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Post by heworksardtho on Apr 10, 2021 6:30:56 GMT
My friend has a problem with mink on his very large pond on the farm , mink the ultimate killer fav food water vole or anything that it can kill , nightmare for nesting kingfishers on rivers , so be going later with the trusted springer and either 22 Air Arms and shotgun
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Post by heworksardtho on Apr 10, 2021 7:43:35 GMT
Back on the old steam theme. Today at Foxfield riding in the old Knotty coaches through fields of barley in glorious sunshine. North Staffordshire has some marvellous hidden gems. On the way back the bloke wouldn't let me into the Brit car park to take a photo. Nasty man. Sorry Bet365 car park. Foxfield our old playground as kids , sneaking into the grounds of Caverswall castle and getting chased but in those days we could run lol , nesting all over the fields and dilhorne to and down at the the lovely sheep wash , tick hill etc lol , I want my childhood back
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Post by felonious on Apr 10, 2021 13:50:26 GMT
I spotted 4 Little White Egrets on the Trent river path heading back into Stoke this morning.
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Post by heworksardtho on Apr 10, 2021 14:13:06 GMT
I spotted 4 Little White Egrets on the Trent river path heading back into Stoke this morning. There’s a few on the lake at trentham
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Post by felonious on Apr 10, 2021 16:05:00 GMT
I spotted 4 Little White Egrets on the Trent river path heading back into Stoke this morning. There’s a few on the lake at trentham I can well imagine that but this is the corridor between Campbell Road and the D Road leading into the back of the old Boothen. They share the space with Herons, Kingfishers, Bullfinches, etc.
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Post by heworksardtho on Apr 10, 2021 16:26:07 GMT
There’s a few on the lake at trentham I can well imagine that but this is the corridor between Campbell Road and the D Road leading into the back of the old Boothen. They share the space with Herons, Kingfishers, Bullfinches, etc. When I was a kid I use to catch goldfinches , linnets , bull finches , red polls , Siskins etc with my grandad using bird lime , he had an aviary full of birds , goldfinches were my favourite as loved the song and the colour of the bird , we would breed off them then once the young could fledge we then let the adults go , think you can get fined now but was over 50 years ago so not sure back then
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Post by felonious on Apr 10, 2021 16:37:02 GMT
I can well imagine that but this is the corridor between Campbell Road and the D Road leading into the back of the old Boothen. They share the space with Herons, Kingfishers, Bullfinches, etc. When I was a kid I use to catch goldfinches , linnets , bull finches , red polls , Siskins etc with my grandad using bird lime , he had an aviary full of birds , goldfinches were my favourite as loved the song and the colour of the bird , we would breed off them then once the young could fledge we then let the adults go , think you can get fined now but was over 50 years ago so not sure back then I suspect people still do it. I was running on the lanes just outside Audley last year on a hot sunny day and I had to run past three odd looking blokes standing by the side a car. From a distance I could see there was something on the roof of the car and when I got alongside it was a Goldfinch in a cage.
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Post by heworksardtho on Apr 10, 2021 16:56:00 GMT
When I was a kid I use to catch goldfinches , linnets , bull finches , red polls , Siskins etc with my grandad using bird lime , he had an aviary full of birds , goldfinches were my favourite as loved the song and the colour of the bird , we would breed off them then once the young could fledge we then let the adults go , think you can get fined now but was over 50 years ago so not sure back then I suspect people still do it. I was running on the lanes just outside Audley last year on a hot sunny day and I had to run past three odd looking blokes standing by the side a car. From a distance I could see there was something on the roof of the car and when I got alongside it was a Goldfinch in a cage. They entice the female / male down with the bird in the cage , a small twig covered in bird lime , it then gets stuck , I’m sure my grandad used paraffin to get the lime off
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Post by Northy on Apr 10, 2021 17:07:53 GMT
Sat watching this impressive lady atm having her tea in our garden, been there 20 mins so far. Not sure if it's a blackbird or starling that she's had.
