John's Mammals 2018 (3 Viewers)

JWN Andrewes · Mar 22, 2018

Driving home from the cinema twenty minutes ago had a Polecat dart out onto the road from the right. Seen at least half a dozen dead ones along that stretch that past ten years or so but this was my first quick one. That it remained so is something of a miracle, but having darted out just ahead of me I then saw it completing its crossing in the rear view mirror, no idea how I missed it, but glad I did! Sweet!

Elmer Fudd · Mar 23, 2018

I have seen a polecat only once in the dark crossing the street at our house.

And I have never seen an ermine near our house but the trailcam did:

Farnboro John · Mar 24, 2018

JWN Andrewes said:
Driving home from the cinema twenty minutes ago had a Polecat dart out onto the road from the right. Seen at least half a dozen dead ones along that stretch that past ten years or so but this was my first quick one. That it remained so is something of a miracle, but having darted out just ahead of me I then saw it completing its crossing in the rear view mirror, no idea how I missed it, but glad I did! Sweet!

Lucky for both you and the Polecat.... the species remains one of the most difficult terrestrial residents to catch up with despite being now widespread and fairly common.

The College Lake family is now the stuff of legend!

John

Farnboro John · Mar 27, 2018

Both foxes visited the other night and I got pictures of each. White Tip looks much as usual though still not feeding near us, disappearing rapidly with her chicken - though she usually comes back for more after a while.

Big Whitey however has been in the wars with a huge hank of fur ripped out of his right shoulder. I know a standard dog/wolf injury avoidance is to curve away, presenting a shoulder that is difficult to bite effectively (and often inflicting a buffet on the other dog in the process) and it looks as if perhaps that happened here. There's no visible injury on the exposed skin and he's moving completely freely.

John

White Tip

Big Whitey

Farnboro John · Mar 29, 2018

Latest new mum White Tip pix from last night. She doesn't usually turn up in the rain but she did and woofed four chicken legs with barely a pause, eating right in front of us instead of going into hiding or off to the green. She was definitely hungry!

I will post some pictures of other species before long, I promise.....

John

Farnboro John · Apr 2, 2018

Got back last night from a weekend sweep round parts of Scotland. The impetus was for Maz to tick American White-winged Scoter, which she got on Good Friday, not that she cares of course. We based ourselves in Dunkeld by way of saving the fuel costs of going to Speyside (but slipped through there on Saturday anyway).

Mammal highlights included a bachelor herd of Red Deer in Glen Shee, a distant white Mountain Hare from the car in a blizzard up by the ski centre, and at Loch of the Lowes, Red Squirrel plus Marion got her first look at Scottish Beaver. During the trip we also had Brown Hares and Rabbits for the hat-trick of Lagomorphs and Fallow Deer on the golf course across the road from Loch of the Lowes car park.

Bird-wise we nailed Red and Black Grouse plus Ptarmigan (the last kindly flushed for us by three fell walkers slipping and sliding their way down off the Cairnwell as we sat in the car in the driving snow); Crested Tit in the car park at Loch Garten, where a Treecreeper gave fantastic views on the big Scots Pine in Togs' Corner; Ospreys at LoL - the male had got back Thursday - Surf and Velvet Scoters plus Eider at Musselburgh in addition to the big rare.

We had booked to stay till today but decided an easy drive down yesterday via Caerlaverock would be more fun than the predicted weather today so added Whoopers and plenty of Barnies including one of the leucistic birds on the way. It was a good option with zero traffic issues all the way down.

Pix when I've sorted through them.

John

MarkHows · Apr 4, 2018

A few things from the last few weeks, I popped in to the Forest of Dean on the way back from Wales, saw a few wild boar but a little distant and a few fallow deer.
My trip to North Scotland to search for the Walrus came up with a few seals and a few red deer but not much else.

Mark

MarkHows · Apr 4, 2018

A rather quiet Easter saw the Letchworth Black squirrels and muntjac in my garden, but not much else. Hopefully next week will be more productive!

Mark

prhodes · Apr 5, 2018

I hope you don't mind me asking for your advice guys, but we're thinking of going back to Andujar to try our luck at Iberian Lynx spotting again. Due to a number of other commitments it seems that early summer is the earliest we can book the trip. Does this represent a reasonable time, or is it better to leave it till later in the year or possibly early in 2019?

We have seen one before, but views were brief and distant in April (and not even a record shot between us), so we do feel the need to try again (as you do).

Farnboro John · Apr 6, 2018

prhodes said:
I hope you don't mind me asking for your advice guys, but we're thinking of going back to Andujar to try our luck at Iberian Lynx spotting again. Due to a number of other commitments it seems that early summer is the earliest we can book the trip. Does this represent a reasonable time, or is it better to leave it till later in the year or possibly early in 2019?

