The Hide (chat thread)

fiacha

I see Kingfishers regularily on the Tolka. There's a good population of them on Dublins rivers / canals. They always seem to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast. I've never managed to get a photo of one.

We have our usual competing mob of Blackbirds in the garden this year. One of the females is a prolific nest builder. There are three that I know of. The latest is in the thinest bit of Pyracantha in the garden, right outside the back door . I really hope she doesn't use it as there is no way we can avoid disturbing them, as I'm constantly in/out from the garden. It's also directly above my favorite spot to sit in the afternoon .

statto25

I've just discovered a birds nest under one of the kids little wheelbarrows. The kid had put their shoe through the bottom of it (as you do!) and then abandoned it in the lawn. I lifted it for the first cut of the year and the mother flew out. I've replaced the Barrow and the nest is intact and not disturbed. I dont mind it but I'm wary of the kids messing with it. Is there any option to move it or is it there for the duration?

appledrop

The bird song is unreal today in garden. Blackbirds having been singing since early morning, very elaborate song obviously looking for a mate and mot having much look!

Robin also singing away and two buzzards flying high in sky.

I love a beautiful sunny day like this in spring!

appledrop

statto25 wrote: »

I've just discovered a birds nest under one of the kids little wheelbarrows. The kid had put their shoe through the bottom of it (as you do!) and then abandoned it in the lawn. I lifted it for the first cut of the year and the mother flew out. I've replaced the Barrow and the nest is intact and not disturbed. I dont mind it but I'm wary of the kids messing with it. Is there any option to move it or is it there for the duration?

Your not meant to go near birds nests once season starts. The fact that you disturbed it( I know it was an accident you didn't know it was there and they can pick mad places to nest!) may mean that the bird abandons if it was just a nest? Was there any eggs in it. Now don't go checking as your not meant to go near a nest but can you remember?

Best thing to do is keep an eye out from distance to see if bird comes back to it or not. If it does you will have to leave it alone, but early in season yet so might not and go elsewhere.

What type of bird was it?

statto25

appledrop wrote: »

Your not meant to go near birds nests once season starts. The fact that you disturbed it( I know it was an accident you didn't know it was there and they can pick mad places to nest!) may mean that the bird abandons if it was just a nest? Was there any eggs in it. Now don't go checking as your not meant to go near a nest but can you remember?

Best thing to do is keep an eye out from distance to see if bird comes back to it or not. If it does you will have to leave it alone, but early in season yet so might not and go elsewhere.

What type of bird was it?

The bird is back in it and there were def eggs in it. I wont lie I dont know the type of bird, perhaps a wren. I'm fully aware of the rules regarding nests hence why I asked. It's doing no harm bar stopping me from mowing that part of the lawn.

appledrop

statto25 wrote: »

The bird is back in it and there were def eggs in it. I wont lie I dont know the type of bird, perhaps a wren. I'm fully aware of the rules regarding nests hence why I asked. It's doing no harm bar stopping me from mowing that part of the lawn.

Ah wow I'd love to have a wrens nest!

Yea you'll have to leave it if eggs there. I know it's hard if you have kids to stop them going near it but all you can do it try your best and hope it doesn't mind a bit of company in garden.

It's early for them to have laid their eggs are you sure it is a wren not a Robin? Wren usually later on in April although could be early due to nice weather.

The eggs should hatch in about two weeks and then about another two weeks to fledge so should be all done in about a month so at least gone by time summer comes if it is a wren as only 1 nest a year for them.

MeteoritesEire

On Cruit island today down by the golf course

sky was alive with skylarks singing their hearts out. Was absolutely gorgeous, couldn't resist a dip in the water.

statto25

appledrop wrote: »

Ah wow I'd love to have a wrens nest!

Yea you'll have to leave it if eggs there. I know it's hard if you have kids to stop them going near it but all you can do it try your best and hope it doesn't mind a bit of company in garden.

It's early for them to have laid their eggs are you sure it is a wren not a Robin? Wren usually later on in April although could be early due to nice weather.

The eggs should hatch in about two weeks and then about another two weeks to fledge so should be all done in about a month so at least gone by time summer comes if it is a wren as only 1 nest a year for them.

