Wildlife early 2009

[David Shaw]

Robins: I am quite sure that I remember reading in my Observers Book of Birds (1950) that male robins have red breasts whilst the females are brown. I now see that modern science has changed its mind and that both have red breasts. This belief has been one of the foundations of my life and I am now devastated! Does this mean that my Observers Book of Alpine Plant Names is also leading me and my plant labels astray?

[Maggi Young]

Robins: I am quite sure that I remember reading in my Observers Book of Birds (1950) that male robins have red breasts whilst the females are brown. I now see that modern science has changed its mind and that both have red breasts. This belief has been one of the foundations of my life and I am now devastated! Does this mean that my Observers Book of Alpine Plant Names is also leading me and my plant labels astray?

Dear Forfechtet een  o' Forres , yes, I am sorry to tell you that plant names, in or out of books , change their names ( or more accurately, have their names changed)  more often that you and I change our socks ( which is OFTEN!!)


Yours, Mathilda, wyce umman o' the place .


Glossary: Forfechtet een  o' Forres  - a person overburdoned with cares from the district of Forres

wyce umman o' the place  - local agony aunt

[annew]

Yesterday we had a visitation by three bee-flies. This gave my husband an excuse to sit in the sun for 20 minutes taking photos of them . At one point one of them backed into a spider's web and had to be rescued, grounding it for long enough to take its picture at rest.

[mark smyth]

last shot is brilliant.

Today I saw my second swallow of the year and a small flock of tree sparrows loitering around a pair in a nest box.

Today I also had a meeting re swifts versus architects/builders. Swifts win!! While waiting for the meeting time I went to a local M&S for coffee and coffee cake - at 9am!! Best cake in a very long time. M&S is part of a large shopping centre. Every shop M&S, Homebase, Currys, MFI (no longer open) etc have the usual huge signs on their walls. Each sign has two pairs of jackdaws nesting making their nests on the two full length brackets that hold the signs up. One sign had two pairs on one bracket. I dont how they drew up the dividing line. House sparrows also manage to nest behind the signs. Nearer the car was a line of birch trees. This is where the jackdaws and some rooks were collecting living twigs. They must be easier to weave.

[annew]

It took me ages to figure out why all the shops would have huge signs of jackdaws nesting...

[Anthony Darby]

Robins: I am quite sure that I remember reading in my Observers Book of Birds (1950) that male robins have red breasts whilst the females are brown. I now see that modern science has changed its mind and that both have red breasts. This belief has been one of the foundations of my life and I am now devastated! Does this mean that my Observers Book of Alpine Plant Names is also leading me and my plant labels astray?

Well here's what it says in my 'new edition' of The Observer's Book of Birds (1952) "The Robin, or Redbreast, is perhaps the best-known of all our birds, owing to its friendly and intelligent ways and bright plumage. The cock and hen are alike (contrary to tradition!)."

[Tony Willis]

enjoying the sunshine all day on the step.

[Gerdk]

Yesterday we had a visitation by three bee-flies. This gave my husband an excuse to sit in the sun for 20 minutes taking photos of them . At one point one of them backed into a spider's web and had to be rescued, grounding it for long enough to take its picture at rest.

Today I was shocked by even these flies! I took them for a combat patrol of narcissus flies, looking for an opportunity to destroy my daffodils.
Thanks god - only bee-flies! Have to look what the difference is.

Gerd

[Tony Willis]

Gerd I posted a picture of one in reply 63. I had never seen one before and found it sunning itself in the garden. Hopefully harmless to my plants  but in any case I left it to get on with its life.

[cohan]

Yesterday we had a visitation by three bee-flies. This gave my husband an excuse to sit in the sun for 20 minutes

interesting critters...when photographing flowers/wildflowers i never cease to marvel at the wealth of insect life--rare to find a plant/flower without some kind of visitors if not residents! and that's up here in the chilly north--what it must be like in the tropics i can only imagine!

[Paddy Tobin]

Sand Martins have arrived in the south of Ireland. I watched a group inspect the burrows from last year.

Paddy

[Ragged Robin]

Came across two roe deer in the forest on a walk...they stared, we stared - their coats looked wonderful and then with a white flash they melted through the trees....

[Gerdk]

Gerd I posted a picture of one in reply 63. I had never seen one before and found it sunning itself in the garden. Hopefully harmless to my plants  but in any case I left it to get on with its life.

Thank you Tony - now I remember! Looks quite dangerous in this magnification.

Gerd

[Roma]

Melita's hair is coming out in handfulls so I gave her a quick scrape tonight with a rubber curry comb and left the hair lying.  I was amused later to see a crow going off with a beakful of hair.  All the birds here have horsehair lined nests.  I read that hair would keep slugs away from plants so tried it with some violas one year but the crows said 'Thank you very much for collecting it' and took it off to their nests.   

[Maggi Young]

Our birds have dog hair lined nests - all very luxurious and very cosy, I'm sure. even the Gold Crests take it and weave it through their little nest balls.