Nature on your farm.

Say my name · 07-04-2020 11:23pm

jphoulihan wrote: »

It's sad to see the hawks targeting peaceful and harmless pigeons. They are so sneaky and cowardly! They should take on grey crows and magpies!

I'm not sure nature works like that.

Base price · 07-04-2020 11:28pm

Say my name wrote: »

Remember the times when Easter was about our Lord carrying a cross up a hill while being flogged by Roman soldiers.
And being crucified between two thieves and having a Roman soldier pierce his side with a spear.

Those were good times in primary school.

Brian ðŸ™„

SmartinMartin · 08-04-2020 9:51am

jphoulihan wrote: »

It's sad to see the hawks targeting peaceful and harmless pigeons. They are so sneaky and cowardly! They should take on grey crows and magpies!

Sad, peaceful, harmless, sneaky, cowardly? Some first post, attributing human traits to birds. Get a grip man, pigeons are their natural prey. Do you think they have meetings to decide which species they'll pick on this week?

Markcheese · 08-04-2020 11:36am

jphoulihan wrote: »

It's sad to see the hawks targeting peaceful and harmless pigeons. They are so sneaky and cowardly! They should take on grey crows and magpies!

It'd be a bit different if it was people targeting Hawks , those people would be sad gitts,sneaky and cowardly ...
How many types of Hawks actually go for pigeons anyway ? A sparrow hawk is probably a bit small , a buzzard goes for ground animals ,
Falcons yup ...

Biscuitus · 12-04-2020 3:21pm

Pheasant in the front field beating up all the other contenders. Its quite entertaining and somewhat comical at times to see him run a lad across the field.

Lady Haywire · 15-04-2020 10:06am

Cock pheasants EVERYWHERE! Seen one with two hens on the outfarm, prancing about the WBC though so he's happy. Also seen a vixen & two cubs in the next field so hope Mr Pheasant isn't complacent :pac:

One cuckoo belting away on the outfarm, one beside the lake & one across the moor fields as we call them. There's usually one in the forestry on the Drumlish road too but haven't heard that one yet.
Couple of stonechats around an old quarry which is surrounded by whins. They're never around our farm so it's nice to see them elsewhere.

Almost walked on two snipe yesterday too, in two different corners of this field. Not sure if they nest there but they always appear there in spring & frighten the bejaysus out of me numerous times.

PoorFarmer · 19-04-2020 7:12pm

Spotted a hen harrier this evening. Flew down the middle of one of my fields and landed in the neighbours. Not a HH designated area but he has plenty of cover in his fields.
All the birds on the power lines with absolutely crazy when they spotted it and scattered.

tabby aspreme · 19-04-2020 7:25pm

A couple of last year's fox cubs running around here during the day, doing stuff that the older ones wouldn't dream of, haven't seen any of this year's cubs yet.
The badgers have been spring cleaning recently, and the place is alive with rabbits, haven't seen so many in years

Buford T. Justice XIX · 20-04-2020 9:52pm

This might interest some of you.
https://twitter.com/agriculture_ie/status/1252272194727657476?s=19

Mooooo · 20-04-2020 9:57pm

Spotted this in a drain a few weeks back

Buford T. Justice XIX · 20-04-2020 10:22pm

You reminded me of this poor pic I took last week of about 10 chicks I saw in our river last week. Black and yellow chicks but couldn't get closer to them.

Lime Tree Farm · 20-04-2020 11:07pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Spotted this in a drain a few weeks back

Goldfinch.
Saw a similar one last week, singing his little heart out for several days. same spot on the telephone wire every day. I thought it was a swallow until I zoomed in on the pic. No signs of swallows or cuckoo here yet.

goldfinch 17 april 2020.png

Buford T. Justice XIX · 21-04-2020 9:53pm

Might be of interest to some, and downloadable in pdf chapter by chapter.
https://twitter.com/npwsBioData/status/1252582681923256322?s=19

Base price · 21-04-2020 10:10pm

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

You reminded me of this poor pic I took last week of about 10 chicks I saw in our river last week. Black and yellow chicks but couldn't get closer to them.

They look like mallard ducklings but I could be wrong. Anyway they ain't chicks

Buford T. Justice XIX · 21-04-2020 11:02pm

Base price wrote: »

They look like mallard ducklings but I could be wrong. Anyway they ain't chicks

Yeah, ducklings would be better alright.

dodderangler · 22-04-2020 2:03am

Markcheese wrote: »

It'd be a bit different if it was people targeting Hawks , those people would be sad gitts,sneaky and cowardly ...
How many types of Hawks actually go for pigeons anyway ? A sparrow hawk is probably a bit small , a buzzard goes for ground animals ,
Falcons yup ...

