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Post by felonious on Aug 31, 2016 16:19:00 GMT
Mmmm I know the zone although the bird I remember from my Heather Hills days drove a sports car
I've also been known back in the day to deliver newspapers around Ball Lane and the surrounding areas
While we're boasting about birds a couple of weeks ago I came across a flock of Flamingos on the edge of the Severn estuary. Not quite as exciting as the last flock I saw a few years back on the Camargue. Very impressed with the Muskrat that ran across the path in front of me that day.
Good luck with the orchid naming. The Cheesefreeze orchid has a nice ring to it
A punishing paper round. Mountain goat legs a requirement. Didn't realize we'd got flamingos on the loose. Egrets yes, and I've heard of a Crane re-introduction project. What's the story, do you know? Escapees? Tinking the orchid is a particular local hybrid of a Marsh Orchid... might, if it comes to it, see if we can name it a 'Jackie'. Or Jodie?
Think the flamingos are a by product of all this global warming. Spotted them just outside a small village called Slimbridge
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Aug 31, 2016 16:27:32 GMT
A punishing paper round. Mountain goat legs a requirement. Didn't realize we'd got flamingos on the loose. Egrets yes, and I've heard of a Crane re-introduction project. What's the story, do you know? Escapees? Tinking the orchid is a particular local hybrid of a Marsh Orchid... might, if it comes to it, see if we can name it a 'Jackie'. Or Jodie?
Think the flamingos are a by product of all this global warming. Spotted them just outside a small village called Slimbridge
Ha ha fell into that. Had a pleasant day there a couple of years back. A mate of a mate had the launch of his book on Hawiain geese held there. He'd studied under Sir Peter Scott.
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Post by felonious on Aug 31, 2016 16:38:57 GMT
Or Jodie?
Think the flamingos are a by product of all this global warming. Spotted them just outside a small village called Slimbridge
Ha ha fell into that. Had a pleasant day there a couple of years back. A mate of a mate had the launch of his book on Hawiain geese held there. He'd studied under Sir Peter Scott. I hadn't been for 25 years or so and it's far more commercialised these days..... kids everywhere all having a great time. On the subject of geese I remember a rare one turning up at Westport Lake some years back....Egyptian?
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Aug 31, 2016 16:49:32 GMT
Ha ha fell into that. Had a pleasant day there a couple of years back. A mate of a mate had the launch of his book on Hawiain geese held there. He'd studied under Sir Peter Scott. I hadn't been for 25 years or so and it's far more commercialised these days..... kids everywhere all having a great time. On the subject of geese I remember a rare one turning up at Westport Lake some years back....Egyptian? Rings a bell, but I'm not too hot on me wildfowl and waders. I like seeing the grebe on Knypersley. You could take a tour into the reed beds at Slimbridge for a wilder experience, but otherwise it was a bit like a duck zoo.
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Post by felonious on Aug 31, 2016 17:00:10 GMT
I hadn't been for 25 years or so and it's far more commercialised these days..... kids everywhere all having a great time. On the subject of geese I remember a rare one turning up at Westport Lake some years back....Egyptian? Rings a bell, but I'm not too hot on me wildfowl and waders. I like seeing the grebe on Knypersley. You could take a tour into the reed beds at Slimbridge for a wilder experience, but otherwise it was a bit like a duck zoo. By that stage I assumed that the canoe safari might be run by the same people as Alton Towers
I felt sorry for the otters most of all. Bit disappointed with the kingfisher hide as well. I run on a regular basis on the river path between the old Vic and the A34/A500 intersection and spot the kingfishers. Same with the canal section between the Brit and Trentham.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Aug 31, 2016 17:23:27 GMT
Rings a bell, but I'm not too hot on me wildfowl and waders. I like seeing the grebe on Knypersley. You could take a tour into the reed beds at Slimbridge for a wilder experience, but otherwise it was a bit like a duck zoo. By that stage I assumed that the canoe safari might be run by the same people as Alton Towers
I felt sorry for the otters most of all. Bit disappointed with the kingfisher hide as well. I run on a regular basis on the river path between the old Vic and the A34/A500 intersection and spot the kingfishers. Same with the canal section between the Brit and Trentham.
