Western Whip snake. Snakes & lizards used to be plentiful in the region but have drasticaly declined over the past two decades.
Wildlife pictures
- Thread starter Harvestman
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A couple of male Golden Orioles. A regular summer visitor but they were particularly visible this spring probably due to the lack of human activity during the lockdown..(photos taken in april of this year.)
From last summer
Weevil by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Common green grasshopper- by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Field grasshopper by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Moth by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Here are some more
Yellow dung fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Skipper by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Skipper feeding by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Azure damselfly cleaning by Alf Branch, on Flickr
Yellow dung fly by Alf Branch, on FlickrSkipper by Alf Branch, on FlickrSkipper feeding by Alf Branch, on FlickrAzure damselfly cleaning by Alf Branch, on Flickr
The female Stone Chat that hopped from bush to bush and followed me on a walk on the Downs today...
Couple of birds, taken six months apart (I wonder if they've ever met - given their preferences it seems unlikely)
From last Summer (and only just taken off the camera) a Wheatear...
And from this morning, a Redwing feasting on the ivy berries...
From last Summer (and only just taken off the camera) a Wheatear...
And from this morning, a Redwing feasting on the ivy berries...
Goldfinches have different colouration across genders.
The males are the more colourful ones, like above.
The females lack the red face.
Compare the picture, above, of a male goldfinch with this picture of mine of a female goldfinch:
It's the same with chaffinches as well. The above is a male chaffinch. Compare it to this picture of a female chaffinch:
Absolutely. The cock chaffinches also develop what look like black ‘spectacles’ around the eyes and bridge of the beak as they get older too. The one in my picture above is a younger male bird. The older ones are a fair bit more flighty and I find it difficult to get a good shot of one, but I will keep tryingGoldfinches have different colouration across genders.
The males are the more colourful ones, like above.
The females lack the red face.
Compare the picture, above, of a male goldfinch with this picture of mine of a female goldfinch:
It's the same with chaffinches as well. The above is a male chaffinch. Compare it to this picture of a female chaffinch:
Are you sure? I thought both sexes were alike in Goldfinches. The ones without red faces are juveniles - well, so I was always taught anyway. In fact, I'm fairly certain - though the area of red is slightly smaller on females.
Sorry guys; I 've just double-checked - male and female goldfinches have red faces; the females have a slightly smaller 'mask'.
We used to have a caged goldfinch in North Africa (it was a common cage bird there many years ago) and smuggled it back to the UK when we returned (well it would have died if we had let it go).
From the BTO website:
We used to have a caged goldfinch in North Africa (it was a common cage bird there many years ago) and smuggled it back to the UK when we returned (well it would have died if we had let it go).
From the BTO website:
Carduelis carduelis
The black wings, with their broad band of bright yellow, and the black tail with its white terminal spots, are distinctive in all ages of Goldfinch (the sexes are alike, or nearly so). In adult birds, the striking head pattern of red, white and black is equally characteristic (in juveniles, this is absent).
Interesting. RSPB online says that both sexes have coloured faces, and juveniles dont. Other online sources say that females may have coloured faces, but the red in particular is much more dull, and smaller in area. I was just going by what my dad used to tell me, so it seems I stand corrected. In my picture above, I believe that is definitely a male though, due to the size and bright colour of the face markings.
Sorry, didn't mean to 'correct' you; I thought you had found a cunning way of telling them apart
It's not so much the brightness as the size; I think you would have to have two together to be sure TBH. Also, I was under the impression there are considered to be 'sub-species' with small variations in teh head colouring.
It's been a great year for them here; we often have quite large flocks on the feeders.
Well whaddya know!
I stand corrected.
It's something I was told and had just gone along with it.
I was so confident I just checked my bird guides and they all said the same - both sexes have red faces.
I'm glad you raised the question now and challenged it.
I stand corrected.
It's something I was told and had just gone along with it.
I was so confident I just checked my bird guides and they all said the same - both sexes have red faces.
I'm glad you raised the question now and challenged it.
Here's a full-sized adult porcupine, probably 10-15kg. Have you got these? Up a valley not far from my place. I was not about to take a look at the south end to decide if it was a male or female.
The quills are worth about $15/g. Wad up a towel on the end of a rope,
Distract the Porky with some carrots. Hit the Porky in the tail with the towel.
The quills regrow in a few weeks. Sustained yield.
The quills are worth about $15/g. Wad up a towel on the end of a rope,
Distract the Porky with some carrots. Hit the Porky in the tail with the towel.
The quills regrow in a few weeks. Sustained yield.
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This is a sure sign of Spring. Up here, that's May. These are young Grizz, the sow was nearby. First green up in the valley is along HWY 16 and everybody shows up to graze on the lush green after a winter of hibernation.
As they age, they will develop more of a dished snout and a piggy nose.
They can sprint at 30+ mph to kill horses.
As they age, they will develop more of a dished snout and a piggy nose.
They can sprint at 30+ mph to kill horses.
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