Wildlife - Summer, Autumn 2008

[ranunculus]

Yes ... I agree totally Tony!  A tortoise, two fungi and a dodder!   

[Gerdk]

Tony,
Super pics from Turkey - a confirmation - the last pic is a Cuscuta species or dodder, in German ' Teufelszwirn ' = devils yarn

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

Yes ... I agree totally Tony!  A tortoise, two fungi and a dodder!   

Greek Tony?

[Tony Willis]

Yes ... I agree totally Tony!  A tortoise, two fungi and a dodder!   

Greek Tony?

Anthony

thats too deep for somebody whose a dodder himself and who has been decorating all day.

[ranunculus]

thats too deep for somebody whose a dodder himself and who has been decorating all day.

...And you are a lodder modder dodder than me Tony!

From Anthony Darby:
Greek Tony?

Isn't Greek Tony a restaurant owner from Soho?

Don't know why my message has appeared in quotes as well?  Must be getting old!
you just needed a little hallowe'en magic, Cliff!! M 

[Maggi Young]

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!

[Tony Willis]

Sorry a bit slow today.

After previous discussions on tortoise species I kept well clear of giving it a name.

Having seen lots in the wild  I view them like I view snowdrops which are white with bits of green or in the case of tortoises brown shells with four legs and a head sticking out. As I am posting in wildlife I should say many of the occupants of the Thomas Cook flight I took had a lot of strange characteristics which seemed to separate many of them into a different species from the human race.

[Anthony Darby]

Maggi, you're on fire today and deserve a pat on the back.

[Tony Willis]

Anthony

on a serious note it was a beauty about a foot long and very heavy,clearly well built up for the winter.

[Maggi Young]

Maggi, you're on fire today and deserve a pat on the back.

Thanks, Anthony, having a little problem with chocolate melting in the flames, though....

Tony Willis: I should say many of the occupants of the Thomas Cook flight I took had a lot of strange characteristics which seemed to separate many of them into a different species from the human race.

That I can believe........having seen some of the apparitions spilling of holiday flights returning to Aberdeen airport!

[fermi de Sousa]

That is a good number [of house sparrows] considering their numbers are plummeting.

I'm sure we could spare you a few million if you'd like to zip over to Australia with a large net .
They and a lot of other intoduced birds are considered vermin because of their effect on the native bird species.
I know Lesley and Susan feel the same about Aussie birds like magpies which have taken up residence across the puddle.

Maggi, you're on fire today and deserve a pat on the back.

I hope you're not intending to take up the study of cows' hind legs![apologies to Ron B and Ron C]
cheers
fermi

[annew]

Perishing cold today, but ventured out to do a little planting and discovered three hedgehog nests so far. I felt like joining them !

[Lesley Cox]

Actually Fermi, I don't know that we think of the Oz magpies as vermin yet, well perhaps a few sheep farmers do as they (the maggies) are sometimes known to attack newborn lambs before they get to their feet, but generally, I find them attractive and like many of the crow family, wonderful mimics. So far as sparrows are concerned, they are very rare around here now. We honestly have more of both our native bellbirds and tuis both of whom are very agressive to smaller species. We have more red polls, chaffinches, dunnocks and gold finches than we do sparrows.

[mark smyth]

Nice but not a member of the crow family. I'll do some homework on them later

[Lesley Cox]

The Australian magpie that we have here, is Gymnorhina tibicen, and related to butcherbirds and currawongs. Not sure whether this means it belongs to the crow family or not, but its shape, head and beak and stance, and method of walking are very like members of the crow family.