Spring Watch 2010

Good news for all Springwatch fans, it starts again on * 31st May 2010 @ 8pm on BBC2 * time to catch up with Simon, Kate, Chris, Gordon & Martin and all the beautiful wildlife.
Here we can chat about the programme, our favourite bits and post any of our own pictures of Spring wildlife or flowers.

littlewid-x-

Can't wait - i love Springwatch (and Autumnwatch) and wish they did a summer and winter one, in fact all year round would be fun. There's so much to see i would never get bored!

Lai

Lai i'm with you on that, I would love a "watch" all year round, it would be wonderful. I don't know about anyone else but I thought the bees and wasps were around earlier this year and also the bees seem to be getting bigger. I have also noticed that where I live, there seems an abundance of Buttercups this year and I really can't remember when I last saw them, I wonder why they are so abundant this year, one theory I heard was that it was due to all the snow and frost we had over the winter, it does something to the ground and all dormant flowers apparantly, i'm not sure on this but whatever has happened, it's lovely to see so many of them again.

littlewid-x-

Funnily enough when we were walking yesterday we noticed lots of bumble bees, really big ones - lovely to see.

I havent noticed the buttercups yet - probably need to look more!

Lai

Yes Springwatch is back!

I agree we should have Wildlife Watch all year round! I have notice more bumble bees but they look different than usual, half black and half dark orange, so not sure what it was exactly.

Wow Lai has beautiful bluebells and LW has buttercups, Im moving! I have a park behind us and am lucky that it is a copse of trees directly behind. The little birds hop through the trees, the squirrel sits in the tree above the shed and torments Jet and hear the woodpecker sometimes hammering on a tree. We also sometimes see a sparrow hawk (which set down on the frame of our greenhouse once). Oh must not forget Miss Tiggywink the hedgehog that visits and the mystery something under the shed that have the cats sitting watching, but Im not going to find out what it is thanks.



SM

What a gorgeous photo of Miss Tiggywink SM. That's someone we haven't seen.

Today the buzzards are out and about but they don't get on with the ravens at all - both very territorial it seems. The ravens seem to win and mob the buzzards constantly! Why they can't just ignore each other i have no idea!

Lai

What we've seen over the weekend.


Our favourite pheasant coming in for a bite to eat


A couple of ducks on the stream - sadly no babies with them i am not sure whether these two had any babies.

Most exciting was the Buzzard - i've never seen him on the ground, he was picking at the grass, presumably for beetles or worms.





(not brilliant photos but he was a long way off and the light was fading and i was very excited)

Lai

How did I miss Miss Tiggywink SM, she is gorgeous, thank you for posting her.

Lovely buzzard Pics Lai, I would have been excited to see him too, a magnificent chap.

These pics really remind you that Springwatch is on it's way.....8 days to go.

littlewid-x-

Very Nice Lai, you have such a variety of bird life locally!

SM

We do, we are very lucky. He was back in the tree this morning and i then thought why dont i have a huge lens? I'll see how the pics came out later and if he/she is recognisable i'll post one.

Lai

Some great shots there Lai. We had a Buzzard come down in out garden at the last place we lived. I did take some shots, but they were not very good it was only a cheap camera I will have to try to find them. I was amazed at how big it was, it walked down the path, and it looked as big as a penguin
WS

That's funny WS - a penguin, are you sure

Here's a couple from first thing this morning - his/her favourite place for watching what's going on







Lai

My little visitor from the weekend.

That's a serious mouthful lovely photos Anne-Marie

Lai

I know, his little babies are certainly getting full tummies. I lost count the number of times he came down to get his grubs out of our freshly dug (future) veggie patch.

Lai if you saw him walking down our path, the waddle and size really looked like a Penguin, of course he was'nt black, and white
Great shots AM is'nt amazing how much stuff birds can get in their mouths
WS

Anne-Marie & Lai, thank you for the shots this morning, beautiful Buzzard Lai, you are really lucky to have him around your garden.

Anne-Marie, what a fantastic photo, and yes what a mouthful, that is such a photo , he surely is going to have the fattest chicks around , I cant get over that picture.

We are doing really well on our own Spring watch thread here, it's lovely

littlewid-x-

A little extract from Simon Kings May Diary on Spring watch
Hi, welcome to the May newsletter.

Springwatch Time!
Springwatch starts on BBC2, Monday 31st of May. Here’s a sneak preview from Simon… “This year I’ll be heading towards southern England, concentrating on Dorset. This area offers a slice of Mediterranean life on our shores, with charismatic rarities such as the Dartford warbler, hobby, smooth snake and sand lizard in the mix. Life under the waves off our southern shoreline is surprisingly rich too, so, in the last week I will be presenting live from the undersea world of the Dorset coastline. This year’s challenge for our camera teams? Well, recording a truly mercurial bird of prey, the hobby catching and eating dragonflies on the wing. We’ll use a super slow motion camera and it should be quite a task. We will also go in search of the near mythical black fox of the south. Truth or legend? We will reveal all…”

WS

Thanks for posting WS - it will be another great Springwatch i'm sure. I am so looking forward to it.

Lai

Thanks for that little snippet WS, Like Lai and I know yourself, I am sooooo looking forward to Monday, I can't wait......I reckon the forum will go splat whilst that is on
It sounds as if it's going to be a brilliant one, mind you they always are aren't they, it will be good to have the team back on our TV's again.....i'm looking forward to the Black Fox, does he or doesn't he roll on Monday.

littlewid-x-

Just came in for his feed - sadly the jackdaws have learned how to get the suet cake and so the woodpecker found it almost empty ( i only put a new one in today )







Lai

Poor Woodpecker Lai, having his feed stolen by the Jackdaws, there must have been a few of them to nearly eat it all...or are they greedy birds?
Thanks for posting the pictures, nice to see, it's making me want to go wildlife hunting at the weekend to see what I can capture.

littlewid-x-

Sadly we seem to have the entire Jackdaw population visiting now. They wake us at 4.30am fighting amongst themselves over the feed Pete wants a water pistol to scare them off they are driving me mad as they steal all the food and have learned to hang on the feeder, the half coconuts and anything else. To give them credit they are clever and have worked it out but i really am trying to feed the more interesting birds and my poor little woodpecker comes in and finds not a lot left!!!

Hey ho - the joys of greedy birds

Lai

We used to have the same problem Lai where we used to live. I call them the Black Bombers.
What I did was make a Bird Table with hooks underneath the base of the table, and hook the fat balls seed feeders, and 1/2 coconuts under it on a short wire. The Jackdaws could'nt get underneath because of their wingspan, but the smaller birds could. The Woodpecker we had, and his mate, and later their baby used to come in over the fence straight onto the wooden post supporting the table then climb up, and get there grub.
WS

Good idea WS - i might have a go at that. Pete had an idea of putting the fat balls and suet cake on elastic which wouldn't take their weight so they would bounce up and down - problem is they might enjoy it It seems they are very bright, and very noisy

Lai