[Johnny Brown]

It was sat on a wall and darted off across the moor once we got close. It flew quite erratically, darting around no more than 2 foot or so above the ground.

Could well have been a Merlin, although the 'thinner, wings angled backwards' sounds more like a wader.

[nai]

Global warming I guess.

Swallow spotted in Barnsley

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/dearnevalley/b/dearnevalley-blog/archive/2017/03/17/not-a-summer-but-sightings-17-mar.aspx

[SA Chris]

White hares are easy to spot this winter in Scotland. They usually stand out on the snowless hillside

[fatneck]

Plenty of Sand Martens knocking about on the Wirral - not seen any myself yet though...

Was told by a local bird spotter that some Ravens had built a next on a local telecommunications type tower. I happen to walk past it on a daily basis and a quick look revealed a definitely Raven-y looking nest and some large black birds but difficult to say if they're definitely Ravens!

[tlr]

My dad has seen a few white mountain hares up by Redmires recently, I haven't unfortunately.

A few from the last week or two, nothing spectacular but all nice to see.

Adder by Shillito Woods

IMG_9687 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

Garden badger

IMG_9798 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

Common Lizard by Owler Bar

IMG_9817 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

Yellowhammer, spoilt by the photobombing chaffinch behind it.

IMG_9848 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

Brambling

IMG_9862 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

[fatneck]

Lovely as ever Tim 

I went to Parkgate on the Wirral on Sunday afternoon and had the pleasure of a close encounter with a pair of Stonechats. Things got much better when a Short Eared Owl put in a very obvious appearance and decided to perch on a branch about 50 yards away for about ten minutes. This gave the whole family a great opportunity to observe it through my bins. We then watched him lazily hunt off into the distance - a superb encounter!!

More locally the Raven's are definitely Ravens, a pair of GS Woodpeckers have started looking for a nest site at the end of our road, a pair of GC Grebes are courting on the lake, Buzzard sightings are more common, Chiffchaffs abound and I'm sure my first Swallow/Martin is just around the corner!

[jshaw]

Saw what I think were a pair of Ring Ouzel up at Stanage last night.

Haven't seen them in a couple of years and had forgotten how awesome their call is.

[Mark Lloyd]

Cycling to work along matlock moor today and disturbed a woodcock on ther verge only flew a few yards so caught up with it and got a great view before it sculked off into the undergrowth.

[James Malloch]

There's been the odd otter that I've seen recently on the outskirts of Leeds City Centre. I'm always surprised at their size!

Given the fish I've noticed in the area our boat is moored, I'm not surprised that they are venturing into the urban areas.

[SA Chris]

Reminds me to go and check the local burn for fresh evidence. Seen them 3 times up here in different locations, one in the middle of Aberdeen harbour!

[tlr]

Just had a chiffchaff in the garden, buggered off by the time I'd got the camera though.

I'd love to see otters, supposedly there are some in the Don, but I don't know where exactly.

[cofe]

My dad has seen a few white mountain hares up by Redmires recently, I haven't unfortunately.

Interesting...

Great shots Tim.

[fatneck]

Tim that Adder pic is just fabulous!

[Oldmanmatt]

Well, not spotted by me per se...
Damn it, it's too good to ignore.
"If you go down to the woods today, your sure of a big surprise!"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/03/31/polar-bears-spotted-scotland-animals-flee-melting-arctic-ice/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_fb_tmg

Twenty years from now, bouldering in the Highlands could be interesting...

Seriously, it could be the last refuge of the Polar bear; since there are no indigenous Grizzly/European Browns for them to interbreed with.













[emoji6]

[SA Chris]

Not to tlr's standard, but got some quite good pics of wren who was distracting me from bouldering activities




Hope link works.

[tlr]

That's a lovely picture.

Nice to get a wren out in the open, and with a great perch and clean background.

[SA Chris]

Yeah, it was being remarkably well behaved. Might go back for another look. Unusual for them to nest on seacliffs I think, It kept flying up to a crack behind a big flake.

Had an insect in it's mouth at one point, but didn't get a sharp shot.

[SA Chris]

2 magpies have started building a nest in the tree right outside my office window. might have to set up a hide.

[fatneck]

Cool!

Saw my first Swallow of the year on Tuesday evening

[SA Chris]

not summer though

[tlr]

Plenty of Ring Ouzels up at Stanage now, no decent shots to speak of though unfortunately.

The female fox has now been joined by a male - she seems to be a lot braver/hungrier than him though.

IMG_9741 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

IMG_9733 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

IMG_9993 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

[nai]

Caught a bandit scratching around for food around picnic tables in Devon.

Nuthatch by Ian_Thomas, on Flickr


Nuthatch by Ian_Thomas, on Flickr

[SA Chris]

The female fox has now been joined by a male - she seems to be a lot braver/hungrier than him though.

Fantastic Mister!

[nic mullin]

Was out for a walk the other evening at my mother in law's on the edge of Darlington, and saw a lot of critters - a couple of goldcrests, some chiffchaffs, a goosander, some dippers and this grey wagtail:

grey wagtail by nic mullin, on Flickr

[SamT]

Nice pic.

Lovely little bike ride down the 5 Weirs Walk in Sheff today with the groms. Loads of the usual water foul with plenty of Wagtails, both grey and pied.  A couple of kingfishers, but the highlight for me was a bunch of Sand Martins, fliting back and forth from a poorly pointed sandstone wall, that I assume they are busy building nests in.

Really nice little route through what felt like a deserted Don Valley today.  (Didn't manage the return leg along the canal as grom No2 started feeling a bit off so we got the train back from Meadowhell, but it's now on my list)