Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Anthony Darby on November 01, 2008, 12:17:24 AM
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On a sad note, I came across a dead otter on the hard shoulder of the north bound carriage-way of the M9 approaching the exit at Pirnhall near Stirling. A big brute it was too.
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I came across a dead otter on the hard shoulder of the north bound carriage-way of the M9
Sad indeed, Anthony. Poor thing wouldn't stand much chance against motorway traffic :'(
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I found a dog otter lying in a dual carriageway over here a few years ago. When I first drove past I thought it was a large black cat but curiosity got the better of me. About an hour later, out of my way, I went back. I lifted it and it's now in the Ulster Museum zoology department deep freeze
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An atheist was walking through the woods.
'What majestic trees'!, 'What powerful rivers'!, 'What beautiful animals'!
He said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.
He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charging towards him
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him reaching for him with his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!'
Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man a voice came out of the sky.
'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident.'
'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?
'Am I to count you as a believer'?
The atheist looked directly into the light,
'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian'?
'Very Well,' said the voice.
The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed.
The bear lowered his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:
'Lord bless this food which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.'
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I once heard a (reasonably intelligent) man say, "I'm an aethiest, thank God."
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Anthony is making puns with Greek Tortoises... which I suppose is better than making a casserole..... theory seems to be that the Turkish tortoise is, in fact, a species of the Greek Tortoise...Testudo graeca but, I expect, since it is in Turkey, then it may be a T. graeca anamurensis..... I think we may need 'Biodiversite', a Forumist who specialises in these creatures, to give us a more considered opinion! :-\ ;D
Hi everybody,
Tortoises of Turkey are Testudo ibera ssp., opposite from Testudo graeca ssp. which live in the Maghreb.
Testudo ibera anamurensis is only in the south of Turkey and has an elongate form, large behind : here I think it is the usual form from the main part of the land, named abusively Testudo ibera, but which the correct name could be Testudo racovitzai. Well, the best to remind is that it is the usual form ;)
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Thanks, Bio. 8)
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I was just sent this photo by Mala Janes.....from her seemingly endless supply of interesting photos and funny emails..... a great encouragement to have at least one smile a day......
[attach=1]
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Beautiful landscape, Maggi ... you can see for smiles!
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I'm thinking some trickery going on!?
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They are probably laughing gulls, Mark! ;)
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Lovely shot.
I had a nice bird spot today. A Blackcap went into the garage, door always open for the dog, and was on the windowsill from lunchtime until I came home around 4p.m. I have never seen a Blackcap in the garden previously and it was a delight to see one and especially so to see it close up, literally a bird in the hand as I released it into the garden again.
Paddy
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Paddy,
interesting - shouldn't the Blackcaps have already left for wintering?
At least here they are all gone.
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Armin,
I'm not at all informed of their migration patterns. As I said, this was the first time I had seen one here at all.
Paddy
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Mark, do you want to say a word?
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Armin,
In recent years blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) seem to have become far more common here in Ireland and maritime NW Europe generally, as far as I know because birds from central and eastern Europe have started overwintering here rather than migrating SW as before. Previously Irish blackcaps migrated south for winter but increasingly are overwintering here too.
Undoubtedly Mark will be able to give more precise information.
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Ashley,
thank you. Is this a sign of global warming? :o
Maybe :-\
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Is this a sign of global warming? :o
Maybe :-\
Armin, I read that the first sight of a blackcap, overwintering in Ireland, was in 1970.
As far as I know, in the seventies we never hear of the words "Global Warming"
I think birds don't need the words, they simply know. ;D ;D
By the way this first clever bird seemed to come from Austria ;D ::) and now I remember
that my (Austrian) mother in law in those years always was saying that the climate changed ;D ;D
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Sorry I wasnt paying attention in class yesterday, dreaming out of the window and missed the question.
Winter migration is changing. Ducks and Gesse that used to come to the UK from Europe are no longer coming here becauise your winters are getting milder. 10s of 1000s of diving ducks, pochard and tufted ducks, are no longer coming to Lough Neagh in N Ireland in the winter.
For small birds especially the warblers, like was said up above, the routes are changing. It's case of why fly to Africa when you can stay closer to the home range. It was covered nicely on Autumnwatch this week. The problem is if we get a very hard cold period many of these birds will not survive. I remember getting very excited back in the mid 70s while at school someone brought in a photo of a strange bird feeding at their bird table. It was a female blackcap. When I went to look there was a male and female. They were leaving the wooded area across the road to feed on fat balls in the garden. Sadly the stream is no piped and the wood is cut down. This is because people dumped their rubbish in it attracting rats.
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Anthony, are comma butterflies becoming common in Scotland? My (fairly old) insect book says they don't come further than the middle of England. I saw two this summer. One on August 2nd in the butterfly garden at Scone Palace where the total score was one Painted Lady, one Comma, two or three Red Admirals and probably one or two whites though they don't really register with me. I saw the other at Cambo on August 29th where there were hundreds of butterflies, mainly Peacocks and Red Admirals with Small Tortoiseshells and white butterflies as well. It was very warm and the butterflies were very active so there could have been more Commas around. If you want to see butterflies visit Cambo on a warm day in August! There's more to Cambo than snowdrops.
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Some information
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Butterfly/17/Butterfly.html?ButterflyId=16&Country=sc&Size=&Colour=&Features=Black%20spots&Family= (http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Butterfly/17/Butterfly.html?ButterflyId=16&Country=sc&Size=&Colour=&Features=Black%20spots&Family=)
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Paddy,
interesting - shouldn't the Blackcaps have already left for wintering?
At least here they are all gone.
Your "Monschsgrasmucke" (sorry, no umlaut on my keyboard), are probably in the U.K. For some reason they seemed to shift their wintering quarters to Britain and Ireland about 20 years ago. I see them regularly throughout Winter and occasionally on our bird feeders. Chiffchaffs have always overwintered in small amounts and now Willow Warblers are also being seen in Winter. About 40 years ago, Lesser Black Back Gulls used to leave the Clyde area for Portugal, now a good percentage stay all the year round. Global warming certainly must be playing a part. However, I do not think that we will see a wholesale overwintering of our Summer migrants as daylight lengths in Winter would not give the insectiverous varieties enough time to feed and still survive the long nights.
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Tom,
No problem if there is no 'Umlaut', you can write
ae = ä
oe = ö
ue = ü
- but we also know what a 'Monschgrasmucke' is (sounds funny) ;D
Gerd
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find codes for accents here:
http://www.usefulshortcuts.com/alt-codes/accents-alt-codes.php
Cheers Mick
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Mark & Mick,
thank you for the web links. Both are very interesting and helpful. ;) :)
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Thankyou for the butterfly link, Mark. Very interesting and useful.
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Roma, the answer is no, they are not common. They have been seen in central Scotland, even Dunblane (at the monument on Sheriffmuir both this year and last) but only the odd one or two. As their larvae are not gregarious and they hibernate as adults in hedgerows and not buildings, survival may depend on the winter as well as the summer. Too mild and damp is not good. I have yet to see one here, but I will pass on your records. Hard to think that little more than 100 years ago they were more or less confined to Hereforshire.
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Tom,
No problem if there is no 'Umlaut', you can write
ae = ä
oe = ö
ue = ü
- but we also know what a 'Monschgrasmucke' is (sounds funny) ;D
Gerd
If you can be bothered, you can use MS Word 'Insert' 'Symbols' and copy and paste umlauts etc üĕçůØ
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WOW! WOW! WOW!
I've just been watching the largest flock of Waxwings ( Bombycilla garrulus) I have ever seen! There must have been 600 or more , circling and landing in the tall trees , about 100m away, over the road from my house. Never seen more than a couple of hundred before at one time.... what a marvelous sight. These are my favourite migratory birds.... I love them for their smart "hats" (crests) and chatty nature. Sadly no way I could get a decent photo. Most have now moved on from the nearby trees, but I expect we'll have the pleasure of their company for a while ....there are good berry crops this year so there's every reason for them to stay in the vicinity! That has really made my day.If it stays dry I'll go out to see if I can fid where they are feeding, and enjoy listeneing to their cheerful twittering.... lovely garrulous little birds........there IS often a clue, isn't there? !! ;D 8) 8)
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If crested tits are the punks of the Scottish birds, waxwings must be the "new wave"? Chunk a pile of soft pears on to the grass (oops - you have none Maggi) and they'll certainly stick around.
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or in the trees in the back garden close to the back door and of course I'm envious
I aslo heard on Monday there is a huge invasion of European coal tits Parus ater Look out for brighter blue/grey backs
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A big flock of fieldfares arrived here yesterday, the first this year. I'll be watching out for the waxwings though - send a few down, will you Maggi?
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Anne, I am TOO fond of them, I want to keep 'em all!
We have always put out fruit for the ground-feeding wintering thrush family flocks and the waxwings are perfectly happy to eat off the ground..... setting spring nets ( I'm sure that's NOT what they're called, though) to spring out over the birds feeding on chopped fruit on the ground is how I've seen waxwings netted for ringing. This was done by British Trust for Ornithology ringers, if I remember correctly - a few years ago in a garden down the road when there was a big influx of the happy chatterers.
The nets were set up repeatedly in a small front garden and over a few days hundreds were caught, ringed and released. Didn't bother the birds at all, they just gathered in nearby trees when releaed to discuss their experience, and then went down again for more fruit.
