[SA Chris]

biggish, i thought grey-brown-ish, tim thought more grey. bigger than sparrowhawk, but flight didn't look laboured like buzzard. not quite as big i think. mooching around low-down near a farm. we weren't close enough really and i can't say for sure after browsing rspb site. fuck nose.

Sound exactly like a not a buzzard.

[cofe]

nailed it:



a 'turkey'...

[Johnny Brown]

  Dribble tells me he now has a book for differentiating farmyard animals.

Its tricky. I've only ever seen that one last week. Saw a big brown bird flapping along the edge of a conifer plantation at treetop height, thought Buzzard, only really swung the bins up as an afterthought - oh no, sparrowhawk, hold on, is it fuck, its huge! The main things that instantly looked different were the barred tail and the head - more protruding, plus less laboured flight as you say. Once in the bins though it was very clearly an Accipiter.

[cofe]

we didn't have telescopic sight at our disposal. i can't really say what it was, but we were both pretty sure it wasn't a buzzard.

[dave lamacraft]

I'm with JB on this one, by far the best way to i.d. a goshawk is from your 'thought' process - '...oh, a buzzard, no...its a sparrowhawk...fuck me its huge....ah, must be a gos...' is typical.  If you wanted something more concrete then gos have a finely barred (cross-ways) underneath, which unless its really close makes it look evenly pale grey/brown underneath.  Buzzards usually (but not always) have blotchy brown and white bits, typically with a lot of brown.  Goshawks are also callous murdering machines that look straight into your soul, if you were scared it was a gos.

[dave lamacraft]

Some dragonfly news for Adam - found a lovely site near Morfa Nefyn at the weekend - Scarce Blue-tail was the highlight, but quite a few Keeled Skimmers, 4-spot Chasers etc.  Also saw a few 5-spot Burnet Moths, which was the first time I've seen them.  Got some photos but can't work out how to post them.  I've a shot of a Grasshopper Warbler you'll love.

[tlr]

I've looked at a few guides and I'm reasonably happy it was a Goshawk. Not enough to tick it, but I can't see what else it could have been - massive but not a Buzzard about sums it up.

Need to start riding with binoculars and a telephoto....

[cofe]

we were too far away really to read it's national insurance number off the card in its wallet. we've seen enough buzzards between us to be pretty sure it wasn't one. i'll stick the bins in my camelbak.

[Johnny Brown]

Some dragonfly news for Adam - found a lovely site near Morfa Nefyn at the weekend - Scarce Blue-tail was the highlight, but quite a few Keeled Skimmers, 4-spot Chasers etc.  Also saw a few 5-spot Burnet Moths, which was the first time I've seen them. 

Nice! Part of the Cors Geirch site? Always meant to visit, but not sure of how much access there is. Doesn't look like I'll make it down to see the Spotted Rock Rose this year...

Got some photos but can't work out how to post them.

Posting pics.

[Brolly]

Had a wildlife feast over the last couple of days.

I was down in the Malvern hills this weekend and spotted two adders on early morning walks.  The first one I saw in the shot below was huge, by far the biggest one I've ever seen.  I managed to get one shot before it rustled away.  Plus loads of buzzards, but to far away for any decent shots.  I think I also saw one of those giant hornet type things, like you get in the south of France but it went quickly away, with a loud droning noise.



Yesterday I popped down to an area near Allerton Bywater saw a great Four Spotted Chaser who was great to photograph as he kept on coming back to the same spots.  Also saw Burnet moths and a kestrel in an old decomissioned crane.







Out on the bike this morning and found some not so timid hares!



Apologies for the over long email, I ended up taking photos off!

Happy hunting, Ol

[SA Chris]

Great pics, esp the dragonfly.

[dave lamacraft]

Nice! Part of the Cors Geirch site? Always meant to visit, but not sure of how much access there is. Doesn't look like I'll make it down to see the Spotted Rock Rose this year...

Kind of, the northern-most end of that fen system really, easy access courtesy of a public footpath.  Cors Geirch itself has a couple of access points, I'll show you sometime, there are some nice dragonfly pools.  Had a look for the rock rose a little while ago, but couldn't find it, I think it may have been early this year on account of the weather.  Apparently its been hard to find on Anglesey too.

[Sloper]

There's a few pairs of goshawks nesting in the eastern peak, one quite close to me, pm me if you want details, last year when I was working at home, well actually staring out the window looking for some inspiration management consultant cockspeak a goshawk flew into the hedge in our front garden . . .. .

and there it was 'a holistic symbiois of customer facing key deliverables on a 'try before you buy basis'.

[SA Chris]

Saw a red deer (could even have been a Red Deer) stag drinking from a loch 5m from the dual carriageway on the way home. Expect most people driving past didn't even notice it.

[dave]

Saw a tiny weasel (or what I assume is a weasel) at carl wark tonight. Not easy getting wlidlife shots with a 20mm lens but here are a couple of heavy crops. Never seen one up there before, not that I'm ever looking. The thing must have been about only 6-8" long. Also saw a hare on higgar, and a shite load of midges.

[slackline]

No midge shots? 

[SA Chris]

Not sure if it's a weasel, looks a bit bulky? I'm clearly no expert.

Went down yesterday evening to the seacliffs to see how big the waves were, on the way back I spotted, for about the 3rd time, a large bird of prey on the edge of the village. It was getting dark, but it flew into the wind for a bit directly above me, then turned back and settled in a high branch in a tree. I saw the markings under the wings and it was pretty large and broad across the "shoulders" when it perched, I am reasonably convinced it's a golden eagle. Think I have spotted where it nests now, will have to take a closer look, will be easier once trees lose leaves.

[Johnny Brown]

If you didn't think 'oh my god what the fuck is that MASSIVE bird, then its probably a buzzard. Weasels are tiny, more like stretched mice. Tail is the key, weasel tails are small, stoats are bigger.

[SA Chris]

Aye, been chatting with resident bird expert, and he said more likely a buzzard. Have seen GEs in Zoos and from a distance in the hills, and, in hindsight, they are a lot bigger. Also apparently not likely to see GEs at coast at this time of the year.

[cofe]

Chris, I'm just spitballing, but did it look at all like this?

[SA Chris]

That's exactly what it didn't look like.

I can try compile a list of things I'm pretty sure it wasn't if that helps;

1) Muscovy Duck
2) Ostrich
3) Penguin
4) Chicken
5) Wren
6) Great tit
7) Marsh Warbler
Seagull

[cofe]

you missed off

8 Pain au chocolat

[SA Chris]

I was going to add No 9 - The Larch, but thought that was a bit obvious.

[BB]

Loads of slow worms hinding under old carpet squares in our alotment. Will post photos soon.

[SpanishJuan]

Loads of slow worms hinding under old carpet squares in our alotment. Will post photos soon.

I love slow worms more than life itself, good find and don't forget to send the info to Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre...

  although I'm sure everyone here does, etc..