Nature on your farm.

Base price · 12-02-2020 9:18pm

Biodiversity Ireland are looking for us to participate in a recording scheme - Farmers Wildlife Calendar: Climate Tracker.
Press release: https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/press-release-farmers-asked-to-help-shed-light-on-irelands-evolving-wildlife-calendar-in-response-to-climate-change/?fbclid=IwAR1rQPGF2eQG_xhjNe5haXZ1hp2Aec1Nlf3-FvrI2viUHQhd5x5YUWPIlAA
Link to scheme: https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/record-biodiversity/farmers-wildlife-calendar-climate-tracker/

Buford T. Justice XIX · 27-02-2020 10:07pm

Bit of good news from Johnstown Castle.

https://twitter.com/johnstowncastle/status/1233079861331316737?s=19

zetecescort · 27-02-2020 10:12pm

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Bit of good news from Johnstown Castle.

https://twitter.com/johnstowncastle/status/1233079861331316737?s=19

Harm is an unfortunate name for a wildlife expert

Buford T. Justice XIX · 27-02-2020 10:45pm

zetecescort wrote: »

Harm is an unfortunate name for a wildlife expert

Yeah, I had to read it a second time to make sure I wasn't missing some joke there:D

SmartinMartin · 28-02-2020 12:28am

Plenty of spawn this month :

Buford T. Justice XIX · 04-03-2020 8:44pm

Alder starting to bud down here, spring is getting close now.

Base price · 04-03-2020 10:16pm

SmartinMartin wrote: »

Plenty of spawn this month :

You may not have heard about the initiative from biodiversityireland.ie asking farmers to record certain events - https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/record-biodiversity/farmers-wildlife-calendar-climate-tracker/

blue5000 · 05-03-2020 12:01am

Went for a walk trying to unblock a few bridges to try let water levels drop a bit, came across this little newt ~(thanks lime tree farm).

SmartinMartin · 05-03-2020 12:08am

Wow Blue, what part of the country? The only place I've ever seen lizards in this country was in an old quarry at the back of Swords in Dublin.

blue5000 · 05-03-2020 12:13am

I'm in N Tipp, I've seen them before on dry land usually in the summer, but this is my first time seeing one in water.

SmartinMartin · 05-03-2020 12:15am

Incredible. As far as I know we only have the one species here.

Base price · 05-03-2020 12:28am

blue5000 wrote: »

I'm in N Tipp, I've seen them before on dry land usually in the summer, but this is my first time seeing one in water.

Could you record the sighting along with the picture to https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/

blue5000 · 05-03-2020 12:31am

Base price wrote: »

Could you record the sighting along with the picture to https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/

I could ya. And have the farm on a shortlist for an SAC:eek:

Lime Tree Farm · 05-03-2020 12:39am

Always look for the number of toes, a lizard has five, a newt has four.

SmartinMartin · 05-03-2020 5:39pm

Some sunset over the bay last night:

Lady Haywire · 05-03-2020 5:49pm

Seen a (dead) pine marten on the road this evening:(
On the plus side there was a very live fox, badger & a female deer. Spring is in the air! When I go walking these last few nights I can hear snipe too.
Oh and our whooper swans left too, just the mute pair remaining now, looking for a nest site I think.

Lime Tree Farm · 05-03-2020 6:47pm

There are 4 Whitethorns in the hedgerow that come into leaf earlier than the others every year.

first Whitethorn of Spring 2020.jpg

Whitethorn Hedge row.jpg

The cat brought back some bird's eggshells last week, he must have raided a nest. I think the pigeons are nesting in the ivy.

Thargor · 05-03-2020 10:25pm

blue5000 wrote: »

Went for a walk trying to unblock a few bridges to try let water levels drop a bit, came across this little newt ~(thanks lime tree farm).

[IMG][/img]

I cycled the Grand Canal from Mullingar back to Dublin last Summer, saw a good few of them, well 4 or 5 anyway, never saw them anywhere else before.

But what does this mean?

~(thanks lime tree farm).

blue5000 · 05-03-2020 11:11pm

Thargor wrote: »

I cycled the Grand Canal from Mullingar back to Dublin last Summer, saw a good few of them, well 4 or 5 anyway, never saw them anywhere else before.