The householder was hard at work for hours everyday, chopping fruit, brought by the BTO as donations from the big supermarkets, to use as bait. Poor woman got blisters doing it.
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Hi Maggi,
Waxwings are only sporadic winter guests here around my area I live.
You can be proud of having seen this large flock of Waxwings. ;)
I can imagine it is a similar feeling like seeing a meadow with thousands of crocus in flower ;D
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There are two hundred Waxwings sitting on trees outside our local DHSS office in Ayr. Considering the economic climate, they must have come across to sign on the 'broo for the winter season ! They will have to hang about until it opens on Monday.
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After tidying up the glasshouse and repotting several plants, I thought I would search for the Waxwings. Some were still where I saw them yesterday and another group were up a tree in a car park. I managed to get a few shots in the late afternoon sunlight. My garden has an abundance of pyracantha berries and apples , but they never seem to discover them
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Super photos, Tom! Great birds, aren't they.... and remarkable unfazed by us, even if we do get quite close.... we've got right by the trees in the past and they just keep eating and chatting... reminds me of someone..... :-[
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Just brilliant. The top bird middle photo must be using the same hair styling product that I use
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I would love to see these birds in their native habitat in the far north of Europe
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I would love to see these birds in their native habitat in the far north of Europe
I'd just love to see them full-stop! Unfortunately they rarely venture down this way, and never in any number.
However Icelandic redwings have been gorging themselves in our holly trees this last week or so, accompanied by many blackbirds (perhaps including Scandinavian migrants) and woodpigeons.
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Thanks so much Tom for the super pics of waxwings. Love the hair styles! I was thinking that all of you in the NH assumed EVERYONE knew all these little birds because there were plenty notes but no pictures. Believe me, we in the SH DON'T know them at all, so please, as many pics of as many species as possible. I wish our pioneering forebears had introduced some of these others as well as sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes and starlings and a few finches.
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Tom - super shots 8)
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Tom's super waxwings never travel to the south of Ireland. I would love to see them in the flesh but will be happy with Tom's postings in the time being.
Here is a little set of photographs from a friend in Maryland.
Have a look at the photographs first and then I will ask the legal question which came with them.
Paddy
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And the legal question:
Is this statutory rape?
or is it simply a moosedemeanour?
Paddy
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I am no legal beagle, Paddy, but this is getting my award for joke of the week. ::)
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It's certainly a pretty buff hello!
In cookery terms; 'a bison to take a mousse'?
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That poor moose is one hard-up lad!
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Definitely a case of moosetaken identity. ::)
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A fine example to use a platform the wrong way ;D ;D ;D
Gerd
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The poor moose must have been very lonesome ::) ;D
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For our Irish and Ulster forum members. Waxwings were reported today in county Antrim
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yes they are mainly in County Down as far as I know
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They must be new arrivals because they are in a town on the east coast. When Scotland gets covered by snow this Friday they will come to us
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Since I saw the big flocksand posted excitedly on here, I haven't seen any waxwings here... they must have gone further south... or maybe west, to Mark's neck of the woods?
By the way, you'll see I have split off from the previous topic( from around early November) to make an "Autumn" version :D
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Maggi, They can turn up anywhere. They only hang around to feed. When a flock descends on a tree laden with berries, they will strip it bare and then move on. The ones I saw at the weekend have now moved on. There were reports from Arran and Lochgilphead on Kintyre. Some have now reached N. Ireland and could move on to Eire in search of food. The reports I have for Scotland today are for Dundee, Dunblane, Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Motherwell. There was one report for Bangor in Down and many more throughout the UK as far South as Kent.
A place worth checking is your local supermarket car park. These are often planted with berrying shrubs and are attractive to Waxwings who seem to be perfectly happy in traffic or human company.
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BTW what is the difference between a buffalo and a bison? ::)
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Yes, To, I know... that is why I'm surprised that they have moved on so quickly... it previous years they have stayed around until every berry tree in the area --- and there are LOTS of those--- are stripped out! And in quieter areas they are all over the ground around the trees as well, eating the fallen fruit.
I was tempted to think they know it's such a good year for berries that they just stopped long enough to refuel and moved on, leaving plenty for their cousins who may still be en- route.... I'm a romantic old soul!
Anthony, if you think you're going to sucker me into making remarks concerning humps, you are much mistaken ::)
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Moi? ::) Before anyone else answers, you can't wash your hands in a buffalo. Probably works better in Essex?
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I have just had an email from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.... :o. ...... I think I have managed to persuade them that no animals have been harmed in the production of jokes on this website..... Phew! :-X ::)
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Is that a Joke too Maggie ???
or is it a case of:
"I dislike all moosedemeanor but sexual moosedemenaour I dislike with a special interest"
Göte
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Oh, Göte......[attach=1]
[attach=2]
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After tidying up the glasshouse and repotting several plants, I thought I would search for the Waxwings. Some were still where I saw them yesterday and another group were up a tree in a car park. I managed to get a few shots in the late afternoon sunlight. My garden has an abundance of pyracantha berries and apples , but they never seem to discover them
Re-Waxwings, by far the most common bird here numerically in the October to December period in most years. It's a reasonably good year this year as the Rowan crop was good. You can expect a second wave in Scotland in the New Year as they've gorged themselves and the rowan berries are almost finished - if they manage to navigate the North Sea in their drunken state ;) Actually, there's a flock of about 60 at the moment that are eating sunflower seeds - seem more interested in that than the dried bilberries I put out for them!
There can be so many of them that it's dangerous to move outside and, unfortunately, there are occasional cases of mass suicide against house windows (usually under the influence) - driving is also hazardous in a rain of rowan berry-defecating waxwings sitting in the trees ;)- when the picture was taken there were some 1-2,000 birds in the garden:
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We have just come home from Forres where we saw a small flock of waxwings in a tree. I doubt that we will get them in the garden because the blackbirds have taken all the rowan berries. There are now only cotoneaster berries left.
They are wonderful birds to watch and I would tolerate a flock of them, occasionally.
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Rowan at this time of year are rare over here. The starlings strip them in August but they dont eat the yellow, pink or white varieties. I saw two today playing pass the berry. It's the wrong time of year to be planning baby waxwings.
Stephen do they nest in your garden? What most people over here dont know is they are insectiverous in the summer.
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Etta, my female panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is finally in breeding condition. Ringo, my green tree (Chondro) python - sorry, named by two pupils Chloë and Leona - (Morelia (formerly Chondropython) viridis) has decided that the only food his will eat is trapped mice from my greenhouse. I have an efficient break-back trap that requires no bait. I then freeze them and take them in to school where Ringo has his cage in my classroom. He refuses to eat the shop-bought mice lollies! >:( I hope these pics are not too gruesome, but if I didn't feed him he wouldn't grew some more. :-\
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Etta is a stunner! So beautiful .... I hope her fella is impressed ?
Great photos altogether, Anthony.
Ringo is nicely marked, isn't he, looks in tip-top order with your mouses.... and he'll eat two in a sitting? How often does he need feeding?
You'd think there wasn't any difference between the mice-lollies and your frozen mouses.........mouse/ frozen.......what's the difference? Yours must be fresher.... or fatter?
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Not sure Maggi? Perhaps the difference between a Tesco's duck and a shot wild one or a farmed salmon and one my brother in law has caught in the Forth? A friend who breeds these snakes says try rolling a reared defrosted mouse in a bag with a Bernard Matthew's chicken drumstick! The thing is, I'm glad he's feeding as they can be tricky. Now I just need a female!
Will take a pic of Sundance, Etta's intended, once he has moulted. He hasn't changed since I last posted a pic.
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Oh Anthony, your Etta is absolutely beautiful and Ringo isn't bad either.
I would love to have a chameleon but it's too cold where I am, if we lost power in winter I don't know how I could keep one alive.
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Ringo is nicely marked, isn't he, looks in tip-top order with your mouses.... and he'll eat two in a sitting? How often does he need feeding?
You'd think there wasn't any difference between the mice-lollies and your frozen mouses.........mouse/ frozen.......what's the difference? Yours must be fresher.... or fatter?
Have you tried vermincelli, Anthony? :)
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Had to look at that twice Cliff! ;D At least my boas can take a rat-or-two-y. ::)
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Ashley I heard today waxwings are on the west coast so may be forced south
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Here's the view from my dining room window. The young deer, probably
only recently separated from his mother, stands with his nose against the
window, watching us eat. He's eaten all the cabbages and broccoli in the
garden, so now I put apple cores and carrot peel outside the door. I have
lots of squash I grew, and chopped up one, but he doesn't like it much.
The hummingbird feeder is at the top of the window. When he had just
finished eating a red apple, the deer stretched up to investigate the red
plastic flowers, but decided they were not edible without taking a nibble.
A flock of bushtits have been feeding from it since the summer, and don't
pay much attention to the Anna's hummingbird who tries his best to drive
them away. The bottle of syrup is wrapped in bubble wrap, as it has been
below zero for a while now. When it gets down to -7, I have to bring the
bottle in overnight to thaw it and put it out again at first light, when I have
birds buzzing around my head, waiting for breakfast.
At first, the birds were nervous about the deer, but they ignore him now.
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Diane shouldnt the hummer be away south by now? Are bushtits Chickadees?
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A flock of bushtits have been feeding from it since the summer, and don't
pay much attention to the Anna's hummingbird who tries his best to drive
them away. The bottle of syrup is wrapped in bubble wrap, as it has been
below zero for a while now. When it gets down to -7, I have to bring the
bottle in overnight to thaw it and put it out again at first light, when I have
birds buzzing around my head, waiting for breakfast.
