The Hide (chat thread)

Base price · 18-02-2021 12:47am

I was driving near Kilberry in County Meath yesterday and spotted a Red Kite flocked by crows/jackdaws. It was definitely a Kite but the underwing colouring was mottled and the tail wasn't as V shaped that you'd see in a adult. I presume it was one of last years hatchling.

magicbastarder · 18-02-2021 8:45am

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

Came across this website a few days ago, any of these help?
https://fountains-decor.ie/liner-installation-liner-accessories/

I reckon that flashing tape might be the ticket...

SnowyMuckish · 18-02-2021 12:34pm

Measure twice cut once.... I obviously overlooked that rule...

My pond arrived today, I envisaged something far smaller so won’t be as straight forward as I thought to install. Pond liner sounds far more appealing at the moment

New Home · 18-02-2021 1:04pm

Instead of digging, leave it where it is and pour lots of soil around it: not everyone can say they have a pond on top of a hill. :cool:

SnowyMuckish · 18-02-2021 1:31pm

:pac::pac::pac:

Sounds like an interesting plan!

SnowyMuckish · 18-02-2021 4:34pm

Where have ye sourced pond plants from? Future forests is a great source of info but aren’t showing their stock or selling till April, Pond Hobby website is under construction, any other recommendations?

magicbastarder · 18-02-2021 5:43pm

ring pond hobby, he usually closes for the winter but often will open by appointment. it's mainly outdoors so social distancing is possible within the premises, but the main issue you'd face would be getting there.
he might be able to tell you what plants he has in stock, or would recommend for your pond, and you could google them if he was able to send a list?

pottokblue · 19-02-2021 10:09pm

Saw my first two packs of frogspawn and heard a frog duck-dive. Sadly not many of the spawn survive to adulthood due to visiting foxes/birds.

Half-cocked · 21-02-2021 1:56pm

Question about frogs and spawn. Some spawn appeared during the night in our pond. We've noticed one adult frog hanging around it all morning while the rest of the frogs disappear during daylight hours. Could this be the female that laid the spawn? Or the male that fertilized it?

Tiercel Dave · 21-02-2021 5:21pm

I don't think that Frogs watch over the spawn after it's been laid. You should be able to make a rough guess at the sex of of the singleton, males are, on average, smaller than the females and at this time of the year have 'nuptial pads' on their thumbs to help with grip during amplexus.....

bkrangle · 22-02-2021 4:38pm

Amazing news if true

https://twitter.com/collieennis/status/1363863655150927888?s=20

Birdnuts · 22-02-2021 7:25pm

bkrangle wrote: »

Amazing news if true

https://twitter.com/collieennis/status/1363863655150927888?s=20

Wow - that would be the biggest re discovery in Zoology for a long time!!:eek:

Read recently too that Wolves on Japan may not be totally extinct either despite the last confirmed being shot over 100 years ago

Birdnuts · 22-02-2021 7:26pm

Pleased to see a Red Kite joining 5 buzzards circling my parents house outside Naas 2day:)

Rosahane · 23-02-2021 12:06pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

Pleased to see a Red Kite joining 5 buzzards circling my parents house outside Naas 2day:)

We thought we saw one last summer after just coming off the N7 at the Straffan exit. Hopefully you get a breeding pair and further expansion.

New Home · 23-02-2021 12:20pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

Wow - that would be the biggest re discovery in Zoology for a long time!!:eek:

Read recently too that Wolves on Japan may not be totally extinct either despite the last confirmed being shot over 100 years ago

Well, there goes that.

https://mobile.twitter.com/collieennis/status/1364085222715842560/photo/1

magicbastarder · 23-02-2021 12:34pm

probably three dozen frogs in the pond in the back garden, and a dozen in the front garden pond this morning. i only put the front one in (it's maybe 1.5m wide at its widest point) to give the frogs which make it to the front garden somewhere to shelter in dry weather, but they've certainly made use of it.

Alun · 23-02-2021 12:36pm

New Home wrote: »

Well, there goes that.
https://mobile.twitter.com/collieennis/status/1364085222715842560/photo/1

The upside is that I now know what a Tasmanian pademelon is

HoteiMarkii · 26-02-2021 12:52pm

Looking out the office window just now and saw a Blue Tit with a Small Tortoiseshell in its beak. Most mornings here this little guy can be seen shadow boxing with his own reflection in car door mirrors. I think there's a pair of them about, who may be looking to nest somewhere close; they became very vocal earlier this morning when a Great Tit was flitting about their favourite Hawthorn. Spring would appear to be on the way, thankfully.

fiacha · 26-02-2021 6:42pm

Certainly feels that way.
Robin, Blackbird and Hooded crow all collecting materials from the garden over the last week. Bullfinch eating the buds on the hawthorn.
Queen bumblebees out foraging. Birdsong from dawn 'till dark.