But what does this mean?[/QUOTE]

I originally thought it was a lizard, then Lime tree farm posted about newts having only 4 toes, so I realized after I had posted the pic that it is a newt not a lizard.

SmartinMartin · 13-03-2020 8:49pm

Not exactly nature, but a very old and nearly extinct trade. Thatching in Kerry today ;

tabby aspreme · 13-03-2020 9:21pm

Bit of housekeeping going on here, probably a delivery suite

Base price · 13-03-2020 11:27pm

tabby aspreme wrote: »

Bit of housekeeping going on here, probably a delivery suite

Badger sett?

uck51js9zml2yt · 14-03-2020 12:34am

SmartinMartin wrote: »

Not exactly nature, but a very old and nearly extinct trade. Thatching in Kerry today ;

Where is it. Would be nice to bring the family over and show them how it's done. Wife is a foreigner

SmartinMartin · 14-03-2020 1:51am

Kenmare

tabby aspreme · 14-03-2020 10:10am

Base price wrote: »

Badger sett?

It started out years ago as a rabbit burrow, for the last few weeks something has been making it bigger, I think its a fox, not big enough for a badger

PoorFarmer · 14-03-2020 6:00pm

Any idea what would make this type of burrow/nest? Am guessing rodent. Is in a field that has been overgrown for 5-6 years. Is unjust a big tuft of grass

Thargor · 14-03-2020 10:29pm

You forgot to attach a pic...

PoorFarmer · 15-03-2020 11:14pm

Thargor wrote: »

You forgot to attach a pic...

Ooops

CHOPS01 · 06-04-2020 1:40pm

I have a pair of birds of prey who I reckon are nesting in a big old evergreen here on the farm. Spotted one of them about 10 days ago but I've now realized there is a pair which is pretty is exciting.Not sure what they are though. Pretty big in size. They are having a few squabbles with crows and jackdaws.
Would they be buzzards ?

The Rabbi · 06-04-2020 1:50pm

CHOPS01 wrote: »

I have a pair of birds of prey who I reckon are nesting in a big old evergreen here on the farm. Spotted one of them about 10 days ago but I've now realized there is a pair which is pretty is exciting.Not sure what they are though. Pretty big in size. They are having a few squabbles with crows and jackdaws.
Would they be buzzards ?

If they are bigger than the crows and the crows are chasing them.They are
probably buzzards.

Biscuitus · 06-04-2020 1:56pm

In the last week:
2 foxes
Countless pheasants, mostly male
One buzzard
A few rabbits
Lots of squirrels
Hundreds of birds, many I don't know the name of

No rats, mice or pygmy shrews this Winter but I think that's down to the invasion of cats recently

Even the streams are full of small fish.

CHOPS01 · 06-04-2020 2:11pm

Biscuitus wrote: »

In the last week:
2 foxes
Countless pheasants, mostly male
One buzzard
A few rabbits
Lots of squirrels
Hundreds of birds, many I don't know the name of

No rats, mice or pygmy shrews this Winter but I think that's down to the invasion of cats recently

Even the streams are full of small fish.

2 kids just spent last 5 mins observing/playing with a shrew

CHOPS01 · 06-04-2020 2:14pm

The Rabbi wrote: »

If they are bigger than the crows and the crows are chasing them.They are
probably buzzards.

How common are buzzards ?
My next mission is the spot the Owl that was around last year.

Birdnuts · 06-04-2020 4:19pm

CHOPS01 wrote: »

How common are buzzards ?
My next mission is the spot the Owl that was around last year.

Probably one of your commonest BOP's now along with Sparrowhawks - if u want to encourage owls maybe look into suiteable nest boxes for large old trees or outbuildings. They also benefit from traditional hay meadows and WBC for hunting in. Also go with traps for rodent control given the risk of secondary poisoning with rodenticides. A pair orf owls will quickly take care of any vermin issues in any case

Birdnuts · 06-04-2020 4:21pm

Biscuitus wrote: »

In the last week:
2 foxes
Countless pheasants, mostly male
One buzzard
A few rabbits
Lots of squirrels
Hundreds of birds, many I don't know the name of

No rats, mice or pygmy shrews this Winter but I think that's down to the invasion of cats recently

Even the streams are full of small fish.