Hi Diane, I am surprised you still have hummingbirds, do the Anna's hummingbirds not migrate?
What do they eat in winter?
At the moment all I have are chickadees on my window feeder.
I only moved to Canada in 2001 so chickadees and hummingbirds are still a real novelty to me.
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Stephen do they nest in your garden? What most people over here dont know is they are insectiverous in the summer.
No, it's a very long way (over 1,000 km!) from here to the only area of Norway that Waxwings breed every year - that's the Pasvik Valley which is in the far north on the border with Russia (nearest town is Kirkenes, which I'm sure the Scots on the forum could guess what means). My first holiday here many years ago was to Pasvik to see the Waxwings - met some German birders there and they told us they'd just seen Bombycilla garrulus and kindly showed us the way. I remember seeing a bird on the edge of a lake flycatching low down from rocks on the water's edge taking mosquitoes!
After the first wave of Waxwings arrive in the garden in the autumn, it can still be quite mild and there are still a lot of insects about. It's fascinating watching groups of Waxwings flycatching en masse from the tops of spruce trees in the garden! They almost catapult upwards one after the other, a bit reminiscent of the way Gannets dive for fish....
At the moment my flock (120 today) are feeding on the ground on the driveway - they seem to be taking birch seeds!?
There are spread breeding records also in other parts of the country and I saw a small flock (family party?) this summer for the first time near here.
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We get two species of hummingbirds here. The rufous migrates, but
Anna's is resident. I think this may be fairly recent, as the only flowers
in bloom in midwinter are in gardens - fuchsias, mahonias, grevilleas,
Arbutus unedo.
Bushtits (Psaltriparus) are related to chickadees. They sometimes
travel with chickadees and warblers in big flocks. They make nests of moss
and lichen held together with spider web, which look like a workman's
gray wool sock hanging from a branch.
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53 waxwings were trilling/chirping in a neighbours garden. I ran for the camera but as I got close a guy with a red jumper came running past and they flew away. I havent seen any hawking yet but they always seem to be a bit clumsy when taking off to fly
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Diane, thanks for the information.
The nests of the bushtits sound interesting, I don't suppose you have a pic of one. :)
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Look out for waxwings with rings on their legs http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1522 (http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1522)
Over 100 birds have been caught, in Aberdeen, and colured split rings put on their legs. Since then birds have turned up as far south as East Anglia
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No - Several times a day I walked by a nest at face-level
in a rhododendron right next to a path in my yard, but
never thought of taking a picture.
Here's someone else's photo and comments from Seattle.
Bushtits live from here all the way south to Guatemala,
but I don't know whether they also live on the east coast.
http://hope-for-pandora.blogspot.com/2008/03/prized-nest.html
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Thanks for the link, the nest is remarkable.
My first thought was that the chicks would be goners out in the open like that, but I guess those little branches the nest is hanging from wouldn't support the weight of predators.
Crows would be a worry though, we have huge amounts of crows here, don't think there are any of the bushtits here.
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when I saw the nest I thought your bushtit was related to our penduline tit but they arent
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Just had to change the name of this thread.... somehow managed to get it wrong when I split it off from the Autmn one! :-[
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I am absolutely awestruck that a tiny hummingbird can survive a Canadian winter. Where do they go at night, and do they drop their body temperature to survive?
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The hummingbirds sit on little branches and fluff up their feathers so they
look like feather balls. They can lower their temperature to about half
what it is when they are active in the daytime.
They eat little insects and spiders also, so they are not dependent on flowers
being in bloom.
We don't have a true "Canadian winter" here. Our usual winter temperature
falls between 4 and 10. (C) We get frosts overnight but it is rarely below
freezing in the daytime.
Sometimes, though, there is low pressure along the Pacific coast, and that
pulls arctic air south (from the Arctic) or west (from the interior of the
continent). It happened in '96, in '89, in '65?, and so on. It's been happening
now for a couple of weeks. A few days have gone as low as -8.
When this happened, dahlias, hydrangeas and fuchsias were still flowering.
The fuchsias may still be in flower under the 40 cm of snow, but the hydrangeas
have brown leaves.
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Merry Christmas everyone.
Saw this huge flock of Pink Footed Geese landing on a stubble field next to the sea at Pilling near Blackpool a little while ago. Over 2 thousand came down ( I divided up the larger pictures I took and counted a screen area then multiplied up)
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JoF, Merry Christmas! I see you are keeping yourself creatively occupied..... super "shots" (pardon the expression) of so many geese...... :D
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Hello John long time no 'see'
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I am absolutely awestruck that a tiny hummingbird can survive a Canadian winter. Where do they go at night, and do they drop their body temperature to survive?
Anthony - I have seen a few ruby throated hummingbirds in Nova Scotia as early as late March. I was amazed and cannot figure out how they were surviving with virtually nothing in bloom aside from minor bulbs, witchhazels, Cornus mas and February daphnes, the latter three not being plentiful.
johnw
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Great shots John F. Thanks. 8)
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Does anyone remember a post, some time ago, from a forumist in Canada whose wife had shot a huge moose/elk? I have been searching for an hour and I can't find it! Help, anyone?? ???
AHA! Success, the search faciltiy was being awkward...tried a few changes and I found it!
It was Clay K.'s wife.... you can see here and her prize here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/321/3772.html
Of course, they live in Alaska, not Canada!! :-[
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It was good seeing those gardens again. I didnt think John Lonsdale was a young guy. I would love to see his collection
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I didnt think John Lonsdale was a young guy. I would love to see his collection
Does this mean you now think he is or think he isn't?
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I thought he was older
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The last time waxwings came to N Ireland I only saw them once. Last Saturday I saw them once, on Sunday I saw the same flock plus two others, on Wednesday some were in a tree out the back of my house. Today I saw more waxwings feeding on hips.
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Still no waxwings here, but yesterday our first blackcap arrived. Over the last few winters males have outnumbered females at least 4:1; does anyone know why this is?
Today as I sat beside the water at the end of the garden a kingfisher perched close by and calmly proceeded to fish. No camera unfortunately :-\
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Goldfinches at the feeders today.
This pic was taken through the kitchen window,so is a bit hazy.
I know, I should clean the windows more often.
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I love seeing and hearing Goldies. Very few are coming to my feeders this year. Usually only two at a time. I has Siskins last week.
I saw waxwings again yesterday and on Sunday. I've now seen more waxwings in the last few weeks than the rest of my life. The last time I saw some was about 14 years ago and prior to that I was about 16
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These goldfinch have much nicer markings than the ones we see here around here during summer.
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I know, I should clean the windows more often.
Michael, go and wash you mouth out with soap.... if any Divine Being had meant us to wash windows he wouldn't have made glass dirty so easily. :-X
Life is too short for many things, and washing windows is one of those ..... think how much time away from the feeders those lovely birds would have had to have if you were out there washing windows? Shame on you!
Helen, are they ( the Goldfinches) the same species over there in Canada? Sometimes the name is the same but the bird is other!! :-\
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Working in the garden today I had the good fortune to see Blackcap, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Stonechat along with the regulars and Redwing over the fence in my neighbour's field.
Unlike Michael, I didn't have a camera to hand - difficult while pushing a wheelbarrow, digging etc.
Paddy
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Paddy are you close to the sea?
Maggi there are 5 species of Goldfinch in the world
European Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch
Dark-backed Goldfinch
Ours is the most colourfull. There are 9 subspecies across Europe
The American male is brightest. He's bright yellow
Lawrence's looks like a cross between a Greenfinch and a Siskin
The Dark-backed hasa glossy black back and head
From my excellent book Finches and Sparrows
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finches-Sparrows-Identification-Guide-Guides/dp/0713652039/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230666568&sr=1-7 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finches-Sparrows-Identification-Guide-Guides/dp/0713652039/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230666568&sr=1-7)
It was £20 but is now £94. Off to Ebay now ;D
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Paddy, I had only one blackcap visit the garden last year and I have only one this year again.
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Helen, here is another pic showing a goldfinch from the front,you can see the nice red markings on the face.
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What are blackcaps?
Here they are the blackcapped chickadee, lovely little birds, they always look neat and are very neat feeders, they grab their sunflower seed and buzz off, not like some birds that just like to sit in the feeder and drop the shells right back into the feeder.
The goldfinches do that as do the pine siskins.
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I think it is a bit odd that we use common names for birds while
we very seldom use common names for plants.
Is it just that we are mainly plant people? Do birders use
scientific names on their checklists?
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Talking about cleaning windows, my grandchildren gave me a fridge magnet for Christmas which says
Gardening forever
Housework whenever
I will remove the 'whe' from the last word.
Jean
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Diane anyone I know who knows their birds doesnt refer to them with scientific names. All bird guides I have use common names first
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What are blackcaps?
Here they are the blackcapped chickadee, lovely little birds, they always look neat and are very neat feeders, they grab their sunflower seed and buzz off, not like some birds that just like to sit in the feeder and drop the shells right back into the feeder.
The goldfinches do that as do the pine siskins.