Bsal · 27-02-2021 1:09am

A couple Blackbirds singing this evening spring is on it's way!

pottokblue · 27-02-2021 12:50pm

Love Spring, birdsong and the dawn chorus!

Fakediamond · 04-03-2021 9:22am

I heard a great spotted woodpecker drumming in my garden yesterday. They visit my peanut feeder regularly, scattering the little birds.

Thrilled to have them around, still such a novelty.

magicbastarder · 05-03-2021 11:10pm

needs to be viewed in full screen and HD; the fungi this chap has been photographing are stunning. he's based in australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYunPJQWZ1o

SnowyMuckish · 06-03-2021 9:39pm

Went to visit my mother today, my late father built a 3 tier pond system in the garden a few years ago which is now teaming with frog spawn. It took all my might not to take a small jar of it back to my own pond, good things come to those who wait, or so I kept telling myself today :pac: :pac:

magicbastarder · 07-03-2021 12:49pm

dropped my wife out to where her horse is stabled, 30km there and back in the car (we're allowed outside 5km for animal care reasons).
between the drive out, five minutes at the stable, and the drive home, i saw one red kite and at least seven buzzards. at one point, we could see three buzzards and the red kite at the same time.

now, that's a good haul for 40 minutes in the car, but only ten years ago that would have been extraordinary to see.

Birdnuts · 08-03-2021 1:45am

magicbastarder wrote: »

dropped my wife out to where her horse is stabled, 30km there and back in the car (we're allowed outside 5km for animal care reasons).
between the drive out, five minutes at the stable, and the drive home, i saw one red kite and at least seven buzzards. at one point, we could see three buzzards and the red kite at the same time.

now, that's a good haul for 40 minutes in the car, but only ten years ago that would have been extraordinary to see.

Experienced something similar yesterday near my parents place in North Kildare - a kettle of 7 buzzards over a quarry being mobbed by an irate Peregrine

Scotty # · 13-03-2021 6:38pm

Recently discovered the series Earth from Space which RTE are showing at the moment but I think it's a BBC product?

Best nature doc that's come along in several years IMO!

Scotty # · 13-03-2021 7:35pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

needs to be viewed in full screen and HD; the fungi this chap has been photographing are stunning. he's based in australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYunPJQWZ1o

You undersold it Magicbastarder... incredible images!!

boccy23 · 16-03-2021 9:22am

I have run out of peanuts. Before i buy a big bucket, when is it normal to stop feeding these and fat balls?

Fakediamond · 16-03-2021 10:01am

boccy23 wrote: »

I have run out of peanuts. Before i buy a big bucket, when is it normal to stop feeding these and fat balls?

The advice now is to feed birds all year, although I find they don’t eat as much during the warmer months.

I only feed fat balls during extreme cold. Usually I supply peanuts and sunflower hearts in the feeders.

appledrop · 16-03-2021 7:28pm

I saw a small tortoise butterfly on my walk this evening.

It must have came out of hibernation with the nice weather.

vistafinder · 17-03-2021 9:17pm

Chiffchaffs singing since monday in the south west and a few bumble bee queens making a move. Saw 2 butterflies out cycling today too. Not able to identify them.

SnowyMuckish · 17-03-2021 9:50pm

Haven’t seen a single bumblebee yet. The sight of the first queen is always my highlight of Spring, that and the first time you see them feeding off something you planted just for them. I look forward to it every year!

I noticed a pair of bluetits using one of our nest boxes today. It was supposed to be more of a decorative box than a real nest on our patio and I never imagined they’d actually go for it as it’s facing directly south so I thought it would be too hot a site for them, nonetheless they seem happy with their new home!

magicbastarder · 19-03-2021 10:06pm

was trying to think of some table quiz style questions for friends' kids, as much to educate as to be interesting themselves.

e.g. a bit advanced, but 'name as many native irish species which have repeated names in their latin binomials as you can'? e.g. common wren, badger, buzzard - and then got wondering myself how many there actually are!

pottokblue · 20-03-2021 11:54am

Looking at the INpictures week in wildlife on the Guardian website and I had skin shudder, stomach turning when I saw the picture of the "Polarbear Hotel" in Harbin. We need to protect wildlife from ourselves....

Spring spotting, I saw my first redbutterfly and ladybird 2021 on my canalbank walk on tuesday....

Alun · 20-03-2021 4:26pm

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

Haven’t seen a single bumblebee yet. The sight of the first queen is always my highlight of Spring, that and the first time you see them feeding off something you planted just for them. I look forward to it every year!

