Wildlife June 2010

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks for your comments Gail and for the ID of these lovely damsels Peter 

[mark smyth]

Swifts at my house this morning


10 a.m. and swifts were going crazy outside at the gable and the under eave nest boxes. As quick as it started it was over.

Listen around 30 seconds for the whip lash of wings as a bird flew very close to me and the camera.

[angie]

Mark.... that's fantastic and to give them all that homes is great of you. I am not sure now what I have nesting with me but they have been around for years but never nested at my property, we build a large log shed and they have made a nest in there so hopefully they will have young.

Angie

[Ragged Robin]

What a wonderful  shots of the Swifts looping round your gables - how many nest there?  they are mesmerizing to watch in their acrobatic display and it's great when they whoosh past you....very difficult to capture on camera, congratulations just realised you left a comment on one of my YouTube videos - didn't know it was you but thanks for it!l

[mark smyth]

Angie you probably have swallows. They nest inside a building

Robin I have 4 pairs on the gable, 3 pairs in the right boxes and 1 pair in the left - you will have seen a bird go in.

[johnw]

A few Coturnix quail at a friend's. He thought they would clean up tossed seed on the floor of his new greenhouse / aviary.  Instead the cement floor hurt the feet of two so for the time being he has them in a sand pen.  Would that be the new cement or the flat surface that bothers their feet?

johnw

[johnw]

And a few more of his rather new finches plus nest.

johnw

[Gail]

A few Coturnix quail at a friend's. He thought they would clean up tossed seed on the floor of his new greenhouse / aviary.  Instead the cement floor hurt the feet of two so for the time being he has them in a sand pen.  Would that be the new cement or the flat surface that bothers their feet?

johnw

The cement would be my guess, they are ground birds so the flat shouldn't bother them.  Unusual colour form of Gouldians, one of the prettiest of finches.

[mark smyth]

Nothing unusual with the gouldians. They used to come in only black, red and yellow/orange headed. It will be a while before those two have eggs/chicks. They look like males.

The array of colours now is unbelievable including all white. Why breed a white gouldian?
http://www.ladygouldianfinch-ca.com/gouldian%20finches.htm

[johnw]

Nothing unusual with the gouldians. They used to come in only black, red and yellow/orange headed. It will be a while before those two have eggs/chicks. They look like males.

yes it could be quite some time unleasss adoption papers are filed.  My friend had to remove the females from the cage as the males were just too agressive with them.

He said the nastiest of the lot were the male doves and can't understand why they are a symbol of peace!

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

Cranking up my outdoor grill for the season, I found this little guy.  He was relocated to the garden, the grill cleaned for the BBQ season and initiated with our first BBQ of the year.  Mmmm, tastes like chicken.

[TheOnionMan]

Today a black bear walked nonchalantly through the yard   Was not able to get a picture.

[Carlo]

I've got lots of experience breeding gouldian finches. The blood lines (pretty much world-wide) are now so messed up that you never know what you'll get. There are, as Mark mentioned, dozens of color variations (in addition to the "natural" morphs) including yellows, dilutes, pastels, blues, silvers and a bewildering set of head/chest colorations.

It used to be great fun for the amateur geneticist--until pure or documented stock became so difficult to come by.  

[mark smyth]

The same is with Hecks and long-tailed finches. They are hybridised so much you never see a red beaked or yellow beaked bird

[angie]

Wildlife vandalism... who or what?

Angie