Helen, this is "our" BlackCap in the UK.... http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/blackcap/
this is a page for our Goldfinch : http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldfinch/index.asp
This RSPB site is very handy... it has recordings of their calls, too.... http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name
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Diane anyone I know who knows their birds doesn't refer to them with scientific names. All bird guides I have use common names first
I think the general populous know common birds because they feed, or at least see them, them in their gardens. They would probably know the difference between a daisy and a dandelion, but not much else. Tell them grass is a flowering plant and they wouldn't believe you! Common names for plants vary - even garden plants. I was told 'ice plants' would attract butterflies so my mum filled the garden with 'Livingstone Daisies', which we always knew as ice plants. Years later I found out that it was meant to be Sedum spectabile! ::) Birds too have different common names: peewit/lapwing; dunnock/hedge sparrow for example.
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Maggi, thanks for the links, I do have to say that our version of the blackcapped chickadee has much more spiffy dress sense. ;D
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/wild-birds/a-c/black-capped-chickadee.html
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He certainly does.....related to our tit family... esp. the Great Tit, Parus major... the other tits must be more distantly related, for their names vary, though they are family Paridae.....your blackcapped chickadee is quite like our Coal Tit....we've got a lot of these birds around just now... the natives are supplemented by flocks of winter visitors.
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Howdy All,
Some wildlife pics taken recently.....
Firstly, a couple of pics of one of the ANBG local male Blue Wrens.... which aren't technically wrens at all as it happens. ::)
And a very cool moth. It was sitting on a glass door, vertically like in the picture, with it's abdomen curled and the wigs curled slightly to look just like a dead leaf caught on a spiderweb. Very, very cool. When you look closely at the fur on the back of the thorax there looks like there is a little face on there as well, so I enlarged that bit of the pic a bit to show it more clearly. Absolutely amazing what nature produces!! 8)
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That's amazing Paul. I would say it's one of the hawk moths.
Someone must be studying the fairy wrens because of thee bird ringers ring on one leg and a coloured ring on the other
Maggi the chickadee has the same call as our coal tit - chick-a-de-de-de, chick-a-de-de-de
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Looks like a mummified Billy Connolly after a couple of drams.
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Mark,
There are studiers of the Blue Wrens (called Wrenners), and studiers of the White-browed Scrub Wrens (called Scrubbers). I am guessing that the Wrenners were the ones who made up the names, as I am doubting that anyone would call themselves Scrubbers (unsure whether that name has any meaning elsewhere, but I am not going to explain if!). We see people from both groups regularly, at all hours of the day. Sometimes they're recording calls, or replaying the calls to chicks to check their responses etc. They certainly spend a lot of time at their studies, that is for sure. Some of them I also know through the Canberra Ornithologists Group, of which I am a member. It's a small world. ::)
Cliff,
Now that you mention it..... it does look a bit like him doesn't it. ;)
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We use it also
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Paul, many moons ago I collected 'Endangered Animals' cards from Brookbond tea packets (pre-tea bags). One such animal was the 'noisy scrub bird'. How's it doing?
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Haven't come across the noisy scrub wren. Where is it from?
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Paul, that is an amazing moth, it looks like it has a monkey face, am thinking I have seen those at some time.
Maggi, we have lots of them around all year, I have a feeder on the window of the computer room, it provides great entertainment, even the cat loves to sit and watch.
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from wikipedia ..
The entire world population of the Noisy Scrub-bird was estimated at 40 to 45 birds in 1962. Conservation efforts succeeded in increasing the population to around 400 birds by the mid-1980s, and they have subsequently been reintroduced to several sites, but remain endangered. In 2002 the population had recovered to around 1,200 birds.
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So where are they located?
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We are getting a good range of garden birds on the feeders at the moment. All the usual finches and sparrows along with goldfinches and siskins. Joy of joys we have just had a green woodpecker on the peanuts about six feet from the sitting room window. This is the first year that we have seen a woodpecker in our garden.
Of some concern is the observation that a week ago we had plenty of tits in the garden but with this extreme weather, for us, they are no longer coming. I hope that they survive.
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I'm sure they are Ok, David
Paul I Googled for the noisy birds
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Well David, tits really should be undercover in extreme weather. :o
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No-one has mentioned the bird of the moment - namely the robin. It comes in many forms in different parts of the world. The Jamaican robin (Tody) is green and red and related to kingfishers. Remember that impostor in Mary Poppins. Supposed to be the middle of London and they used an (albeit mechanical) American robin - a type of thrush. :P Must have been smuggled in along with the skunks and raccoons that turned up in the last 'Dalmatians' film, or the Californian sealions you saw on that beach in 'Local Hero'. ::)
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and the Chatham Island robin
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and the pekin robin
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Yeh Rockin' Robin! ;D
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David,
Actually I should have qualified my statement by saying undercover in extreme cold weather. At certain beaches here in Aus extremely warm weather seems to bring them out into the open. ;)
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Gentlemen! ( And I use THAT term loosely).... I hope you will not continue this lowering of the tone of our august forum :o
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Guess what i spotted this morning in my backgarden, a rare Snipe and so close!
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Wow! Gerard, that must be one of the most unusual birds to see from anyone's house! 8)
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Do you have a wet garden, Gerard, or was the snipe just exploring? Congratulations, anyway.
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Snipe are very common in the fields around our garden here. A walk through any of the fields is sure to raise a few but they have never come into the garden. What a treat, Gerard.
paddy
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I have seen it more often in my "snowdropforrest", but that was always seeing it flying away with that typical sound.
This time it came very close to my house and i could take a photo still in my pyamas.
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As Groucho Marx would have said, Gerard, what on earth was that snipe doing in your pyjamas ??
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We used to get the snipe's relative the woodcock flying over the house every night in summer, but not last year. :(
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Howdy All,
some pictures taken today of some very obliging ----flies, i.e damselflies and dragonflies..... Some of the details on the wings etc of the sunning dragonfly in particular were amazing. I dared not make these pics any bigger though.
I also saw a bunch of tadpoles hanging suspended near the top of the water sunning themselves. I've never noticed them doing this before, just hanging in the water in the patches of sun. I wonder if they tan? ;) I did take a photo, but haven't posted that here. If of interest I can.
Enjoy.
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Wonderful images yet again, Paul! Tadpoles please.
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We have a very large coppiced ash tree at the end of the garden. Whilst I am writing this I am sitting in the warmth of the house and watching, through the window, a tree creeper bobbing up and down on the trunks. The bark of the ash tree is dark but it is currently in full sun and the pale coloured breast of the tree creeper keeps racing up and down and round and round the trunk and branches. The tree creeper is an occasional visitor to our garden but there is little chance to photograph it.
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BBC's Swarm is brilliant. I'm watching it now here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gkrm2/Swarm_Natures_Incredible_Invasions_When_Worlds_Collide/ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gkrm2/Swarm_Natures_Incredible_Invasions_When_Worlds_Collide/)
It's not available outside of the UK
The 10 million starlings in Rome are amazing like Anthony just told me elsewhere. One thing I am against is playing starling distress calls after dark to move them on. It would be better to move them on before they roost. We complain about one bit of bird crap on a just cleaned car. Just wait to you see the car parked beneath the tree. It's a series so set your Sky+
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Wildlife seen this week, no pictures I am afraid, as I was driving but one fox, weasel, mouse sized rodent, white heron sized bird and four barn owls (sadly one dead).
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Your white heron will be an egret. They can now be found around the UK coast. Some are now moving in land. Cattle egrets have now spread in from Europe. Was it as big as a heron?
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Frost not gone from here all day, wind is getting up now.
We had a Grey Wagtail in the garden for the first time today.
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There was a comment by Maggi about life being too short for cleaning windows.
But not when this ghostly apparition of a bird strike is on the bedroom window. No injured bird found though.
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A heavy-duty tooth fairy perhaps, Mick?
Happy New Year to you both.
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:o wow that's the best bird ghost I have ever seen. It will be from a collared dove or wood pigeon.
Your wagtail is a good example of one out of summer finery
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That will be a collared dove, as they are regular visitors here.
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I agree with Mick that sometimes you do just HAVE to clean the window!
The Grey Wagtail is very smart in those super photos.... would love to have those visit our garden.
Even around town, where one could often see Pied Wagtails, they are not nearly so frequent now as they were fifteen or so years ago. We never have them ( Pieds) come to the garden either... it's really not their kind of habitat. :P
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I often pick up wee birds that have flown into our 'anything but clean' sitting room windows. I just pop them somewhere to recover - often t he potting shed which they can easily get out of and the furry girls can't get into :)
I do wonder why suddenly this winter we are seeing Goldfinches in the garden every day whereas in previous years they were very occasional visitors - not that I am complaining! The sight of a couple of Gold Finches a Siskin and a Chaffinch all trying to sit on one peanut feeder at the same time is quite amusing... and yes we have several feeders but one is especially popular :D
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hard frost = seeds frozen in the ground and seed heads. If you want to keep them all year try feeding them with nyger/niger is a goldfinch feeder
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hard frost = seeds frozen in the ground and seed heads. If you want to keep them all year try feeding them with nyger/niger is a goldfinch feeder
A special feeder and nyjer seed wasn't enough to tempt the Goldfinches to spent more time with us.... what it did do was amaze us with the discovery that the germination rate for spilled nyjer seed in Aberdeen is around 400 per cent!!! :o Never seen growth like it..... just amazing.
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well I dont think Goldies are comfortable with lots of cover. Sparrowhawks might do a smash and grab on them. Carol's garden is nice and open for quick getaways. Goldfinches use Bob Gordons garden but dont use Margarets. Both have Bullies.
