The Hide (chat thread)

Capercaillie

Birdnuts wrote: »

Surprisingly late that nest - back home in Kildare there are a few dozen pairs breeding in sand pits etc. and many of these had chicks near fledging in recent weeks

1st clutch of eggs/chicks were probably predated and they re-laid.

magicbastarder

i've seen a fair bit of hedge trimming around north county dublin in the last few weeks - in all instances it's just a trim, and always along roads, so i guess any defence would be the road safety one.

https://www.donedeal.ie/birds-for-sale/birds-for-sale/22302379

This is an ad for what appear to be goldfinches for sale...are they goldfinches? Also I presume it’s illegal to catch and sell them?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Batrachotox wrote: »

https://www.donedeal.ie/birds-for-sale/birds-for-sale/22302379

This is an ad for what appear to be goldfinches for sale...are they goldfinches? Also I presume it’s illegal to catch and sell them?

Siberian Goldfinches. Cage birds, captive bred. As legal as a Zebra Finch of Budgie.

Kayla Moldy Supernova

Kayla Moldy Supernova wrote: »

Siberian Goldfinches. Cage birds, captive bred. As legal as a Zebra Finch of Budgie.

Cool, just wanted to make sure!

Half-cocked

Oh dear. Just saw a female mallard with ducklings walking along the base of the central reservation barrier of the M50.

Edit: apparently a crew are on the way to rescue them!

Keplar240B

Half-cocked wrote: »

Oh dear. Just saw a female mallard with ducklings walking along the base of the central reservation barrier of the M50.

Edit: apparently a crew are on the way to rescue them!

Some Continental countries build animal pathways over and under motorways.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Keplar240B wrote: »

Some Continental countries build animal pathways over and under motorways.

As we do too, on known routes for animals. They are called Wildlife underpass crossing culverts. Ducks however would not have regular routes.

Stigura

Me, to my neighbour, the other week: " Oh, look! There's the rat, sneaking a bite of the bird seed I put down on the track! "

My neighbour ~ all bulgy eyed and foaming at the mouth: " Shoot It!!! "

I'm like " It's a rat, man. It lives along the ditch. Rats do that. It's nature. The entire ditch is full of rats. Should I shoot them all the way to my post box and beyond? Where do I stop? They don't come near me, else they'll be dealt with. "


My neighbour, to me, last night; " Would ye shoot a fox for me? "

Me: " Why?!? What's it doing? "

He says, " It's walking round in circles. "

I'm like; "Sounds neurological! I'll get my gun. "

" Oh, no. " He interjects. " It's healthy. It's just walking round my cut silage. Annoying my cattle, in the next field. "

Me: (" Deep breathes and Walk Away ....!!!")

People!!! :mad:

Graces7

see

https://www.treehugger.com/animals/man-building-hedgehog-highways-london.html

vargoo

Stigura wrote: »

Me, to my neighbour, the other week: " Oh, look! There's the rat, sneaking a bite of the bird seed I put down on the track! "

My neighbour ~ all bulgy eyed and foaming at the mouth: " Shoot It!!! "

I'm like " It's a rat, man. It lives along the ditch. Rats do that. It's nature. The entire ditch is full of rats. Should I shoot them all the way to my post box and beyond? Where do I stop? They don't come near me, else they'll be dealt with. "


My neighbour, to me, last night; " Would ye shoot a fox for me? "

Me: " Why?!? What's it doing? "

He says, " It's walking round in circles. "

I'm like; "Sounds neurological! I'll get my gun. "

" Oh, no. " He interjects. " It's healthy. It's just walking round my cut silage. Annoying my cattle, in the next field. "

Me: (" Deep breathes and Walk Away ....!!!")

People!!! :mad:

Maybe I shouldn't tar them all with one brush but ******* farmers! They kill/poison/destroy everything unless they get lots of gold to do otherwise and then they'll do nothing but complain that it's not enough gold.

Stigura

vargoo wrote: »

Maybe I shouldn't tar them all with one brush .....

Seriously leaning toward agreement. But; My neighbour, Pat, is absolutely Murder!!! I'm sure he'd like to take a straight edge and nail scissors to the verges, if he could. Pat takes being Fastidious to a whole new level!

Every Year he gets Another bee in his bonnet. First, it'll be the rushes. And we'll all deploy to the bog. Brush Cutters in hand. Pointlessly shredding down acre upon acre of Juncus.

Next? Ivy on trees. He'll be swinging, like a monkey, across drains. Chain saw swiping.

Next year? Cut down All the trees! They've suddenly offended his eyes. He wants to see only cattle. And, his cattle ~ neurotic, skittish creatures ~ must see only him.


Noel? His Givea****ometer has long since rusted stuck. Noel's land is noted for its quality and density of juncus! Playing 'Spot The Cow' is great craic. They're out there, somewhere, on Noel's juncus serengetti. But, who cares? They're alright.

