Author Topic: Local Wildlife  (Read 527972 times)

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Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #675 on: July 18, 2012, 12:17:52 am »
It looks like a pretty butterfly.... therefore I am not afraid of it.

On the pier today I saw a fearfully large moth,  pottering about on the decking.
It was primarily brown, but had intricately patterned wings, and what looked like 2 'eyes' as a pattern on its wings.

I was very afraid of it.
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #676 on: July 18, 2012, 09:04:25 am »
Maybe the "Eyed Hawk Moth"
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Offline 1_rob_1

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #677 on: July 18, 2012, 02:17:17 pm »
Still on the subject of moths.

Blodyn - your caterplllar in the pic. will turn into an  "Oak Eggar Moth"

Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #678 on: July 19, 2012, 12:35:32 am »
Maybe the "Eyed Hawk Moth"

Possibly Yorkie.... but I would like to see a picture with its wings closed to be more sure.... wasn't quite as blue or startling as that I don't think.  The 'eyes' looked brown in colour.
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #679 on: July 19, 2012, 12:36:29 am »
Still on the subject of moths.

Blodyn - your caterplllar in the pic. will turn into an  "Oak Eggar Moth"

Not if I have anything to do with it, it won't!   $angry1$
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Blodyn

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #680 on: July 19, 2012, 09:09:34 am »
Still on the subject of moths.

Blodyn - your caterplllar in the pic. will turn into an  "Oak Eggar Moth"

Rob, thanks so much for identifying the caterpillar.  I've now looked it up and it will obviously turn into a very handsome moth. 

Fester - leave it alone!!!

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #681 on: July 19, 2012, 09:16:34 am »
 _))* _))* _))* -- You tell him Blodyn !!!
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Offline 1_rob_1

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #682 on: July 19, 2012, 09:35:55 am »
Caterpillars are fine, as long as they are not in your garden, they can soon "demolish" whole plants.
I find the cabbage whites the most destructive in my garden, but the resident blue tits tend to take most to feed their chicks.
So, Fester, as Blodwyn said, leave them alone - live & let live!! - they wont do you any harm. - I think you would like the elephant hawk moth caterpillars.  :o  - NOT! they are about 4" long.

Could your moth have been an Emperor? these are quite common, they can be lighter or darker than the one in the pic & when the wings are fully closed you only see 2 eyes. The pinkish mark at the end of each wing helps to identify them. The pic is of a female, which is larger & a slightly lighter brown colour than the male.


Offline hollins

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #683 on: July 19, 2012, 09:46:44 am »
Poor Fester, you'll be giving him nightmares. great photos though!

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #684 on: July 19, 2012, 11:58:29 am »
Poor Fester, you'll be giving him nightmares. great photos though!

Maybe he could do with a bit of Moth(ering)!    :D
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #685 on: July 19, 2012, 12:50:52 pm »
Oh-- this cheers me up on a miserable day !! ;D ;D ;D
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #686 on: July 19, 2012, 11:43:11 pm »
YES!  I am certain that was the moth I saw on the pier yesterday.

Common are they?  Sorry to hear that... perhaps a little TOO common.

I would gladly leave them alone, but they wont leave ME alone...
I've seen them, crashing about in the bathroom, flying around the light, fluttering in my face, trying to give me a heart attack.

Strangely, my daughter (who lives 120 miles away) has the same phobia of moths.

I find that if one flies in your face, and you punch it, it turns to dust.... almost like a vampire in sunlight!
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #687 on: July 21, 2012, 10:19:46 am »
I was in the sun lounge  3 days ago when a brown bird the size of a Jackdaw flew in and then flew low across the ground before flying off.  It was flying away from me and it all happened so quickly that I couldn't identify the bird.
The next day I saw it come in from a hedge, land on the lawn and then fly off towards the house but I could see by it's beak that it was a Hawk.
It did the same thing yesterday but this time it perched on a statue by the window and my wife saw it fly to our Dovecote and then fly off with a small bird in it's mouth. It's a Sparrowhawk and although it's a natural thing to happen in nature, it is still not nice to see it happen in your own garden.

Offline 1_rob_1

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #688 on: July 21, 2012, 11:01:52 am »
I take it your dovecote is empty & there for decorative purposes.

I quite often see a  pile of feathers in my garden & know the local sparrowhawk has visited. They only kill when hungry, so if I do see one with its prey, I try not to disturb it or it will only kill again.

I keep & fly a small breed of pigeon & if they stay in the air, the sparrowhawks are not a threat, but sometimes the sparrowhawks can drive them down to the ground so that they can catch one. The female sparrowhawks are the main threat to them because they are a lot larger & more powerful than the males.
I sometimes also have a problem with peregrine falcons, - when my birds are flying high, they can be seen for miles & attract the attention of the peregrines, once they are in the area, I can almost guarantee that at least one will be taken.

I dont particularly like birds of prey because its not nice seeing my own birds get taken, but they have to survive so its a case of live & let live.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #689 on: July 21, 2012, 02:56:48 pm »
Yes, the Dovecote is for decorative purposes only as we don't like to encourage the birds to nest in it because there are cats in the area and they have had chicks from other nest boxes that I have had in the garden.
We have Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves coming here regularly and about a week ago there were loads of Pigeon feathers on the ground but no dead bird so I don't know what had happened there.
At the moment I just don't know what to do about the threat of the Sparrowhawk.  We have bird feeders every where but I don't want it to be a feeding ground for the Hawk. I still want to feed the birds but at the same time I don't want to put them at risk.