The Hide (chat thread)

littlebug

The idea of having an off topic thread was raised by Mothman in the feedback thread a while back so lets give it a go. We can talk about all things non nature or birdwatching related, general banter or indeed anything N/B related that doesn't really warrant a thread of its own.

If I end up just talking to myself I won't take it personally and the thread will just die off but remember it was Mothman's idea not mine :pac:)

So hmmmm... let's see what could we talk about to start with Go on, look out the window and tell the rest of us.... is it SNOWING ?:D

Mothman

Is there any room in here??

I hope you have the fire on, it's fre...

littlebug

plenty of room

**throws another log on the fire**

trebor28

hi, guys.
cold out where i am but no shnow!

bogtreader

No snow in wicklow as yet any sign where you are littlebug if i remember you
are close to the west

littlebug

bogtreader wrote: »

No snow in wicklow as yet any sign where you are littlebug if i remember you
are close to the west

I'm in South Mayo. When I was out between 8- 8.30 there was just the occasional little snowflake falling but by 9pm the place was blanketed though it's stopped snowing now. Hopefully there'll be more overnight... we've got a snowman to build!

bogtreader

Enjoy:D

Mothman

I have one to rebuild though the last couple days turned a lot of him into a puddle.

bogtreader

Did anyone see Johnny kingdom last sunday night BBC 2 i think at seven o clock.
I came across it by accident about birds coincidently it was mostly about
woodpeckers about which mothman had captured .The third and final part is on this sunday.He has cameras at nearly every nest sight in a wood close to his house worth a look i thought

Smartypantsdig

You can't beat a good cup of tea on a day like this!! I just came into what passes as my office (mouldy portacabin), it's Arctic out there but the cup of tea really helps !!

Mothman

Coffee for me.
Sunny here.
I was working sheltered from NW wind and it was ok, but still the cold creeped into fingers and toes.
Most of the frost has lifted and ground is less hard.
Birds about the garden seem happy enough

Mothman

BTW, I saw my hens eating/drinking snow last week. I assume some wild birds do that for a drink.

IceMaiden

At times we use large loose leaved lettuce or cabbage type plants soaked in water & either put-out on the ground or hung in the pens for birds to get moisture from in extreme [hot/cold] weather other birds are seen on them so perhaps are also using them the same.
We have much more snow with freezing temps forecast ,its not looking to promising & fear if this fall freezes then ever more natural feeding will be lost.Now to start on a fresh container of Hot-chocolate before going back outside again.

littlebug

Mmm hot chocolate. There's an idea.

I walked down to the turlough this morning with the camera to see what I could see.... battery flat :rolleyes: so no pics other than a few on my phone. It took me hours and numerous cups of coffee to get warmed up again.

Mothman

Keep the battery warm (use your imagination!)until you need it. There may have been some life left in battery if it wasn't every bit as cold as you felt.

Was there much ice on the Turlough. My ponds have been iced over for 3 weeks.

littlebug

Mothman wrote: »

Was there much ice on the Turlough. My ponds have been iced over for 3 weeks.

Mostly frozen over with a couple of non icy looking patches but it's hard to tell. Not a bird in sight.


(taken on my phone).

I saw a pair of Whoopers later flying over (very low) heading towards Lough Corrib. Hopefully they'll get some respite there.

googsy

With all this snow around it's a great time to see wildlife at night time. When walking home from work I caught a few glimpses of Foxes & Snipes in the fields along the roads.

bogtreader

Eric Dempsey was on Mooney goes wild yesterday he was saying that
15 lapwings were found dead on the coast he reckons starvation.
Usually lapwings would feed in a field close to where i work when it is very cold.
They havent in the 2/3 years after the farmer spread lime
The lime also stopped the mushrooms from growing.
He also asked for people who take their dogs out for walks
to keep them on leads to stop them scaring the birds
as the bird will burn of vital energy

Mothman

When we had the snow here couple weeks back the lapwings were confined to the coastal margins and the foxes were having a field day. A lot of weak birds.
Flocks have moved further inland and I'm seeing numerous flocks on my travels.

littlebug

Frozen pipes anyone?

Mothman

My water is running though a challenge keeping animals watered.
A really cold*night in places with lowest temp ever recorded in Northern Ireland. -18.0C
Also lowest December temperature at Claremorris and Belmullet.

We're heading for 4 weeks of freezing conditions. There wil be a lot of casualties but nature will fight back. Some forecasts are giving milder conditions for weekend. I wouldn't count on it at this stage. Also ground is so cold it'll take longer to tha and rain will freeze on ground.

Meanwhile its sunny here and the animals and birds are seeking out the sunhine.

littlebug

4 weeks :eek:
I can confirm it is very very cold in Mayo. We survived the freeze last year with no water problems so I think we got complacent this year
It could be worse. At least we just have ourselves to look after. I was talking to a local farmer yesterday who is having real trouble keeping his animals watered.

Mothman

Have you seen the frozen Malahide Estuary :eek:

Not even the waders are escaping.

Mothman

Snowing like mad here
5cm in 30 minutes.
more hardship for wildlife, but I love it

littlebug

Is anyone expecting or hoping for anything nature/ birdwatching related for Christmas?
I know I'm getting a book. I know because I bought it. I may suggest he wraps it just so I can act all surprised on Christmas morning :pac:
I would like new/ decent binoculars but they'll have to wait til next birthday.

trebor28

littlebug wrote: »

Is anyone expecting or hoping for anything nature/ birdwatching related for Christmas?
I know I'm getting a book. I know because I bought it. I may suggest he wraps it just so I can act all surprised on Christmas morning :pac:
I would like new/ decent binoculars but they'll have to wait til next birthday.

bit like yourself littlebug, if i get anything it'll be because i bought it myself!

RonMexico

Just spent the last ten minutes watching a snipe in my back garden. Odd little fellow.

littlebug

I had a close encounter with a stoat today when it ran across the road in front of my car. I think the car but not the wheels went over it. I didn't feel a bump anyway.. one very lucky stoat. It was carrying something fairly big so it's not going hungry anyway.

Mothman

Got 8" snow yesterday. the beach almost had the same with the sea spilling into the snow!
Lightning took out the internet network laast night.
Harsh conditons for man and beast. But I love it.....though I do have running water, fuel, shelter, food...take away one of those and I'd love it less

trebor28

Mothman wrote: »

Got 8" snow yesterday. the beach almost had the same with the sea spilling into the snow!
Lightning took out the internet network laast night.
Harsh conditons for man and beast. But I love it.....though I do have running water, fuel, shelter, food...take away one of those and I'd love it less

im with you mothman.
much prefer this over the crappy wintery showers we'll get in march/april!

though in saying that we have had little or no snow in both cold spells.
good in so far as we can drive around no bother, roads are perfect and still people crawling around here, but bad in so far as we have no snow.

pity the poor animals though.
doing my best to keep them fed and watered etc. but it aint easy!

littlebug

Snow takes a surprising long time to thaw. We filled the bath with snow* last night and tonight there's still some snow there.. that's 24 hours with the heat on constantly.

* for toilet flush water... we haven't lost the plot
So if there is a thaw on 26th I think we'll be lucky to have our water back by 27th
So... nice though it is I want it to go away.

bogtreader

littlebug wrote: »

Is anyone expecting or hoping for anything nature/ birdwatching related for Christmas?
I know I'm getting a book. I know because I bought it.
Which book are you getting.
I dont know if im getting anything nature related a nice pair of Bins
would be good

littlebug

Ireland's Animals: Myths, Legends & Folklore
by Niall Mac Coitir

http://www.charliebyrne.com/details.php?ID=509

bogtreader

It was recomended on mooney goes wild as a christmas Present
It sounded very good

splish

littlebug wrote: »

Is anyone expecting or hoping for anything nature/ birdwatching related for Christmas?

Reading A Field Guide to Freshwater Life in Britain and North-west Europe at the moment. Great book published in 1986 encompassing all aspects of freshwater life with detailed keys for most groups. Ordered Complete Guide to British Wildlife and A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. Although some of the material in these editions may be outdated I think they are far more detailed and useful than some modern field guides.

Feargal as Luimneach

Reading Helm field guide to Birds of East Asia:D

littlema

littlebug wrote: »

I had a close encounter with a stoat today when it ran across the road in front of my car. I think the car but not the wheels went over it. I didn't feel a bump anyway.. one very lucky stoat. It was carrying something fairly big so it's not going hungry anyway.