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Post by Northy on Apr 10, 2021 17:08:48 GMT
Was just going to post, seen swallows and maybe house Martins (a bit high to confirm) flying around the last few days All the sand martins have moved on. Meant to ask are they heading for the banks of the Dee? The Bollin, Haydens pool at Anderton and beyond
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Post by Northy on Apr 10, 2021 17:10:28 GMT
There’s a few on the lake at trentham I can well imagine that but this is the corridor between Campbell Road and the D Road leading into the back of the old Boothen. They share the space with Herons, Kingfishers, Bullfinches, etc. Is this the new section ?
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Post by felonious on Apr 10, 2021 17:13:35 GMT
I can well imagine that but this is the corridor between Campbell Road and the D Road leading into the back of the old Boothen. They share the space with Herons, Kingfishers, Bullfinches, etc. Is this the new section ? No, that's the joke about the new construction. As they appeared on the video about 50 yards away to their left was a bridge and on the other side is a wildlife haven
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 11, 2021 20:21:48 GMT
As much as I dislike the gulls for various reasons it was fascinating watching them for 20 minutes or so this afternoon at low tide. A couple of them had each got a shellfish of some sort and were going to a not inconsiderable height and dropping them with quite some accuracy onto the stones below. Sure enough it worked. All they've got to do now is stop crapping on my car. 👍☹
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Post by felonious on May 10, 2021 7:59:36 GMT
The swallows have been back for a few weeks now but they're finally nesting again under the covered walkway here. Take a couple of weeks for them to stop squawking at us and then it's a shared walkway
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Post by potterinleeds on Aug 18, 2021 6:58:43 GMT
Well, it's that time of the year again. I was running early this morning and although it was great to be out, in the keenness of the breeze on the hilltops, the ragwort, rose bay willow herb and bracken in the hedgerows, and the pale lemon coloured light catching a distant hill, you can sense that summer is leaving us now. There have been perfectly edible blackberries out round here for at least two weeks, and I think there will be a good crop of elderberries too. Rowan trees are all on fire with red berries at the moment, which seems quite early to me, but my memory's not what it was .
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Post by potterinleeds on Oct 7, 2021 8:04:23 GMT
Out for a short run this morning, and it feels very mild. There isn't much hint of autumn colour in hedgerows and fields up here yet, just the odd bit of yellowing on ashes, horse chestnuts and alders. All else still fairly green, although that vile weather on Tuesday brought a fair few leaves off.
Has been a really good crop of blackberries this year around and about, also hawthorns, rosehips and rowans - had a good haul of fallen walnuts off a tree in one of the local parks too. Despite my earlier prediction, it has actually been poor for elderberries up here - there was loads of blossom, but the berries forming were very hit and miss, and seemed to disappear very quickly. Sloes weren't brilliant either.
Apple trees in the garden have done much better than last year, with bigger apples and a lot less cracking / spotting.
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Post by felonious on Oct 7, 2021 11:32:57 GMT
Out for a short run this morning, and it feels very mild. There isn't much hint of autumn colour in hedgerows and fields up here yet, just the odd bit of yellowing on ashes, horse chestnuts and alders. All else still fairly green, although that vile weather on Tuesday brought a fair few leaves off. Has been a really good crop of blackberries this year around and about, also hawthorns, rosehips and rowans - had a good haul of fallen walnuts off a tree in one of the local parks too. Despite my earlier prediction, it has actually been poor for elderberries up here - there was loads of blossom, but the berries forming were very hit and miss, and seemed to disappear very quickly. Sloes weren't brilliant either. Apple trees in the garden have done much better than last year, with bigger apples and a lot less cracking / spotting. It's all very dependent on when the frosts hit. I've had very few apples here from a usually very productive tree so no tarte tatin from the daughter this year I noticed the frost hit a magnificent hydrangea as well. Had to cut it back it's looking very lush and green at the moment with a few flowers at the back on the protected side.
