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Nature on your farm.

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Comments

  • #62
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Just spotted a hedgehog in the yard when feeding the dogs so came back for the kids to show them. But the fecker had moved on quickly while the kids were finding shoes and phones.

    Only the second one I've seen here so thrilled to see him up close for the first time.


  • #63
    Lady Haywire
    Registered Users Posts: 5,181 ✭✭✭Lady Haywire


    I have bats in my house. Only issue we had was when I had a skip next to the house & the cats learned the side was next to the bat entrance......few dead bats until I greased the side of the skip :pac::(

    Can still hear them which is nice, I always had a fascination with them as I expected them to become little shadowy phantoms after a certain age.


  • #64
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,042 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »
    Just spotted a hedgehog in the yard when feeding the dogs so came back for the kids to show them. But the fecker had moved on quickly while the kids were finding shoes and phones.

    Only the second one I've seen here so thrilled to see him up close for the first time.

    Any wet clay or muck if they cross such as the cow roadway, they leave little miniature 'handprints' behind. With the thumb and all.


  • #65
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,236 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    kollegeknight wrote: »
    We have a grey heron, pine martins, hares, pheasants, a bird of prey in the bog- neighbour reckons it’s a peregrine. Foxes, plenty of small birds, the ragwort eating caterpillars. Butterflies and moths. Bats and a pair of barn owls. Plenty of field mice, And too many slugs

    This guy is on outside of my window. Can anyone identify it?


    490994.jpeg

    Far as I can tell it is this guy

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araneus_diadematus

    Their markings can differ.

    Though it might be a marble orb spider.

    Both can be called the pumpkin spider as well.


  • #66
    feartuath
    Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭feartuath


    First evening I noticed no Swallows.
    None what so ever even though their were chicks in the last nest on Sunday.

    There was 7 nests around my house
    countless more around the yard this year.


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  • #67
    manjou
    Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭manjou


    Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »
    Just spotted a hedgehog in the yard when feeding the dogs so came back for the kids to show them. But the fecker had moved on quickly while the kids were finding shoes and phones.

    Only the second one I've seen here so thrilled to see him up close for the first time.
    just seen my first hedgehog on farm tonight
    so now have red squirrels pine Martin's Fox's badgers buzzards hares loads of other birds otters on lake swans and loads of insects. will have to learn some of there names.


  • #68
    Ian OB
    Registered Users Posts: 360 ✭✭Ian OB


    Not a farmer, have a 16 mile each way rural commute though.

    Over the last 7 years I've noticed a marked increase in the number of owls & bats at night on my way home.

    Also a fairly healthy number of foxes around too. The range that I'm seeing them has increased from a 2 mile stretch to a nearly 6 mile stretch.

    Saw my first dragon flies since the mid 80s this summer too. Ditto caterpillars. And, as for the amount of butterflies this summer...


  • #69
    ganmo
    Registered Users Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    https://www.farmingfornature.ie/nominees
    Some impressive people here


  • #70
    forgottenhills
    Registered Users Posts: 441 ✭✭forgottenhills


    ganmo wrote: »
    https://www.farmingfornature.ie/nominees
    Some impressive people here

    Wasn't aware of that website - as you say there are some really good people working with nature on their farms listed there.


  • #71
    jfh
    Registered Users Posts: 2,261 ✭✭✭jfh


    I recommend the book field of dreams, exactly what this thread is about


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  • #72
    Lady Haywire
    Registered Users Posts: 5,181 ✭✭✭Lady Haywire


    jfh wrote: »
    I recommend the book field of dreams, exactly what this thread is about

    Is it? I guess in a way. I've only seen the film, didn't know it was an adaption.
    One thing i love the internet for is bird calls!
    Ray has more or less floated through life, with a sense more of wide-eyed confusion that discontent. He loves his wife and child, and finds peace on the farm, but his situation is not stable. The farm is bleeding money, and he’s at risk of losing it all. The rapid pace of technology and of big corporate interests threaten to take over the farm, to tear down the farm house he calls home, and replace it with a cinder block, computerized command center, making his precious plot a part of a much larger agribusiness.


  • #73
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,616 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Lady Haywire wrote: »
    I have bats in my house. Only issue we had was when I had a skip next to the house & the cats learned the side was next to the bat entrance......few dead bats until I greased the side of the skip :pac::(

    Can still hear them which is nice, I always had a fascination with them as I expected them to become little shadowy phantoms after a certain age.

    Once a goth always a goth:eek:

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #74
    bobbysands81
    Registered Users Posts: 7,198 ✭✭✭bobbysands81


    dodderangler wrote: »
    Buzzards aren’t really a threat to hares. Buzzards aren’t even good at catching rabbits which are a lot smaller. Even leverets are just as large as a rabbit.
    Could have you plenty of foxes around. Sometimes hares will just up and leave an area and head for higher ground or new feeding areas. Hares don’t burrow so they will often be on the move once the leverets are grown.

    I saw a buzzard struggle to take a baby rabbit last year. The baby rabbit was already dead (could it have been killed by the Buzzard) and as I came round the corner the buzzard tried to fly off but ended up dropping the rabbit as it couldn’t fly away.


  • #75
    jfh
    Registered Users Posts: 2,261 ✭✭✭jfh


    Lady Haywire wrote: »
    Is it? I guess in a way. I've only seen the film, didn't know it was an adaption.
    One thing i love the internet for is bird calls!

    Sorry the other field of dreams!
    https://blackstaffpress.com/field-of-dreams-9781780731728


  • #76
    Dinzee Conlee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,138 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    Can anyone tell me what this is? Nice red berries on it, whatever it is...
    They look so red, i’d say it’s poisonous ;)


    Mod: Answers by PM, as this is a 'No chat' thread. Let me know the consensus and I'll post the answer here. My guess is Cotoneaster.

    Sorry, meant to post in the nature thread, where people could respond...


  • #77
    Lady Haywire
    Registered Users Posts: 5,181 ✭✭✭Lady Haywire


    jfh wrote: »
    Sorry the other field of dreams!
    https://blackstaffpress.com/field-of-dreams-9781780731728

    I even searched for a second book of the same name & couldn't find it, D'oh!


  • #78
    arctictree
    Registered Users Posts: 4,283 ✭✭✭arctictree


    Per post earlier, see a lizard about once a year here. (East Wicklow).

    Lots of buzzards and red kites here. Any carcasses left out dont last very long.


  • #79
    Muckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    First pair of whooper swans of the season arrived on the farm today.


  • #80
    Muckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    Some lovely berried holly growing along the banks of a land drain


  • #81
    Base price
    Registered Users Posts: 11,132 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    Muckit wrote: »
    Some lovely berried holly growing along the banks of a land drain
    Serious amount of berries in the hedgerows this year. I hope the old wives tale doesn't hold true for a harsh winter.


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  • #82
    Dinzee Conlee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,138 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    Muckit wrote: »
    Some lovely berried holly growing along the banks of a land drain

    Bit early for holly is it not?


  • #83
    Muckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    Dinzee Conlee wrote: »
    Bit early for holly is it not?

    I wouldn't really have a clue! That photo was taken this evening though!


  • #84
    SmartinMartin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,937 ✭✭✭SmartinMartin


    Dinzee Conlee wrote: »
    Bit early for holly is it not?

    I noticed 3 weeks ago about 75% of our hollys had berries. Funny enough last year not one tree in the area bore fruit.


  • #85
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,631 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Base price wrote: »
    Serious amount of berries in the hedgerows this year. I hope the old wives tale doesn't hold true for a harsh winter.

    Yeah - amazing year for all types of fruit both wild and garden. Best Apple crop here in years plus the rasberry bushes are providing a continous tasty supply for the porridge every morning:D


  • #86
    ganmo
    Registered Users Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    Yeah - amazing year for all types of fruit both wild and garden. Best Apple crop here in years plus the rasberry bushes are providing a continous tasty supply for the porridge every morning:D

    Your raspberries are still producing?


  • #87
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    ganmo wrote: »
    Your raspberries are still producing?

    Mine are too


  • #88
    80sDiesel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭80sDiesel


    Dinzee Conlee wrote: »
    Can anyone tell me what this is? Nice red berries on it, whatever it is...
    They look so red, i’d say it’s poisonous
    Sorry, meant to post in the nature thread, where people could respond...

    Looks like wild cherry. Bitter but not poisonous.

    A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.



  • #89
    ganmo
    Registered Users Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Lena Rancid Windpipe wrote: »
    Mine are too

    Ye lucky sods ours only produce during the summer. Now they get no TLC and were planted well before I was born so they have nothing working for them


  • #90
    Dinzee Conlee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,138 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    ganmo wrote: »
    Ye lucky sods ours only produce during the summer. Now they get no TLC and were planted well before I was born so they have nothing working for them

    I think it depends on variety. We have some that fruit in the summer, and then others than fruit from Sept on.
    And it’s the Sept ones that did well this year...

    Bit like yours - ours get no care as well... :(


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  • #91
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,631 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    ganmo wrote: »
    Your raspberries are still producing?

    They sure are - I have a mix of Raspberry and Loganberries. Huge contrast to last year when the drought put paid to any decent crop. This fruit actually embraces cool, damp summers which is why the best crops in the UK are grown in Scotland. Currently they are still flowering too but I guess that will come to a sharp end with the first significant frosts. Pollination is so important for these fruits to get good sized berries so its a good thing that they seem to be very popular with a variety of bumble bee species


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