[Aled]

Saw a sea trout running upstream yesterday afternoon.
Cheers
Aled

[allotmentann]

Watched a five foot long snake in the garden. A good snake. The kind that eat gophers. There are rattle snakes here too.
Saw my first chipmunks this week whilst out looking for morels and boletes. And at least the bear scat was old this time. Fresh scat is always a little disconcerting!

[tosca100]

OH came across a very excited Gypsy on the road who had been working on building a wall. The gypsy grabbed him and showed him how brave ha had been in killing a large snake. Large it was....but harmless to humans. Sad, you would think everyone would know you don't get venomous snakes down here.

[allotmentann]

No, sadly a lot of harmless and actually beneficial snakes get killed here. People see a snake and kill it. Were you able to educate them?  This one was beautiful and l thoroughly enjoyed watching it slither through the garden. It has obviously done it many times as it headed straight for the straw bale where the mice live!

[tosca100]

Unfortunately a lot of ex-pats of all nationalities try to educate, but most go about it the wrong way, causing distrust. We have a large snake living in our wall. We get excited when we catch a glimpse. Love to see wildlife.

[Snoop]

We watched a pair of snakes trying to mate the other day. It didn't happen while we were there - too many screaming kids! A large one slithered past our front door yesterday. Mr Snoop spotted it but it was gone before he had any chance of identifying it. We leave the door wide open most of the day and night now but came to no conclusion about what we'd do if we were ever to find it indoors. I imagine the dogs will stop it from coming in. The other place it could get into is our bedroom via the hole in the door for the cats... It's the wrong time of year for them to need warmth (though the nights are quite chilly) and there's a ready supply of toads this year for prey, so maybe it will just slither away and we'll never see it again.

[wighty]

No, no, no  and again no. I can recognise slow worms and will accept them but any other kind of snake out, out, out.

[allotmentann]

No, no, no  and again no. I can recognise slow worms and will accept them but any other kind of snake out, out, out.

There are all kinds of weird and wonderful things to get used to here. The more you watch the less uncomfortable you feel.
Tosca they are a pleasure to watch. I love to see wildlife too.
Snoop not sure l would know what to do if l found one in the house either. Get out fast if it was a rattle snake! I would like to keep the one in the garden though

[cadalot]

Check out JRKO Diary and his latest video he moved a slow worm to his compost heap in his boot!

[Aled]

Now I know its "not birds" but I'm really pleased to see the swallows busy nesting on our house. Apparently they only nest on happy homes, I hope this is true.
Cheers
Aled

[allotmentann]

I like the thought that they only nest on happy homes. I want it to be true!

[Aled]

I spoke too soon, they were not working on the nest last night 
Cheers
Aled

[Springlands]

The most glorious smell of hawthorn blossom when I was letting the hens out this morning. 

Two frogs hiding in the greenhouse - quite small ones. 

[robinahood]

Giant puffballs, amazing! I believe they are edible but as I'm not an expert on fungi I didn't try it.

[RubyR3d]

Giant puffballs, amazing! I believe they are edible but as I'm not an expert on fungi I didn't try it.

.  They are perfectly safe. Just slice one as you would do a loaf of bread. We dry the slices in a warm place then fry them in the juice of fried bacon and onion. Mmmm. Delish