wildlife

[johnw]

Here's another cool dude. Somehow he wound up in a fire pit.  Released and seems fine.

johnw

[johnw]

And another friend just sent this pic of a woodcock at her front door garden.  Wonderful creatures.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

We have one in the garden every now and again - goodness knows why - we're very nearly in the city! Beautiful birds.

[Anthony Darby]

Used to get one roding, going along the back of our estate in Dunblane. Fascinating sound.

[ashley]

There's an article here about the risk of accidental introduction of New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari through the horticultural trade.

It's interesting that another alien, the Australian flatworm Australoplana sanguinea, doesn't seem to have caused the devastation predicted.  At least in my garden they are (much) less common than before, while earthworms are about as common as ever.  There seem to be some environmental checks operating although I don't know what.

[Roma]

Lots of tadpoles in the ponies' water hole but it is going to dry up soon if we do not get more rain.

[angie]

Lots of tadpoles in the ponies' water hole but it is going to dry up soon if we do not get more rain.

Roma you will have to be out with a bucket and save them 

Angie 

[annew]

I never realised that Robins had such an extensive vocabulary.

I enjoyed that - he listens so intently to the reply and never interrupts, what a polite little chap. I reckon he's saying something like - "Ye Gods, I wish that Chiff-Chaff would shut up!"

[Anthony Darby]

I miss seeing robins. I'm gazing out of our window looking at a flock of house sparrows devouring scraps on our front lawn. Brought to New Zealand in the 1860s as a pest control. Other species like the greenfinch, chaffinch, blackbird, song thrush and goldfinch were brought as settlers "missed" the birds from back home. So why no robins?

[johnw]

Some promising new research on the bat fungus which is kiiing bats across North America.  Press Listen at CBC's Quirks & Quarks below.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/quirks-quarks-for-april-18-2015-1.3037881/fighting-bat-fungus-with-bacteria-1.3037920

johnw

[mark smyth]

14 common swifts were seen in one flock in N Ireland yesterday at the south end of Lough Neagh

If you listen to dunnocks singing they also wait for the other territorial male to stop and hen reply

[David Nicholson]

We saw swifts (I'm reliably informed by she who knows all!) in Padstow at Easter.

[annew]

Some promising new research on the bat fungus which is kiiing bats across North America.  Press Listen at CBC's Quirks & Quarks below.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/quirks-quarks-for-april-18-2015-1.3037881/fighting-bat-fungus-with-bacteria-1.3037920

johnw

That's good news, John.

[johnw]

Anne  - One can only hope there are enough bats left to treat.  Many of the caves here are empty as is the nearby belfry which, for as long as I can remember,
was home to dozens.

johnw   

[Anthony Darby]

Smuggled jewelled geckos (Naultinus gemmeus) have been repatriated to New Zealand after being confiscated from a gecko smuggler in Germany in December 2013. Not sure why it took so long to return them. Alas, they will have to remain in captivity. http://www.investigatemagazine.co.nz/Investigate/14319/gecko-arrested-in-germany-deported-to-nz/?doing_wp_cron=1429364023.8418960571289062500000