And, noel is one of the greatest, natural, Naturalists I've ever known. He hasn't got a clue what a bird is. But, he knows where it's nesting. One time, in his yard, I pointed to a Pied Wagtail. I was about to go into one about how I have them here. And have successfully failed, for Years, to find their bloody nest sites.

I said; " Ye see that pied wagtail, Noel? " And Noel just replied; " Oh. Is that what they are? They nest in there. " And pointed to a tiny chink beneath a shed roof. I could have screamed!!!

So, yeah; In balance? Whilst Some farmers Are nothing but vampires, feasting on the life blood of the land? They're really not All the same.

Stigura

:eek: Just chilling, with the creatures, outside. Saw a Flutter By I couldn't quite get the fix on. Stared at it; " Is that a Peacock, or a Tortoiseshell? "

Got a bit closer. Crapped it and ran for the camera! Got lucky too!

Red Admiral!

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw one! Years ago? Decades?!

New Home

Mod: Folks, just a reminder that bad language is not permitted in this forum. Please refrain from swearing. Thanks.

vargoo

New Home wrote: »

Mod: Folks, just a reminder that bad language is not permitted in this forum. Please refrain from swearing. Thanks.

Hands up!

I was wondering what I missed, didn't even cop this was about me.:o

Some of them around me boil my blood though, it's poison in the sausages season around here now as the bales are done.

He tries to be the soundest lad going, has no idea his poor cancer ridden wife has everyone told what he's really like.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A real swallow evening right now. Sixty plus swooping over the garden and the adjoining field. A few House Martins in the mix too.

magicbastarder

Lazy Bastard Insists Back Garden Is “Biodiversity Friendly”

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2019/07/08/lazy-bastard-insists-back-garden-is-biodiversity-friendly/

New Home

The "Waterford Whisperer"? :rolleyes: An article from "The Onion", next?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's Waterford Whispers, so what's the point???

New Home

In hindsight, it wasn't posted in the "Nature in the news" thread,

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

14 Great Tits on two feeders today. A wonderful sight. The other birds couldn't get a look in.

Bsal

Looks like the starlings in my area have found some flaxseed somewhere they have orange heads now

Half-cocked

Bsal wrote: »

Looks like the starlings in my area have found some flaxseed somewhere they have orange heads now ðŸ˜

About this time of the year Birdwatch gets inundated with calls about strange orange-headed birds showing up in peoples gardens.

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

last night i learned that what i had guessed were very small leeches in my garden pond are much more likely to be a type of flatworm called planarians. every day's a school day.

this is them; i cleared out about half a bucket's worth of vegetation from the pond last night, and these were all the critters just in the vegeation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOMz4VC9eOA

recedite

Pretty sure those are leeches; see the way they move like a slinky. They don't seem to be flat either.

recedite

Get yourself a sun hat and a beer, and sit at the edge of the pond with your feet dipped in the water for half an hour. This should provide further info for us. In the interests of science...

magicbastarder

recedite wrote: »

Pretty sure those are leeches; see the way they move like a slinky. They don't seem to be flat either.

yeah, i've just been reading that planarians can't swim; these can, though you don't really see it in my video because the water was shallow.

fryup

saw a buzzard fly overhead yesterday whilst driving to Nenagh Co Tipp....majestic sight

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

saw a buzzard fly overhead yesterday whilst driving to Nenagh Co Tipp....majestic sight

They nest within sight of the house here. Fabulous birds.


The garden is awash with newly fledged House Sparrows and Chaffinch this afternoon.

vistafinder

fryup wrote: »

saw a buzzard fly overhead yesterday whilst driving to Nenagh Co Tipp....majestic sight

Just saw 2 circling overhead where I am working. One of them was calling which drew my attention. Saw another being bombarded by swallows on Sunday and another on my way out from Cork city yesterday evening. Probably close to 10 sightings since the start of May towards the south west of the county.

in the space of about 6 years from roughly when I saw my first one.

A pleasure indeed.

Eddie B

vistafinder wrote: »

Just saw 2 circling overhead where I am working. One of them was calling which drew my attention. Saw another being bombarded by swallows on Sunday and another on my way out from Cork city yesterday evening. Probably close to 10 sightings since the start of May towards the south west of the county.

in the space of about 6 years from roughly when I saw my first one.

A pleasure indeed.

Yes, I litterally only have to look out the window on a clear day to see one these days. Ten years or so ago, I'd never even seen one. Amazing the changes a few years can bring. Unfortunately most of the changes have been negative one's.

magicbastarder

another recent return is egrets. we have seen one beside the church in glasnevin - beside the botanic gardens - a few times.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Lost a Chiffchaff to a collision with a window today. Such a shame. It was a fabulous little bird.

Keplar240B

<snip>

Mod Note: Removed as not relevant to Nature & Birdwatching.