We've had two trapped in our conservatory in the last week. The queens fly in the open door, and then can't find their way out again without a bit of help from me, a glass and a bit of cardboard

I noticed a pair of bluetits using one of our nest boxes today. It was supposed to be more of a decorative box than a real nest on our patio and I never imagined they’d actually go for it as it’s facing directly south so I thought it would be too hot a site for them, nonetheless they seem happy with their new home!

Noticed a bluetit checking out our camera nestbox today too.

Alun · 20-03-2021 4:34pm

pottokblue wrote: »

Looking at the INpictures week in wildlife on the Guardian website and I had skin shudder, stomach turning when I saw the picture of the "Polarbear Hotel" in Harbin. We need to protect wildlife from ourselves....

That doesn't surprise me at all. From my experience the average Chinese tourist has little to no respect for nature or wildlife.

I actually came to blows with a Chinese man while on holiday in NZ in 2019 who was trying to shine a torch at, and poke a little blue penguin that was hiding under his campervan with a broom so he could get a picture of it. They were making their way from the water to a place on the campervan park where they nested, plenty of signs all over the place warning people not to disturb them. and we were made aware of the situation when we checked in.

Plenty of other examples on the same holiday too.

Birdnuts · 21-03-2021 1:29am

Clocked the first Chiffchaff of the year yesterday near my parents place in North Kildare. They are always the first of our summer visitors to arrive and always in and around the week of Paddy's day

pottokblue · 21-03-2021 11:02am

I tried to give my 2 garden robins a porridge oats breakfast thismorning but the 2 magpies beat them to it.

SnowyMuckish · 22-03-2021 11:00pm

Interesting program advertised on RTÉ for Sunday, “Back from the Brink”. Looking at the return of wildlife such as the red squirrel.

I usually can’t cope with watching nature or David Attenborough style programs as they’re always so upsetting but nice to see a positive story for a change, think I’ll give this one a watch.

magicbastarder · 24-03-2021 1:05pm

https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/1370006854521208834

Bsal · 25-03-2021 12:40am

Had an interesting visitor to the sunflower feeders today, a female Linnet! I've been feeding birds for about 15 years now in my garden and this is the first time I've seen a Linnet come to the feeders, she was sharing the feeders with 4 or 5 Goldfinch.

fryup · 25-03-2021 10:55am

lucky you, never ever had a linnet in my garden - east clare

come to think of it never had a - yellowhammer, brambling, crossbill or redpoll either

sharkman · 25-03-2021 10:57am

magicbastarder wrote: »

dropped my wife out to where her horse is stabled, 30km there and back in the car (we're allowed outside 5km for animal care reasons).
between the drive out, five minutes at the stable, and the drive home, i saw one red kite and at least seven buzzards. at one point, we could see three buzzards and the red kite at the same time.

now, that's a good haul for 40 minutes in the car, but only ten years ago that would have been extraordinary to see.

I drop my daughter to stables most days and see a red kite most days and buzzards nearly every day . Could be the same stables . Out neer the Coolquay Lodge by any chance ??

fiacha · 25-03-2021 3:32pm

A lone Goldfinch in full song in the tree outside my house every day now. I really missed not having them around over the winter.

SnowyMuckish · 25-03-2021 7:03pm

Bsal wrote: »

Had an interesting visitor to the sunflower feeders today, a female Linnet! I've been feeding birds for about 15 years now in my garden and this is the first time I've seen a Linnet come to the feeders, she was sharing the feeders with 4 or 5 Goldfinch.

The only time I ever saw a linnet was the year of the bad snow in 2010 when they came to visit our feeders. It was also the first and last time I saw a bullfinch and blackcap.

Pawwed Rig · 26-03-2021 11:26pm

We saw Teale on Bull Island for the first time today. My little boy is delighted with himself. Didn't know wtf it was when I saw it but lucky we had a bird book with us.
Then saw a comorant in St Anne's. Successful day

SnowyMuckish · 26-03-2021 11:47pm

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

We saw Teale on Bull Island for the first time today. My little boy is delighted with himself. Didn't know wtf it was when I saw it bit lucky we had a bird book with us.
Then saw a comorant in St Anne's. Successful day

So special to make memories! it really shapes and influences our little ones. I have the simplest memory of feeding garden birds as a child with my father during a snowy winter and it has lived long in my memory. Hoped you both enjoyed your lovely day

Billy Mays · 31-03-2021 8:56am

Saw a kingfisher flying up the Liffey at Guinness earlier this morning

Must be 25 years since I last saw one

magicbastarder · 31-03-2021 9:01am

you occasionally see them on the tolka near the botanic gardens. egrets, too.

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