#Wordless Wednesday
Common Buzzard.
Testwood Lakes.
A very large and impressive dragonfly the Emperor Dragonfly. They are on the wing from June to August. It is a common species of large ponds and lakes, as well as waterways such as canals and ditches. The female lays her eggs in floating pondweed. One of the largest dragonfly species in Europe, the emperor dragonfly flies up high to look for insect prey, such as butterflies and chaser dragonflies. It catches its prey in mid-air and may eat it on the wing.
My parking spot.
Spotted this Roebuck in a local private car park!
What it does demonstrate is the size of a Roe deer, he is standing directly in front of the white ford.
Evening walk.
A local evening walk back to local woodland where we spent a lot of time in lockdown when we were only allowed out to exercise. Our exercise was not jogging up and down the road but walking down the road and exercising by monitoring the local nature. Exercising the brain as well as the body.
A local Roebuck.
I am not sure if we spotted him 1st or if he spotted us 1st but I think he was the winner! This good buck is an animal we regularly see and we are sure he is the alpha male in the local woodland.
Far off across a field a family of foxes, playing in the evening sun in the open 6 cubs with mum. We watched them playing for 10 minutes Mum had spotted us quickly and kept an eye on us while the cubs played. When it was time to go she barked telling them it was time to go – and off they ran into the woods.
Family matters
By 05.30hrrs this morning we were watching the Great Crested Grebe family.
Both parents work together to support the chicks.
Grebe regularly eats its own feathers, which form a plug in their stomach, this acts as a filter, holding fish bones until they can be digested; the parents also feed feathers to their chicks you can see this in the video.
The video film is filmed in slow motion – it is fairly long but it does show some interesting parental behaviour.
New Forest Youngsters.
A young Robin and Donky in the New Forest this morning.
Changing fortunes.
Bird flu (avian influenza) has devastated the Black-headed gull colony at Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve this year. My estimate is gull numbers are reduced by some 75%. The Common Terns failed to arrive in any numbers. Larger Gull – such as Herring Gulls, Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls number are fewer. So this has given Avocets space to build their nests and without predators, the Avocet chicks get a head start.
A pair of Avocets mate.
Take offs.
Despite its tatty wings, this Four Spotted Chaser was not affected in flight. Males and females: Both look alike. They have obvious dark spots on each wing.
Humbug!
Further to my last post about our local Great Crested Grebes with views of the birds’ eggs.
Counting down the time we first saw birds sitting to the time the eggs should have hatched we returned to take a look this morning. The eggs hatch after 27 to 29 days. The young are cared for and fed by both parents. Young grebes are capable of swimming and diving almost at hatching. We were not disappointed and very young birds which look like little humbugs! – were riding on the backs of the parent birds safely under their wings occasionally, popping their heads up to take a look at their world.
Little Egret.
#Wordless Wednesday
Continued Reflections from my World. 