I'll keep an eye tomorrow and see can I get a better look at the mammy. I was thinking they would be there a lot longer so that's good news. Thanks for the advice!

appledrop

statto25 wrote: »

I'll keep an eye tomorrow and see can I get a better look at the mammy. I was thinking they would be there a lot longer so that's good news. Thanks for the advice!

A wren will be tiny, one of smallest birds and they have a very distinctive tail that kind of sticks up so you'd spot that straight away.

The other bird it could be apart from Robin would be Dunnock.

That's just plain brown but bigger than Robin more sparrow size so id say its one of those 3.

Esel

I saw a few wrens nests as a child, and my memory is of them being mainly made of moss. Am I remembering correctly?

vistafinder

Two sets of two Buzzards circling each other somersaulting and making plenty of noise over the garden for about an hour in the sunshine this afternoon in west Cork.

About 5 different sightings locally in the last 2 weeks.

From none a few years ago.

Beautiful sound. Stopped work and couldn't help but just admire.

magicbastarder

friends of mine were kinda chuffed to find some tawny mining bees the other day, which had been thought to have been extinct in ireland till 2012 IIRC. near the coast in north wicklow.

Graces7

MeteoritesEire wrote: »

On Cruit island today down by the golf course

sky was alive with skylarks singing their hearts out. Was absolutely gorgeous, couldn't resist a dip in the water.

The skylark out here is always singing when I first emerge early. Stops me in my tracks with the glory of it.

pottokblue

Today on my monthly outing/walk I saw the three amigos herons, moorhens, swans, ducks, seagull, cormorants, 2 robins, horse, St bernard, Old english sheepdog, canal, sea,lighthouse, mountain, clouds, sky, gorse, whiteblossom, tulips, daffodils, and many more things that I dont know the name of....

fineso.mom

I saw two Dolphins in the Shannon near Foynes. I am not ashamed to say I shrieked in delight like a child on Christmas morning.

Pawwed Rig

Saw a bluetit at our feeder this afternoon. Another first for us

pottokblue

I had lots of frogspwan back in feb but never saw them develop into tadpoles/frogs now all gone. Would magpies, pigeons, foxes, cats drink/eat them....?

I have two regular robins who come to my feeder (mixed seeds) I wanted to get some meal worm but find it quite pricey.

magicbastarder

we gave up trying to keep dandelions out of the bed at the front door (if you can't beat em...); and it's been great to see now that that bed is attracting goldfinches, which would usually only be rare visitors to the garden.

magicbastarder

pottokblue wrote: »

I had lots of frogspwan back in feb but never saw them develop into tadpoles/frogs now all gone. Would magpies, pigeons, foxes, cats drink/eat them....?

there can be 'external' predation, but are there fish in the pond?

magicbastarder

https://twitter.com/RTEClimateWatch/status/1383493172722999303

Pie Man

Can any one tell me if this is Early Dog Violet or Common Dog Violet.
Thanks.


geo plotter

New Home

Have you any pictures of the leaves? They may help.

New Home

Also, pictures of the front of the flower would help, thanks.

Pie Man

I think this is the same plant, will check tomorrow.





This one I'm almost certain is Common Dog Violet, the leaves do look different.

This is Common Dog-violet, Viola riviniana. The easiest distinction with Early Dog Violet V. reichenbachiana is the spur (the backward facing projection behind petals) being light/white coloured. In V. reichenbachiana it is purple.

Early is a lot less often see, tends to stick with more basic soil. And doesn't pop up noticeably earlier!

Pie Man

Deleted User wrote: »

the spur (the backward facing projection behind petals) being light/white coloured. In V. reichenbachiana it is purple.

This is what's confusing me with the one in the first picture, because there's a hint of purple in the spur. The pictures I've seen of Early V has the spur the same shade of purple as the flower, is this all ways the case?

Pie Man

Pie Man wrote: »

This is what confusing me with the one in the first picture, because there a hint of purple in the spur. The pictures I've seen of Early V has the spur the same shade of purple as the flower, is this all ways the case?

Yes, the same or even darker. Common DV spur also has a little notch at the tip.

magicbastarder

https://www.irishhedgehogsurvey.com/

magicbastarder

https://twitter.com/BirdWatchIE/status/1384521155697123329

fryup

i've asked this in gardening,

QUESTION: do birds build nests in laurel hedging??

