The Hide (chat thread)

trebor28

just watching the rugby from Twickenham, and there is a fox on the field. stadium is full and teams walking out on the field.

fox looks cool out, though it must be quite imposing for him.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The Fox was far from cool. Everything about its body language screamed terrified.

artieanna

What a place he picked to go for his stroll....

littlebug

A question from my 6 year old today....
" Do the black headed gulls have their black heads back on again yet?"

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

And they do indeed! I hope you told her they should be called
chocolate-brown headed gulls.:p

littlebug

Kayla Moldy Supernova wrote: »

And they do indeed! I hope you told her they should be called
chocolate-brown headed gulls.:p

I told him I'd take him to Nimmo's pier at the weekend to have a look as I wasn't sure We've had the chocolate brown vs black conversation before:). He knows his gulls better than I do!

littlebug

There was an abundance of very big and very green butterflies in the woods in Cong this morning. Possibly Brimstone though I didn't get a close enough look. It seems a bit early for any of the other green types.

Mothman

Can't be anything else but Brimstone.

homerhop

Talking to a friend earlier and he said you would never guess what he saw yesterday, so I said geese flying over your house. He said yes how did I know. I told him I was in the wood yesterday evening and 2 flights went over it at around 6.30. He said the flights were passing over well into the night that he could hear them cackling as they went over his house.

Rainbowsend

Just back from a trip to New Zealand, and though it is a beautiful country with stunning scenery the lack of birds and wildlife was very noticable, to me anyway. I really missed birdsong and the first thing I heard on my return was the birds singing their hearts out. We really are very lucky here with the vast range of birds and wildlife available to us.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

homerhop wrote: »

Talking to a friend earlier and he said you would never guess what he saw yesterday, so I said geese flying over your house. He said yes how did I know. I told him I was in the wood yesterday evening and 2 flights went over it at around 6.30. He said the flights were passing over well into the night that he could hear them cackling as they went over his house.

Many species of Goose will be returning north from now in to April.

homerhop

Noticed a bunch of pine cones scattered around an old stump yesterday freshly stripped to the core.

stupidusername

I meant to say ages ago that I saw a black headed gull over the liffey one evening.

I'm heading out to bull island today apparently there's a bird sanctuary there. hopefully i'll get some good pics.

Mothman

Mothman wrote: »

(posted 8th Feb)
My swans have left for now, probably to get their fix of Johnson, Mooney and O'Brien....

Remarkably, they stayed away till this morning :eek: Great to see them I need them to give the Bulrushes/Reed mace in check

I haven't checked to see if they are "my" swans but they seem quite familiar with the place.

Was really starting to think that the recently acquired dog had driven them off, but on the other hand, I didn't really believe that she would give up on site that she has nested in for the last 8 years or so.

Hopefully there'll be plenty more to this story this year

EDIT, they are "my swans". I've just driven out of my new little pond. :rolleyes:
I may put a fence up, or just tie the dog there

littlebug

Was that windy or what? :eek: I've been awake since before 5 listening to bins, basketball stand and other various things blowing over.

trebor28

came home lateish last night and could hear a dog going mad barking out in his run.
went out to check and there was a hedgehog in the run all curled up.
the ground was fairly worn around him so i dont know how long it was going on for.
moved the hedgehog to a quiet spot and checked on him bout 10 mins later but he was gone.

Half-cocked

Spotted a few swallows up near Dunshaughlan, Co. Meath today. Also a few Yellowhammers, are they getting more common, I see them a lot now.

Mothman

TRNIALL wrote: »

BTW hows the Swans,are they nesting this Year.

Answering a query from another thread.
My Swans have built a nest a bit further away from house than last year and out of direct sight. There may well be eggs laid.

trebor28

anyone else think this forum is gone a bit quiet lately?

alot of our more senior "analysts" seem to be otherwise occupied.

dont think Fearghal has posted in a while, Ditch neither is there something going on?

are they all off at some ornithological conference somewhere?

littlebug

trebor28 wrote: »

anyone else think this forum is gone a bit quiet lately?

It has been quiet.... maybe the good weather has taken people out and away from the internet:pac:
People come and go for whatever reasons. I'm sure I've been away from boards for months at a time over the years. I can't anymore though because they won't give me holiday pay

Mothman

Who'd be at computer when weather is so fine?


Not me....:)

whyulittle

Oh when will this stupid weather clear off.

Today I was out in pleasent sunshine in blue skies, heavy hail, heavy rain, so cold I could see my own breath, and all capped off with thunder and fork lightning!

Mothman

So we got May weather in April and now we have April weather

johngalway

This wind is making everything worse. Showers are turned nasty by it driving them along.

stupidusername

Mothman I'm so jealous of your garden.

whyulittle

Drove Athlone>Galway>Athlone today and spotted something like 5 Kestrels and 2 Sparrowhawks along the way.

Similar numbers a couple of weeks ago.

Brilliant!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Yes, verges along major roads are an important food source for them.

mgwhelan

any one else notice the amount of dead badgers on roads last few weeks.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

We're the season where female badgers have given birth and so what you are seeing is possibly the young badgers that have been driven out of the sett and are looking for their own territory, so travelling to new areas and crossing roads in the process.

whyulittle

Kayla Moldy Supernova wrote: »

Yes, verges along major roads are an important food source for them.

I know yeah but it's still great actually seeing them!