Female sparrowhawk would take doves and magpies and odd pigeon as pigeons are actually bigger than they are. Alot of energy to waste if she failed to kill it. Buzzards are great for jackdaw and rats. Young rabbits too. They're big birds but have tiny feet which is why we dont use them for falconry. We use harris hawks or red tails instead. Falcons yes are main predators of pigeon. Ravens will also hunt pigeon. They may look like a crow on steroids but they do hunt.

dodderangler · 22-04-2020 2:07am

jphoulihan wrote: »

It's sad to see the hawks targeting peaceful and harmless pigeons. They are so sneaky and cowardly! They should take on grey crows and magpies!

Well crows and magpies fight back and can do damage to a buzzard. Pigeons don't fight back. Few wing slaps is all. But a buzzard wont take a pigeon in flight. Wayy too fast for a buzzard. Has to be on the ground on it's own. They prefer jackdaws, crows and young grazer rabbits. But rats are a good food source for them also. The buzzard or hawk as you said is our only native hawk here of buteo family. They play their part on pest control but now they are becoming a pest themselves breeding out of control now

ganmo · 22-04-2020 8:15am

dodderangler wrote: »

Female sparrowhawk would take doves and magpies and odd pigeon as pigeons are actually bigger than they are. Alot of energy to waste if she failed to kill it. Buzzards are great for jackdaw and rats. Young rabbits too. They're big birds but have tiny feet which is why we dont use them for falconry. We use harris hawks or red tails instead. Falcons yes are main predators of pigeon. Ravens will also hunt pigeon. They may look like a crow on steroids but they do hunt.

Theres a couple of ravens around here, they look like normal crows from a distance but it's only when ya get up close ya realise how big they really are

Kevhog1988 · 22-04-2020 9:16am

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Goldfinch.
Saw a similar one last week, singing his little heart out for several days. same spot on the telephone wire every day. I thought it was a swallow until I zoomed in on the pic. No signs of swallows or cuckoo here yet.

goldfinch 17 april 2020.png

Beautiful singers. I used to keep captive ones when i was a kid. Lads cross breed them with canaries. All the finches like greenfinch, chaffinch etc can interbreed

whelan2 · 22-04-2020 2:08pm

Saw this dude this morning while fencing

Thargor · 22-04-2020 3:49pm

Some kind of Magpie uprising going on in Wicklow, they're everywhere.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 22-04-2020 9:45pm

Apple blossoms out in force today.

Doctors room ghost · 22-04-2020 9:46pm

Thargor wrote: »

Some kind of Magpie uprising going on in Wicklow, they're everywhere.

Get yourself the loan of a Larsen trap and a lock of turf bags.
The gun clubs do lend them out

Doctors room ghost · 22-04-2020 9:49pm

theemigrant wrote: »

Beautiful singers. I used to keep captive ones when i was a kid. Lads cross breed them with canaries. All the finches like greenfinch, chaffinch etc can interbreed

The mules are making good money these days.theres a lad on done deal making lovely cages for them with bicycles spokes for the bars and hand painted like a gypsy barrell wagon.

Lime Tree Farm · 22-04-2020 9:49pm

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Get yourself the loan of a Larsen trap and a lock of turf bags.
The gun clubs do lend them out

Not a runner - in the middle of the nesting season

Buford T. Justice XIX · 22-04-2020 9:53pm

Found this in a field today, out about 40 foot from a roadway and ditch. It's about 3 inches in diameter. Any idea what made it and why?

Doctors room ghost · 22-04-2020 9:54pm

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Not a runner - in the middle of the nesting season

Wait them out until they are finished rearing and bag them then.too many mags around the place is a bad job.

Base price · 22-04-2020 11:32pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Saw this dude this morning while fencing

I think it will turn into a Drinker moth.

blue5000 · 22-04-2020 11:32pm

Probably a rabbit Buford.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 23-04-2020 4:03am

blue5000 wrote: »

Probably a rabbit Buford.

I was wondering if that was what was digging there. Surprised to see it there if it is because the ditch behind the roadway is an earthen ditch and much more shelter and peace there for a rabbit?

ganmo · 23-04-2020 9:57am

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I was wondering if that was what was digging there. Surprised to see it there if it is because the ditch behind the roadway is an earthen ditch and much more shelter and peace there for a rabbit?

Borrows need ventilation...and escape hatches.

tonytoc11 · 23-04-2020 12:27pm

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Wait them out until they are finished rearing and bag them then.too many mags around the place is a bad job.