Unfortunatly they are in stready decline as the invasive White-toothed shrew spreads after its accidental introduction into the South Midlands about 20 years ago.

Stationmaster · 06-04-2020 10:22pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

Probably one of your commonest BOP's now along with Sparrowhawks - if u want to encourage owls maybe look into suiteable nest boxes for large old trees or outbuildings. They also benefit from traditional hay meadows and WBC for hunting in. Also go with traps for rodent control given the risk of secondary poisoning with rodenticides. A pair orf owls will quickly take care of any vermin issues in any case

I thought you had to have some mice around the place or else the owls mightn't come/stay? (Not that that is any reason to actively get vermin around!).

I'd love to attract owls to the farm. Have an outbuilding that would be perfect for a nest box I reckon.

theaceofspies · 06-04-2020 11:08pm

Amazing how wildlife works.

At back of house today were two hen pheasants flirting/fighting over a cock pheasant who was standing still and watching it all happen about 3 feet away from them.

This went on for 1 hour.

Birdnuts · 07-04-2020 12:25am

Stationmaster wrote: »

I thought you had to have some mice around the place or else the owls mightn't come/stay? (Not that that is any reason to actively get vermin around!).

I'd love to attract owls to the farm. Have an outbuilding that would be perfect for a nest box I reckon.

Having good habitat within a mile or 2 would be key ie, rough pasture, spring tillage etc,

jeffrey · 07-04-2020 12:31am

Several swallows flying about today, this seems alot earlier than other years.
Anyone else notice them.

Danzy · 07-04-2020 12:55am

jeffrey wrote: »

Several swallows flying about today, this seems alot earlier than other years.
Anyone else notice them.

I thought I saw one, only one but it was so early I haven't mentioned it.

Next few days are warm, I'll know more then.

JoeCasey · 07-04-2020 1:24pm

I heard a Corncrake at 10 pm a few nights go.
Quite an unusual sound.
Never heard one before, dad confirmed it.

Lady Haywire · 07-04-2020 1:29pm

JoeCasey wrote: »

I heard a Corncrake at 10 pm a few nights go.
Quite an unusual sound.
Never heard one before, dad confirmed it.

Excellent! Where in the country are you Joe?

Our housemartins are back today

JoeCasey · 07-04-2020 7:04pm

North Kerry on the cork border.
We are also in a hen harrier area, i hope there is no conflict between the two.

Say my name · 07-04-2020 7:17pm

jeffrey wrote: »

Several swallows flying about today, this seems alot earlier than other years.
Anyone else notice them.

Yea I saw one today. (Wexford).

Thought I heard one yesterday. So it seems that was confirmed by today.

kollegeknight · 07-04-2020 7:27pm

We have a cock pheasant in our back yard and last night a very large hair came to the front of the house, sniffed around where the small lady’s bedroom is- she’s convinced it’s the Easter bunny scoping out entry points.

Say my name · 07-04-2020 7:27pm

theaceofspies wrote: »

Amazing how wildlife works.

At back of house today were two hen pheasants flirting/fighting over a cock pheasant who was standing still and watching it all happen about 3 feet away from them.

This went on for 1 hour.

https://youtu.be/5ssFr62l7U4

Water John · 07-04-2020 8:45pm

kollegeknight wrote: »

We have a cock pheasant in our back yard and last night a very large hair came to the front of the house, sniffed around where the small lady’s bedroom is- she’s convinced it’s the Easter bunny scoping out entry points.

The good news is Simon Harris has said the Easter Bunny is an essential worker.
https://www.thejournal.ie/easter-bunny-simon-harris-5068604-Apr2020/

Say my name · 07-04-2020 9:39pm

Water John wrote: »

The good news is Simon Harris has said the Easter Bunny is an essential worker.
https://www.thejournal.ie/easter-bunny-simon-harris-5068604-Apr2020/

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.

Say my name · 07-04-2020 9:42pm

There's resident starlings and jackdaws in the farmyard.
Few pigeons and a sparrowhawk that comes in for his/her feed on the pigeons.

jphoulihan · 07-04-2020 10:58pm

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!

Nature on your farm.

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