We have seen one before, but views were brief and distant in April (and not even a record shot between us), so we do feel the need to try again (as you do).

I should have thought early summer would be very hot and the lynx might well select very early morning and very late evening for their main activities, making for very long days without a chance to relax in the evenings. Probably not the best option - but somebody may know better.....

About autumn possibilities I can't be sure but perhaps presence of naïve juveniles might make for decent encounters?

Cheers

John

Richard Prior · Apr 6, 2018

Golden Jackal continues its progress west

Farnboro John said:

About autumn possibilities I can't be sure but perhaps presence of naïve juveniles might make for decent encounters?

Click to expand...

Sounds like Freshers' Week when I was a student John

Anyway, no more smut, here's some great news which I take the liberty of sticking on your thread, sorry for the lack of translation, but summarising, the species has been noted a few times in Switzerland now, but the article suggests this is the first on the western side of the Alps (and perhaps first for France too?): https://france3-regions.francetvinf...dore-haute-savoie-photo-couleurs-1454129.html

Cheers

Richard

Farnboro John · Apr 6, 2018

Richard Prior said:
Sounds like Freshers' Week when I was a student John

Anyway, no more smut, here's some great news which I take the liberty of sticking on your thread, sorry for the lack of translation, but summarising, the species has been noted a few times in Switzerland now, but the article suggests this is the first on the western side of the Alps (and perhaps first for France too?): https://france3-regions.francetvinf...dore-haute-savoie-photo-couleurs-1454129.html

Cheers

Richard

I tend to agree it is great news - with the proviso that I am as certain as I can be when speculating wildly, that the current rapid expansion of the Golden Jackal's range is made possible principally by the absence in appropriate numbers across large elements of that range of the proper top predator that would normally suppress it - which is a shame.

It appears to me that across much of Europe the Golden Jackal, with its smaller size and perhaps more dog-like vocalisations reducing humans' attention to it, is succeeding in expanding where the howl of the Wolf arouses folk-memory and mediaeval reactions.

Any large carnivore range expansion is to be celebrated, but I would rather be celebrating a similar range expansion in Canis lupus.....

prhodes · Apr 7, 2018

Farnboro John said:
I should have thought early summer would be very hot and the lynx might well select very early morning and very late evening for their main activities, making for very long days without a chance to relax in the evenings. Probably not the best option - but somebody may know better.....

About autumn possibilities I can't be sure but perhaps presence of naïve juveniles might make for decent encounters?

Cheers

John

Thank-you John. Good advice. Basically we're waiting for younger member of our party to finish his university semester, along with other things. If we go I'll report back here, obviously.

At my age, I better not ask if our younger friend has any 'decent encounters' when he gets in Fresher's Week. They lock me up!

Phil

Farnboro John · Apr 12, 2018

OK, some pictures from our Scottish Easter trip. Quite a few birds included, but I'm trying to give an overall flavour rather than exclusively concentrate on mammals. I hope its clear everybody on here is invited to do likewise!

John

Velvet (drake left and duck far right) and American White-winged (centre right) Scoters, Musselburgh

Ospreys LF15 (left) and LM12 (right, airborne) Loch of the Lowes SWT

Black Grouse, Central Scotland

Red Grouse with snowy fells behind

Cock Red Grouse Central Scotland

Farnboro John · Apr 12, 2018

Red Squirrel X 2 Loch of the Lowes SWT

Treecreeper Loch Garten RSPB car park

Crested Tit Loch Garten RSPB car park

Farnboro John · Apr 12, 2018

Red Deer X 3 Glen Shee

European Beaver X 2 Loch of the Lowes SWT

Farnboro John · Apr 12, 2018

A return visit to the Black Grouse and then four from Caerlaverock WWT:

Black Grouse in sunshine

Whooper Swan adult

Whooper Swan immatures

Yellowhammer

Barnacle Geese

Farnboro John · Apr 20, 2018

Had a couple of days off to enjoy the sunshine. Yesterday I was in the New Forest and at Pennington: at the latter I had a Roebuck behind Fishtail Lagoon and on the way home, just North of Brockenhurst on the A337 there is a temporary deer sign which it turns out is due to a herd of Fallow Deer visible through a gateway on the right (sorry I can't be more precise, I was driving!)

Today I was at Pulborough Brooks and Bank Voles were showing well all along the paths at the North end of the reserve, between the double gates and the Hanger. Bank Vole pix in due course.

John

birdmeister · Apr 21, 2018

Striking images, John, especially the Red Grouse and Crested Tit close ups.

ClarkWGriswold · Apr 27, 2018

Was going to request confirmation (or not) of what produced this scat sample until, on the last evening, this bad boy/girl turned up:t:

I did take a video but there are a couple of expletives on it:-O

John's Mammals 2018 (3 Viewers)

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