Wildlife & Gardens

Discussion in 'Taylor's Tittle-Tattle - General Banter' started by Sting, May 7, 2019.

  1. What I thought was an odd sight yesterday - a 'flock' of about 8 small raptors (sparrowhawks I guess) - I assumed they were quite solitary.
     
  2. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Yes very odd. What were they doing ? Definitely raptors not flock of quick flying parakeets for example ? Kites and Buzzards are often seen in large groups but I've never seen kestrels, sparrowhawks or merlins congregate in flocks or group displays.
     
  3. Could have been parakeets I suppose - they were diving into a neighbouring garden. Have pretty similar 'squawks'.
     
  4. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Racist.
     
  5. wfcmoog

    wfcmoog Tinpot

    I saw it[​IMG]
     
  6. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Bless it!
     
  7. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    It got a bit annoying when I was trying to do some work on my laptop. IMAG0030.jpg
     
  8. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    You're fooling no one. That's Tetris.
     
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  9. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    It was Facebook so dates the picture and had someone's personal details on so I pixelated it.
     
    Keighley likes this.
  10. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Oh isn't he SWEET!
    I wonder if he's about to apply for a job in IT with the LTA?!
     
  11. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Decision time in my fox adoption.
    Ferguson has just received a sponsor so it's between Shiloh,Fancy and Firefly who has three legs.
    Very difficult but at least the funds will help all the animals.
     
  12. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    The vote has gone to Fancy,who was kept in a tiny cage and has neurological issues,thankfully now improving. Lots of people voted for all three which I understand but not very helpful.
    I have ordered my binoculars ready for BGBW next weekend and also for the ISS which was very clear last night at 6.32pm and will be around for a month David tells me. Again tonight at 5.45pm and 7.21pm.
    Both water dishes frozen this morning and my tennis friends have sent pictures of a fair bit of snow in Oxfordshire.
    None here.
     
  13. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Flock of fieldfares this morning fighting over 6 apples with small bite holes i threw out onto the snow yesterday. Had 9cm of snow on the lawn yesterday here in Wigginton near Tring and nothing has melted yet. The road are barely passable up here >200m above sea level.
     
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  14. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Yes -3 here now.
    Had to really bash the water stations to break the ice.
    As I put the fox food out last night at 9.23pm I saw one of the hogs. I put extra nuts out,together with the meat cat food ( wet) and the special hog biscuits.
    I checked four times and he was eating for twenty minutes. He may have gone over to the "plate" where the fox food is as I've seen them eating the Butcher's that I put out with the other fox food.
     
  15. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Our garden is overrun by grey squirrels. Does anyone know how I can quietly bump them off without (a) alerting my wife - who thinks they're 'sweet' - to the massacre or (b) harming Tommy - our deaf, dumb and blind dog - who is likely to put his snout in a trap or eat any poison I put down?
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
  16. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Does he sure play a mean pinball?
     
  17. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Redwings arrived yesterday!
    About a dozen enjoying the apples and other food.
     
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  18. Moose

    Moose First Team Captain

    I think you are getting confused. Everyone knows that Sean plays the mean pinball.
     
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  19. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/world/africa/congo-gorilla-park-rangers-killed.html

    So so sad. These people deserved the highest praise. I sometimes think how nice it would be to deploy some of our own troops to train those involved in wildlife protection or even deploy them on active service. Environmental activists, keepers, rangers and scientists all around the world but particularly in developing countries face the ultimate dangers in trying to protect the planet.
     
  20. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Nest boxes have arrived!
     
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  21. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Starlingacide on WW tonight,Barn Owl the culprit.
    Lovely piece from Minsmere with Samuel West and Gary Moore. Nice AFC Wimbledon hat for Samuel!
     
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  22. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Literally just started watching the opening of WW off the planner and we were discussing who the killer would have been .I'd gone for the peregrine. Looked down and read your post....
     
  23. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Sorry!
    I'll say no more.
     
  24. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Wonderful scenes of an otter in Edinburgh and an orca being rescued in Cornwall I think from Winterwatch last night.
     
  25. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    My neighbour has just called.
    She witnessed another neighbour remove a feeder from the station in my front garden and walk off with it.
    He had previously wiped his windscreen,presumably of bird poo and thrown the tissue on the ground.
    My neighbour has gone out to the local shops and is going to search for the feeder in the surrounds and bins.
    She has now found it,twenty yards away!
    I shall knock on this gentleman's door in due course,when I have returned the feeder to its station.
    Tomorrow I will buy another.
    I appreciate some people are suffering but to take it out on the wildlife is very unfair.
     
  26. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Spread a big bag of bird seed over his car and hammer frozen sausages into his lawn.



    Do not do any of these things, theres too much cctv about these days.
     
  27. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    He's a sullen cove at the best of times.
    I think he maybe in the middle of a breakdown so I sympathise however the birds were here before he was.
     
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  28. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Two new nest boxes up and an old one returned that Storm Bernard or Gerald or something had blown down.
    The swift box is still to be done as longer screws are needed but no rush as the birds don't arrive until April I think.
    Cold out there for the BGBW.
     
  29. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member


    Delightful raptor. Less abundant than when I used to do census work for the BTO. A real shame. Have observed the other two small falcons Merlin and Hobby all over the country. Hobby are fascinating to watch over water with their looping aerobatics and dexterity as they pursue insects above the surface of lakes and ponds. As someone comments the fight for suitable nesting holes in tree boles may be down to lack of availability. Hence the continual provision of nest boxes for many species.
     
  30. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I’ve seen and photoed about 2300 birds but never seen a merlin yet ! Any idea where there are any spending the winter near Watford? I’m aware there’s > one in very east Herts but that’s a bit of a travel issue at the moment !
     
  31. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Dear TUT. I have not seen one when I used to line transect locally or even recently when one had the opportunity to visit several of the key migrant sites (when they likely migrate from moorlands to aquatic environments (the gravel pits of the area have had many sightings) and open grassland and joined by their Scandinavian fellows(. I have seen this delightful falcon in the Brecon Beacons and in the north of the Peak District at Dark Peak giving territorial displays over the mini canyons they have there chasing off all sorts of larger birds. Set up your camera with long range lenses and you can observe them among the heather shrubs where they nest.
     
  32. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member


    Corvids have a bed reputation among some. But they are also an incredibly intelligent branch of the bird order Passeriformes. They can solve puzzles, indulge in social activities, play and have well developed language. This hooded crow is having the time of his life using a frisbee as a board.
     
  33. AndrewH63

    AndrewH63 Reservist

    Watched two wood pigeons having a shower on the shed during heavy rain. They just sat there spreading their wings for ten minutes getting their flight feathers thoroughly washed through. I was thinking that this made them incredibly vulnerable to any predator.

    I put a bird bath in the garden last year. I think it seems to attract as many birds (and squirrels) as the seed feeders. As spring approaches I am keen to put up some nesting boxes. Are they better placed in the shade or sun?
     
  34. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    https://www.green-feathers.co.uk/bl...ght-tips-for-placing-your-bird-box-just-right
     
    AndrewH63 likes this.
  35. I Blame Pozzo

    I Blame Pozzo First Team

    Very clever birds.
    Someone sent me one of those animals doing unusual things,cats washing birds etc.
    One clip was of a crow taking kibbles to a cat and then a dog and feeding them!
    Could be a good choice for a forward spot today.
     
    Smudger likes this.

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