Why

I went to a well-known spot for Red Squirrels the other day just to see if any were around. When I arrived two people were already there, I asked if they had seen any Reds and was told I had just scared one off and if I wanted to see them they were apparently well away from where I was (in other words this is our spot go away). I moved away a short distance and just waited for the Squirrel to come back. This is where the Why comes in. Why do people still feed the Squirrels when there are notices up telling the not to? Why when they do feed them do they not smash the nuts up? Why do they make little sets up when all around are tree stumps and logs? The last question is why am I a hypocrite and stay there when I know people are feeding them? I suppose the answer is I went there on the off chance I had no intention of putting food down but if they are being fed anyway and I can get pictures like these then please call me a hypocrite.

Red Squirrel. I only saw two in the couple of hours I was there.

Red with a massive walnut, how do they manage to carry them.

Treecreeper. You don’t often see them on the ground.

Treecreeper as you would normally see them.

Chaffinch it looks as though it has something wrong with its right foot.

Female Siskin with what looks like nesting material.

It had a drink and when it flew off it forgot to take the nesting material with it.

Male Siskin

Goldfinch

Having a drink

Nuthatch

Blue Tit

GSW

Coal Tit

Greylag coming in to land

 

Stag Rocks & Burdon Moor

A trip to Bamburgh on Wednesday and I had around an hour at Stag Rocks. Nothing much about however, I could have stayed longer if my wife had not been too cold. When we got back home, I went and had a couple of hours at Burdon Moor. I got my first Hare of the year but again nothing much about the Stonechats put on a good show though.

Turnstone

Long-tailed Duck

Oystercatcher

Curlew

Purple Sandpiper

Cormorant

Gull

Brown Hare having a stretch

It ran straight toward me

Then veered to its right

And had a bite to eat

I just cannot resist the Stonechats

 

First frogspawn

I have just seen my first frogspawn of the season and the frogs to go with it. I spotted my first small bit yesterday (Sunday) so I decided to get the camera out to check it out today and there was a lot more. Can anyone tell me why some bits are white while other bits are black? There must be a simple explanation.

A couple of frogs

What I would call normal frogspawn

White frogspawn

A dodgy shot of a Roe Deer, which caught me off guard that’s why it’s a dodgy shot

 

Sparring

I caught these two male Roe Bucks practising for the real thing later in the year. It’s always great to get fairly close views of a Kingfisher.

Sparring Roe Bucks

They stopped to have a break

Then carried on sparring

Male Kingfisher