New Home

Yes.

Can't say I have seen any, I have cleared large areas of invasive laurel and it is just barren; unlike Rhodo for example. The general super toxicity of the plant must have some effect. But am willing to accept dense hedging will have nests.

I utterly loathe the thing though.

fryup

what did i kill?

found this teeny weeny critter in my bed sheets



a flea? bed bug? dust mite? something else?

New Home

A squished flea, I'd say. Definitely not a dust mite.

fryup

if there's one flea...does that mean more??

fiacha

Highs and lows here today. Despite a score of 1/5 for nest location, the Blackbirds outside the kitchen window have been feeding chicks in the nest for the last week. I had expected her to have abandoned the nest due to all the traffic in and out of that area. I came down this morning and first thing I see is nest material hanging out of the Pyracantha. The nest is empty and there is a clump of fox hair on the thorns. Looks like the fox climbed up the trellis and went in from there. Despite them breeding in neighboring gardens for years, it's the first signs of one in my back garden. I checked the CCTV and sure enough there is a young fox having a good explore. They also left me a turd on the patio

Alun

Our blue tit seems to have abandoned her nest building unfortunately. It was very near completion, but last sighting of her on the nestbox camera was around 10am on Saturday. There's been a large cat hanging around in the bushes below the nestbox for a few days now, and a pair of blackbirds nesting in the ivy on next door's back wall have been going crazy as only blackbirds know how. Maybe it's all the commotion that's put them off, I don't know.

Hoof Hearted2

Deleted User wrote: »

Can't say I have seen any, I have cleared large areas of invasive laurel and it is just barren; unlike Rhodo for example. The general super toxicity of the plant must have some effect. But am willing to accept dense hedging will have nests.

I utterly loathe the thing though.

Unusual visceral reaction towards another living entity, you do know it's just a plant.

fryup

what made this hole in the corner of my garden (please don't say rat)

Eddie B

fryup wrote: »

what made this hole in the corner of my garden (please don't say rat)

Need something beside it for scale. Coin, phone, lighter, etc

New Home

Probably, though. Or rabbit, but I don't think so.

Keplar240B

I saw something in the woods crossing a path, something in its mouth like a mouse.

Think it was a pine martin , never saw one before.

two foot long (long tale) skinny, short legs , black or dark brown.

Can a stoat be black or dark brown ?
Do minks live away from water , this woods is nowhere near a river or lake.

Eddie B

Keplar240B wrote: »

I saw something in the woods crossing a path, something in its mouth like a mouse.

Think it was a pine martin , never saw one before.

two foot long (long tale) skinny, short legs , black or dark brown.

Can a stoat be black or dark brown ?
Do minks live away from water , this woods is nowhere near a river or lake.

A stoat is very small. Close to rat size. Mink can be found in woods, but seldom. I'd say it more than likely was a marten. They are becoming more and more a common site in some parts these days.

fiacha

fryup wrote: »

what made this hole in the corner of my garden (please don't say rat)

Get some fine sand and make a bed of it covering the area in front of the hole. With a bit of luck you will get some decent prints as they pass through. Will be easy enough to identify from the prints.

fryup

i did put a sheet of white A4 paper in front of it, nothing that i can make out so far

New Home

You need to put down something that will retain the prints, A4 paper if the paws are dry/clean won't retain any marks.

Bsal

I noticed a sick looking female Greenfinch in the garden today and was able to pick her up, on closer inspection I saw a tick on its neck, I tried to remove the tick with a tweezers and it was very difficult to remove, really latched on, eventually I got it off but the Greenfinch sadly died shortly after.

In other news a couple of fledgling house sparrows have arrived in the garden today.

Well done on your efforts, I know they are natural but ticks are cruel things.

I had a House Sparrow fledgling practising his flying yesterday in the garden, whirring around like a bluebottle.

appledrop

Great to see the baby sparrows in the garden.

They are so cute when they do their little shake to let parents know they want to be feed!

pottokblue

This has probably already been recommend, yesterday I loved "Dancing with Birds" a 45 min doc on netflix showing birds of paradise in papua and panama and the mating dances voiced by Stephen Fry

and not to do with Nature but contemporary Art, SkyLadder was also a great watch.