Wildlife Corner

[Cathy]

I’ve been watching some great ‘very short video’s’ of birds and other native animals feeding, playing, splashing and fighting, in the garden of Dave Arnold - Wildlife Photographer.
Love the Kookaburras.
Lots of excellent photos too.
Have a look .

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[Stanley]

Good pics Cathy.

[PanBiker]

End of an era. The Jackdaws that have been residing in the terracotta pots on Ash Grove are being denied access to their nest. There is a bloke on the roof fitting cowls to all three pots. I haven't seen anyone clearing out the flues though, there will be quite a lot of stuff in there as they have been in residence for the last three or four years at least. Raised a few chicks over that time as well. I will see if the pair come back when he has gone.

Later.....

The Jackdaw pair did return, I saw them this afternoon inspecting their former nesting spot now barred to access. They then searched each of the other stacks on Ash Grove looking for somewhere to start again I assume.

[Stanley]

Ian. You've reminded me of my flue many years ago. I decided to light an open fire in the front room and smoked the house out, the flue was completely blocked. I got my young mate Philip to come and give me a hand and it took us three hours, me on the roof with the rods breaking through and then sweeping from the top and Philip filling three back bin bags below. You wouldn't believe how much nest there was!
I mentioned it to Harold Duxbury and he told me that every heating season they got a call to Gill Church which I think was running on an old coke boiler in those days. The Jackdaws built in the flue every summer and due to the design of the flue it couldn't be guarded.
I like Jackdaws, such intelligent birds, but they can be a bloody nuisance!
By the way, I noted this year that the jackdaws that nest in the ventilation duct on the gable of the Pigeon Club have perfected the art of opening the aluminium louvres to get in and out.

[Cathy]

My daughter saved lots of ducks while on a walk very early this morning . The ducks had no idea the was eyeing them from the bushes.

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[Stanley]

That was lucky for the ducks but bad news for Reynard!

[PanBiker]

Upsetting the balance of nature there Cathy. I like ducks but I also like foxes and they all have to survive.

[Stanley]

Nice to see nature saving them though. The intervention was natural. Can't see how it upset the balance because it was not intentional.

[PanBiker]

Can't see how it upset the balance because it was not intentional.

My daughter saved lots of ducks while on a walk very early this morning

Reynard would have had a chance for his breakfast if not for the biped.

[Tizer]

Here's a threat to British wildlife. I hope they don't kill off our rare, native, freshwater pearl mussels which were sought by the Romans two millennia ago...
`Invasive quagga mussel found at Rutland Water and River Trent' LINK

Here's an article about our pearl mussels: Guardian

[Stanley]

Signal Crayfish and Ruddy Ducks as well? What was it that used to destroy the dykes by tunnelling into them? There's always a threat, could it be evolution?

[Tizer]

I'm 100% in agreement with this. These `small waters' get no protection and have disappeared at an appalling rate, mostly due to development and yet often where they could at least have been incorporated into the development as a natural feature. I remember all those places where where as kids we put on our wellies and waded through shallow marshy water to find newts and frogs or fished in small streams for minnows.

`Small waters 'can help address biodiversity crisis'' LINK
`Experts are calling for urgent action to protect England's ponds, ditches and streams. Small freshwater habitats contain an abundance of life, including rare amphibians, insects and plants, they say. Yet, unlike large lakes and rivers, there is no obligation to monitor and protect them. A group of 20 scientists outline their concerns in a letter to the government's natural capital committee. They are calling for measures to monitor, manage and protect England's smallest freshwater habitats. The letter points out that small water bodies make up 80% of England's freshwaters and support over 70% of freshwater species, but lack any formal monitoring in the UK..'.

See also this on `ghost ponds': LINK

[PanBiker]

What was it that used to destroy the dykes by tunnelling into them?

That would be Coypu I reckon. "Ragondin" in rural France and public enemy number one. I have related before the tale of when we saw one on an evening walk round a series of lakes when we were camping in Northern France We mentioned it to the farmer on whose campsite we were staying and within five minutes of frantic telephone calls and much gesticulations and swearing, a posse of armed locals rocked up and went on the hunt. They can decimate lake systems. The one we saw was about 3ft long which is pretty big for a rodent.

[Stanley]

That's the one Ian.

[Cathy]

Daughter and 2 friends spent today feeding some Giraffes. Lots of fun was had.

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At Monarto Safari Park in Sth. Aust.
An open-range zoo on 1,500 acres, with over 500 animals.

www.monartosafari.com.au

[plaques]

Lovely animals. We once went round one of those safari parks in Canada. A giraffe poked its head through the passenger window onto Mrs P's lap. Big purple tongue, fed it a couple of apples before it wandered off for its next feed.

[Tizer]

Yes, I think magnificent is a good description for giraffes, but they are under serious treat as explained here: NRDC Sadly, yesterday's copy of The Times highlighted another threat - it showed a photo of a woman who hunts large wild animals standing beside a dead giraffe and holding up its heart. A shocking photo and I hope the woman gets the the response she deserves.

[Stanley]

That's shocking Peter.....I too hope she gets what she deserves.

[plaques]

Killing animals for the sheer pleasure of killing them is a clear sign of a psychosomatic illness. This condition should be treat by some severe therapy like locking them up and throwing away the key.

.....................
Made the mistake of watching a YouTube on slaughtering pigs for today's mass market. Extremely upsetting that we now treat animals like the mass production of cars. Enough to make one turn vegetarian.

[Stanley]

I agree Ken.
I had no problem with slaughtering the house pig when I was on the farm but a lot with what I used to see in slaughterhouses when we were maintaining the boilers. I know people might have difficulty in understanding this but a lot of careful and affectionate treatment went into rearing and fattening the house pig.

[Tizer]

Tizer to base: We have frog spawn. Over and out.
(Sorry, it's reading Obama's story of the special forces attack on Bin Laden's home that's gone to my head.]

[Stanley]

That sounds about right. I think we are in line for a change in the weather mid week.....
[Watch out for Julie any day now!]

[Cathy]

Have we met Jonathan who still loves a neck rub at 182yrs old. He lives at Plantation House in St. Helenas. (BBC)

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And here’s the remains of a Turtle that lived 10million years ago.

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(History All Day)

[Stanley]

The UK government announces that it is going to put in place an enquiry to look at the use of lead ammunition for sport shooting and expects an answer in 2 years.
This is classic kicking the can down the road. The facts are known already, lead is a poison, that's why it was taken out of fuel and new water pipes. Bird shot is a very efficient way of seeding poison into the environment, end of story.

[Tizer]

Our frog spawn has turned into tadpoles and they're helping clean up our pond!