There's no closed season for vermin control

Lady Haywire · 24-04-2020 2:11pm

Goldfinch are everywhere around here. So I'm taking it as acceptable to leave all the dandelions in front of my kitchen window so I can watch them eating the seeds

I've seen 3 foxes in 3 days too, new record for me. One dog, one vixen & cubs & one unknown eating from the cat food dish again.

memorystick · 24-04-2020 2:40pm

I’ve a neighbour in serious trouble for having a pair of tagged Buzzards hanging out of stakes in the middle of the field of barley. He had the bird crowd and some other agency as well. He also bought 7 acres of scrub last year and was told not to clear it. That’s all cleared now. Possible court case and SFP is in danger. Delighted for him. Bôllîx

Dinzee Conlee · 24-04-2020 3:20pm

memorystick wrote: »

I’ve a neighbour in serious trouble for having a pair of tagged Buzzards hanging out of stakes in the middle of the field of barley. He had the bird crowd and some other agency as well. He also bought 7 acres of scrub last year and was told not to clear it. That’s all cleared now. Possible court case and SFP is in danger. Delighted for him. Bôllîx

Who told him not to clear the scrub, and why not?

Sounds like a top lad though in fairness, great to have good neighbours

memorystick · 24-04-2020 3:50pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Who told him not to clear the scrub, and why not?

Sounds like a top lad though in fairness, great to have good neighbours

It was announced before the auction that there would be an issue with interfering with the scrub because it was deemed a sanctuary by some agency. I missed the start of it but it came to 15k per acre.

Dinzee Conlee · 24-04-2020 4:10pm

memorystick wrote: »

It was announced before the auction that there would be an issue with interfering with the scrub because it was deemed a sanctuary by some agency. I missed the start of it but it came to 15k per acre.

He paid 15k/acre for 7 acres of scrub which he was told he couldnt clear? :eek::eek::eek::eek:

memorystick · 24-04-2020 4:19pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

He paid 15k/acre for 7 acres of scrub which he was told he couldnt clear? :eek::eek::eek::eek:

https://www.laoistoday.ie/2019/06/17/local-land-and-dwellings-capture-big-price-at-public-auction/

Lady Haywire · 24-04-2020 4:27pm

memorystick wrote: »

https://www.laoistoday.ie/2019/06/17/local-land-and-dwellings-capture-big-price-at-public-auction/

"Lot 3 was C. 7 acres of land which was covered in overgrown forestry and shrubbery but described as having good potential."

That doesn't sound like it was sound as unclearable?

memorystick · 24-04-2020 4:43pm

Lady Haywire wrote: »

"Lot 3 was C. 7 acres of land which was covered in overgrown forestry and shrubbery but described as having good potential."

That doesn't sound like it was sound as unclearable?

There were certain conditions announced at the start.

ganmo · 24-04-2020 7:00pm

memorystick wrote: »

There were certain conditions announced at the start.

Unless they were on the deeds they arent enforceable

Say my name · 02-05-2020 12:29pm

I have this quest building a nest in a tree beside the house.
Nice to see them working away.

*pic quality not great as had to zoom in.

Markcheese · 02-05-2020 1:54pm

What sort of idiot shoots buzzards anyway ? ,and then just hangs them up tags and all .... ?

bogman_bass · 02-05-2020 3:14pm

I downloaded the seek app by I naturist and have to say it’s class. Just aim your camera at a plant and it will identify it.

Thargor · 02-05-2020 11:02pm

bogman_bass wrote: »

I downloaded the seek app by I naturist and have to say it’s class. Just aim your camera at a plant and it will identify it.

Looks good thanks.

The Rabbi · 03-05-2020 12:32am

bogman_bass wrote: »

I downloaded the seek app by I naturist and have to say it’s class. Just aim your camera at a plant and it will identify it.

I found the app by inaturalist more appropriate when using a camera.:D

Thargor · 03-05-2020 10:01pm

bogman_bass wrote: »

I downloaded the seek app by I naturist and have to say it’s class. Just aim your camera at a plant and it will identify it.

This is a damn good app! They need to smooth out the rough edges though, its a bit buggy and slow, you dont know if its stuck or still working sometimes. All the processing is done locally which is kind of amazing, it doesn't need internet access.

Lime Tree Farm · 05-05-2020 8:42pm

Came across these ducks yesterday, went back with a camera today. Took a bit of time, they were camera shy and anxious for cover in the rushes.

the Mallards 5 May 2020.jpg

Mallard Family 5 May 2020.jpg

tabby aspreme · 07-05-2020 7:31am

I called this young lad up to me yesterday morning, to have his picture taken, and he obliged, trotted on by without a care in the world

whelan2 · 07-05-2020 9:59am

This is my neighbours house

Nature on your farm.

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