Wildlife November 2011

[mark smyth]

something for fans of swifts

Some of you may have the Devil Birds book by Derek Bromhall which is about the Oxford Museum swift colony. There was also a film with the same name about the swifts at the museum. Some of you may have it already from me.
 
It has now been re-issued as a DVD with all profits going to Swift conservation & rehabilitation work. You can get your copy of this fascinating and highly-educational film from Gillian Westray for £10.
 
If you would like a copy contact Gillian g.westrayATbtinternet.com  with a note of how many you would like and she will get in touch with you regarding payment and delivery.

[mark smyth]

A North America Blue-winged teal has been discovered in County Fermanagh. Was it shot by a wildflowler who thankfully realised he had something different but not before removing the breasts or did a Peregrine catch it and someone found the remains.
http://nibirds.blogspot.com/
http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=search&sp=27099&rty=0&r=1&off=296869&v=0

When I used to shoot people would bring me birds to identify - if you dont know what it is dont shoot it was my usual answer

[Paul T]

Mark,

I read your last line as "When I used to shoot people" and did a double take, having to reread it with the correct mental pause!  Here I thought for a moment that our mild mannered Mark was admitting to being a serial killer.     Or a policeman I guess.    Depends which country.

[mark smyth]

It does read wrong. I suppose a comma is needed

[Paul T]

Mark,

Nah, much more fun the way it is.  

I can't believe they were shooting things then identifying them later.  Bad luck if it was the last male in existence of a certain species (as an example).  In that case, I think shooting people should be allowed. 

[Anthony Darby]

In the early 70s the Irish wildfowl artist Bob Milliken stayed with us in my parents' guest house in Callander. He had come to sell his paintings at the game fair (he was one of the few artists who sold virtually all his paintings), which that year was at Blairdrummond. He described taking a group of Italians shooting. They couldn't grasp the idea of only shooting ducks, and only those in flight. After shooting one swan, and a bevy of coots he confiscated their guns!

[Anthony Darby]

I'm doing some exam supervision at the local school (Botany Downs Secondary College - Vivienne teaches there and James is currently in year 10). Yesterday it was Classical Studies, today Japanese in the morning and a mixed room of Level 1 physics and Level 3 calculus in the afternoon. I spotted a Welcome Swallow's nest outside one of the Whanau blocks (= family; the school has 6 whanau), so I took my camera in and photographed it. The nest is on a metal beam above the right hand double doors of Discovery Whanau (note the chess/draughts board). The school has eight separate double story blocks linked by "The Street" at ground level and walk ways at first floor level. Both levels are very busy at period changes and at 'morning tea' and lunch times. Curiously the rooms and blocks are labelled by colour, so Discovery is blue, with the rooms numbered B1.1 - B1.8 on the ground floor.

[Olga Bondareva]

Winter shoots through the window.
Carduelis chloris


Rare Lophophanes cristatus

[mark smyth]

Good to see you have Green finches. Very rare in the UK now due to the wasting disease spread from bird feeders.

So jealous you have Crested tits. They are a Scittish Scottish bird in the UK and ?only found in the Highlands

[mark smyth]

One or two "rare" Starlings in a scramble for spilt seeds

[Lina Hesseling]

Tonight on BBC 1 "Frozen Planet". At 21.00. You will love this!
Yesterday on dutch t.v. and everyone is talking about it.
Enjoy!

[RichardW]

Good to see you have Green finches. Very rare in the UK now due to the wasting disease spread from bird feeders.

I have quite a good flock of Greenfinches demolishing my black sunflower seeds, at least a dozen every day, costing me a fortune 

I'll try and get some pics, it's quite a sight watching them all trying to fit on the large feeder.

I've also just got House Sparrows, which is a bird I rarely see, in the 20 years I've been here only seen 1 at work.

another new regular is a Marsh Tit, often see them foraging on the floor at work and it only ever does the same, picking small bits off the floor and never actually on the feeders.

Hadn't seen Crested Tit till a few years ago, spent nearly 5 hours walking around Glen Affric then saw a what I presume was a family group yards from the car  ,lovely birds.

[mark smyth]

Richard why not feed the greenies sunflower hearts so stop the mess of husks?

Today I had 20+ goldfinches, 10+ Chaffinches, 10+ Collared doves and one greenfich. Around 1pm their was -1 Goldfinch  caught by a male sparrowhawk and not long after -1 dove caught by a female sparrowhawk. Both ate their kills in a neighbours garden. If only I could train the s'hawks to catch c a t s 

[Olga Bondareva]

Good to see you have Green finches. Very rare in the UK now due to the wasting disease spread from bird feeders.

I can't say they are common here. I've never seen them at my garden only at friends near reserve.

So jealous you have Crested tits. They are a Scittish Scottish bird in the UK and ?only found in the Highlands

I am jealous to.  Many times I tried to shoot them but always was unsuccessful. They are very timid. I have to try again. Closer. 

[Olga Bondareva]

Today I had 20+ goldfinches, 10+ Chaffinches, 10+ Collared doves and one greenfich. Around 1pm their was -1 Goldfinch  caught by a male sparrowhawk and not long after -1 dove caught by a female sparrowhawk. Both ate their kills in a neighbours garden. If only I could train the s'hawks to catch c a t s 

Wow! You don't need to visit theater to see drama. 
It's unpleasant to see now one animal kill an eat another one. But I understand they are not cruel and only follow their nature.