Wildlife April 2011

[mark smyth]

I'll kick off April with some good news -

Mongolia revokes the decision to allow leopard hunting for science
scroll down a bit http://www.birdsmongolia.blogspot.com/

[mark smyth]

no comment except I think I'm getting obsessed

[annew]

What do you mean getting? 

[mark smyth]

  you think I'm obsessive 

[David Nicholson]

Yes, and swiftly getting worse

[scatigaz]

 Nothing wrong with being obsessive lol. Mark, i will be making my 3 Swift nest boxes next week. Got my budgie concaves today. They will be up by mid month.

[mark smyth]

Thats excellent news, Gary. Are you following my design? Your local wood yard will cut good straight lines. That's where I get mine cut out. Using half inch 12mm ply they should cost under £5 each. Have I sent you the CD lure?

That's 4 of us on the forum with swifts boxes - Anne, Jo, you and me.

Any other people willing to help swifts? Please dont think someone else can do it. If only every forum member in mainland Europe, UK and Ireland put up a couple of boxes ...

[annew]

What, for corncrakes as well?

[scatigaz]

Went to B and Q today Mark but their 12mm ply was expensive so will go to a woodyard on wed. Yes you sent me the tape lure a few weeks ago. Many thanks for that.

[mark smyth]

If only Anne. I miss them but not in nest boxes. Poor wording above and now you know why I got on C in my O Level English

[mark smyth]

Also on the point of being lost in Ireland was the grey partridge Perdix perdix
Down to 7 pairs until something was done
http://www.rte.ie/tv/livingthewildlife/grey_partridge.html

I cant find it on RTE player

Irish Grey Partridge Trust http://www.greypartridge.ie/

[Lesley Cox]

I see you're putting in the electrics Mark for refrigerators, washing maches and TVs. What next? Electric blankets so they'll stay over winter?

[RichardW]

saw the first Holly Blue butterfly of the year today & lots of Brimstones.

[Stephenb]

That's 4 of us on the forum with swifts boxes - Anne, Jo, you and me.

....and one Norwegian one too...

[Stephenb]

While you're waiting for swifts, we're quite happy to have our first Robins and Chaffinches, predominantly migratory here...

For about 10 years, my garden has had the biggest flock of Goldfinches this far north in Norway feeding on burdock (Arctium) - a rare winter resident - we think they come here for the winter from the east (Russia/Finland).



In recent years they've also been on my feeder in late winter and I've had them here for about 10 days now, up to 16 at a time, but only staying for an hour or so. This has also attracted birders and nature photographers and I've had 3 this week - the picture below is from yesterday, now the snow is gone. None of the photographers has managed a picture yet this year....