Something got our bunny, it was in a run, with its cage inside, and almost a full cover over the whole lot...but whatever it was it took poor buns head and left me with the rest to ? bury-ground a tad hard for graves- minus 13 that day.Would it have been a stoat or a fox?

bogtreader

little ma wrote: »

Something got our bunny, it was in a run, with its cage inside, and almost a full cover over the whole lot...but whatever it was it took poor buns head and left me with the rest to ? bury-ground a tad hard for graves- minus 13 that day.Would it have been a stoat or a fox?

I would not think it was a stoat or a fox they would have taken the
bunny away for (sorry) dinner else where.
It is a lot trouble to go through and not take the most edible part.
I suspect the possible culprit is mink which kill for the sake killing.
That is my humble opinion some one more knowledgeable than me
might have a better theory

littlebug

I spent a few hours on Inis Mór today. I've never seen so many thrushes- they were everywhere! Lots of pipits too. There were also curlew, sanderling, stonechat and lots of other birds I couldn't identify on the spot but I'll post up some pics later when I've sifted through them.

littlebug

yesterdays lists stands at....

Blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, redwing, fieldfare, meadow pipit, house sparrow, Stonechat, robin, oystercatcher, pied wagtail, snipe, golder plover, mute swan, whooper swan, herring gull, black backed gull, (possible) ring billed gull, great northern diver, wigeon, redshank, sanderling, plover, curlew, snipe, common sandpiper, turnstone and some other ducks and waders that I couldn't get close enough to id.

No finches or tits. I also expected to see linnets as I usually would out there.

trebor28

anyone watch "The bear family and me" on bbc the last 3 nights.

interesting enough, gordon buchannon went out to capture some bear footage in Minnesota to a guy who monitors the bears around him by befriending them and hand feeding them and putting radio collars on them while fully awake.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEZ-yQ9lTeE

Bagmagnet

trebor28 wrote: »

anyone watch "The bear family and me" on bbc the last 3 nights.

interesting enough, gordon buchannon went out to capture some bear footage in Minnesota to a guy who monitors the bears around him by befriending them and hand feeding them and putting radio collars on them while fully awake.

Yeah, missed the first 2, but just caught the last episode tonight. Interesting stuff... Though somehow I doubt that coming face-to-face with a bear will make that hunter lad think any differently. Bear burgers and a bear trap for a doorbell.

trebor28

Bagmagnet wrote: »

Yeah, missed the first 2, but just caught the last episode tonight. Interesting stuff... Though somehow I doubt that coming face-to-face with a bear will make that hunter lad think any differently. Bear burgers and a bear trap for a doorbell.

no will probably not change his mind on the sport, but it looked like it had some affect on him.
but why are they hunting bears in the first place??
tradition!
no other reason!
when you see lads shooting bear who are obviously tagged, and with 20,000 other bears knocking around what chance do the people have!

yes he had bear burgers, but if you were gordon would you have eaten it??

you should try and watch last nights ep.
mad to think that hope survived on her own for so long!

wildlifeman

people who hunt bears are a££holes full stop. there is absolutely no legit reason to shoot any bear unless they are man killers or are encroaching into human habitation both of which is not the case with this young idiot!

BrianJD

wildlifeman wrote: »

people who hunt bears are a££holes full stop. there is absolutely no legit reason to shoot any bear unless they are man killers or are encroaching into human habitation both of which is not the case with this young idiot!

What is enjoyable at shooting a stable large animal. I can understand the skills and possible rush somebody gets for catching a fish but shooting a bear or moose?

magicbastarder

contains a wee bit of profanity:

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/01/07/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/

magicbastarder

trebor28 wrote: »

yes he had bear burgers, but if you were gordon would you have eaten it??

the fact that the guy hunted for food made it somewhat more excusable; the idea of hunting simply because you like killing animals is a disturbing one.

Rainbowsend

A very enjoyable programme, though my heart was in my mouth when Gordon stepped out through the window when Daddy Bear was out there, then to be left alone with him while the other fella went for more nuts! :eek: Not sure I would be so brave!

The new greeting at home now when I come in is "its me Bear" just incase he's in a bad mood

boneless

Just wandered back to the forum for a visit. How is everyone? Good I hope

Mothman

boneless wrote: »

Just wandered back to the forum for a visit. How is everyone? Good I hope

Well, hello stranger...:)

littlebug

boneless wrote: »

Just wandered back to the forum for a visit. How is everyone? Good I hope

Hallo boneless, nice to see you back here