Author Topic: Local Wildlife  (Read 527799 times)

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Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1395 on: February 23, 2018, 04:05:05 pm »
With the temperature dropping below freezing at night I wanted to protect the crown of my Australian Tree Fern from damage caused by the frost so I improvised and put a load of my dog's clippings on the crown of the plant.
This morning I noticed some clippings on the lawn but thought no more of it until a short while ago, when I saw a Jackdaw take a huge beak full and fly off to built its nest.
At least the birds know that Spring is on its way, even if it doesn't feel like it is at the moment

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1396 on: February 23, 2018, 04:14:40 pm »
I had one of those ferns Hugo, a few years ago it looked like it had died, I did not get around to digging it out, thought I would leave it till spring, just as well, it recovered and is still going strong.


Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1397 on: February 23, 2018, 04:39:29 pm »
This is how it looked a couple of months ago ans since then it has been freezing so I hope it survives this Winter

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1398 on: March 18, 2018, 12:35:25 pm »
I noticed the Crows looking around for nesting material so I put some of our dog Marco's hair on the ground so they could help themselves to it and in no time it had all gone.
We have an Australian tree fern in the garden and as I didn't have any fleece handy I put a lot of the dog's hair around the crown of the plant to protect it from the very bad weather that we have had this Winter and the Crows started to help themselves to that too.

Offline DVT

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1399 on: March 21, 2018, 10:10:03 pm »
Watch out if you meet this guy in Bodnant - if he thinks you have food he'll follow you all day, and peck your legs!

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1400 on: March 25, 2018, 06:23:53 pm »
The Orme goats came to town today, enjoying the gardens on the Oval, until a noisy motorbike went passed and they scattered onto Gloddaeth Ave. they seemed to be looking for the others, standing quietly, and guess what, the motorbike returned, fortunately they headed back to the oval without incident.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1401 on: March 26, 2018, 08:56:18 am »
There were 10 of them happily munching in the St. George's churchyard on Saturday.
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline hollins

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1402 on: March 26, 2018, 09:59:54 am »
Whose there?

Offline SteveH

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1403 on: April 16, 2018, 11:28:18 am »
The goats having been around the area feeding, for about 3 weeks now, I put it down to the bad winter, and lack of grazing, however another explanation on BBC news this morning.....

A school in Llandudno has had to close off parts of its grounds because the areas have been invaded by goats.

Ysgol San Sior primary school is on the lower slopes of the Great Orme headland, where a herd of Kashmiri goats have lived since Victorian times.

But some of the herd have come down off the headland and there are fears they have left ticks on the school field.
Conwy council said the goats had been driven out of the herd by rival goats.
They have then headed down the hill to the school, eating fruit trees the children have planted and leaving droppings behind.

"We've had several children come to the office having picked up a tick on the sports field. It's very worrying as ticks can cause health problems.
"We're a school which tries hard to be environmentally friendly and teach children about the importance of nature. But the goats are causing too many problems.

"The children have been growing fruit trees, and they're really disappointed when the trees are damaged by the goats breaking in and eating them."

Conwy council said that the Great Orme goats are wild animals, and although it manages the country park where they live, it's not directly responsible for them.

It said the animals were in the school grounds because they had been driven out of the herd by rival males as there were so many goats.

The council said it had been working to reduce the size of the herd by moving some of them elsewhere, and with a trial of goat contraceptives, and that had been working.  Ref BBc

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1404 on: April 16, 2018, 03:48:43 pm »
Osprey returns to Porthmadog Glaslyn nest for 15th year


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-43780442

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1405 on: April 16, 2018, 08:28:00 pm »
The goats having been around the area feeding, for about 3 weeks now, I put it down to the bad winter, and lack of grazing, however another explanation on BBC news this morning.....

A school in Llandudno has had to close off parts of its grounds because the areas have been invaded by goats.

Ysgol San Sior primary school is on the lower slopes of the Great Orme headland, where a herd of Kashmiri goats have lived since Victorian times.

But some of the herd have come down off the headland and there are fears they have left ticks on the school field.
Conwy council said the goats had been driven out of the herd by rival goats.
They have then headed down the hill to the school, eating fruit trees the children have planted and leaving droppings behind.

"We've had several children come to the office having picked up a tick on the sports field. It's very worrying as ticks can cause health problems.
"We're a school which tries hard to be environmentally friendly and teach children about the importance of nature. But the goats are causing too many problems.

"The children have been growing fruit trees, and they're really disappointed when the trees are damaged by the goats breaking in and eating them."

Conwy council said that the Great Orme goats are wild animals, and although it manages the country park where they live, it's not directly responsible for them.

It said the animals were in the school grounds because they had been driven out of the herd by rival males as there were so many goats.

The council said it had been working to reduce the size of the herd by moving some of them elsewhere, and with a trial of goat contraceptives, and that had been working.  Ref BBc

Something has happened, in all the years we have lived here we have had 'goat invasion' every year, but never with so many for such a long time.
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1406 on: April 19, 2018, 05:14:23 pm »
We had a quick look at the Bird Reserve near Talacre yesterday and saw this bird on her nest in the middle of the pond.   I think that it's a Canada Goose but please correct me if I'm wrong

Offline DVT

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1407 on: April 19, 2018, 08:18:26 pm »
Yes ... it's a Canada goose.  If you go to the Far End of Bodnant Garden there is Mrs Goose sitting on her nest on the island, Mr Goose just swimming around without a care in the world (until the eggs hatch).  Don't know how many eggs there'll be this year as they are left alone - have to wait and see how many goslings appear!

Dippers are also nesting under Dipper Bridge near the Old Mill, and grey wagtails are nesting in the wall of the river nearby.

Offline Fester

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1408 on: May 04, 2018, 11:20:04 pm »
This giant bumble bee had been sitting on our patio looking sluggish and vulnerable.  So my wife hand fed it a sugary solution, and after sucking it up for a few minutes, it flew away revitalised!  Good deed done!
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Ian

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Re: Local Wildlife
« Reply #1409 on: May 05, 2018, 07:31:19 am »
The weather this spring has caused bees no end of problems.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.