Proof at last - wild haggis

EVERYTHING can be found on the internet if you look hard enough and a fine example of this is the post by a highly respected, albeit very young, bone specialist.

Mr Jake Bones (what a coincidence that his surname is the same as his hobby) has found and blogged about one of his prize specimens.  This is great as I was starting to doubt my own sanity about the source of haggis meat: see his blog

No-one will laugh at me any more when I tell them that the feared wild beastie (Haggis scoticus), that we thought that we saw on our last holiday to Skye, was the animal in question.

Well done Jake - we (well you) showed 'em!

Haggis skull - scary!

Hunt of wild daffodils

THAT title is a bit of a fib, as we knew exactly where there is a healthy, though tiny, population of wild daffs is near us.  So off we went, wrapped up against a cold wind, for our dose of these delicate, little gems.  They are much more dainty than their showy garden cousins, but are stunning within their natural ancient woodland setting.

The site in question is in South Gloucestershire and is a nature reserve; our visits are usually later in spring and tie in with a broader set of flowering species.  At this earlier time the other main attractions were the lesser celandines, scattered primroses, wood spurge, and violets as well as early flowering wood anemones and sorrel.  The rosettes of early purple orchids, with their rounded, red-spotted leaves, were to be seen dotted here and there.

There were no butterflies or reptiles, but some territorial bird song could be heard from thrushes and the occasional chiff-chaff.

 

What we did not expect was to see a flowering bluebell - in March!!!

More Langford Lakes, Wiltshire

SATURDAY saw another bright spring day (eventually) at Langford Lakes and the stars of the show were the breeding birds.

The rookery up river was full of raucous goings on, but on the lake itself the great-crested grebes and the other nesting birds were the stars.  The grebes continue to display in their finery with the males barking loudly across the choppy waters.

The coots had laid a large clutch of eggs and nervously edged around the willow where the nest was, until at last one of them (the female?) sat down to brood.

Well hidden nest

A signature of spring is the bursting willow catkins, which many insects find an important food source.

Along the river a pair of grey wagtails were flitting around, chirping and chasing insects

In the mud a set of fresh tracks indicated that a water vole (or maybe less excitingly a brown rat) had been working the area for food.

Here are more of the grebe images:

Our smallest native species, a goldcrest, was seen flying from branch to branch, squabbling, calling and chasing its rival.  Its bright crest was raised in an aggressive pose.