The Hide (chat thread)

recedite

Only perspex, it seems. And a cormorants beak would be sharper than a buzzard's in the horizontal flying position.
Well, hopefully you'll be going full Biggles from now on, with goggles, scarf and flying jacket, so even if you lose the windscreen you'll still be fine.

Woodville56

On IWeBS count duty in recent days came across several decoy ducks along a reedy shore - obviously put there as lures by wildfowlers. Dunno what the general view of these things or this practice is, but personally dislike them. I’ve no problem with wildfowlers per se, but if duck shooters haven’t the skills/fieldcraft to stalk their quarry without use of these decoys , seems a bit of a cheaters charter ?

recedite

Woodville56 wrote: »

On IWeBS count duty in recent days came across several decoy ducks along a reedy shore - obviously put there as lures by wildfowlers. Dunno what the general view of these things or this practice is, but personally dislike them. I’ve no problem with wildfowlers per se, but if duck shooters haven’t the skills/fieldcraft to stalk their quarry without use of these decoys , seems a bit of a cheaters charter ?

Using guns as opposed to a bow and arrow is a bit of a cheat anyway
BTW I have sometimes seen these decoys at ornamental ponds outside hotels and the like. Not sure if this is a deliberate way of encouraging real ducks for improving the aesthetics of the place, or if its just what happens at the end of the evening after wildfowlers have imbibed a few pints at the bar.

OpenYourEyes

Woodville56 wrote: »

On IWeBS count duty in recent days came across several decoy ducks along a reedy shore - obviously put there as lures by wildfowlers. Dunno what the general view of these things or this practice is, but personally dislike them. I’ve no problem with wildfowlers per se, but if duck shooters haven’t the skills/fieldcraft to stalk their quarry without use of these decoys , seems a bit of a cheaters charter ?

I was actually down at a lake in the midlands with the local BWI branch last year, showing them how to do an I-WeBS count, and across the lake there were two lads dropping a load of decoys. It was a bit of a windy day - to be honest if I hadn't seen them putting them out I probably would have counted them!

Birdnuts

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I was actually down at a lake in the midlands with the local BWI branch last year, showing them how to do an I-WeBS count, and across the lake there were two lads dropping a load of decoys. It was a bit of a windy day - to be honest if I hadn't seen them putting them out I probably would have counted them!

I spent 2 hours back in May on a Fen lake in Roscommon trying to id 3 unusual ducks - I got nearer and nearer till it became clear there were decoys!!, I'd say some of the locals driving by had a good laugh to themselves:o

Zoo4m8

Two swallows battling the gales round the garden a couple of minutes ago!

Make that four now..

Keplar240B

sparrows are unbelievable just feeding and washing away even during the most powerful gusts , like nothings going on.

fryup

what do birds usually do during storms? stay in their nest and hunker down?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

what do birds usually do during storms? stay in their nest and hunker down?

Not in nests no. Nests are primarily for rearing young. But, they do hunker down. Some studies suggest birds can sense an approaching storm a few days away, by ultrasound emitted by storms, and that migratory birds will leave an area early or alter their routes accordingly. However, fleeing an area is not practicable for most bird species. They just hunker down, as you said, and shelter on the leeward side of trees or inside thick hedges. The decreased wind speed in these microhabitats is considerable.

Austria!

There's a park by me, with grass that gets cut. There's a 50 narrow strip at the border which no one uses, but still gets cut. Would it be better for wildlife if it's never cut or less frequently cut? If so, how do I go about making this happen?

recedite

Ideally, for a wildlife meadow, the grass would be grazed in early spring and again in late summer. During May/June wildflowers would bloom and the grass would grow longer, and insects would abound.

However its going to be difficult to replicate this with conventional parks dept. machinery.

It might be possible for a residents association or similar to come to an agreement with the park maintenance people to take over management of the strip. But it would be a lot of extra work compared to just mowing it as usual.

Capercaillie

recedite wrote: »

Ideally, for a wildlife meadow, the grass would be grazed in early spring and again in late summer. During May/June wildflowers would bloom and the grass would grow longer, and insects would abound.

However its going to be difficult to replicate this with conventional parks dept. machinery.

It might be possible for a residents association or similar to come to an agreement with the park maintenance people to take over management of the strip. But it would be a lot of extra work compared to just mowing it as usual.