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 17, 2021 11:15:00 GMT
Bought my 1st mince pies today , happy Christmas 🎄 everyone
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Post by felonious on Oct 31, 2021 9:23:50 GMT
Bought my 1st mince pies today , happy Christmas 🎄 everyone Thanks for the heads up Harry I've enjoyed a few mince pies since your post
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Post by felonious on Oct 31, 2021 9:25:37 GMT
Absolutely pissing down here this morning but cheered by a flock of Long tailed tits flitting about the feeders and shrubs, hope they survive the winter.
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Post by harryburrows on Oct 31, 2021 10:00:28 GMT
Bought my 1st mince pies today , happy Christmas 🎄 everyone Thanks for the heads up Harry I've enjoyed a few mince pies since your post I've tried several different ones from waitrose, M&S , tesco , the best IMO are coop all butter
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Post by potterinleeds on Dec 10, 2021 18:47:00 GMT
Working outside all day on the top of the North Yorkshire Moors, clear as a bell with views as far as Whitby Abbey catching the sunshine on the headland and ships on the sea beyond.
Stopped in Helmsley on the way back and sat on a secluded bench with a coffee as the low sun shone through a hawthorn hedge by the castle, watching a flock of long tailed tits pick their way through the branches. We all need to catch these moments of stillness as and when we can at the moment.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2021 18:55:07 GMT
Lovely in 1970 Harry. I wonder what she's up to now? Selling her Fanny on the Dublin streets. Careful now. Dana is a Goddess. Ran for Presidency.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Dec 10, 2021 20:47:53 GMT
Thanks for the heads up Harry I've enjoyed a few mince pies since your post I've tried several different ones from waitrose, M&S , tesco , the best IMO are coop all butter We've got a Coop in Tywyn, I'm on the case. 👍
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Post by felonious on Dec 11, 2021 18:43:01 GMT
Had a lovely circular walk yesterday from Bisham Abbey to Marlow and back after a late lunch. Loads of Green parrots and Red Kites around. There's a few fantastic signs around the park in Marlow stating "Beware of Red Kites stealing your food" Wonderful first thing at Bisham Abbey watching the Eights bombing up and down the Thames.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Dec 12, 2021 7:19:02 GMT
Had a lovely circular walk yesterday from Bisham Abbey to Marlow and back after a late lunch. Loads of Green parrots and Red Kites around. There's a few fantastic signs around the park in Marlow stating "Beware of Red Kites stealing your food" Wonderful first thing at Bisham Abbey watching the Eights bombing up and down the Thames. Around these parts the kites are mostly feeding on dead sheep, I'll be changing my diet accordingly in case of any dive bombing.
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Post by Northy on Dec 12, 2021 7:19:24 GMT
Had a lovely circular walk yesterday from Bisham Abbey to Marlow and back after a late lunch. Loads of Green parrots and Red Kites around. There's a few fantastic signs around the park in Marlow stating "Beware of Red Kites stealing your food" Wonderful first thing at Bisham Abbey watching the Eights bombing up and down the Thames. I did a trail race at Marlow about 3 summers ago, was bloody hot, it was called the (something) bolt
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Post by heworksardtho on Dec 12, 2021 9:57:20 GMT
Had a lovely circular walk yesterday from Bisham Abbey to Marlow and back after a late lunch. Loads of Green parrots and Red Kites around. There's a few fantastic signs around the park in Marlow stating "Beware of Red Kites stealing your food" Wonderful first thing at Bisham Abbey watching the Eights bombing up and down the Thames. I did a trail race at Marlow about 3 summers ago, was bloody hot, it was called the (something) bolt Is that Marlow Bucks
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Post by Northy on Dec 13, 2021 11:39:10 GMT
I did a trail race at Marlow about 3 summers ago, was bloody hot, it was called the (something) bolt Is that Marlow Bucks Yes, and the race was the Burford Bolt, from Marlow Bottom www.burfordbolt.co.uk/
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Post by heworksardtho on Dec 13, 2021 16:07:57 GMT
Was working today at HP 14 on the RAF place
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