Author Topic: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald (Read 230409 times)

cohan · « **Reply #930 on:** December 14, 2020, 07:09:24 PM »

Lots of interest in your new area!

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #931 on:** December 14, 2020, 08:39:58 PM »

Hello John, as far as I know any attempts to eradicate grey squirrel have failed to make any impression on the numbers. There used to be a bounty offered, in the 1950,s or thereabouts but the cost of ammunition became more than the bounty and time used? Perhaps someone has other ideas why little impression on numbers has occurred. Other introduced species, such as foreign plants, have become too aggressive to control and should not have been brought in to the country.

ashley · « **Reply #932 on:** December 14, 2020, 09:55:25 PM »

Maybe bring back pine martens to rebalance from grey to red

johnw · « **Reply #933 on:** December 14, 2020, 11:12:27 PM »

Quote from: ashley on December 14, 2020, 09:55:25 PM

Maybe bring back pine martens to rebalance from grey to red

When the pine marten disappeared here the porcupine population sky-rocketed. Only a marten could dispatch a porcupine. They've tried to re-introduce the marten but numbers are not growing as was expected. They blame human habitation as incompatible with martens.

john

Maggi Young · « **Reply #934 on:** December 15, 2020, 01:41:34 PM »

Pine martens are reasonably common in NW Scotland - witness Angie finding a pair in the greenhouse where her koi pond is - eying up her fish!
There has been an official project of trapping grey squirrels to then dispose of them in order to improve the chances of the red squirrels in many Scottish areas. Not sure if it is still ongoing. I expect it is , but that the organisers are keeping a low profile because of the reaction from the public.
Once in a blue moon we have a grey visit our Aberdeen garden - and there was one visit from a red that got us very excited, but we haven't seen it again.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #935 on:** January 02, 2021, 05:20:03 PM »

Best wishes for 2021 everyone. I walked around a small valley which contains many mosses and lichens. The trees look as though they have a heavy frost on them but it is a coating of lichens, mainly Usnea species? Fungi are few in this habitat.

my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

Hylocomium sp?

Plagiothecium sp?

Perhaps a Bryologist can put a name to the mosses.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #936 on:** January 02, 2021, 05:30:37 PM »

Many of the Birch trees would make good habitats for small birds to nest in.

There is a small waterfall at the top of the valley, it is only accessible when the water in the stream is low.

The weather is mixed, with drier days and some days when sudden rain and sleet showers make a walk a gamble. The exposure I mentioned in a previous post (December 13th.) which looked like limestone is Sandstone with a thin white coating. I managed to reach it when the water in the stream was lower.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #937 on:** January 07, 2021, 10:39:25 PM »

I walked along the small valley again, the snow and frost crunching as I went along. The white outcrop which I thought was lime but tuned out to be sandstone with a white deposit, stood out in the sun.

Tufted Hair Grass looks good with a coat of frost.

The mist reflected the sunlight shining through conifers.

A crisp day along the Burn (stream).

A light green lichen on a log caught my attention.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #938 on:** January 07, 2021, 10:47:09 PM »

The valley would be a good site for Bryologists and Lichenologists.

I have now learned that the pink growth is the fruiting (Apothecia) of the lichen.

Above the valley, in pine trees were a small group of birds among the pine needles. There were coal tits, goldcrest and at least one Crested Tit.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #939 on:** January 07, 2021, 11:01:05 PM »

The valley narrows at one point and is in the shade of tall conifers. This site is said to be the haunt of Fairies. It is very atmospheric.

Among the bird feeders put out by someone are a good number of birds. Chaffinch are always here.

I noticed a small bird picking up food under the feeders, this was a Goldcrest.

I went for a closer look at lichen on a large Alder tree whose branches were overhanging the stream. I noticed a white structure under one of the branches and though it might be a Slime Mould. I sent a photo. to a colleague and she came back with Hair Ice. This is something new to me. Apparently it is formed when a Fungus inside the branch, Exidiopsis effusa, expels moisture. This forms ice slowly giving the object a filamentous effect.

Birds seen were, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, long tailed tit, crested tit, chaffinch, greenfinch, dunnock, blackbird, fieldfare, jay, wood pigeon, buzzard, great spotted woodpecker, goldcrest, raven, robin and tree creeper. Also red squirrels. One of the locals told me he has American Blackbirds visiting his feeders.

Gail · « **Reply #940 on:** January 08, 2021, 08:10:51 AM »

Fascinating Ian, thank you for posting. I love the fairy haunt, and the hair ice.

ashley · « **Reply #941 on:** January 08, 2021, 05:06:13 PM »

Wonderful photos Ian. Thank you.

Robert · « **Reply #942 on:** January 08, 2021, 09:23:39 PM »

Great posting Ian!

I enjoyed it immensely!

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #943 on:** January 20, 2021, 01:01:57 PM »

As we are now deep into Winter I am taking more notice of Lichens. Brian Coppins has kindly identified the Lichens from my attempts at close up photography, otherwise I would have no idea what they are.