Wildlife mid 2009

[Paddy Tobin]

Re birds: I have never seen as many ducks around here before. One morning during the week I was walking across a field where barley had been harvested and a flock of 40+ mallard flew up from the field. Previously, I would have seen small clutch-sized groups, say 7 birds, but never as many as this together. Obviously several local clutches together. I did come on several duck nests during the summer, again something unusual in number.

Mark, re cats - a dog or a gun, or an Australian rabbit, of course.

Paddy

[Stephenb]

The first geese flew over yesterday.  About 8 or 10 heading south.  Saw 2 small flocks today and heard a third.  Winter must be on its' way.

We have large numbers of Geese in our area in central Norway at the moment, with flocks of several thousand Pinkfeet and Greylags dominating. Our area is used as a staging post for the Pinkfeet on their way south from the breeding grounds on Svalbard and Denmark/Belgium/Netherlands.

Here are the sightings in Norway over the last week, the largest red circles show the largest flocks.

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps the geese have been staying nearer the coast, Roma, because we have been seeing them.... and hearing them, of course, for the last two, nearly three weeks.

[maggiepie]

These poppies (Papaver anomalum 'album') flower from spring until killing frost, they are fantastic and the bees go troppo in them.
I've seen up to 6 bees trying to squeeze into one flower at times. They are very noisy while diving in and rolling around, almost like they are drunk.

[Lesley Cox]

Maybe a low-dose opium in there Helen?

Here's something odd, though hardly wild. This morning my Teddy refused his (tiny) bite of toast and honey that Roger gives each dog. Usually he comes close to taking R's hand with it. A few minutes later he was outside chomping on something and to my horror I though it was Euphorbia myrsinites which is in full bloom outside the kitchen door, But then I realized there was a thin plant of cleavers growing through the Euphorbia and Teddy was pulling on that  - it's very elastic - and eating each bit as it emerged.

I believe cleavers is a medicinal herb so does Teddy know that, and if so, what's wrong with him that he feels the need to eat it? He's now lying beside me and his tummy is making very odd noises. If it were the pipes making the same noise, I'd be calling in a plumber!

[maggiepie]

Lesley, maybe Teddy is eating the cleavers(? never heard of it before) to bile himself out?
Dogs normally eat grass to do this.

http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail215.php

Says here that it has been used to treat urinary infections in cats.

[Lesley Cox]

Just did a quick Google and will go back there later. Cleavers (Galium aparine) is a medicinal herb used in many cultures apparently. (I first heard of its medicinal use in one of Ellis Peters' books, about Brother Cadfael.) Said to be edible but not especially palatable. Both Teddy and Cain eat grass almost daily but they are both very hairy dogs and no amount of brushing gets rid of the loose stuff so I suppose their own licking/washing gets them clogged up inside and in need of a clean out from time to time.

[mark smyth]

Stephen looking at a map of Norway, to see where the biggest concentration is, are they on Kraksjoen?

[Paul T]

I haven't noticed them eating Cleavers at all, but our dogs have always regularly eaten grass.  We always used to joke that our Cavalier was part bovine due to his eating grass so regularly.  He lived to 14 1/2 years old (3 years over the average age for the breed), so he can't have been harmed by it.  Our Maltese grazes regularly, although hers does seem to be more when she has a stomach irritation.  She definitely does regurgitate at times after eating the grass, but definitely not always.  I think at times the grass can help bind things together and pass them through the system.  Our Maltese is now over 14, so it can't be doing her too much harm either. 

Hopefully it works for your Teddy as a cure-all and he feels better. 

[Ragged Robin]

Our dogs have eaten couch grass regularly when feeling a bit 'sick' and have always been selective in which blades they pick.  Having lived mostly in the country this has not be a problem but on one occasion Jazzy ate the variagated form in the garden, which somewhat surprised me, but then I imagine it is the same family?

A story I heard about trying to breed wolves and re-introduce them into the wild in Canada had a major setback when they found that as they were in compounds they had no access to grass and therefore became sick.  'Greens' are definitely part of the diet in the wild and domestic scenes for canines - are cats the same?

Get well soon Teddy from Jazzy 

[Stephenb]

Stephen looking at a map of Norway, to see where the biggest concentration is, are they on Kraksjoen?

Kråksjøen is I guess what you mean (a couple of funny letters in there) - it means, I think, just Crow Lake. This is in the same area as most of the geese but is a mountain lake and the geese are feeding on agricultural land at low altitude near the fjord. No observations of geese on this lake this autumn as far as I can see.

Rather obscure lake - how do you know it?

[Lesley Cox]

Teddy is fine again today - was, in fact, after only an hour off colour. His toast and honey vanished very quickly this morning.

Yes, cats too nibble on grass sometimes, and subsequently heave up a ball of fur, usually on the sitting room carpet.

[mark smyth]

Google maps, Stephen

[Anthony Darby]

Just did a quick Google and will go back there later. Cleavers (Galium aparine) is a medicinal herb used in many cultures apparently. (I first heard of its medicinal use in one of Ellis Peters' books, about Brother Cadfael.) Said to be edible but not especially palatable. Both Teddy and Cain eat grass almost daily but they are both very hairy dogs and no amount of brushing gets rid of the loose stuff so I suppose their own licking/washing gets them clogged up inside and in need of a clean out from time to time.

Cleavers, or Goose-grass, is called 'Sticky Willy' here.