Author Topic: Local Wildlife  (Read 527586 times)

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Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1470 on: February 09, 2019, 03:26:22 pm »
A great photo Fester, you were obviously in the right place at the right time.   I've never seen that on the Orme before, was it above Haulfre Gardens?

Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1471 on: February 11, 2019, 01:10:52 pm »
I didn’t take it Hugo, it was another Orme resident.
I just thought it was incredible to see.
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -


Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1472 on: February 11, 2019, 05:22:04 pm »
Thanks for posting it as it was such an unusual photo, I must have walked on the Great Orme hundreds of times but have never been lucky enough to see something like that

Offline Blongb

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1473 on: February 11, 2019, 05:27:47 pm »
We fenced off our front flowerbed with Chicken wire just in time to prevent the Goats from eating all our newly emerging Spring bulbs. It always amazes me that CCBC are able to neglect their responsibility to feed the animals during the Winter months. Any other livestock owner who showed such disregard for the animals welfare would be dragged up before the Magistrates.
Quot homines tot sententiae: suus cuique mos.
(There are as many opinions as there are people: each has his own view.)

Offline Quiggs

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1474 on: February 12, 2019, 07:18:18 pm »
I thought they were feral and belong to nobody, although a local councillor said he would take responsibility but I think he changed his mind as I never heard anymore about it
Dictum Meum Pactum

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1475 on: February 12, 2019, 10:51:47 pm »
I'm sure that if anyone started to make a profit out of the Goats then you would find who the owner of the Goats is.    Probably the same one who released them on the Great Orme in the first place

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1476 on: February 13, 2019, 09:21:09 am »
A bit of the early history, the link is quite interesting.

Reproduced from the booklet
‘Aliens on the Great Orme’  by Eve Parry 

The origin of the Great Orme goats and the story of their arrival in Britain, is interesting. In the early part of the last century, Squire Christopher Tower, from Brentwood in Essex, discovered a large herd which had recently been imported from Kashmir into France. The idea was to create a profitable woollen industry. Squire Tower decided to purchase two of these goats, and took them to Weald Park in Brentwood. The goats flourished, and soon produced kids, from which the Squire was, eventually, able to manufacture a cashmere shawl. George IV was highly impressed by this article, and was happy to accept a pair of the goats presented to him by Squire Tower.

So began the Windsor herd, which increased rapidly, and in the reign of Queen Victoria, cashmere shawls became extremely fashionable. It is often said that Queen Victoria was presented with the goats by the Shah of Persia, and it may be that these were added to the already existing herd.

Later in the Century, Major General Sir Savage Mostyn acquired two of the Windsor goats, and took them to the grounds of Gloddaeth Hall. It is possible, however, that they were unsuitable as park animals. There is an old Welsh farming practice, known as “Llwgu’r defaid” (starving the sheep). This was a method whereby goats were run with the sheep, in the hope of precluding the latter from straying into dangerous places, where the goats could more easily forage. Perhaps this may have been the reason why the goats were transferred to the Great Orme. Certainly, they are frequently to be seen browsing on extremely narrow ledges, and they climb the steep limestone cliffs with amazing agility.

          More,,, http://www.llandudno.com/the-great-orme-kashmiri-goats/

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1477 on: February 13, 2019, 09:33:43 am »
All goats posses very interesting hooves: they have inner pads, akin to a sort of natural velcro, that provide traction, and cloven hooves that can spread apart, allowing greater purchase on uneven and rocky terrain. The tips of their feet have sharp dewclaws that keep them from slipping. They have powerful shoulder and neck muscles that help propel them up steep slopes so all in all, pretty agile.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1478 on: March 12, 2019, 10:33:21 pm »
Even the Goats are keeping away from the West Shore in this weather

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47535311

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1479 on: March 20, 2019, 10:43:10 pm »
Tellytubby and I had a nice walk today from the old Llangelynnin Church on to the Carneddau and we were lucky enough to see lots of wildlife there.    There were numerous varieties of birds up there including a Red Kite and the pools were full of Frogspawn but no tadpoles yet

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1480 on: April 02, 2019, 12:37:03 pm »
This is a must see, one of the best local films I have seen,     bear in mind the speed of the boat............

This is the spectacular moment a pod of dolphins join Llandudno lifeboat crew on a training exercise.
The mammals were caught on camera by crew member, Andy Jones as they frolicked in the sea off Llandudno Bay last night.

The volunteer said: "I have been on the crew for 13 years now and seen plenty of dolphins but that was by far the best show they've put on.
"We had just performed man overboard drills with the dummy when we started to head back to the beach in Llandudno Bay.

VIDEO  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/amazing-moment-dolphins-leap-sea-16063094

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1481 on: April 02, 2019, 02:37:27 pm »
Stunning.  Magnificent creatures.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1482 on: April 02, 2019, 06:45:53 pm »
Are they actually dolphins then?... not the harbour porpoise that regularly turn up in these waters.
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1483 on: April 02, 2019, 07:32:31 pm »
Are they actually dolphins then?... not the harbour porpoise that regularly turn up in these waters.
I am not sure, a quick search gave this...........

"The primary differences between dolphins and porpoises are anatomical. Externally, one can tell the difference between the two animals by looking at the head and dorsal fins. Dolphins usually have a “beak” that makes them appear "long-nosed," while porpoises do not have a beak and thus appear more "flat-faced." The dorsal fins on dolphins are usually curved or hooked, while those on porpoises are more triangular in shape. Up close, one can distinguish the two by their teeth: dolphins have cone-shaped teeth, but porpoises have flat or spade-shaped teeth."
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Dolphin_vs_Porpoise

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1484 on: April 03, 2019, 12:42:33 pm »
Thanks Steve for pointing out the differences between the Dolphins and Porpoise, when you see them in the sea you have very little time to recognise what they are but the most obvious sign is the size with Dolphins being much larger than the porpoise.

That link you posted said that Porpoise are only found in the Pacific Ocean which is obviously incorrect but from the photo and your explanation they were Dolphins that were in Llandudno Bay.
A good spot to see either Dolphins or Porpoise is at Point Lynas in Anglesey and it's recognised as one of the best places to see them in the UK