Eddie B

Keplar240B wrote: »

<snip>

Mod Note: Removed as not relevant to Nature & Birdwatching.

Interesting, but I don't think this belongs here in this forum.

Half-cocked

Dropped down to Malahide estuary earlier. Surprised to see Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and Redshanks in numbers. There were even 5 Knot and a Snipe. More used to seeing these species in the winter. Presumably many of these birds were either non-breeders or failed breeders?

OpenYourEyes

Half-cocked wrote: »

Dropped down to Malahide estuary earlier. Surprised to see Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and Redshanks in numbers. There were even 5 Knot and a Snipe. More used to seeing these species in the winter. Presumably many of these birds were either non-breeders or failed breeders?

I do monthly high/low tide surveys in Dublin Bay - plenty of Blackwits, Curlew, Redshank and Oycs back, plus a few Lapwing and Whimbrel. Good numbers of Black-headed Gulls too with a few juveniles in tow! Definitely a few juveniles in the wader flocks too,so we're into the proper migration period now - mostly non/failed breeders but not exclusively!

fiacha

Went down to the kitchen this morning and was greeted by a scene out of "The Birds" . 20+ Jackdaws, 6 Hooded Crows, 9 Magpies and a selection of gulls all circling and calling over the back garden. The magpies were taking turns bombing the area around a feeder at the end of the garden. I can't see that feeder from the house, but I assumed there was a Sparrowhawk down there somewhere.

Then a cat comes darting in from the left, and the Sparrowhawk explodes out from the right quickly followed by every corvid in the area. I chased the cat off and found a very shaken juvenile Starling inside the squirrel cage of the nut feeder. It hopped out and buried itself in the sweetpeas. That must have been some experience for it !

The Hooded Crows and Magpies are currently posted up on all the surrounding high points keeping a noisy watch.

Great early morning drama in the suburbs

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Five buzzards wheeling over the garden most of today. Lively to see and hear that breeding went well this year. And the Mistle Thrushes have laid claim to the Rowan berries already.

catrat12

Seen close to 50 curlew today do I report this

Stigura

catrat12 wrote: »

Seen close to 50 curlew today do I report this

Get " BirdTrack " and put it on there

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

60 to 70 starlings gorging on the rowan berries in the garden today. Some scattering match when I flushed them. Young birds are gathering in their hundreds over the fields here every evening.

Stigura

Birdnuts

Nice views of a Red Kite today near my parents place just outside Naas. Apparently there is now a pair or 2 breeding along the Kildare/Wicklow border since 2017 so hopefully they will spread quickly along the Liffey Valley and across the rest of Kildare.

magicbastarder

https://twitter.com/dgoff17/status/1161799482826264576

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://twitter.com/dgoff17/status/1161799482826264576

Wow! Is right.

That should keep him going for a day or two.

pawrick

Possible red kite sighting?

I was out for a walk near Lough Ree a couple of weeks ago and spotted a fairly large bird of prey on a fence post as I drove home (it wasnt a buzzard as i see them almost every day). Location is semi wooded broad leaf with some fields and near the lake. It kept flying ahead of my car in to the nearby large trees perching on branches and moving forward as I'd drive closer along the road, unfortunately i couldn't get close enough to get a picture with my phone. The only bird which i can see that looks like it is a red kite as the colour and size seems to match.

In other news, seems to be a fairly large oil spill just south of Athlone which has spread to the Shannon. It's all over the local FB pages re swans and other birds having to be rescued and incl. some pretty bad pictures of how badly covered they are. They are trying to trace the source up one of the tributaries where it originated.

OpenYourEyes

Buzzard is by far the most common large raptor around Lough Ree. There's often a White-tailed Eagle knocking around too, and occasional sightings this summer of a Marsh Harrier. I'd say those three are much more likely than Red Kite to be honest, though Red Kite obviously not impossible!

This oil spill is really showing how ill-educated and ill-equipped the authorities are for this type of incident!

pawrick

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Buzzard is by far the most common large raptor around Lough Ree. There's often a White-tailed Eagle knocking around too, and occasional sightings this summer of a Marsh Harrier. I'd say those three are much more likely than Red Kite to be honest, though Red Kite obviously not impossible!

This oil spill is really showing how ill-educated and ill-equipped the authorities are for this type of incident!

Yes the buzzards are very common around Lough Ree, they spent a lot of time over my house and landing in fields around it, I assume are breeding nearby the lake each year.

This bird just didn't look like one of the buzzards I see regularly to me but i take your point that it's the most likely bird of prey to be seen in the area. Just wish I had been able to get a picture to verify.

Going by the local FB pages it seems they have made a right mess of the oil spill by being incredibly slow to react other than volunteers who helped out best they could.

recedite

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://twitter.com/dgoff17/status/1161799482826264576

That's the first time I've ever seen an eagle swimming!
I had to google that fish - its a kind of pike. Which would be a fearsome enough predator itself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskellunge