The Hide (chat thread)

Traonach

googsy wrote: »

Only Christmas thing I got was a Garden Bird calender... which was meant for someone else... My parents now have three foxes coming around the back of the house this year.. which was better viewing entertainment than most of the sh1te that was on the TV this year... beautiful animals !

Excellent stuff! Were they a family group or separate foxes?

On a separate note,I left out to goose carcasses for "my" vixen, I hope she liked them.

googsy

Traonach wrote: »

Excellent stuff! Were they a family group or separate foxes?

On a separate note,I left out to goose carcasses for "my" vixen, I hope she liked them.

They are a group, it started with one a few years ago.... we then had two and now three... they have a funny behavioral trait most times when taking the food where one comes in, takes a portion of food and then another will come in from the field when the other goes off to eat.... I wasn't there last night but apparently this reserved trait wasn't displayed last night due to turkey carcass being on the menu...

I think they are getting more turkey tonight... well deserved as they have dealt with the pesky rabbit problem we were having for years in the garden

trebor28

This weather is playing right havoc with the plants around me. Have dandelions and furze bushes in bloom around me. New Years Eve imagine

whyulittle

Not flowering, but the Daffodils started to come up here the a couple of weeks ago.

bogtreader

A Happy New Year to one and all
A successful year nature hunting

Rainbowsend

Bumble bee in the garden today :eek: What on earth will
it live on till the flowers start to bloom?

littlebug

Happy New Year
(said with a grin and the glow of too many hot ports )

stupidusername

Just read about this on FB, thought I'd post a link here in case anyone's interested. It's a bird race on in Dublin this Saturday. It really sounds fun. I'd like to go, but my knowledge of birds really isn't that great, plus I've kinda got plans Saturday now.

Mothman

Bumble Bees are active here. They are foraging on Rosemary and Crocuses.
It has been quite mild. Cut grass last week and the growth since can be seen.

OpenYourEyes

Quick Question! If I was to go out to Dun Laoghaire without any binoculars and with a camera with a basic enough lens, how good a look at the bird life there could I expect to get?

Just wondering if I'll try and plan a trip over the weekend, or if I should wait til Ive been reunited with my binoculars!

Any help appreciated!

Rainbowsend

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Quick Question! If I was to go out to Dun Laoghaire without any binoculars and with a camera with a basic enough lens, how good a look at the bird life there could I expect to get?

Just wondering if I'll try and plan a trip over the weekend, or if I should wait til Ive been reunited with my binoculars!

Any help appreciated!

Well in my experience most of the bird life would be in and around the shore,
and along the pier, especially the East pier where there wouldnt be as many
people. Along the sea front heading towards Sandycove you will find Heron,
Cormorants and many other birds picking among the seaweed and rocks.
Good luck.

Kess73

Am watching a standoff that has been going on for nearly 30 minutes now.

It involved one starling, two bluetits, six or seven redpoll, and a number of chaffinch who are all in one small tree and bush. That tree and bush is surrounded by open ground with the next nearest tree being roughly 60 feet away. In that and staying in clear view facing the smaller tree is my regular male sprawk.

The nearest cover by way of trees or bushes etc to the centre tree with the smaller birds, other than the sprawk tree, would be at least 100 feet away. So if any of the small birds wanted to make a break for it, they would have to be able to cover that distance before the sprawk who is only 60 feet away gets them.

It is like watching nature's version of Assault on Precinct 13. If I go outside and approach the small tree then I would only force the smaller birds into the open.

Kess73

Bluetit just gambled big and won it's gamble. It went for the longer run and made it into some thick gorse. Sprawk did not follow. He is still fixed on the smaller tree.

Kess73

He has attacked the tree. Starling, four redpoll, and a few chaffinch deserted the tree during the attack and escaped.


three redpoll and two chaffinch as now all high in the small tree and the sprawk is back at his tree staring across.

Mickeroo

Is this some kind of metaphorical commentary on the arsenal v united match?

Kess73

Another attack and no kill. Been some time since he used that particular big tree and small tree as his last thing at night hunting spot. Normally he uses it heavily during the breeding season whilst the female is sitting, but the mild winter seems to have left that spot with far more small birds than what is normally there at this time of year ( In particular it has had an unusually high amount of chaffinch) coupled with the army of redpoll I get during each Winter/spring, so I guess he may be switching his hunting spots a bit early this year as a result.

Kess73

Mickeroo wrote: »

Is this some kind of metaphorical commentary on the arsenal v united match?

Totally forgot that was on.

Mickeroo

Kess73 wrote: »

Totally forgot that was on.

Can't blame ya, would find it hard not to watch whats playing out in your garden by the sound of it.

Kess73

The siege has lifted. Sprawk is in the air and the last I saw of him was him heading west across my land towards the small wood.

Looks like those left in my small tree live to see another day.

Rainbowsend

Phew, I only just realised I was holding my breath whilst
reading your posts The tension was unbearable!!

stupidusername

me too

whyulittle

Excuse the rubbish camera-phone quality, but spotted this little fella in B&Q. Thought it was fake at first.

stupidusername

Poor thing must've been scared. did they get him out?

whyulittle

It was happily eating an open pack of suet. I triggered the door out to the garden centre just behind but it didn't make any dash for freedom. I wasn't going to start chasing it.

Alun

whyulittle wrote: »

Excuse the rubbish camera-phone quality, but spotted this little fella in B&Q. Thought it was fake at first.

All I can see is a load of bird food and some feeders. I assume there is an animal on there somewhere, but I can't see it.

whyulittle

Look harder!

Alun

whyulittle wrote: »

Look harder!

I have, even at the full resolution version on pix.ie

Rainbowsend

A little Robin at the back of the shelf to the left

whyulittle

Correct.

Have a look at this one Alun. Can you find the two crocodiles!? I'll post a larger version if I can find it.

kylith

whyulittle wrote: »

Correct.

Have a look at this one Alun. Can you find the two crocodiles!? I'll post a larger version if I can find it.

C2, and maybe B1