Would be better to mow once in the autumn (minimum mid-September) and bale away the grass. If strong aftergrass, then some aftermath grazing for a few weeks (a month after mowing). Meadow should be closed by end of November.

Base price

I saw a male hen harrier this afternoon, my first time seeing one. It was been harassed by crows and jackdaws.

recedite

A lynx on the loose in Wales.
I wonder how long it will remain in the wild. Reared in captivity, but at one year old, its a good age for the natural dispersal instinct to kick in.
And if it finds somewhere suitable to live, they can be a very elusive animal.

I thought this bit was weird ...

There have been other sightings further afield, including a Borth householder who phoned the zoo to say the cat was in her garden. Keepers hurried over only to find it was a sheep.

I mean, if you're the kind of person who has sheep in the garden, surely.....

Half-cocked

Counted 7 Buzzards sitting in one field in Co Kildare yesterday!

Bsal

Have a Goldcrest visiting the garden daily the past week, stunning little bird.

Half-cocked

Half-cocked wrote: »

Counted 7 Buzzards sitting in one field in Co Kildare yesterday!

And today, in the same field, 9 Buzzards!

Rosahane

For the last couple of months the feeders have mainly hosted at least a dozen or so each of goldfinches and sparrows, a few blue and great tits and a robin. However yesterday saw an invasion of redpolls, several greenfinches and three (I think) coal tits. Earlier in the summer we had lots of chaffinches with the sparrows, goldfinches and tits but haven't seen one for weeks.
Early in the year, and last year, the sparrows were very scarce.
...Oh and we get up to ten collared doves sporadically and an occasional sparrow hawk.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A reminder to all: don't forget to clean all feeders tables at least once a week.

ThunderCat

What household products can/can't be used Srameen?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ThunderCat wrote: »

What household products can/can't be used Srameen?

Soap and water, if you have nothing else. Jeyes Fluid is the ideal though.

OpenYourEyes

..and on that note, just a reminder that the Irish Garden Bird Survey is coming up - starting in two weeks time!

http://birdscount.blogspot.ie/2017/11/irish-garden-bird-survey-201718.html

gzoladz

Really excited and lucky to have seen 2 very your otter cubs today on the Dodder just now on my way back from work...off course, I didnt have the camera...so I am going back later today to see if at least I can get a record shot.

Eddie B

gzoladz wrote: »

Really excited and lucky to have seen 2 very your otter cubs today on the Dodder just now on my way back from work...off course, I didnt have the camera...so I am going back later today to see if at least I can get a record shot.

Very young otter cubs! Sure they were otter you seen?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Eddie B wrote: »

Very young otter cubs! Sure they were otter you seen?

Why not?

Eddie B

Kayla Moldy Supernova wrote: »

Why not?

Just threw me a thad, that's all. The "Very young Otters" bit. I've read somewhere before that otters can breed at any time of year, but never witnessed it during the winter.

Also, would they not be close to the mother, if they were very young?

I'm probably way off with this one lol

magicbastarder

so - heather humphreys moved to a different portfolio, josepha madigan moved in to replace her. will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Capercaillie

magicbastarder wrote: »

so - heather humphreys moved to a different portfolio, josepha madigan moved in to replace her. will be interesting to see how this pans out.

He couldn't be any worse than Humphreys, who was a complete and utter disaster....

gzoladz

Eddie B wrote: »

Just threw me a thad, that's all. The "Very young Otters" bit. I've read somewhere before that otters can breed at any time of year, but never witnessed it during the winter.

Also, would they not be close to the mother, if they were very young?

I'm probably way off with this one lol

100% otters. Actually I was convinced they were rats when I saw the movement in the water and after a few seconds I realized they were otters. I watched the for about 1 minute and they disappeared in a hole, supposedly the den. They were thr size of a 3 months old human baby.

The only pic of a baby otter I took was exactly one year ago, also in the Dodder, so same time of the year.

I will try to go this weekend with some light to chance my luck.

Eddie B

gzoladz wrote: »

100% otters. Actually I was convinced they were rats when I saw the movement in the water and after a few seconds I realized they were otters. I watched the for about 1 minute and they disappeared in a hole, supposedly the den. They were thr size of a 3 months old human baby.

The only pic of a baby otter I took was exactly one year ago, also in the Dodder, so same time of the year.

I will try to go this weekend with some light to chance my luck.

Excellent! I'd say you'd get great footage on a trail cam, but probably way too busy on the Dodder to chance something like that.