Cat tails Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I'm camping at my usual camp spot where we go wildlife spotting every year. Often we will at least see a few roe deer. Last night we came across two female roe deer (roe doe?) with calves, a fallow deer (which isn't native to the area, so must be an escapy) and..... Two badgers! Never seen a badger in the wild before and they were very close too. Badgers aren't as common in the Netherlands as in the UK and apparently also smaller. But I was chuffed to bits and afterwards did a little badger victory dance. Now if only I could see a fox in the wild... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisonFamily Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 You are welcome to camp here and see foxes everyday....you can even guard the chickens so they could free range ..... Your wildlife sounds great and I also was so excited to see a badger in the wild, owls are also wildlife I am always looking out for and seeing a barn owl flying towards me was great.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 How lovely! We have lots of deer round here, particularly roe deer. It's usually a race between me and the dog to see who spots them first, I win around 50% of the time I rarely see badgers - quite a few dead by the side of the road but I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of live badgers I've seen. They are one of my favourite wild creatures - beautiful furry humbugs Surprisingly, it's rare to spot foxes in the countryside, they are much more timid than their urban counterparts and don't cause anywhere near as much bother as the pro-hunting brigade would have you think! (Unless you are a chicken keeper I guess...) ETA - I forgot to mention owls! We have tawnies, barn owls and little owls resident in our area. I LOVE owls! I've spotted a little owl several times in my village. They are often visible in the day. The barn owls are rarely spotted but can most commonly be seen when there are young to feed. I have never seen a tawny, but hear them a lot, hoot hooting and screeching. It's eerie, but such a beautiful thing to hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Not many owls around here, but plenty of other large birds of prey. Also saw a pine marter the other day! Almost like a fox but a lot smaller and lower to the ground with a very long slender tail. Beautiful thing! But hey... I can get excited about seeing a mouse in my garden... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Oh wow! I'd love to see a Pine Marten. Incredibly rare here - mostly resident in Scotland (I think). I see the occasional stoat and weasel, usually zooming across the road at high speed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisonFamily Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 This morning I took the dog for a walk and an owl flew across the path....I am pretty sure it was a tawny owl... So excited !!! We get alot of herons here as the house backs onto a heronry - I am always amazed at how big they are .... (I also get excited at mice and bunnies and frogs always make me jump or scream as they just seem to appear ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 We were on holiday in Cornwall last week - just love it there - and walking through the undergrowth at Lands End I saw an adder, did find it a bit scary though. Also saw 2 kestrels hovering near each other but was amazed that people didn't know what they were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I have never seen an adder - I'd love to see one though! I see a very occasional grass snake when I am out with the dog, but as yet, never an adder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 We once spotted a snake. Think it was a smooth snake, but I haven't asked the little chap. My mom almost stepped on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKMARCH Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I see bats they get confused by our large pir lamp and sometimes fly around at dusk, there is also an owl which hunts from a neighbours tree and is surprisingly loud! In the daytime we have lots of red kites and one brings its lunch and eats it in next doors large tree I would like to take a photo but it always gives me its back end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Where I live is named after adders We certainly have plenty of them, and I've had to stop OH on standing on them before now We have just come back from Wales from the part where they did the original red kite breeding/release programme. My brother (lives in Australia) had never seen one before, but they were absolutely everywhere. It soon became boring to say 'Kite' whenever we spotted one! I know they are very common in Bucks/Oxon along the M40 and the Chilterns and I think they have re-adapted very well. My Mum now has one over her garden (Hants) and its doing a good job of keeping the wood pigeons down. I love watching wildlife, I've become better at it since we've been in Portugal. I find it fascinating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Red Kites seem to have spread really well. There was a Red Kite project at Fineshade woods which is fairly close to where I live, so they are very numerous round here too. They are beautiful to see. We also see Buzzards which have only become common round here relatively recently. We also have Ospreys at Rutland Water, but I have only seen them a couple of times. It's amazing to watch them fishing though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 Sadly no red kites here, but plenty of buzzards. My camping spot looks out onto a forest and there is a pair of buzzards nesting in a tree at the forests edge. See them flying around a lot. And also being bullied by a pair of crows. Also loads of swallows that perch on the high voltage powerlines that run along the camping ground and come to drink in the natural swimming pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I told someone I worked with once that there was a kite in the sky and she literally thought I meant a kite Have been lucky enough though to see a kite over our garden and 5 once in Arborfield near Reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