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In this part of the world, Goldfinches (Stillits after the sound in Norway) are a rarity and don't breed this far north in Norway. About 6-7 years ago, I discovered a small flock (about 10) feeding on burdock (Arctium spp) along the edge of a small field just outside our village and this small flock has returned most years since. I was already cultivating Burdock as a vegetable and after that I encouraged it to go wild in the wild part of my garden. This worked as planned and 2 years ago they were regular guests in my garden... Then last year they turned up again and in late January they discovered my bird feeder (sunflower seeds) and the whole flock were regular visitors for a couple of months. I had several birders visit to see them as well as a couple of photographers. This resulted in an article in the regional birding mag (picture by Morten Vang). This winter the flock once again turned up in the garden in November, but this time they went straight for the feeder, ignoring the burdock seed (even though the plants were laden). However, they disappeared again and I haven't seen them since...perhaps later in the winter.
My theory is that these birds are from the breeding population in southern Finland rather from further south in Norway. The Scandinavian population has been expanding in recent years, particularly at the north of its range.
Here's a little video of a Goldfinch feeding from a sunflower head...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep_KIvlLriQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep_KIvlLriQ)
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Beautiful picture of a charming little bird. Here in Scotland, I feed them on sunflower hearts or niger seed. They come for a few days then disappear only to return a few weeks later. I prefer it this way as they must be getting food in the wild and will not have to depend on garden feeders.
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hard frost = seeds frozen in the ground and seed heads. If you want to keep them all year try feeding them with nyger/niger is a goldfinch feeder
Even now with the frost gone they are still the most common bird to come and feed at the peanuts (we have several feeders hanging in the garden). This is the first year in a long while that we have not put out sunflower hearts doesn't seem to have bothered the birds at all! There was so much wastage from the sunflowers and the mess was horrific! We do get a sparrow hawk fly through the garden on a fairly regular basis looking for a meal occasionally he is successful but not too often. The wee birds are also wise to the antics of our two furry predators and it is rare for either of them to catch a bird at this time of year. We need to plant a berried bush or two away from the house to try and entice the wax wings.
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The first Gold Crest of the winter visited a very wet and windy garden today.
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Here are some colour mutations of goldfinches
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ3hsahwMs4&feature=related (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ3hsahwMs4&feature=related)
Stephen you goldfinches are a different race that ours. We call them northern goldfinches. They are larger than ours as are your bullfinches
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Mark, I believe those colour mutations are as a result of captive breeding and perhaps hubridisation, are they not? One would not find such birds in nature, unless VERY rarely???
Michael, how interesting that you only have our most favourite of garden birds, the Goldcrest, Regulus regulus as a winter visitor... we are fortunate enough to have them live here all the year.... they are a particular delight with their little voices, flitting almost invisibly around the place. Tough to get a good photo because they are so small and quite shy.... and with our wondows being so grubby, I have never managed a decent picture through glass :-[
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They do rarely occur in the wild but are targets for sparrowhawks. Those that happen in captivity and then bred is such a way to fix the colour.
Here's a French Goldfinch singing. It's quite different to ours. Birds across Europe have different accents just like we do.
Amazing but true goldcrests come to the UK from northern Europe to spend the winter.
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And do our breeding goldcrests stay put or migrate in winter Mark?
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How would you like the red siskin coming to your nut feeders?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kGNhN0dbdOk&feature=related (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kGNhN0dbdOk&feature=related)
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Ashley, our goldcrests stay and that's why they have population crashes during very hard weather.
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The second part of "Swarm" is on tonight on BBC at 9pm. It features bats leaving a cave. My guess is it's Bracken Cave in Texas home to 20 million female Mexican free-tailed bats. I've been there.
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How would you like the red siskin coming to your nut feeders?
I think I'll stick with our regular siskins thanks
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I hate it when I see caged birds like this when we are abroad. Is it in Germany where they take the cages for a walk with them to the park?
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I hate it when I see caged birds like this when we are abroad. Is it in Germany where they take the cages for a walk with them to the park?
It is certainly very common in China... I think the idea is that the caged birds are taken to the park to "meet" other caged birds and be cheered up enough to sing :-\ :-X :'(
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I think it's China. They have bird song competitions
The red siskin is very rare in the wild so they are being cage bred to try and keep the numbers going
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great minds!
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Sorry, no. I have seen it, so not China although I know that the Chinese do this also.
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Sorry but I simply can not understand the idea of caging a bird - I remember a huge row from when I was a child and we ended up looking after next door's budgie for Christmas - I was all for letting the little chappy go !
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Did anyone watch "Swarm"? Congress Bridge is in Austin, Texas where the city council was planning to close the expansion joint where the bats roost during the day. The looked on them as a health hazard. Word got out about the bats under the bridge and they are now one of the biggest tourist attractions. I've been there also. Lots of photos taken but they are 35mm slides
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The second part of "Swarm" is on tonight on BBC at 9pm. It features bats leaving a cave. My guess is it's Bracken Cave in Texas home to 20 million female Mexican free-tailed bats. I've been there.
Mark,
So are there no males?
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The second part of "Swarm" is on tonight on BBC at 9pm. It features bats leaving a cave. My guess is it's Bracken Cave in Texas home to 20 million female Mexican free-tailed bats. I've been there.
Mark,
So are there no males?
The females go to this cave to raise their young. A sort of "bat crèche".
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Males live seperate lives in much smaller groups. Each female has one baby, a pup, sometimes twins. This is where the 40 million figure came from.
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Wow! Thanks for the extra info. Wish there was something I could do for bats in my garden... I know we do get some around here, at least a couple of native species in this area, but no idea how I could provide them with homes or anything like that. They're such cool little mammals!! 8)
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young waxwings
http://www.birdpix.nl/album_page.php?pic_id=40118 (http://www.birdpix.nl/album_page.php?pic_id=40118)
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Wow! Thanks for the extra info. Wish there was something I could do for bats in my garden... I know we do get some around here, at least a couple of native species in this area, but no idea how I could provide them with homes or anything like that. They're such cool little mammals!! 8)
Yes, I see you struggle with bats in Oz at the moment :P
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Paul first you need to find out what bats are in your area before you act. There must be a bat group in your area. You can build a bat house for your insectiverous bats
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bat-House-Builders-Handbook/dp/0974237914/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232040154&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bat-House-Builders-Handbook/dp/0974237914/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232040154&sr=1-1)
If you want a copy I'll buy it and mail it to you.
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Sydney bat group
http://www.sydneybats.org.au/cms/ (http://www.sydneybats.org.au/cms/)
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Buzzard Takes Rare Phalarope
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5525947.ece (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5525947.ece)
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Cor blimey!
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Especially when a buzzard is mainly insectiverous
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I thought they ate mainly worms?
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wormiverous?
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vermivorous
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Just caught this news story...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090116/tuk-spider-bite-puts-woman-in-hospital-dba1618.html
EEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!!
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Wind turbines are killing bats in USA
http://brightcove.newscientist.com/services/player/bcpid1873822884?bclid=0&bctid=1761979160 (http://brightcove.newscientist.com/services/player/bcpid1873822884?bclid=0&bctid=1761979160)
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Only in America. Bats should be able to negotiate a moving fan! Are these bats deaf?
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They say as the turbine turns they cause a drop in air pressure causing their lungs to burst
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I've got a pond with half a dozen small goldfish and was quite surprised to see a kingfisher in the garden eyeing the fish up. I'm only 1/2 a mile from the river, but it was still a first.
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Is your pond netted? It would be a shame for it to get caught up but well worth losing a fish to such a beauty
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Rob, what a delight! We have been getting long-tailed tits comong very day to the garden for the last few weeks.... previouslythey have only ever flown overhead. We've got extra peanut feeders out for them and they seem to be enjoying that.......not so sure about providing extra goldfish for a visitor, though, however handsome!
A friend today saw a small group of birds, roughly chaffinch sized, with very dar, or black backs and veryred chests.....only thing we can think they might have been are Black Red-starts... anyone heard of these getting blown our way? (Aberdeenshire, north eastern Scotland)
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The pond isn't netted. There are still quite a few dead waterlily leaves on the surface so the fish have some cover to hide under. I wouldn't mind losing some fish if the kingfisher became a regular visitor.
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A friend today saw a small group of birds, roughly chaffinch sized, with very dar, or black backs and very red chests.....only thing we can think they might have been are Black Red-starts... anyone heard of these getting blown our way? (Aberdeenshire, north eastern Scotland)
Maggi, Black Redstarts don't have red chests and (Common) Redstarts are not in Britain in the winter.
Try Bullfinch/Brambling/Stonechat??
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Maggi, no redstarts at this time of year. Possibilities depending on numbers could be bullfinches, chaffinches, linnets or most probably they were bramblings
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Stonechats should be in pairs only. I see two every day in an industrial estate that is being developed.
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The male Blackcap in my garden has now got a female companion.
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I havent seen any blackcaps this winter.
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Maggi
Your birds are almost certainly male Bramblings. They are closely associated to Chaffinches and often form winter flocks with them to feed on beech mast. I have not seen any this winter or have even heard of reports of them. Lucky you !
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We do have occasional Bramblings here and also in my friend's garden, so he knows what they look like.... they weren't like anything he'd seen before, which lets the Bullfinches, Bramblings and Linnets out of the picture.
His wife found a photo of Redstarts in a book, which showed a migratory variation which was much blacker ( which is where I think I picked up the Black Restart name!) and they looked pretty close, he thought.
