Wildlife March 2012

[Anthony Darby]

Interesting colour form. Serrated beak rather than teeth in the goose.

[fredg]

Serrated beak rather than teeth in the goose.

Shhhhhhhhhhh he may hear 

[mark smyth]

Happy St Patricks Day
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vAgSF2SVRCI#![/youtube]

[annew]

What a mover! Now we just need a line of lady gulls giving us a tern.

[Anthony Darby]

This gull is "paddling" for worms. It simulates rain, which brings worms to the surface and onto the grass. It didn't seem to be very effective. Needs to practise more?

[Anthony Darby]

Here are a couple of moths that have turned up in the last few days. The first was by the front door lights and is a self-introduced pest the tropical armyworm (Spodoptera litura). The second, which was in my fly trap so, like yellow admirals, is attracted to ripe banana. It is the northern wattle moth (Dasipodia cymatodes) and is from Australia. The Māori, who knew the wattle moth from the odd one blown in across the Tasman before wattle trees were first planted in New Zealand, believed they were returning spirits of ancestors and called it pepe kēhue, pepe atua and para kori tāua. It is also known as the owl, moon or peacock moth.

[fredg]

Pictures from today's perambulation 

1      A pussy willow type thingy whatsit. 
2 & 3 Great Crested Grebe. I have to post these, it's such a change to get one at a decent distance.
4       Nessie?
5 & 6  Doing that springtime stuff
7       Different plumage ducky
8       A different different plumage ducky 

[mark smyth]

different duck is a Mallard mongrel with a farm duck

[ashley]

unshaven earthworms under Auckland

[Anthony Darby]

Sweet. I'll look out for them. Thanks Ashley.

[ronm]

Surely the more important informational link is just to the right of this one . The missing link between Diptera and H sapiens 'Essexis' DISCOVERED !

[ashley]

Maybe listen for them Anthony

I've heard that the giant earthworms in Gippsland, Megascolides australis, make an audible noise under the soil but have no idea whether it's true.

The missing link between Diptera and H sapiens 'Essexis' DISCOVERED !

[Paul T]

Oh dear, my humour is bad today.  I have visions of Anthony sitting in his garden listening for giant flatulent earthworms (I'm assuming that would make them audible!  ) that are hairy and glow in the dark.

[angie]

Not a very good picture but these three deer are having their afternoon nap. They are in the field in front of my house every day. They never move, even with all the drilling and hammering happening at my house just now. Just shows these animals are so used to human activity.

Angie 
 

[fredg]

Here's a bit of an enigma.

For the past few weeks we have been finding black droppings behind various tubs and the wheelie bins.
They're too small to be cat and too large ( I hope) to be rat.
Always deposited on concrete and against a wall ( even one 2 bricks high).
Any ideas?

Photographic evidence can be supplied if necessary