I believe this beetle is Geotrupes Stercorarius – It is commonly known as the Dor Beetle or Dung Beetle. A large beetle up to 26 mm long. This beast was in the New Forest.
Dung Bettle.
nature spots
Redstarts(the male.)
Further to my post last week (see link) focusing on a female Redstart, returning to the same spot in the New Forest this morning I caught up with a male bird.
skylid.travel.blog/2023/05/12/redstart/
Foxes.
As part of my volunteer work, I have access to the grounds of a restricted training area which is closed to the public. Roe deer & foxes have no such access restrictions and in the quiet of the early morning or early evening under the nose of the security cameras they go about their routines within the grounds. Wednesday evening with good weather I took the opportunity to photograph some of the foxes. Many of the females have cubs – in the some of pictures you can see some are heavy with milk however, they are keeping the cubs safe deep in the woods. One family live under a storage container wary of people and Police dogs.
Sitting quietly I was pleased to get some pictures.
One fox is in poor condition suffering from mange. Sarcoptic mange is a disease caused by mites irritating the skin. This condition is common in foxes in the UK.
Teeth.
#Wordless Wednesday
Returned to nature.
Swanwick Lakes is a local nature reserve which has been re-wilded from the clay pits of the old Burseldon Brick Works. Our walk today shows how the return to nature of an old industrial site can work.
Female Mallard.
Coot family.
Common Lizard.
Mouse.
Redstart.
A female Redstart in the New Forest. I did spot some Male birds but did not get any photos. The male bird is more striking and more colourful
Local Buck.
Local roebuck a deer we have seen locally for a number of years so nice to see him again.
Siege.
I try and get out in the environment not only is it physical exercise it is mental exercise. I always take a camera with me I never know what I will see on my trips out. A couple of times a week I go to the coast on Southampton Water. There were 3 Grey Heron fishing together at the Haven this morning. The 1st 5 pictures are of an adult bird the other pictures show young immature birds probably born last year.
The collective noun for Herons is a ‘siege‘,
Heron eat, lots of fish and eels, but also small birds such as ducklings, small mammals like voles and amphibians.
7 UP.
Not the well-known fizzy drink but the number of relatively newly hatched Mute Swan cygnets on Hatchet Pond in the New Forest.
I will say no more and let the photographs do the speaking – the only words I could find were ” just so cute.”
Trail camera.
Yesterday we collected our trail cameras placed at a Badger Sett in the New Forest. It was great to see several Cuckoos en route (see yesterday’s post).
Got a bit muddy in the process trying to get some photos of a small fungus.
In the UK and Ireland, it is known as the Bog Beacon,( in the USA it is commonly referred to as the Swamp Beacon.) This little fungus occurs only in very wet places and looks like a flower popping out of the water.
1st New Forest Pony foals of the year were also spotted during today’s walk.
The camera had some good Badger footage.
Continued Reflections from my World. 