Got to love kingfishers. I had one sat opposite me for about five minutes whilst fishing on the cut. There's a wildlife photographer from the Wirral {I think] who's regularly around here, says they're proper poseurs around here. I reckon because the cut's so murky they have to really concentrate to catch. Saw a young one at the Foxley in Milton last week. Unfortunately saw footage of a mink on the bag of a moored naarowboat there too. No sight of the 11 ducklings I'd watched develop.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Aug 31, 2016 19:17:08 GMT
Spent most of bank holiday weekend doing volunteer work on the old railway on the Welsh coast. 7 miles of quiet valley to play in and in no specific order on view were Bats, woodpecker, Buzzards, and Red tailed kite by the dozen. (almost as common as sparrows). Didn't hear the cuckoo but then I'm not sure if it's still their time of year. Add into the mix the usual squirrels and other ground dwellers it is always a relaxing place to visit.
Oh, and the barn owls in a proper old welsh stone barn. Brilliant.
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Post by Northy on Aug 31, 2016 19:42:21 GMT
out for a run last night and I saw a young weasel, it was dead but Ive not seen one round here before, lock up your rabbits and chickens
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Post by Northy on Aug 31, 2016 19:42:44 GMT
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Post by chuffedstokie on Aug 31, 2016 20:10:40 GMT
Proof positive. Definitely not natural habitat.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 1, 2016 0:17:58 GMT
I'm calling stoat. My guess would be a young male, perhaps distracted looking for a last shag/territory, hit by a motor. Weasels are smaller than what that looks, no black tip on the tail. Had another look not sure now. Shame.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 1, 2016 0:24:38 GMT
Spent most of bank holiday weekend doing volunteer work on the old railway on the Welsh coast. 7 miles of quiet valley to play in and in no specific order on view were Bats, woodpecker, Buzzards, and Red tailed kite by the dozen. (almost as common as sparrows). Didn't hear the cuckoo but then I'm not sure if it's still their time of year. Add into the mix the usual squirrels and other ground dwellers it is always a relaxing place to visit. Oh, and the barn owls in a proper old welsh stone barn. Brilliant. Was just about to post about bat sightings. Not seen many myself, presuming damp summer crap for bugs, so fewr bats. Wondered if anyone else had spotted owt. Pipistrelles?
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Post by Northy on Sept 1, 2016 4:40:17 GMT
I'm calling stoat. My guess would be a young male, perhaps distracted looking for a last shag/territory, hit by a motor. Weasels are smaller than what that looks, no black tip on the tail. Had another look not sure now. Shame. One of my eldest lads who has a masters in wildlife conservation and animal bioligy said it was a young weasel, I asked him before posting it.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Sept 1, 2016 5:19:49 GMT
Spent most of bank holiday weekend doing volunteer work on the old railway on the Welsh coast. 7 miles of quiet valley to play in and in no specific order on view were Bats, woodpecker, Buzzards, and Red tailed kite by the dozen. (almost as common as sparrows). Didn't hear the cuckoo but then I'm not sure if it's still their time of year. Add into the mix the usual squirrels and other ground dwellers it is always a relaxing place to visit. Oh, and the barn owls in a proper old welsh stone barn. Brilliant. Was just about to post about bat sightings. Not seen many myself, presuming damp summer crap for bugs, so fewr bats. Wondered if anyone else had spotted owt. Pipistrelles? Apparently they are. Always at dusk along one particular lane. High hedges and warm air in the evenings, they were just vacuuming up the flies. Amazing how they don't hit you head on at those speeds.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 1, 2016 11:15:10 GMT
I'm calling stoat. My guess would be a young male, perhaps distracted looking for a last shag/territory, hit by a motor. Weasels are smaller than what that looks, no black tip on the tail. Had another look not sure now. Shame. One of my eldest lads who has a masters in wildlife conservation and animal bioligy said it was a young weasel, I asked him before posting it. That's that then. It just looked too 'big'/'chunky' for a weasel, they're usually no more than 4/5 inches.. Perspective.
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Post by Northy on Sept 1, 2016 12:27:37 GMT
One of my eldest lads who has a masters in wildlife conservation and animal bioligy said it was a young weasel, I asked him before posting it. That's that then. It just looked too 'big'/'chunky' for a weasel, they're usually no more than 4/5 inches.. Perspective. If he's wrong you can tell him, and whilst there you can ask him his views on the badger culling, the reintroduction of the lynx and wolves, the problems from game bird shooting, sheep and deer farming devastation of the land and its aid in flooding, rape seed farming, soya farming etc etc if you have a spare few hours
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 1, 2016 12:35:14 GMT
That's that then. It just looked too 'big'/'chunky' for a weasel, they're usually no more than 4/5 inches.. Perspective. If he's wrong you can tell him, and whilst there you can ask him his views on the badger culling, the reintroduction of the lynx and wolves, the problems from game bird shooting, sheep and deer farming devastation of the land and its aid in flooding, rape seed farming, soya farming etc etc if you have a spare few hours All of that, being a boring bastard myself, is rayt up my country lane. Is he any good on wild orchids?
