Author Topic: Local Wildlife  (Read 527662 times)

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Offline DVT

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1530 on: July 13, 2019, 02:14:46 pm »
Bodnant issue a weekly news letter to their staff and volunteers and the latest edition includes a report on the bird-ringing and monitioring of the nest boxes.  There are 42 nest boxes within the garden area, from the far end and up Furnace Wood areas, and there has been great success over the four years that this has been going on - a total of 389 young birds have fledged - with 137 of them being Pied Flycatchers.

Other boxes have been used by Great Tits (29 fledged this year) and Blue Tits (62).  One female blue tit fledged 7 then had a second clutch of 5 in the next nest box!

Certainly successful breeding at Bodnant - it's not just about the plants!


Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1531 on: July 13, 2019, 03:25:08 pm »
Excellent shots, DVT.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.


Offline DVT

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1532 on: July 13, 2019, 07:10:44 pm »
Can anyone please identify the young bird in the third pic - the miserable looking guy in the leaves! - as I thought it was one thing and others thought it was various other species.  I did briefly see the adult that was feeding him/her and it was not a robin, the chick was a loittle bit bigger than that.  I have been proved wrong before with earlier posts so I won't say what I think it is!

... incidentally, it wasn't me who put *** in my posting - the system must have decided the word was not acceptable, yet the plural version twice in the same sentence was deemed OK !!!

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1533 on: July 13, 2019, 07:39:52 pm »
I'll sort that.   Really no need for auto edit any more.  Our members are far too civilised :-)
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 #1534 on: July 14, 2019, 11:49:00 am »
I found the photos that Fester posted when he was lucky enough to see that Buzzard in his garden, it's quite a privilege to have seen such a sight

I didn't realise that it was posted on 2nd Nov 2010 so long ago.


Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1535 on: July 14, 2019, 03:29:57 pm »
Wow, that was a quick 9 years or so!

I really wish I could have snapped a picture of it in flight, as it glided off over the roof of the house.
The plumage patterns under the wings were certainly a sight to behold.

I’ve never seen another one since, incidentally.
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline DVT

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1536 on: July 14, 2019, 03:39:32 pm »
Was trying to get a shot of a buzzard in flight the other day but trees kept getting in the way ... I'll let you know when I get it, they are fairly common nowadays.  Getting one still is very difficult though so well done to Fester for his shots.

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1537 on: July 14, 2019, 05:55:47 pm »
They're quite a common sight down the valley on the high roads. They often sit on fence posts - waiting.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1538 on: July 27, 2019, 03:03:03 pm »
Some photos from today´s garden post, part of my resizing efforts   !   !   which have worked  :D
The young "sunning" Blackbird mentioned before, now a fixture.   
As the garden was full of Butterflies, I waited with camera in hand for some time, but this is the only one that settled.
Mrs H. while re purposing a rockery, found this stone buried, we do not think it was a memorial, as the area was extremely unkempt.
And another of Sunbird !

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1539 on: July 27, 2019, 06:37:30 pm »
Blackbirds are very friendly creatures.  And my wife can better your wife's find:  the other day she unearthed a clutch assembly...  I had a quick poke and I suspect a lot more of the original car is down there.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1540 on: August 14, 2019, 10:06:41 am »
More incredible footage has emerged of a pod of dolphins that are continuing to impress onlookers in the Menai Strait.

The mammals have been seen leaping out of the water in the Menai Bridge area by a number of witnesses since they were initially spotted last Thursday.
The performances have since attracted hundreds of dolphin-spotters.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/more-incredible-footage-shows-dolphins-16748838

Offline DVT

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1541 on: August 15, 2019, 10:58:47 pm »
Was told yesterday that kingfishers were in Bodnant again, so went in at 9.30 this morning and immdiately saw this guy at the Far End ... I reckon it's a juvelile as its feathers don't seem to be fully developed.  But (s)he sat there and posed for me for quite a while before lifting off and flying straight at me and shouting at the same time - I felt the draught as (s)he went past my right ear!

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1542 on: August 16, 2019, 08:50:43 am »
They're beautiful birds.
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 #1543 on: August 16, 2019, 11:33:05 am »
Nice photo DVT you were so lucky to get a photo like that     

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1544 on: August 17, 2019, 04:20:34 pm »
On July 11th, I posted about the "sunning" blackbird,......... our latest friendly visitors have been a young robin and a sparrow, who play and chase each other around the feeding area, then settle down, pecking for crumbs together,.......... this morning the sparrow turned up, had some food, then surprised me,  when it went to the same place as the blackbird, sat down, not quite spreading it's feathers but definitely similar behavior as mentioned before   ......... this went on for about 10 minutes, then the second surprise of the day.......... the robin turned up, chased the sparrow, and took it's place, with feathers spread........... interestingly not the last surprise, the sparrow stayed, had some food then swapped places with the robin, they did this a couple of times, even allowing me to move and get my camera.

Sorry not very good photo, however you can see the sparrow sitting, and the robin is partially hidden by the lower branch.
I have used a stock photo to show a sunning robin.