I've emailed him the Stonechat suggestion, but I haven't heard back yet.
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I have yet to see more than a pair of stonechats in one place. They act like robins, sitting on a perch and flying to the ground for food, so are unlikley to be seen flying over a garden. Only males have an orange breast but it is mostly missing in the winter.
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These birds were in a group of about five or six, keeping close together, sitting in bushes on a golf course.
All very dark, black-looking backs and very red breasts and underparts. Approx. chaffinch sized.
Chum has just got back to me.... reckons they probably were Stonechats ...... very unusual for us to have these about here.
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female stonechat
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=189612&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=189612&r=0&st=0&q=)
male stonechat
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=189523&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=189523&r=0&st=0&q=)
brambling male
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191274&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191274&r=0&st=0&q=)
brambling female
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191288&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191288&r=0&st=0&q=)
linnet female
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191052&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191052&r=0&st=0&q=)
linnet male
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=174628&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=174628&r=0&st=0&q=)
twite
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=189957&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=189957&r=0&st=0&q=)
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chaffinch size rules out chats but points to bramblings. Did they fly? Any contact calls?
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chaffinch size rules out chats but points to bramblings. Did they fly? Any contact calls?
Mark, I haven't any more info. ???
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Changing the subject a bit. I have been quite envious of you people seeing waxwings and thought I was unlikely to see any as there are no berries near my house except Cotoneaster simsii which is unattractive to birds. This afternoon about quarter to four my husband and I were off to move the ponies. As w crossed the road I noticed some birds on a sycamore tree. There were 14 waxwings sitting huddled up on the tree. It was very dull and if I hadn't been able to see their crests I might not have been so sure of their identity. They were gone by the time we came back so I hope they found a sheltered spot for the night.
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Last week I went to see 300 feeding on Cotoneaster cornubia in Belfast
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Maggi
I thought that the birds had been seen in a garden -hence Brambling. As they were seen on a golf course, then they would be Stonechats. In Ayrshire they are common all the year round living on the golf courses and among the rough grass on the beaches. On my local beach at Greenan I can see two pairs on almost any day of the year.
Stonechat male
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Our postie says there are waxwings in Dunblane today.
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Our postie says there are waxwings in Dunblane today.
I can't believe you still get postal deliveries on a Saturday!!
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Yes They were here yesterday on my side of town.I saw them when I was chatting to Ian Y.
Jean
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Our postie says there are waxwings in Dunblane today.
I can't believe you still get postal deliveries on a Saturday!!
Anthony post refers to the delivery of yesterdays post though we do still all get a delivery on a Saturday.
We saw Wax Wings at our local garden centre a few weeks ago, mobbing the cotoneaster bushes - I was drawn to them by the noise, David insisted he could not hear a thing... time for him to go and have his hearing checked I think ;)
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Pardon ::)
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;D ;D ;D
Doesn't everyone get a postal delivery on a Saturday? I know we no longer get two deliveries per day Monday to Friday, and the post can now arrive in the afternoon ( :(), but they still put it through the letter box so it lands on my hall floor. 60 odd years ago the only day the PO didn't deliver was Good Friday!
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;D ;D ;D
Doesn't everyone get a postal delivery on a Saturday?
I can remember getting two mail deliveries a day in Australia when I was a little kid, not sure about Saturday and can't find out when it stopped.
Apparently Canada, Sweden, Australia and Finland do not get Saturday deliveries.
You are very lucky!!
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My brother lives in just outside Dublin and he doesn't get post on a Saturday either. I live in somerset. We do not normally get our post until after lunch. Probably between 1pm and 3pm but we do still get post on Saturdays.
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These birds were in a group of about five or six, keeping close together, sitting in bushes on a golf course.
All very dark, black-looking backs and very red breasts and underparts. Approx. chaffinch sized.
I was browsing the birdguides website Mark linked to & came across the 'lesser redpoll' as a possible candidate matching Maggi's description.
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?search=1&mode=search&sp=161066&rty=0&off=190856&v=1
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Thanks Rob. I forgot about redpolls.
Tc do you see your stonechats in pairs or groups? I'd bet money they dont flock.
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This bat was found by the kids in our barn yesterday, 10 foot up on a cross timber - its a clever thing because directly above is a sheet of insulated polystyrene.
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A brown long-eared bat
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its a clever thing because directly above is a sheet of insulated polystyrene.
'Course it's clever Rob, why did you think it would be batty?? :P ::) ;D
Sorry, couldn't help myself. :-X
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Actually said bat is being stupid and possibly will not live to see spring. It should be tucked up in a crevice with it's body temperature and heart rate very low. Some may be asking why is it called a long-eared bat? Well, when they sleep the ear is kept under the wing.
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Looking at the photo, if they sleep with their ear under their wings then our bat was wide awake - not surprising really because there were 4 giggling children, a grandma and 2 parents staring at it ....... and Alice the cat.
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Has anyone else noted how the birds have come back into the garden today? This past weekend has been the RSPB annual garden bird count and others have also commented on how the birds just seemed to disappear. The count has now finished and the birds have all come back! I am also very happy to report a small flock of long tailed tits amongst them. Since the big Christmas time freeze all I have seen is a solitary blue tit
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I've just been watching a great spotted woodpecker sharing the nuts with a blue tit. First I've seen this year in the garden.
Nice to sit at the pc and watch the birds.
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Has anyone else noted how the birds have come back into the garden today? This past weekend has been the RSPB annual garden bird count and others have also commented on how the birds just seemed to disappear. The count has now finished and the birds have all come back! I am also very happy to report a small flock of long tailed tits amongst them. Since the big Christmas time freeze all I have seen is a solitary blue tit
The birds were in the gardens of the bird counters, they feed them extra, so can count more. ;D ;D
Now they are coming back to their territory :D
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Birds are getting in the mood for making babies this spring. Last week I saw the progress of a magpie nest from a few sticks to half a nest. Today the dome is on. In my garden a pair of blue tits and great tits fighting over the same nest box. There are two to choose from.
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Today some referred to a bird by a name I havent heard in years. He said "I had felts in the orchard for the first time this winter". He was talking about fieldfares. Do you have local names for birds?
In Northern Ireland there are
throstle - song thrush
gold spring - goldfinch
green linnet - greenfinch
whin grey - linnet
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Birds are getting in the mood for making babies this spring. Last week I saw the progress of a magpie nest from a few sticks to half a nest. Today the dome is on. In my garden a pair of blue tits and great tits fighting over the same nest box. There are two to choose from.
No baby-making here, they are all sitting on chimney pots.
johnw
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The Robin in my garden brought a companion with Him/her today.I have been feeding it meal worms during the cold weather. so I think it was try to impress a mate.
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Michael, your robins could breed as early as March so they are pairing up now but have to get used to each other first without getting in to a fight. I was at Bob's on Saturday and he has a pair also.
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The little robin in my garden is still alone. He comes for food every day.
Lots of other birds in the garden today and by the noise they make you can tell spring is approaching :). Tree sparrows and house sparrows have been fighting i my hedges all afternoon. Reminds me that it’s time to hang up the nesting-boxes again.
We usualy have starlings nesting and I love their sweet song and all the other funny noises they make. To early for starlings yet, the photo is an old one.
This thread about birds is very educational for me. I have to look up every single name in my dictionary as I have absolutely no knowledge of birds name in English. Must have missed that English lesson ::).
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Today some referred to a bird by a name I havent heard in years. He said "I had felts in the orchard for the first time this winter". He was talking about fieldfares. Do you have local names for birds?
In Northern Ireland there are
throstle - song thrush
gold spring - goldfinch
green linnet - greenfinch
whin grey - linnet
I recognise two of those, Mark.... throstle and green linnet .
Here linnets are - linties ..........it's every bit as confusing as the common names for plants, isn't it!
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Gunilla why dont you tell us some of your birds? I know that yours are more descriptive than our names. I think your sparrows might be courting female/s. Is the noise loud and frantic? Many males perform for one female.
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How about spurdies Maggi?
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Too few spurdies about here lately, Anthony.... don't know what has happened to our House Sparrows... we had dozens but they've disappeared this year.... only the odd one about. Plenty Dunnock/ hedge sparrows..... but Tree Sparrows are few and far between.
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I think your sparrows might be courting female/s. Is the noise loud and frantic?
Very loud and frantic indeed. They tumbled around in the hedge and paid no attention to me standing very close.
House sparrow is Gråsparv in Swedish ( Grey Sparrow).
Waxwing is called Sidensvans (Silk tail).
Willow tit is called Talltita (Pine tit).
Brambling - Bergfink (Mountain finch)
Goldfinch - Steglits (from their sound maybe?)
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I really like the idea of the Waxwings or Sidensvans being "Silk Tails" ...sounds lovely.... next time I see them I'll have to take particular note of their tails to see how silken they are!
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Maggi, the bird's feathers dont look how you would image. They are silky all over
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191546&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=191546&r=0&st=0&q=)
birdguides.com photo competition winners
http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1533 (http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1533)
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I was given some interesting information about waxwings the other week about their choice of food. They are eating berries in this order
Sorbus, rowan
Crataegus, hawthorn and Rose hips
Cotoneaster and apples
Berberis
Do they know the calorific value of these fruits?
