Wildlife early 2009

[Paddy Tobin]

Perhaps they are edible. That, at least, would be a saving grace.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

Roman snail, Helix pomatia which is the best edible variety, although in France and Spain any old species seems to fit the bill!

[Ragged Robin]

Roman snail, Helix pomatia which is the best edible variety, although in France and Spain any old species seems to fit the bill!

Thanks for the ID Anthony - do you think its ancestors came over the Alps here at Martigny with Hannibal and did the Romans eat snails  

The Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-182 BCE) was one of the greatest military leaders in history. His most famous campaign took place during the Second Punic War (218-202), when he caught the Romans off guard by crossing the Alps.

[Anthony Darby]

The Romans certainly introduced snails to the UK. I think even the common garden snail Helix aspersa is said to have been brought across. The banded snail (Cepaea hortensis) is the commonest in my garden. It is a great species to demonstrate the effects of natural selection.

[Gerdk]

Narcissus Fly in front of the garden door

Some time ago I found 2 pupae in a pot with a Cyrtanthus species -
I caged them in order to find out the time of hatching.
This took place yesterday - so they are on the road!
Pic no. 3 shows an empty pupae

Gerd

[mark smyth]

Sound the alarm across Europe!!

[mark smyth]

None here yet but I have been spraying against them. Fingers and toes crossed!

[Paddy Tobin]

An observation on the benefits our human houses may have for birds. There are three pairs of thrushes, two pairs of mistle thrushes and one pair of song thrushes, nesting in the garden. One pair of mistle thrushes and the pair of song thrushes have nested on wall plants on the house. The other pair of mistle thrushes has nested in ivy on an ash tree in the garden. This latter nest is under regular attack from grey crows while those on the house are never bothered. There seems to be a benefit in nesting on or near the house.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

What's the difference between a thrush and a song thrush?

You must have a garden a few acres in size to accommodate so many pairs

[Anthony Darby]

I have two pairs of wood pigeons in the hedge bordering the back of my garden. The are not much more than 10m apart.

[mark smyth]

17 eggs, two hen blue tits and one cock bird sharing one nest.
http://forum.biggonline.co.uk/download.php?id=3724

[Anthony Darby]

What's the difference between a thrush and a song thrush?

You must have a garden a few acres in size to accommodate so many pairs

Generally, when you talk about thrushes you mean song thrushes.

[illingworth]

Sharon found the drumming station for this grouse and I set up my camera this morning for a few photos.  It was too easy as he was intent on ignoring me. The difficult part was selecting my favourites.  -Rob

[Paul T]

Rob,

More pics please.  Not something I have come across before.

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. There are two pairs of mistle thrushes and one pair of song thrushes.

The first of the mistle thrush chicks left the nest yesterday evening, perched on a cotoneaster where my son and I were standing at the time. My son stroked it without disturbing it and stood beside it while one of the parents came and fed it.  About 15 minutes later it flew to an ash tree with a good covering of ivy.

Paddy