Beefsteak 305 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Sorry pooh bear ,I've just deleted your post by accident. But in answer , surely it's the same reason ,pure animal instinct Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Sorry pooh bear ,I've just deleted your post by accident. Yeah...right!! The home secretary's old man claimed that us paying for his porno was an accident too... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Well if you have a problem with it , type it again, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,580 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Well spring has sprung in Bakewell with these young mallards on the river Wye taken today05/04/09 Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 How's it all going. Our tadpoles have hatched, the pond is teeming with them, as the mortality rate is supposed to be very high, it will be interesting to see how many will survive. The Robins chicks have hatched and they are frantically feeding them, the adults are so tame, I open the back door in the morning and Mr Robin comes and sits on the step and waits for his wireworms, Scooby Doo takes no notice, I reckon that he's more frightened of them than they are of him. We have a couple of rare residents, a Blackcap has been singing his heart out in the trees, he's doing it now, I hope he finds a mate. He was joined this morning by a Whitethroat, it must be a hard life to be rare and unlikely to find a pal. The Goshawks seem to be breeding in the woods near the river, they have constant run ins with the local Rooks who don't like their presence. I've seen a swallow, house martins and a couple of swifts over here, but no cuckoos yet, has anyone heard any. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 but no cuckoos yet, has anyone heard any. Had one sat in the back of my car on aviation day..........LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 And when the planes went over, one flew over the cuckoos nest? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 ooooooooyyy leave it!!........... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 hmmmmm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,090 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 We've had a few false alarms here, regarding spring arriving. I saw my first bald eagle about a month ago, and thought spring had arrived. Then the deer and elk came back to graze after skedaddling all winter. Recently saw some American Robins, but yesterday I just knew it was official. I got my first hummingbird on my feeder. In between all these other occurrences, it has been bitingly cold or snowy, enough to put spring back a bit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 hmmmmm I was a little concerned about that myself, did you lay an egg in Beefsteaks car then. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,580 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 Ayup Katyjay, The cuckoo has been reported in Lincolnshire but not in our back field as yet, the deer are moving in this part of the world also and there are plenty of muntjack about, my better half told me she nearly ran into one yesterday whilst out running the lanes, the sand martins arrived about 4/5 weeks ago and thats usually a sign of spring in the sand and gravel industry. We had an American robin over here a couple of years ago, Devon/Cornwall area but the twitchers got wind of it and hounded the poor thing to death, it tried to get away from all the fuss and just died of exhaustion, shame really Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 I was a little concerned about that myself, did you lay an egg in Beefsteaks car then. Not that i recall Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Walked the dogs this morning halfway between Lambley and Woodborough on a bridleway... Within seconds a pair of partridges flew low over a hedge in front of me.In a tree a hundred yards away a cuckoo was sounding off...saw yellowhammers,chaffinches,a chiff chaff and a willow warbler.Heard a green woodpecker in a wood down the hill...a cock pheasant called from the same wood. Walked into a fallow field with a huge pile of manure in the middle...six lapwings took flight and circled screaming.A pair of mallard were waddling about in the same field,dunno why,no water nearby...and a skylark overhead singing his heart out. Heard the cuckoo again...but further away.Plus the usual magpies,crows and blackbirds...all that in a 30 minute walk at 6.30am. Spring is definitely here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted April 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Our Robin chicks decided to quit the nest yesterday, what a nightmare for all concerned. The first we knew about it was when poor Scooby Doo wandered up the garden to innocently investigate the latest molehill and ended up being dive bombed by the irate and very brave parents, they couldn't remember that he's the one that keeps the cats at bay and lets them walk in front of his nose. We're not sure how many chicks, possibly two or three, but one got stuck behind a fence post and we had to leave a trail of wire worms for the parents to find it. Things got to the point where we had to coach the chick into the bushes, while giving the parents wire worms. The cheeky buggers were then quite happy to fly into the kitchen and sit on the box of worms or next to it by the sink and give it an expectant look, Robins are really remarkable birds, they keep flying up to the window and looking in, I've already given them some grubs while writing