The Hide (chat thread)

That's rather pleasing. I had assumed it could only be from St Anne's or Phoenix Park, but looking at Google Earth there is still a fair bit of potential sett habitat closer again.

It seems in Ireland badgers have a slightly different social structure to UK dwellers, without the very large megasetts, even in similar habitats.

And a satellite sett could be dug in a large neglected garden.

fryup

saw this today..is it a mayfly? surely not

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119434842#Comment_119434842

yep, there's actually farmland very near; just cut for hay i assume.

mojesius

We moved into our house 2 years ago and have shared our garden with a pair of hooded crows. I've become quite fond of them, mainly because they keep the magpies out of the garden (for the most part) meaning the smaller birds get to eat the food we leave out. I also leave out scraps at the other end of our garden for the hooded crows.

Anyway, this morning, we found one of the hooded crows dead and looks like it had been partially eaten by something. The remaining crow looks a bit 'sad' and lonely wandering around the garden. Will he (I think it's the male) find another mate or is he a widower for life now?

Birds that are said to mate for life, like the Hooded Crow, can and will find a new partner if one of a pair dies. Now this crow might be getting on, they do live a decade or more all going well, but he might or might not have the vitality etc to attract a new partner.

Hooded Crows are just magnificent birds, wily, wary enough, fiercely intelligent and independent. You find them in the most desolate, godforsaken places, and in pleasant gardens. it's great to make a connection with these birds, and I hope this one sticks around; if you're feeding them they likely will, perhaps that will help attract a replacement.

mojesius

Thanks for that blaris - really interesting birds! Good-ish news is that it was a false alarm - It seems it wasn't my hooded rook that died but another one, the other part of the couple was just MIA for a few days but both were back plodding around the garden again today :)

Graces7

Soon after six and the first gentle birdsong! They are very quiet these day and very welcome. Good morning little feathered one!

West Mayo offshore

Graces7

First birdsong today; 6.40 am... It is something I listen for every day

j2

how do you get into birdwatching in dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933615#Comment_119933615

Birdwatch Ireland is best starting point, there are local groups around Dublin too, under their umbrella. Several Facebook/Instagram pages for these.

This is a great time of year to start, and coastal areas the most productive, so loads of scope around Dublin. Dun Laoghaire, Booterstown Marsh, Rogerstown Estuary, Bull Island. Some type of binoculars essential - its always said buy the best you can afford, they will last a lifetime.

SnowyMuckish

I think a simple bird feeding station and and chart is all you need. It’s amazing what comes into a garden or small space.

magicbastarder

the frog chorus began in our garden last night.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933615#Comment_119933615

A bird book and a pair of binoculars (don't have to be expensive ones). Identify the different types of crows that are around the place. If you are still interested in a years time you can start buying the good stuff.

Head down to Bull Island or Sandymount. I saw Curlews and Oyster catchers there last Monday.

magicbastarder

finally have spawn in the pond this morning. and i seem to have accidentally left the pond on 'boil'.

i don't know why the video is so low res, much better quality on my phone.

https://youtu.be/TxoqXg6whXk

magicbastarder

i don't know where all these have been all year! i count at least 32 in this shot, and plenty more out of shot. our back garden is about 12mx25m. we've a couple of piles of hedge clippings, etc., which would probably be nice and damp, but we don't see them for most of the year, then it's like christmas day mass...

mojesius

I think this pair of little yellowhammers hit our conservatory window (together, quite strange). I saw them on the ground, left them a few minutes then put them in a box and wrapped them up a bit. The butterfly was my 5 year old daughter's addition as a gift to make them feel better.

Sadly I think they're gone and we will need a little birdy funeral here for 'Romeo and Juliet'. I loved seeing these two in the garden coming over for their grub everyday :(

magicbastarder

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0301/1359525-fishers/

looks like wind farms could kinda unintentionally result in quasi marine protected areas?

i suspect the windfarm people would not be happy with bottom trawling in or around their cables.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300661#Comment_120300661

Not a good idea to put spinning blades of death in prime seabird feeding areas though.....

magicbastarder

that's a hell of a stat:

https://twitter.com/tomjwebb/status/1631685106766082049

mojesius

To my post above, we did indeed bury Romeo and Juliet. We have a new pair of yellowhammers feeding in our garden now

Bsal

First fledglings of the year have appeared in the garden, we have 2 Blackbirds and 2 Starlings so far with the Robins due to fledge any day now.

magicbastarder

we had a little bird box hanging around the garden for about ten years, not exactly a robust thing, mainly decorative. i had to chop down the escallonia it was hanging from, last year, as it was dying, and it got absent mindedly hung in under a curly hazel, in a much more secluded and less visible spot. seems to have done the trick, there are baby wrens in it now. we've been warned that when they start to fledge, they're like goofy feathery ping pong balls, i know someone who on several occasions had to scoop them out of his house.

Bsal

BBC Springwatch starts Monday 29th 730pm on BBC2.

magicbastarder

michael viney has died, must only be a few months since he finished up his column at the irish times?

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2023/05/30/michael-viney-was-an-englishman-who-opened-up-ireland-for-irish-people-writes-fintan-otoole/

magicbastarder

I just heard about iolo Williams; he's not appearing on springwatch this year because he had an embolism a few days ago.

Pawwed Rig

Found a tree sparrow has nested in the eves of my house. Great excitement in our family.

There seems to be alot of activity with at least 4 adult birds. I am assuming another nest aswell.

magicbastarder

i see padraic fogarty has left the IWT after they took the decision to edit out his reference to farmers' organisations 'lurching to the far right' from his blog. this will be difficult for the IWT - he's very much the public face for them.

https://twitter.com/whittledaway/status/1683040346740072448

mojesius

Haven't seen yellowhammers a lot recently coming to feed in my garden but got a lovely surprise today to see a new pair. I missed them around. They are lovely.

magicbastarder

...

odyssey06

I blame Game of Thrones, time was when every kid wanted a dire wolf as a pet… once they started eating the neighbours they were released into the wild and now there is a feral population.