The Hide (chat thread)

mgwhelan

Saw my first ever newts today whist cleaning out a cattle trough, I take it that the first one is a male which is black in colour with orange on its belly, the second one is bigger and brown in colour. Are the females usually bigger than the males?

Sorry about the photos crap phone, thats a euro in the second one.





P.S I put them back under the trough when I was finished

whyulittle

Brilliant!

The males have a crest running down the back to the end of the tail in breeding season and are more spotted than the females.

If you have the time I know the IWT are eager to get sighting records in, you can submit the record here.

mgwhelan

whyulittle wrote: »

If you have the time I know the IWT are eager to get sighting records in, you can submit the record here.

Thanks for the link, have it done there now.

Bsal

I had another ringed bird in my garden today, this time a Redpoll

tricky D

Woot! Our house martins have just arrived back this afternoon. There's about 6 of them busy mudding up when the gulls aren't hanging around.

The robins have also been on the nest for almost 2 weeks so hatching is imminent.

Half-cocked

Here's a pic of our 2 Robin chicks. You can see an unhatched egg in the nest. Hard to believe that these two came out of eggs this size 9 days before the shot was taken!

MeteoritesEire

did everybody see the video of that bald eagle snatching the fish off fishermans line?

was gonna post to videos I took but I didn't take it

so funny his reaction--watch it 7 times in a row like I did

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

Bsal

I saw on the news earlier that they are cutting the grass at Dublin airport for fodder, what sort of effect will this have on ground nesting birds like the Skylark which are nesting there at the moment. I would imagine the nests will be destroyed. Also, after they cut the grass last summer there was a major problem with starlings and they ended up shooting most of them.

Zoo4m8

In the paper this morning a spokeswoman for the DAA said " the grass at Dublin Airport is managed in order to deter birds nesting or feeding on the airfield and grass cutting is managed in a specific way so that airport operations are not affected"

whyulittle

Spotted my first Lizard today! Just the back end of it as it crawled into some grass, but still!

whyulittle

A Cuckoo and 3 Buzzards just 5 minutes from the house.....coooool!

MeteoritesEire

my hooded crows(I say mine,they live in a tree nearby) had 4 littluns this year--they had 3 in 2010 then none in 2011 and none in 2012
so funny watching the young ones just discovering that they can't catch the chaffinches who are eating the seed I put out

littlebug

9 days ago we came across a seagull with a broken wing. It was wandering around between two small fields. Nothing we could do but leave nature take its course. Walked that way a few times since then and didnt see it so assumed that it had expired. Then this evening there it was again, still wandering round the same two fields, looking no worse off than 9 days ago. I guess there are plenty of worms and insects for it to live on. Has me wondering how long it's been there and how much longer it will last. Hard to explain to kids that there really isnt anything we can do

Bsal

I've had a Robin back visiting and collecting food in my garden for last couple of days seems he's feeding young in the nest. He is very tame so today I held out my hand with some food on it and he landed on my hand

whyulittle

More coolness today, a Corncrake a few minutes walk from the centre of town!

Capercaille

whyulittle wrote: »

More coolness today, a Corncrake a few minutes walk from the centre of town!

Are you near the Callows???

whyulittle

I'm in Athlone, another has been recorded near Shannonbridge. They believe the one at Athlone has a mate as it has been heard in the area since June 20th. It's the first one there since 2005.

Capercaille

whyulittle wrote: »

I'm in Athlone, another has been recorded near Shannonbridge. They believe the one at Athlone has a mate as it has been heard in the area since June 20th. It's the first one there since 2005.

That's brillant. After last couple of years with the Shannon summer floods, I was really expecting them to be extinct from the Shannon Callows this year. It's great to hear that Corncrake are hanging on there.

On my patch the Mullet penisula we have 24 Corncrake (one on my farm) and another 23 in Connemara. With around 50 males calling out West, that is a good year. With the good weather chick survival will be good. The only drawback with the good weather is people are cutting hay away. Last year the bad weather prevented many people cutting early, which prevented alot of Corncrake deaths.

Mothman

We found a dead Bumble Bee in the paddling pool couple evenings ago.
Was left on picnic bench. The next morning I picked it up to remove it and there was a tiny movement :eek:

My daughter offered honey/water mix and it drank it and by the evening it flew off :eek::)

I think my daughter now believes in miracles
I think I do too :eek:

Mothman

Have a bucket of water for cow in corner of barn. It had a resident this morning

Bsal

With the good weather for the last while and a descent summer in general the Swallows and Swifts in my area (Swords) seem to be doing well after a poor year in 2012. Has anyone else noticed them around in good numbers this year?

Kicking Bird

Bsal wrote: »

With the good weather for the last while and a descent summer in general the Swallows and Swifts in my area (Swords) seem to be doing well after a poor year in 2012. Has anyone else noticed them around in good numbers this year?

Yes Bsal,I've seen significant numbers on the Plains of the Curragh this year;looks like it's going to be a bumper year for the Swallow population!

I live close to an old sand and gravel quarry and couldn't believe the amount of Sand Martins present too,so it looks like it's a good year for the Hirundinidae family in general!

Capercaille

Fionn my Corncrake still calling in my umbellifer patch. Two corncrake calling in neighbouring farm now. A corncrake duel is happening:)

amtw

A pair of Crossbills visited our garden this afternoon. The stayed for about 5 mins feeding on the cones of a Cedrus Atlantica. I have never seen one before, are they rare?

OpenYourEyes

amtw wrote: »

A pair of Crossbills visited our garden this afternoon. The stayed for about 5 mins feeding on the cones of a Cedrus Atlantica. I have never seen one before, are they rare?

They're not endagered or anything, but I still wouldn't say they're abundant - they'd probably be considered "locally common" if you know where to find them. A great sight to see in your garden!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

amtw wrote: »

A pair of Crossbills visited our garden this afternoon. The stayed for about 5 mins feeding on the cones of a Cedrus Atlantica. I have never seen one before, are they rare?

Where abouts are you? Coronation Plantation in Co. Wicklow, Union Wood in Co. Sligo and Gosford Forest Park in Co. Armagh are good spots for them all year round.

tricky D

Excellent footage of a probable Red Kite just caught on the Tour de France from the helicopter a minute ago.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

tricky D wrote: »

Excellent footage of a probable Red Kite just caught on the Tour de France from the helicopter a minute ago.

France has the second highest population of red kites in Europe with over 3000 breeding pairs. So they care quite a common sight over there.

tricky D

Yup. The thing about the footage was that it was from above which seems pretty rare.

MeteoritesEire

in past few days have noticed this years hooded crows and magpies both pecking at bits of my turf.Actually taking small bits (half fist size) and taking them away and pecking at them.I know there's plenty of insects living around the turf, but actually inside? or are they at something else entirely.Maybe just young birds being curious.Never noticed this before though