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Local names still in use are
House Sparrow Spuig, pronounced s-pyug, probably peculiar to Glasgow
Starling Stooky "" "" " ""
Shag Dooker used along the Clyde coast
Song Thrush Mavis
Crow Corbie
Lapwing Peewit or Peasy
Linnet Lintie
Pigeon Cushie probably a corruption of cushat
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Tom,
Where I grew up the skua was referred to as the "shite hawk" - because of its habit of hassling seagulls until they regurgitated their food. Now, that's a perfectly descriptive name.
The lapwing is called 'Pilibín" - say, pillibeen
The shag or cormorant was always a 'ducky diver'
Paddy
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Lapwings are also known as green plovers. I have heard starlings refered to as sh1t hawks. It must from the mess at bird of prey nests
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In Germany I have heard the kingfisher refered to as the eis vogel (Ice bird).
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In Germany I have heard the kingfisher refered to as the eis vogel (Ice bird).
Yes, we call this bird 'Eisvogel'. I just googled for the origin of this strange name (for me too)
There are 2 presumptions:
1. perhaps from (Old High German) ' eisan ' which means glisten, shine
2. perhaps from ' Eisenvogel ' which is Iron bird
The Eisvogel is ' The bird of the year 2009 ' here in Germany !
Gerd
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We just had two buzzards sitting in the ash tree at the bottom of the garden, didn't realise they were there until they both flew off to land in the field which the farmer is currently ploughing... amazing sight!
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That's interesting, Gerd. Thank you.
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One buzzard back in ash tree, he tried to get to the worms being turned up by the plough and the seagulls mobbed him :(
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A few more names I have remembered
Yellowhammer Yite or yellow yite
Curlew Whaup
Skylark Laverock
Great Skua Bonxie. Although a Shetland name, it is used in preference in Bird Watching circles.
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Shite hawks are gulls Mark.
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I go with Anthony one this one, just didn't want to say the five letter word (hawks) first :D
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Hey, what vivid colours. Wonder if batman agrees? ;)
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A tale for Michael. During the big freeze after Christmas one of my cats took up playing on the ice on the pond. Well the other night we had quite a frost and the pond froze over again. Yippee thought Rafiki, dancing on ice again :D She learnt to swim much more quickly than either of my children :o :o :o
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Anthony,that's the colour they are on the Christmas cards. :)
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Anthony are you joking?
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Me, a joker? Never. ::) I was just wondering if they were as bright in Antrim, Batman. The are quite dull around here, but then I'd have to see them when the sun is out. Perhaps this year, as we are not going away, so I'm unlikely to miss that day? ;D
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The one that was in and on my hand this morning was the same. There is one at worked I have trained to come to my hand for cheese. Today It had sneaked in when no-one was looking and was fluttering against the window.
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Jo, did Rafiki get out on her own or had you to stage a rescue? Her pride will be dented either way. Our pond always has a cover of duckweed in summer and dimwitted visiting dogs sometimes try to cross it....sometimes when I am shooing unwelcome feline visitors they too have not noticed that there is water beneath ::) Mea culpa for taking delight in it, but they are nver harmed.
I have a young cocker spaniel who I have as a "day boarder" at times.... I am rather worried about her and the iced pond......the smell of a pond-dunked spaniel is truly 'orrible!
Michael's Robin has obviously been into town and picked up a new suit in the Sales...he's really set up to charm the girls in that outfit! He must think that spring is not too far away. I hope he's right!
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The robins in our garden are just as bright as the one in Michael's pix. and have already started to become very territorial - they always look so much drabber in summer
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Luckily no rescue needed, and I did laugh a lot. She was very embarrassed.
We have leeches, newts and in summer grass snakes in the pond. Fortunately she didn't fall prey to any of them. This was the demise of one of our toads, a very sticky end.
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wrong way round stupid snake. I see it choose a healthy female toad
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I have removed the offending pictures of the Robin to avoid any further embarrassment
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They were fantastic photos with such vivid colours. ???
Is that a squashed strawberry I see in the grass snake/toad pic?
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I have removed the offending pictures of the Robin to avoid any further embarrassment
I don't know why you did that, Michael, they were super pictures of a Robin looking at his/her very best. ???
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No Anthony, snakes don't like strawberries :D
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No Anthony, snakes don't like strawberries :D
OK Jo, so that means that someone has splatted the toad.
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It's an airbag, Anthony ... ;)
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wrong way round stupid snake. I see it choose a healthy female toad
I see what you mean Mark, you reckon the 'strawberry' is an egg mass. I had just assumed it was blood and air.
The snake couldn't move while it swallowed the toad so it was easy to photograph. Except it was too sad to watch the expression on the toads face as it disappeared. I went back about half an hour later and the snake was just wriggling off into the flower bed with a big lump half way down its length.
We get a lot of little ones in the greenhouse and potting shed and I've even had a big one terrorizing the cat in the conservatory. They make a scratchy sound as they move over the slabs, weird.
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The toads usual defense mechanism is to inflate itself so it is too big to swallow. This seems to have backfired and the poor beast burst. I take it the pics were taken last year?
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Interesting Anthony, I didn't know that. The pic is an old one, in fact its before I had a digital camera. I tried to make my daughter (about 16 at the time ) take pictures for me . She wouldn't go near....ugh its grossssss mum. So thats when I learn't how to use a digital camera :D
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I have removed the offending pictures of the Robin to avoid any further embarrassment
Michael please put the robin pix back - I loved looking at them and I don't believe they embarrassed anyone! Some of our forumnists have an odd sense of humour... your robin looked exactly like the little guys strutting their stuff in our garden ;D
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Wow! Thanks for the extra info. Wish there was something I could do for bats in my garden... I know we do get some around here, at least a couple of native species in this area, but no idea how I could provide them with homes or anything like that. They're such cool little mammals!! 8)
Yes, I see you struggle with bats in Oz at the moment :P
Yes, Ponting, Hussey and the like are really in deep.....trouble. ;D
Sorry but I couldn't resist. I'm sure Paul, that you'll be able to get your own back with knobs on, over the next weeks. For some reason this thread vanished off my radar on Dec 25th (too much pudd?) so I've been catching up since page 4.
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I expected Paul to respond Lesley, but he must not have seen it, or didn't realise what I was on about ;D
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Returned by popular demand.
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Excellent, Michael... he is a lovely bird!
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Thank you Michael, lovely picture of a lovely little bird.
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Thank you Michael... oh the power of the populist consumer :)
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Thanks Michael. I'm going to look at our robins with renewed interest. 8)
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And you must remember how much pleasure these bird pics give to those of us who live where the birds don't. These are gorgeous.
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One for Maggi whose love of furry critters is well known.
Alas this chap will ensure that our hoped for wildlife garden is a quiet place :(
Timmy arrived in a november storm and has taken up residence. Despite all our attempts to find his owners .... and our various cat baskets, he makes his own choice of where to sleep :)
He is very furry!! Come and see for yorself one day M :-*
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GOOD CAT !!!!! This mouse was partly responsible for eating through £20 worth of Crocus during the last couple of nights.
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It looks more like a field vole than a mouse, but well done to the cat!
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Hello Rob, yes it does look a bit like a vole from that angle in the photo. You can't see the long tail properly but definately a mouse, or maybe all those Crocus inside its belly mishaped it.
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I would have thought the head is too big for it to be a mouse
mouse
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v37_3_04/images/a08_mouse_full.jpg (http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v37_3_04/images/a08_mouse_full.jpg)
vole
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/andera/bank-vole-13043.jpg (http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/andera/bank-vole-13043.jpg)
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I would have thought the head is too big for it to be a mouse
mouse
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v37_3_04/images/a08_mouse_full.jpg (http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v37_3_04/images/a08_mouse_full.jpg)
vole
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/andera/bank-vole-13043.jpg (http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/andera/bank-vole-13043.jpg)
I'm with Mark , vole, although my cats like vole so much I usually only get inarrds presented. I'd say the ears are too small for mouse.
Good Cat, :D :D
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Don't suppose Rob's cat is too worried one way or 'tother ;D
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True, my cats are partial to mouse as well ;D
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Definitely vole. Tail shorter than body. Wonder if Ringo would eat voles?
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Definitely vole. Tail shorter than body. Wonder if Ringo would eat voles?
If cats prefer to eat voles than mice, then Ringo might think a vole a very tasty change to his diet, I would think.
Can't believe I'm actually giving thought to such matters ::) .....Lily is at the Vet getting an infected ear cleaned out and her teeth scaled....under general anaesthetic..... I'm worried about her....... snake menu variations are providing a displacement activity. :-\
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I hope Lily's over it now Maggi and will soon be fully back to form.
Our collie cross Misty loathes the kennel cough vaccine up her nose and now has to be sedated each time. Boarding kennels hereabouts continue to demand evidence of yearly KC vaccination even though immunity is now known to last much longer. Therefore we are obliged to put her through (necessary) sedation for an unnecessary procedure >:(.
Sometimes I wonder whether we should just stay at home and holiday in the garden :-\
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I hope Lily is home and all right again, Maggy.
Our two dogs are at the moment out in the garden trying to get at the birds food. I can't imagine why they are so fond of sunflower seed. They are probably envious of the birds. I can't put anything on the ground so the little robin has to climb the ladder to get to his food.
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Lily is at the Vet getting an infected ear cleaned out and her teeth scaled....under general anaesthetic..... I'm worried about her....... snake menu variations are providing a displacement activity. :-\
Poor little Lily - I bet you'll be giving her lots of fuss and cuddles when she gets home, maybe a special meal for her tea?
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Best to little Lily, and to her worried owners.
