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.
New Forest
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/
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
Chats.
Male Stonechat New Forest.
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.
“Tree duck”.
What is odd about Mandarin ducks? They nest in trees often high above the water. Two drakes spotted today but no female ! not even up in the trees so they must be well camouflaged.
The Mallards on the pond were not amused!
Vocal Oystercatcher.
Trail camera footage.
OK it is not a David Attenborough production but our trail camera footage from the New Forest has griven us some interesting results. This post gives further clips of life around New Forest badger Setts, I hope you have time to take a look.
One clip shows good interaction between 2 badgers I hope some youngsters may be about later in the season. There is also a clip in day time of a passing herd of Fallow deer.
Camera collection.
A few pictures that I took while walking in the New Forest to collect our Badger sett trail cameras which had been out in the forest for a week.
A juvenile Fallow deer Buck. He will be a magnificent beast in a few years.
A small herd of juvenile Fallow deer hinds.
It was nice to see a Grey wagtail they are a relatively rare bird with a population of just 38,000 breeding pairs in the UK. They are, subsequently, classified as Red Status bird due to this low number.
Continued Reflections from my World. 