Peter Jones Wildlife blog

A good dog walk at Skidmore, along the River Test. This area is prone to the odd false bird record from an over enthusiastic local. (Brown Flycatcher and Icterine Warbler being the most extreme). This is sad, because what should be a pleasant location is forever tainted, and expectations are unfairly elevated due to its history. Anyway, today was pleasant, bearing in mind I had no binoculars, and 1 dog. A small flock of Hirundines passed over. This part of the test can be brilliant for Swallows and Martins, especially if the weather turns bad. Lapwings were displaying, and a Great White Egret was in a flooded field. A couple of years ago this would have been massive. Nowadays, Great Whites are repoeted pretty much daily in the area. Best of the flowers was a very small Dove's foot Cranesbill, picture below

Finding so many new flowers on my daily dog walks. None of which are particularly spectacular, more a case of me starting from nothing and this is my first spring! Quite a smart flower in the street. Plantsnap app is pretty good and nailed it! Barren Strawberry:

Took a walk into the local woodland this evening. I have previously given up on this area from a birding perspective, although it can be good for Woodcock. Today was actually ok for bird life, with Firecrest, Goldcrest, and Blackcap singing. My purpose today was to try and find some woodland flowers. The Woods are dominated by Bracken and Bluebells, but I did eventually find a good area near a steam, with Primrose, Common Dog-Violet, Wood-Sorrell, and Wood Anemone.

Found a few flowers this afternoon, on my dog walk around Toothill.. Wood Spurge: Lesser Periwinkle: Ground Ivy: Greater Stitchwort: Also seen: Butcher's Broom, White Dead nettle, and Lesser Celandine. 

Another slightly bizarre fungus, noticed on my dog walk through a small broad-leaved woodland today..

Not having any joy picking up bats in the garden with the detector so far this year, so I ventured out around the village. Started pretty quiet, but I was soon recording Common Pipistrelles, and on checking the recordings, a Soprano Pipistrelle also sneaked past. in the screenshot, the Common Pipistrelle are the heavy Hockey stick shaped calls, the bottom of the call corresponding to the peak frequency of ~45Kz. These bats were hunting in a semi-cluttered environment, along a line of tall bushes. The first, faint call, is a Soprano Pipistrelle, at 54KHz. Call is flatter, constant frequency with longer gaps between the calls. Presumably this bat was passing thru, further away, in the open, thus not needing the full spectrum of calls. The smudge of calls in the middle is a Common Pipistrelle social call.

Quite a common flower around the village, once you get used to their size. Sweet Violets are common, typically near gardens. Early Dog-Violet was a slightly bigger surprise with a few clumps along the stream, and even 1 in my garden. The darker spur being diagnostic.. Also noticed a tiny Common Chickweed in the street.

Nothing is ever normal in the Mushroom kingdom! Found this Yellow Brain Fungus, on a dead, fallen branch, which is it's typical habitat. If I read it correctly, this fungus relies on another fungus to kill off the wood before it moves in when the branch falls.