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Get a few happy mammal traps out and see if you can catch her a treat for tea.
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Thanks for the kind thoughts to Lily.... phone call to Vet reassures us she is fine..... we'll get her home for her Tea-Time..... turkey and boiled rice, Carol . The in-laws' turkey at christmas may have taken me a full half hour to pick all the leftovers off, but it is still providing Lily with tasty teas from the freezer!
Ashley, I do know that Misty is not the only dog I have heard of who needs sedation for the nasal vaccine....seems rather counter-productive in many ways :P I'm not a great fan of holidays so Lily only has to tootle down the road to our dear friends , who love her like a member of their family on the rare occasions when we're both away...... shes is, however, already booked in to No. 45 for the Dunblane Early Bulb Day, the SRGC Discussion weekend and the AGS 80th Anniversary Discussion Weekend ;D
But if something happen to my chums, I stay at home!
By the time Lily gets home, she will be so hungry ( she's a very hungry little dog at the best of times.... don't know where she gets that from? ::) ) that she would likey eat the mammal AND the trap!
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By the time Lily gets home, she will be so hungry ( she's a very hungry little dog at the best of times.... don't know where she gets that from? ::) ) that she would likey eat the mammal AND the trap!
Well of course Lily enjoys her food — like others whom I could mention :)
David told me he chased our younger cat Pip today because he saw her come out of the greenhouse with a mouse and assumed, wrongly, that she had grabbed a mouse in one of the traps... result he chased said moggie indoors and into the sitting room where, due to David's behaviour, she dropped the very much alive moosie! D caught (just as well!) and then, being the daft soft hearted dear that he couldn't kill the wee beastie and let it go! All turned out well as Pip caught the little blighter again and ate it!
Believe me the girls consume a huge number of field mice which would, otherwise, wreak havoc in the garden!
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Well of course Lily enjoys her food — like others whom I could mention
hmm, yes, well, there MAY be a clue!! :P ::)
Lily has come home with sparkly teeth and a much less sore ear ..... complaining of utter stark starvation! I think that's a good sign that she's not feeling too bad! :D
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Lily has come home with sparkly teeth and a much less sore ear ..... complaining of utter stark starvation! I think that's a good sign that she's not feeling too bad! :D
Well, Lachie was obviously concerned to hear of Lily's inconvenience
[attachthumb=1]
so he'll be much relieved to hear that she's okay.
Actually he's been a very sad cat recently due to the excessive heat - not much fun wearing a fur coat you can't take off!
cheers
fermi
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Really tough on animals, that kind of heat but Lachie looks at ease. How beautifully clean and white he is. When we had a cat he was always filthy as he liked to dig in the garden and there were always crumbs of mud through his fur. Lachie is pristine in comparison.
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Poor little Lily - I bet you'll be giving her lots of fuss and cuddles when she gets home, maybe a special meal for her tea?
[/quote]
I am jealous of Lily !! I have just come back from the dentist after root canal treatment - without anaesthetic - and payed the dentist's bill.
My lady wife and I have been arguing heatedly over the identification of my scanned orchid pictures since I got back, and my special meal was carrot soup.
At my age someone will have to explain what is meant by"fuss and cuddles".
I am coming back as a dog !!
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Tom, I think these days the size of the bill causes as much pain as the treatment.
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without anaesthetic
root canal work.....without anaesthetic...... you'd have to catch me first :o
Last time I had root canal treatment, my dentist complimented me on how calm I seemed to be - I am a nervous dental patient at the best of times -I told him that I was determined to put a brave face on things, regardless.... even if it were not going to be the most fun I'd ever had with my clothes on.....well, he says, frankly we can ALL take our clothes of for this, but it's still not going to be fun ::) :o ;D
....then we had to wait for five minutes while the dental nurse recovered her equilibrium ..... those girls are easily shocked. :-X
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;D ;D :o
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At my age someone will have to explain what is meant by"fuss and cuddles".
I am coming back as a dog !!
Just make sure it is Maggi's dog :)
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Managed to get a pic of the black pheasant today. He was quite wary but didn't go too far. He kept hiding behind trees as I was stalking him but manged to get him in the neighbours' garden. It was taken from a good bit away and after zooming in and cropping it is not a very good picture but I'm sharing it with you anyway. I'll keep trying to get closer. The purple and green sheen on his feathers is beautiful.
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Camperdown Park in Dundee had a group of superb black pheasants, but that was over 20 years ago. A friend of mine us to spend his summers working for Dundee council, and has still got the scar fromwhen he was cleaning out the Arctic foxes. "What are you frightened of son? They dinna bite." "Aye right" :( His student buddie at the time was one George Galloway. He used to keep watch for the gaffer while my pall would cut a pensioner's grass for 50p.
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Poor little Lily - I bet you'll be giving her lots of fuss and cuddles when she gets home, maybe a special meal for her tea?
I am jealous of Lily !! I have just come back from the dentist after root canal treatment - without anaesthetic - and payed the dentist's bill.
[/quote]
I am the world's greatest coward when a visit to the dentist is required. I was told that there was no need for an anaesthetic when I had root canal treatment, as the nerve was dead. My white knuckles needed to be seen to be believed as the drill started. No pain ;D, even when the dentist had to get an even longer drill to cope with my extra long root.
Still a coward when visiting, and always ask for an injection if there is a filling required - blow the expense, I cannot stand pain. :)
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We are lucky in Dunedin to have NZ's only dental school, wonderful for low income people who simply can't afford dentistry, and for wooses like me who get scared. Looked after by charming and delightful 4th and 5th year students, mostly Asian, who treat me as if I were made of delicate and precious porcelain. No pain, and approx one 10th the cost of usual dentist. Average waiting time per visit this last year? - 3 minutes!
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Thanks to a labour government NHS dentists have just about ceased to exist, at least where we live! The practice both David & I go to used to be NHS then simply changed to being private... we don't get any better treatment we just pay more. The practice tried to get us to take out insurance, this was going to cost around £30 a month and this was a good few years ago; we simply pay as we go and so far have never paid the equivalent of £30 a month for a year's treatment. Usually it is 2 checkup's a year each and occasionally a replacement filling. ;D
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I'm having two crowns on the NHS at that's costing me ~£200. :o Don't know why it costs so much when a white crown is US$50 and a gold US$100. I'm having one of each as they don't do white crowns on the NHS for molars (i.e. beyond the 5th tooth) and it would cost me 300 quid extra for a white one!!! Maybe we could get Sandy to explain.....?
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I'm having two crowns on the NHS at that's costing me ~£200. :o Don't know why it costs so much when a white crown is US$50 and a gold US$100. I'm having one of each as they don't do white crowns on the NHS for molars (i.e. beyond the 5th tooth) and it would cost me 300 quid extra for a white one!!! Maybe we could get Sandy to explain.....?
Back in the good old days when we had a NHS dentist he crowned a molar for me with an white crown... probably just a money issue Anthony. The self same dentist offered to rearrange my front teeth for me as one of my front teeth is slightly bucked - his point being that I was paying the maximum the NHS could charge at that time so I might as well have that done too. I quizzed him as to the strength of the crown as opposed to my own tooth and decided against. I sometimes wonder if I should have had done.
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Hi Roma, great shot of the Black Pheasant we have one or two ordinary ones here at the nursery but do not allow any more as they cause much destruction hope you can get another shot(picture that is) and post, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Sorry, we really seem to have our teeth into this issue. We have a Russian vendor at my Market and I believe she carries her life savings in her mouth. When she smiles, her mouth lights up in flashes of gold. All her teeth seem to be capped or crowned with the bright stuff.
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Jamaicans get gold spacers between their teeth. ;D
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Not a great photo but it shows some of the 100s of fieldfares, Turdus pilaris,
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=192632&r=0&st=0&q= (http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=192632&r=0&st=0&q=)that were in Harvey's orchard during Monday's snow. They were joined by one cock pheasant and a green woodpecker, Picus viridis.
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I would have been very pleased to have taken the fieldfare photgraph shown in the link.
Did you forget your not so great photo ???
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Mark, ALDI are offering a bird's eye view,Camera-in-a-nest-box complete system today for €49-99 with the camera and microphone already installed, colour by day black and white by night, and with 30m of cable.That's good value.
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a visitor to the fat in the garden this morning. It makes a change from the starlings
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We've never had a woodpecker in our garden :(
Just imagine Aldi selling such things?!!! Extraordinary what they and Lidl come up with... seems a very reasonable price for the chance to become your very own BBC Wildlife Unit!! 8)
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We've never had a woodpecker in our garden :(
Our woodpecker hasn't appeared for a week or more ow - hope he'll come back soon... Meanwhile the starlings have worked out how to feed of the fat balls and the nut feeders - guess they have a right to live too.
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and mentioning woodpeckers - it's been know for a year or two that GS woodpeckers are breeding in Ireland. It's now official.
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Saw some Redwings today, feeding with the Blackbirds on my massive muck heap. It is quite warm so easy to dig when frosty and full of worms. Tried to get some photos but didn't get close enough to get anything worth posting. Got a bit closer later when pushing a barrow but had no camera with me.
On the way back to the house I spotted a flock of waxwings on the sycamore trees. I dashed in for the camera. When I approached most flew away but came back as I was standing at the roadside. I wasn't sure at first why they were there but soon spotted they were drinking from the burn. They flew down a few at a time, had a drink then flew back up to the tree to preen their feathers for a while before flying off.