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Post by Northy on Sept 1, 2016 12:51:55 GMT
not sure i'll ask him, but he does a good ear bending/lecture on himalayan balsam, when hes home he wanders down the canal and rips it out. I am into it but in a lighter mode
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Post by potterinleeds on Sept 15, 2016 8:49:28 GMT
Had me first proper autumnal foggy run of the season this morning. That dead hand of stillness across the whole landscape, sounds magnified weirdly, voices coming out of the gloom. Hedgerows ragged now, and thick with cobwebs, but a really good crop of brambles with a lovely, smoky flavour this year. In fact, everything seems to be cropping very well up here this year - rowans very heavy with berries, and loads of fruit on the apple and pear trees in my back garden. Looks like elderberries will be good too . Perhaps nature's bounty is a sign of a bumper crop of goals for us in this Autumn's forthcoming matches. I certainly hope so.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Sept 15, 2016 18:47:49 GMT
Not wrong re the fog this morning. Always a sure sign of autumn. Brings back the memories of conker trees and chucking sticks at the blighters. The air of just autumnal damp but not wet. Mind you the sun took care of the mist by about 10.00am. Farmers must be having a bumper one this year.
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Post by felonious on Sept 15, 2016 20:02:22 GMT
I've just spent most of the day scarifying the lawn which is years overdue and seriously thick with moss. I've ruined the winter hoard of walnuts for the squirrels...it's where they keep their private stash.
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Post by potterinleeds on Sept 15, 2016 20:18:39 GMT
Mist forming again now, but only in the valley bottoms. Huge pinkish moon rising above it, quite atmospheric.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 15, 2016 20:39:15 GMT
Mist forming again now, but only in the valley bottoms. Huge pinkish moon rising above it, quite atmospheric. Not seeen it tonight yet but last night the moon and it's movements were magnificent.. A great big silver disc on the horizon followed me wom and became a high up illuminating pink thing. Obvious, but hey...
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 16, 2016 3:01:17 GMT
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Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 16, 2016 11:10:30 GMT
It's been a poor blackberry year around my usual haunts and the birds/squirrels are already well into the elderberries. I haven't seen many sloes ripening either.
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Post by felonious on Sept 23, 2016 7:10:22 GMT
Nice array of fungi out on the fields at the moment including a couple of rings. Interesting how they form an orderly circle.
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Post by Skankmonkey on Sept 23, 2016 12:31:29 GMT
Nice array of fungi out on the fields at the moment including a couple of rings. Interesting how they form an orderly circle. It's the work of the fairies. They like it in the ring. ...apparently.
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Post by felonious on Sept 23, 2016 15:15:23 GMT
The sunflowers are looking fab as well. Just up the lane from here some clever sod has grown some which must be about 8 foot high.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Sept 23, 2016 15:24:25 GMT
Nice array of fungi out on the fields at the moment including a couple of rings. Interesting how they form an orderly circle. I may be wrong and will probably google. I was under the impression that the mushroom is merely the fruit, all the action is underground in the mycili. In certain species it grows out concentrically, and 'fruits' at the outer edges. Skank could be correct too.
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Post by murphthesurf on Sept 24, 2016 10:29:57 GMT
The sunflowers are looking fab as well. Just up the lane from here some clever sod has grown some which must be about 8 foot high. I usually get one or two sunflowers growing in my garden each year, when the birds have carried seeds from the bird tables and dropped them. Also found a very healthy baby oak tree last week, about 14" high, growing in one of the borders in the garden, courtesy of one of the squirrels - again. Got to get it out sharpish now and put it in a pot to keep it growing until I can find someone who wants it - after all, it's an English oak! Can't bear to dig it out and just throw it away. I grew two (from the same sort of start) to about 5 feet in height 4 or 5 years ago and then luckily heard of a local project where a new wood was being planted - the people organising it gladly took the little trees and I was glad they went to such a good cause. Talking of squirrels, you've never lived until you've seen one running off down the garden with one of the birds' suet fatballs (again from the tables) held tightly in his front paws! Talk about Barry John! Happens quite often, and luckily I put loads of fatballs out, so the birds never go short.
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