Wildlife Corner

[Tizer]

I'm familiar with the Kookaburra song because Mrs Tiz knows it. I asked her how she knows it and she thinks it was a camp fire song when she was in the Girl Guides.

Diverting off topic but... I wonder whether it would be a benefit if all children had to join the scouts or guides? They would learn a lot of practical skills and get more familiar with the outdoors and wildlife.

[Cathy]

Of course Kookaburras don’t actually laugh, it’s just their territorial call that they make, but it really does sound like their laughing and having a great time.

[Whyperion]

Diverting off topic but... I wonder whether it would be a benefit if all children had to join the scouts or guides? They would learn a lot of practical skills and get more familiar with the outdoors and wildlife.

There is the Woodcraft Folk if you dont want to swear alliengence to king and country.
I left the Boys Bridgade after three weeks when they were more concerned about me no having polished shoes (i could not afford a uniform anyway).

[Tripps]

I wonder whether it would be a benefit if all children had to join the scouts or guides?

Amusing myself by imagining the Tottenham or Brixton pack. Hard at work getting their DJ or Rappers badges.

[Stanley]

During the Unamerican Activities era the HQ of the Boy Scout Association of America in NY was raided on the grounds it was suspected of being a fascist organisation.... For once they were close to the truth. The man who ran the Left Wing Book Shop opposite the HQ told me this and thought it was hilarious!

[Wendyf]

Heard my first curlew this morning, must have been blown in on the wind from Morecambe Bay! Looking back a few pages it was the 18th February last year.

[Tizer]

Our five balls of A1 frog spawn are in their new home. They haven't changed into tadpoles overnight.

[Stanley]

A lovely mournful moorland sound Wendy. We used to call them Tewitts. Used to be lots on Weets and Whitemoor in the 1950s. Can't remember when I last heard one. Rachel Carson springs to mind, 'Silent Spring'. Human beings are not good neighbours on the whole.

[Wendyf]

Peewit and Tewit are alternative names for the lapwing Stanley.

[Tizer]

Did Weets get its name from the tewits perhaps?

[StoneRoad]

Of course Kookaburras don’t actually laugh, it’s just their territorial call that they make, but it really does sound like their laughing and having a great time.

Chap at Keilder Water, in the Bird of Prey Centre had a tame(ish) one called Sid. If the weather was good he would call and if you shouted "Morning Sid" he would call back, a bit of a party piece. If the weather as bad, he would sit and sulk at the back of his large aviary. Watching him "tendering" his food would mean he stopped and stared back at you ...

[StoneRoad]

In all this recent weather we have been making a point of keeping our bird feeders topped up, and on frosty days, hot water goes into the bird bath.

Saw some Bramblings mixed in with the finches this morning (which now includes Greenfinches, once again). Got loads of blue, coal and great tits making free with the mealworms and peanuts from a window feeder.

Think (hope) that my rescued blackbird is still about. There's one that isn't easily scared compared to the others.

Other wildlife must be suffering as well. The 2015 floods resulted in the apparent disappearance of the local hedgehog population.

Reminds me; I must get on with servicing the nest boxes as soon as we get a dry day or two. And finish building the extras I need.

[Stanley]

Ah, thanks Wendy. Never trust an engineer on birds!

[Gloria]

Last year our swallows arrived on 11th April, they have been coming earlier and earlier, so we are on swallow watch.

[PanBiker]

Never seen this before but today we had a mouse in broad daylight hoovering up the seeds under the bird feeding station in the front garden after the delinquent Starlings had visited.

[Stanley]

I've seen quite a bit of speculation about the effects on wildlife of the reduced levels of activity due to the lockdown. Mother Nature is enjoying us being a bit less frenetic! I noticed yesterday how clearly we can see the Northern hills out of Barlick. The air must be cleaner than it has been for decades.

[Tizer]

We once had a tiny field mouse on our bird feeder which was hanging from a shrub. It had jumped there from a branch. I stood by the feeder and watched it eating but it ignored me. Then I reached out and touched it gently on its back. It gave me a quick look and then continued eating.

We're seeing less of seagulls here, presumably because there isn't as much discarded food on the streets and verges.

[Cathy]

While humans are away, nature will play. Wild goats have invaded the Welsh town of Llandudno as residents stay home to avoid Coronavirus. The goats have spent the past few days wandering the streets, feasting on garden hedges and flowers. : Oh dear

[Stanley]

The goats from the Great Orme have always visited the town Cathy, it's just that the media are making more of it.

[PanBiker]

The mouse under the bird table, saw another one yesterday and it was bit smaller than the first one we saw which I thought was a male. I reckon this one was Mrs Mouse and she emerged from under a tin bath we have in the front garden raised up on a couple of flags. I put some holes in the bottom and Sally has some potatoes growing in it. Fairly safe bet that they have set up home there. Our cat Primrose the large ginger tabby has seen them through the window and couldn't care less, she doesn't do mice.

[Stanley]

That's lucky for the mice!
I've been struck the last few days as the weather has improved by how the birds are enjoying it. They are very busy!

[Gloria]

We have swallows, two of them, one already been in the stables. That's four days earlier than last year.

[Wendyf]

We have one! Must be a regular as it went straight into the barn.

[PanBiker]

Seen it all now, our cat Primrose went out through the cat flap into the front garden as is her wont. She sat one one of the flags on the path no more than 1m away from the tin bath mentioned above. One of the mice came out and hunted around for stray seeds from the bird feeder and came within about a foot of our moggie. She turned round saw our grey friend and decided to retreat back inside. Must be a latent memory from when she was a kitten, stronger than instinct in her case.

[Gloria]

Wendy, last year you were two and half weeks behind us, so yours are early.