.MP.jpg
    450.3 KB · Views: 6

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE