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googsy · 22-01-2012 10:26pm

Lucky Robin hit the jackpot there... where are the crocs located ?? I wouldn't last long in the jungle cause I can't for the life of me spot anything there...

whyulittle · 22-01-2012 10:38pm

Kylith has found one, not saying which one though!

I've asked the mods to move this btw, don't want to take it off-topic.

Kess73 · 22-01-2012 11:58pm

A1 and C2?

whyulittle · 23-01-2012 12:04am

One right, one wrong.

I'll be fair and say even though I took the photo, I had to look back on an old thread somewhere else and find my own answer!

santasbird · 23-01-2012 12:39am

C2 and C4.

whyulittle · 23-01-2012 1:16am

Good going santa, at least one of us would be safe by the water's edge.

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whyulittle · 23-01-2012 1:54am

Came across this while looking for the crocodile shots.

It's a Swallow yes, but on a ferry from the Great Barrier Reef to the Australian mainland.

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Bsal · 23-01-2012 2:59am

It's a Swallow yes, but on a ferry from the Great Barrier Reef to the Australian mainland

God he's a bit out of position :eek:

Kess73 · 23-01-2012 5:27pm

Tonight's siege has begun. Not sure how long it was going on for before I noticed it. Looks like he is back in his routine of using that tree for his late evening attacks.

Makes perfect sense on a number of levels, the first being it gives him a perfect line of sight with no other cover being closer than the tree he is in, and the second being that the tree is to the west of the smaller tree the smaller birds are in, so the sprawk's charges come with the setting sun to his back, something he does all the time in the summer.

If this year goes anything like the last two with this particular male, then he will be like clockwork every day with his hunting times. Last year he was always arriving within 15 minutes or so of the same time each day hunting in certain spots. It became a great way of knowing where to go each day to watch him.

Then as the cover grew going into the spring/summer, his tactics would change in terms of his attacks. His ambush sites got closer and closer, and he often switched to hunting on foot.

Think he just made a kill on his first attempt. He came in very low from his own tree and must have flushed something out as he accelerated like mad passed the smaller tree and went to ground.

About five minutes have gone by since that charge and he has not circled back, so I think he defo got something. Probably should have spread all this out over a few posts rather than just starting the post and leaving it open until he finished.

whyulittle · 26-01-2012 6:28pm

Worth a read!

White-tailed Eagle falls out of the Donegal skies!

The following extraordinary incident took place in Glenveagh National Park on Sunday 8th January 2012. A group of 15 walkers from Derry City were walking down the glen along the Glenveagh Bridle path on Sunday afternoon. They were about a mile from the Glenveagh Castle Tearoom, walking along the vehicular track, secured by boulders along the Lough shore, in an area known as the Long Hollow.

They heard some commotion and 'rushing' sound above them in the skies. As they looked up, they saw an eagle crashing through the nearby bare Oak tree branches and ivy.

Full story at goldeneagle.ie.

whyulittle · 08-02-2012 12:41am

Just drove my poor cat into a frenzy playing the Jay sound off the RSPB site.

Oops!

Half-cocked · 13-02-2012 1:16pm

Found a hedgehog sitting in my birdbath just before dawn this morning! It wandered off a short time later.

littlebug · 16-02-2012 6:39pm

Just found a surprise visitor in my garden in the shape of a very big frog :eek: How it got in is a bit of a mystery (estate garden with very high walls/ fences) but I'll assume he'll make his way out again. Obviously didn't get the memo that I never got round to making that pond I was planning last year

I tend not to interfere but he's got a bit of a hazardous journey ahead to get to somewhere more suitable... least I can do is leave the gate open and keep the dog in.

whyulittle · 18-02-2012 7:51pm

Wall-to-wall sunshine here this afternoon so I decide I'll head over to Lough Boora.

An hour later I'm being pelted by hailstones driven in on a biting wind.

Was not impressed. :mad:

Bsal · 23-02-2012 2:05am

I was passing the back roads around Dublin airport yesterday and noticed alot of Skylarks singing in the long grass on the inside of the boundary fence

, felt really spring like especially with the car saying it was 15C. Also alot of Curlew and Starlings in the grass areas, every few minutes the fire service where firing flares to disperse them and flocks of them would take off across the runway to the other side.

whyulittle · 29-02-2012 10:10pm

New Monty Halls series started on BBC2 tonight - spending 8 months working in a small English fishing village.

It's funny, I've never really gone in for the whole 'Oh the Irish are a real friendly people' lark. But having seen the crowd in this series, they didn't seem the most friendly and welcoming bunch!

Bsal · 01-03-2012 8:08pm

About six o' clock this evening I witnessed an incredible sight, maybe 5000 Geese, Im guessing Brent, I couldn't put a real number on it, where flying in a sort of swarm very high up in the vicinity of Broadmeadows estuary. I live near Dublin airport so I would be 3-5km away and could see them with the naked eye there was that many of them. I got the binoculars out to have a better look, it was incredible watching them. I lost sight of them as it got too dark. Would these Geese be begining their migration or just gathering to roost for the night?

Scotty # · 02-03-2012 10:15am

A great sight Bsal. I remember a few years ago working outdoors late at night and suddenly the moon came out from behind the clouds. As I looked up I saw the silhouette of rows and rows of geese fly past for about 15 minutes. They were just little specs in the sky they were so high.

On a different note... http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles. Good quality nest cam of Bald eagles sitting on two eggs. If anyone else has good feeds please share

EDIT: Make that 3 eggs. Amazing how small the eggs are for such a large bird.

OpenYourEyes · 05-03-2012 12:05am

Anyone know the best spot in Phoenix park to see Deer, or any good spots to see birds? Going to the zoo tomorrow and bringing a camera, and I know there's much of Phoenix park I have yet to explore!

whyulittle · 23-03-2012 4:31pm

I had my first Marsh Harrier sighting in months yesterday. Partridge were also out and about in the open. Would have got some great shots had the Harriers not been distracting me - practically fell over them!

Coming down the M4/M6 this morning, a single Lapwing and a single Buzzard sighting, and I think a couple of Kestrels.

Nice. :cool:

littlebug · 27-03-2012 9:55am

I've always hated the poo id threads on this forum but yesterday found myself "knowing" pine marten poo when I saw it so...eh... thanks

whyulittle · 28-03-2012 9:19pm

And so the system works!

kincsem · 30-03-2012 8:38pm

This was in the Independent newspaper this morning
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/new-pesticides-linked-to-bee-population-collapse-7601198.html

whyulittle · 02-04-2012 1:26pm

A nice Sparrowhawk pic opening the weather forecast on RTE today.

Bsal · 07-04-2012 9:10pm

My female Sparrowhawk is back after a 6-7 week absence, and is being a bit of a pest to be honest. Killed two of my Sparrows today, could be even more that I did'nt see. On the second kill one of the Yellowhammers was feeding on the ground but had a lucky escape. I have a feeling the Sparrowhawk is feeding its chicks now so this is going to go on for a while.

whyulittle · 07-04-2012 9:19pm

"Sure they were only nuns sparrows". :P

johngalway · 08-04-2012 7:55pm

Saw my second ever stoat today, first one was on the farm, this one crossed the road in front of me, stopping to have a look before moving on.

siledee · 09-04-2012 1:41am

And we have chicks

Starlings..going by the discarded shells.

whyulittle · 24-04-2012 8:42pm

SE Owl spotted at Boora yesterday. :mad:

johngalway · 25-04-2012 8:48pm

Spotted a pine marten running across the road yesterday, first one I've seen.

Bsal · 28-04-2012 5:08pm

I have two baby Collared Doves in the garden today, the first fledglings I've seen so far.

littlebug · 06-05-2012 12:23am

I go past the local turlough on an almost daily basis and in passing there's not usually much of note going on and whatever birds are there are usually too far out for me to see. With the water receding rapidly these days I wasn't expecting anything there today but there was an awful hoohaa with a bunch of lapwing mobbing a hooded crow. I wonder are they nesting there? He didn't seem to bothered about it though. Then 2 grey heron swooped up out of nowhere. I hadn't spotted them at all. I think my presence was bothering them more than the lapwing were so they just moved a bit further out. I've never seen heron there before. A bit further out I could see some small ducks but couldn't make out what they were . Of course I didn't have my camera or even my phone :rolleyes: and couldn't hang around long because my dog wanted to eat them all but it was just a few unexpected minutes of "ooooohhh" that took me by surprise so I thought I'd share

whyulittle · 14-05-2012 4:11pm

Great day wildlife watching, all from the comfort of my car!

Sitting in a retail park in north Co. Dublin, a Buzzard glides over nice and low. A little later, a Kestrel came in.

Down the motorway, there was a Buzzard circling around a field near Kinnegad.

There was a Kestrel or Sparrowhawk in the centre of Moate.

Later saw my first Swift of the year, and a fox crossing a wide road in broad daylight!

ppink · 14-05-2012 4:17pm

there must be something in the air I saw a stoat bounding along the road the other day and then later an otter passed us coming out the gate of a park across a road, over a wall and into a garden!

why would he do that?? he was still soaking from the water.

whyulittle · 15-05-2012 11:41pm

I saw a weird thing today, a dead rabbit caught in a hedge basically.

It looked like it might have been dropped by a Buzzard, and then it wasn't able to see it, or wasn't able to rip it out of the thorns again.

tricky D · 16-05-2012 3:07pm

A pair of gulls were nesting on a flat roof next door to us for the last few days which is a poor location choice by them. We didn't want them to settle in as the racket they make later is pretty annoying going by previous experiences. Just as I'm about to head next door to let them know, a magpie robs their newly laid egg and the gulls now appear to have abandoned the site. Problem solved by nature - no we were never going to try anything once eggs were in play. Hopefully the gulls will find a more suitable location for them, nevermind us, and have more success with their next clutch.

E39MSport · 17-05-2012 5:38pm

I just ordered a kilo of live mealworms from this crowd: -
www.wigglywigglers.co.uk

I'll let you know how it goes.

I couldn't find the shop on the Monkfield site.

Bsal · 26-05-2012 5:37pm

I was watching the airplanes at Dublin airport this afternoon and the fire and rescue people are shooting the Starlings that are in the grass, I seen him collecting a good few dead ones that they had shot. Breaks my heart seeing them do this but the safety of the aircraft is number one.

stupidusername · 26-05-2012 6:02pm

:eek: didn't realise they did that. Hopefully they'll learn to stay away.

Bsal · 01-06-2012 10:18pm

I saw my first ever live Fox today

:D. I was driving past the back of Dublin airport around 15:30 and it ran across the road about 10 metres in front of me. The road was busy too, so I hope it doesn't get hit by a car.

E39MSport · 07-06-2012 4:51pm

6 Yellowhammers on the ground at the feeders just now. That beats my record of 4 last year.

Bsal · 07-06-2012 11:18pm

6 Yellowhammers on the ground at the feeders just now. That beats my record of 4 last year.

I have two pairs visiting my garden, I usually only get them from November to February but this year their still coming to the garden. One of the pairs I noticed has started to bring food off, maybe to feed young I hope.

whyulittle · 14-06-2012 10:05pm

It only dawned on me this evening, during the last episode of Springwatch, that they never once mentioned how the tagged Cuckoos got on.

Bsal · 14-06-2012 11:14pm

Yeah I thought they would have had something on the Cuckoos, but did you see the young Peregrine swimming across the the river in Bath he was a right little messer

. Those Peregrines had an amazing story, with the son from last year helping with the incubation of the eggs and bringing food in to the chicks.

whyulittle · 17-06-2012 3:13pm

Added my first Pine Marten, Badger and possibly Reed Warbler to my list this morning.

Plus could have had a second Pine Marten, or maybe it a Mink - didn't get as good a look at that one.

Kess73 · 20-06-2012 1:21pm

My Lothario wren has not one but two active nests in my garden. I knew he had one, but today I spotted him nipping back to a second nest with food (in one of my nest boxes), and have seen two females at work at the same time.

The first female is from the open fronted nest on one side of the garden, and she (along with Lothario:)) are feeding a little gang of freshly fledged young wrens from that box, and across the garden in the second box the second femal and the same lusty male are popping in and out of the box with food.

The lusty male is certainly doing his bit to ensure that the future wren population in my garden and surrounding area all come from him.:D

Mr Wren is very close to being called Walder, after the character of Wlader Frey from the A Song of Ice and Fire series (from which the excellent tv series Game Of Thrones was spawned)

Has been a fantastic year so far in my area in terms of young birds, here is to plenty more new recruits of differing species over the coming weeks.

ppink · 20-06-2012 3:28pm

Love this.....I hope I am allowed to link to youtube on here:)

swifts need our help! · 24-06-2012 10:54am

Bsal wrote: »

I was watching the airplanes at Dublin airport this afternoon and the fire and rescue people are shooting the Starlings that are in the grass, I seen him collecting a good few dead ones that they had shot. Breaks my heart seeing them do this but the safety of the aircraft is number one.

Aren't starlings red listed?

MeteoritesEire · 29-06-2012 8:06pm

not local birds but thought I'd share this which I just saw on reddit.

dwarf oriental kingfisher.this link leads to a large file so maybe not ideal to open if you're on a phone http://idzr.org/i91v

The photographers website with some awesome bird and other wildlife shots
http://rahulalvares.com/photography/

Traonach · 05-07-2012 5:19pm

Huge decrease in Corncrake numbers across the country this year:(

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