Author Topic: nature notes II  (Read 159288 times)

RobM

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #475 on: October 03, 2014, 03:37:51 PM »
The UK doesn't play host to those birds, I don't think.
No I'm afraid not. Although, every year there are reports of hummingbirds in gardens that turn out to be Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #476 on: October 03, 2014, 03:49:29 PM »
That's great floo. I'm kinda known as the bird guy around this area. This morning I had the sparrows, chickadees and magpies of course. But my little flock of grouse and a few blue jays showed up.

Anna's hummingbird nest in my city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-qfZ53Mcuo

floo

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #477 on: October 03, 2014, 05:05:04 PM »
That's great floo. I'm kinda known as the bird guy around this area. This morning I had the sparrows, chickadees and magpies of course. But my little flock of grouse and a few blue jays showed up.

Anna's hummingbird nest in my city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-qfZ53Mcuo

I have never heard of a chickadee before. I looked it up and it isn't surprising I hadn't heard of it as it is native to your part of the world. :)

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #478 on: October 03, 2014, 05:33:16 PM »
Very cute little birds and very friendly. They are always the first ones to the feeders in the morning and the last to leave in the evenings.

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #479 on: October 04, 2014, 09:53:54 AM »
Did some biking yesterday. Saw a raven and deer, that's about it. The needles of the Larch trees are changing colour. Rocky Mountains looked wonderful but they don't show up very clear in my pictures. Hungout along the river bank and built my InuksuK before I left, nice big rocks there for that.

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/JohnCm_bucket/P1020335_zpsf4d6404c.jpg

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/JohnCm_bucket/P1020326_zpsfad6ebd0.jpg

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/JohnCm_bucket/P1020317_zps7c403d41.jpg

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/JohnCm_bucket/P1020311_zps472e7295.jpg

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac192/JohnCm_bucket/P1020342_zps980b8797.jpg

SweetPea

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #480 on: October 04, 2014, 06:10:16 PM »
Johnny, I googled 'Inuksuk' after looking at your photos, and found, what I thought I might, something wonderful:

      "Inuksuk means 'in the likeness of a human' in the Inuit language. They are
       monuments of unworked stones that are used by the Inuit for communication
       and survival."

So, another Inuit passing will recognise your message? Love it...
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #481 on: October 04, 2014, 06:30:37 PM »
Thanks SweetPea, that's my Cree version. We don't have many Inuit visiting this area. But hey, ya never know.

Rhiannon

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #482 on: October 04, 2014, 11:30:49 PM »
Took the dog for a walk in the rain and saw three skylarks. Also a huge mixed flock of crows and jackdaws. I know they are common but they are such clever, attractive birds and a big flock of them is quite a sight.

wigginhall

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #483 on: October 05, 2014, 12:41:11 AM »
I'm very fond of jackdaws.  They are such brilliant inquisitive little birds.  At the local bird reserve, there is a cafe, and the jackdaws hop around the tables outside, looking for bits of food.  I have even seen them waiting next to someone eating chips, hoping for spillage. 

Near me in London, the crows patrol the Thames foreshore every day, when the tide has gone out, finding different kinds of food I guess, inverts etc. 
They were the footprints of a gigantic hound!

Rhiannon

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #484 on: October 06, 2014, 11:28:20 PM »
I like crows and rooks, there is something almost other-worldly about them. I suppose they are the birds that appeal to my inner goth, given the dearth of ravens round here.

Jackdaws are really fun, we used to have them nesting in our chimney and springtime looking after my babies was always accompanied by the sound of them scrabbling around in the chimney breast next to the bed.

My boy and I had chips in one of the town gardens after school recently and a squirrel sat just feet away waiting for his. I'm not a big fan of grey squirrels but this was really cute.


Samuel

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #486 on: October 07, 2014, 01:49:10 PM »
Is there anything better than a fresh, shiny conker?
A lot of people don't believe that the loch ness monster exists. Now, I don't know anything about zooology, biology, geology, herpetology, evolutionary theory, evolutionary biology, marine biology, cryptozoology, palaeontology or archaeology... but I think... what if a dinosaur got into the lake?

floo

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #487 on: October 07, 2014, 05:00:06 PM »
Is there anything better than a fresh, shiny conker?

I loved playing conkers as a kid. Many schools have banned them in case the little darlings get hurt, health and safety gone completely MAD! :o

Rhiannon

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #488 on: October 07, 2014, 07:48:01 PM »
I thought the ban was a myth? But nobody plays it now because of drilling the holes - people don't have the time and manual hand drills are a thing of the past.

I well remember the squashed clinkers on the playground - slippery and disgusting.

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #489 on: October 17, 2014, 02:50:04 PM »
There was a little earthquake in my home town. How cool is that? As long as they stay little by the way.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/2-7-magnitude-earthquake-confirmed-near-banff-1.2802161

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #490 on: October 18, 2014, 02:11:49 PM »
Great news, the bears are using the wildlife crossings in my Rocky Mountains!



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/parks-canada-video-catches-1st-black-bear-to-use-wildlife-crossing-1.2804341

wigginhall

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #491 on: October 22, 2014, 02:07:10 PM »
Lots of rain has filled the ditches in W. Norfolk, or drains as they are called here, so when I went for a walk across the fields, I noticed a few snipe taking off, (wisps as the groups are known).  They shoot off in a zig-zag pattern, so are more difficult to shoot than the idiotic pheasants, which sort of lumber about like elephants in the air.   Normally, we don't see snipe on farm land, but the fields and drains are full of water right now, and also, I dare say, millions are arriving here from further east, in the winter migration.   
They were the footprints of a gigantic hound!

wigginhall

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #492 on: October 27, 2014, 06:48:28 PM »
There were some red strawberries on our allotment today.  And it's 27 October - I guess it has been so warm this autumn.   
They were the footprints of a gigantic hound!

floo

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #493 on: November 01, 2014, 09:29:31 AM »
I just can't believe how warm it is for November 1st! I have just had my second walk of the day and didn't need a jacket over my T shirt, I might even put shorts on later! 

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #494 on: November 01, 2014, 12:05:19 PM »
It was +16C here yesterday. We may have snow today. Was still gardening for two customers yesterday afternoon and I am about ready for winter to set in but one never knows around here. We have had a warmer Christmas than Houston Texas in the past.

Enki

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #495 on: November 02, 2014, 12:18:57 PM »
East nearly meets West. Yesterday there was an eastern crowned warbler(a vagrant from the Far East) near Saltburn in Cleveland. Today there is a blackpoll warbler,(a vagrant from North America, especially Canada), at Spurn, roughly 30 miles from where I live. The wonders of bird migration. :)
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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #496 on: November 02, 2014, 12:30:58 PM »
antithesis,
I had to google the blackpoll warbler. You know the males I wouldn't notice and have probably at a glance thought they were some other bird. But the females i have noticed from time to time. I see I'm on their migration path.

Started snowing yesterday and hasn't let up yet. Put the other two bird feeders out yesterday and have begun throwing seed up into the spruce trees as well.


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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #498 on: November 04, 2014, 08:04:50 AM »

floo

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Re: nature notes II
« Reply #499 on: November 05, 2014, 04:25:13 PM »
My husband called me down a few minutes ago. Just as he was going out for his afternoon walk he discovered by the front door a hedgehog curled up on stone, we found years ago, which looks like a hedgehog! I haven't seen a live hedgehog, or a dead one for that matter, for many years! I have put it in our back garden where hopefully it will hibernate in comfort and safety.