this. A couple of starlings went for the chick yesterday evening but Scooby Doo chased them off, I think he's been forgiven. What concerned us that the chick ended up near the pond, we had a baby Blue Tit drown last year so we are keeping watch, it's still in a prickly bush down there so safe from cats. Here's dad trying to find his chick yesterday:- Here you are, some nice wire worms from our pals:- Dangerously close to the waters edge last night:- I've mentioned before that we have a so called Council run conservation area at the end of our garden, thousands of pounds have been spent on creating a load of neglected, bodged cr@p. I e-mailed the chairman last week to offer my services to help out on a volunteer basis as no-one seems to have a clue. I found their web site which was so full of self congratulatory glorification and lies, that I e-mailed the LA environment officer concerned, who must have got her qualifications in waste disposal and demolition. No reply as yet, not surprising really, they think they can do what they want with public money and don't like it when someone with a bit of knowledge complains. I'm not letting it rest, if they aren't prepared to deal with it, then I'm sure that BBC East or Anglia TV will be interested, it's not just me, all my neighbours think it's pathetic as well. Their latest crazy scheme is to employ all the local school kids to make otter nests out of plywood and shove them down the river then carry out constant monitoring, imagine that, I reckon every otter in the UK will be flocking to the Blackwater in Braintree for a good laugh, I wonder whether any of these good LA people have ever seen or understand the nature of otters, screwing up the riverbank as they have done recently won't help either. Funny, otters appeared down here before our good council decided to make it into an official nature reserve, they haven't been seen since, what a surprise. Incidentally, no cuckoos yet and no swallows, saw a swift yesterday but he didn't hang about for long, no reed buntings, corn buntings, yellow hammers, nuthatches, or willow and reed warblers, funny, they were all here before the council took control. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 I took the liberty and cleaned up your first Robin shot a little (Lovely pic by the way) just to show off his Robin Redbreast I have a shot from last week of a rather brave Pee-Wit mobbing a Buzzard, and I've just been to collect Charlotte from school and saw one getting mobbed by a couple of Jackdaws twice in as many minutes !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 As promised, Mr Buzzard And his 'Unwanted Guest' !!!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,580 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 I've only posted this because I think there's no better sight than a swan flying, Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 So graceful Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Except when they're trying to kill each other...I took these at Clumber many years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Probably not trying to kill each other, more likely mating!! As for the Swan , I have always loved the whistle their wings make in flight Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Don't be so quick to judge mate... I watched the situation develop and took dozens of pictures...The pair entering the others territory had cygnets with them which couldn't exit the pond.This resulted in the cobs fighting for nearly an hour until exhausted.The incoming cob would I'm sure have been happy to retreat...but was unable to do so while his pen and the cygnets were in danger. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted April 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Thanks for cleaning him up for me Beefsteak, I'll have to sort some of these pics out myself. Back to less aggressive scenes, we found out why Mr Robin has such a voracious appetite, he has another mate and a nest in a conifer in the front garden, he must be of the Islamic variety. Here he is in the kitchen yesterday afternoon:- Robin and Scooby Doo trying to eat the same thing:- Swans are gracefull birds, unfortunately our local swan is very lonely and swims up and down looking very neglected, I'm waiting for the local council to take appropriate action and send down a crowd of school kids to build him/her a nest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mariag 4 Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Aren't swans meant to have a mate for life? If so the one on its own must be sad!!!! We have ducks and a family of 4 geese on our community/compound on the lake.....They will get very hot soon and are already shading under the bougenvillea bushes. Incidentially, how do you upload photos onto this forum???? Please advise in a way I can understand without getting all technical ( not that computer savvy!) Thanks in advance! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Maybe the solitary swan has lost his/her mate through accident or vandalism I'm sure it will find a mate for next years breeding season. As for pictures...Google Photobucket and join up it's free...you download your pics to them, who provide you with your own album.Then from there you copy and paste onto here.It looks complicated if you're not a computer nut..but come back on here with any problem..I'm sure somebody will talk you through it.Join the Bucket first and get some pics downloaded on there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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