Wildlife spotted on our daily walks...

I am sure I am not the only one who is always amazed at how much wildlife I see on my daily dog walks in the area where I live.

I thought it might be interesting to compare sightings, and encourage each other to become aware of what is around us...

So, my last three morning walks:

Wednesday - a roe deer grazing in the stubble of a barley field, harvested early July.

Thursday - Mrs Foxy crossing the path in the valley just below our house, much to the excitement of one of my dogs!
A flock of about 25 Canada geese grazing in the barley field - first time I have seen them in that field.
A heron frog-hunting in one of the potato fields.

Today (Friday) - a pair of rabbits running along the path in the valley, one taking exactly the same route as the fox the day before!
Numerous rabbits on the top fields (maize on one side, rare blackberry "hedge", then potatoes on the other side of the footpath)
A heron flying overhead, being mobbed by rooks.

 

I don't see a great deal of wildlife where I'm living at the moment but spot nocturnal animals on my late drive home from a friend. Last Friday, in fact the early hours of Saturday morning I had to stop on my way home while a Polecat made up it's mind which side of the road it was going to make for.

 

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Fantastic sighting Sheal And all yours Sian

I see quite a bit here - roe deer are common, the occasional squirrel (no greys here, quite a few coypu and badgers. Buzzards and kites over the garden most days, lots of woodpeckers and sometimes tree creepers and nuthatches. At the moment I'm really enjoying the dragonflies and butterflies

 

Thanks Philomel. It's not unusual to see Polecats here.

I didn't realise France had Coypu are they destructive?

 

Evidently up at the old wartime airfield where we walk each evening had a rare bird called a Wryneck feeding on ants on the path amongst the wild flowers last Friday morning by the local bird ringers when they went to set up their mist nets but as the area was closed off to walkers while this valuable work went on by the time we heard about it and drove up there Saturday evening it had moved on and could have flown off to where these birds have been seen this last week.Would have been a new 'Tick' for us on our life list

 

This morning I had to stop suddenly, to avoid standing on a slow worm.

Managed to get a photo

 

Looks like a young one as it is so slim Sian.

Kandy, isn't it sad to hear some of what were regular breeding birds no longer breed here, the Wryneck being one and only seen on passage. I think the Red Backed Shrike has gone to same way.

 

I thought this morning's walk was going to be a standard "bunny" walk (I do have them, honest!)

...but as I watched the afore-mentioned white cottontail disappear under the brambles, two adult roe deer came bounding in from the right, leaping high as they crossed the footpath. A stunning sight! I was still thinking over this image, plodding along in the morning drizzle, when I noticed a kestrel hovering over the barley stubble. First time I've registered a kestrel here, although we have lots of buzzards and owls. Tried to get a photo, but it was useless with my phone!! Then heading back along the tree-lined border, there was a small group of Egyptian geese grazing across the border in Wallonia. Final sighting of the day was a cock pheasant feeding in the long grass field margin of a harvested wheat field.

Updating this thread makes me realise how much stuff I do see each day!

 

A lot of young frogs about the last couple of days

 

There's nothing like a baby frog, or frogetje, as we call them (Dutch diminutive) to warm the heart...

 

Not out walking but working in a field and spotted this fella not a great picture as I had to zoom in and was taken on my phone . Massive wing span on him

 

Good spot!!
I take it it's a buzzard?

 

Lots of Bats this morning and heading to my roof

 

Same here as far as getting a good pic, I saw an Osprey circling in the distance in Poole harbour this morning and just caught it diving for a fish and then chased off by a Heron, If only I was there a few minutes earlier I could have got closer pics.
Full zoom and cropped!