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Author Topic: Wildlife January 2011  (Read 9783 times)

mark smyth

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Wildlife January 2011
« on: January 02, 2011, 01:12:50 PM »
some goldfinches at my feeders. Sorry for the poor quality the videos were taken through double glazing
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI3qYbvGSlU[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aJiMaD3qY0[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSDrYVa_bO8[/youtube]
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Antrim, Northern Ireland Z8
www.snowdropinfo.com / www.marksgardenplants.com / www.saveourswifts.co.uk

When the swifts arrive empty the green house

All photos taken with a Canon 900T and 230

mark smyth

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2011, 03:13:16 PM »
A while ago I saw a goldfinch doing something unusual. Because the chopped sunflower can stick the bird put it's beak in the feeding hole and shakes it's head. The same bird, I assume, kept coming to the same feeding point
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOQcz0sMi8I[/youtube]
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Antrim, Northern Ireland Z8
www.snowdropinfo.com / www.marksgardenplants.com / www.saveourswifts.co.uk

When the swifts arrive empty the green house

All photos taken with a Canon 900T and 230

Hoy

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2011, 04:04:11 PM »
He looks greedy to me!
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Trond Hoy, gardening on the rainy west coast of Norway.

Juan Fornes

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2011, 10:29:04 PM »
   Winter around here looks more "Tropical". Here are some pics of the Red-masked parakeet (Aratinga erythrogenys), the less common of the three species in the Parrot family now breeding "wild" in Spain. The three of them breed here in Valencia. The other two are: Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) with a population in our country over 1300 couples and increasing, and whose big, sometimes community nests are not rarely seen in palm trees , and the other one is the Ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), with a fast, elegant flight. This one choses holes in trees for nesting, and has a population in Spain of over 250 couples. Red-masked parakeet choses also holes in trees, as youīll see in pics. This is the seldom seen parakeet here, and this is the first time I have found a couple in an obvious breeding "state of mind". Mild temperatures (16/17šC) seem to have warmed afections... Chosen tree is a Plane Tree (Platanus x hispanica).
   Pictures are: the couple of red-masked parakeet inspecting two holes, and then the couple inspecting together both possibilities.
   Last pic is a far Monk parakeet.
   Sorry, pictures were taken in vertical and I havenīt been able to turn them up... :-[ >:(


Edit by Maggi..... those three pix have been turned the "right way up" by Mark and posted below  :D
« Last Edit: January 03, 2011, 11:05:22 AM by Maggi Young »
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Juan Fornes in Valencia, E. Spain. Zone 10 (not so bad...)

When a man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard. (Native american proverb)

mark smyth

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2011, 11:23:02 PM »
native to S. America
« Last Edit: January 02, 2011, 11:27:56 PM by mark smyth »
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Antrim, Northern Ireland Z8
www.snowdropinfo.com / www.marksgardenplants.com / www.saveourswifts.co.uk

When the swifts arrive empty the green house

All photos taken with a Canon 900T and 230

mark smyth

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2011, 11:29:46 PM »
Juan, what other species of parakeet breeds in Spain? Rose-ringed/ring-necked?
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Antrim, Northern Ireland Z8
www.snowdropinfo.com / www.marksgardenplants.com / www.saveourswifts.co.uk

When the swifts arrive empty the green house

All photos taken with a Canon 900T and 230

Juan Fornes

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2011, 10:05:01 AM »
    Hi Mark. In the text above the posted pictures I explain the three species breeding in Spain  ::)  ;D. The other two species are the Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), the most abundant, and yes, the Ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Though I must admit itīs a great sight each time I can get near any of these species, one can never forget they are alien birds, with an increasing population. They are strong, competitive birds, and when fighting for holes to nest I think they will always win (mainly with shy Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops), and even the diverses bat species. When I was young, I remember hearing from home (I lived then in Valencia city) Scops owls singing endlessly in spring nights. Itīs been a long since I heard the last one there: their distinctive mostly insect diet (as with bats, wich suffer same problem), makes them especially sensitive to insect-poisons, so widely/indiscriminately used in crops.
   Pictures below are of a male Blackbird (Turdus merula) hidden among branches of a Sophora tree, and female on grass. Abundant, brave, great singers, native, impressive insect catcher in Spring and summer... What else can they be asked for?
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Juan Fornes in Valencia, E. Spain. Zone 10 (not so bad...)

When a man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard. (Native american proverb)

Olga Bondareva

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2011, 12:44:30 PM »
How strange to see butterflies and parrots in winter.  :)

I am still feeding birds. Lots of snow and no natural food for them.

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Olga Bondareva, Moscow, Zone 3

scatigaz

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2011, 06:19:10 PM »
Olga, just love your pic of the Nuthatch. Very different from the race that we get in Britain.
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gary lee

Paddy Tobin

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2011, 06:27:25 PM »
Lovely photograph, Olga.

Also, unusual to see your photograph without a camera in front of your face!

Paddy
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Paddy Tobin, Waterford, Ireland

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Juan Fornes

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2011, 06:31:32 PM »
 Amazing bird and composition, Olga! I just love it!
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Juan Fornes in Valencia, E. Spain. Zone 10 (not so bad...)

When a man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard. (Native american proverb)

Olga Bondareva

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2011, 07:49:11 PM »
Gary, Paddy, Juan
Thank you!  :)

Quote from: Paddy Tobin on January 03, 2011, 06:27:25 PM
Also, unusual to see your photograph without a camera in front of your face!

Think this image is better.  :)

More Nuthatch. Just a few birds I saw today.



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Olga Bondareva, Moscow, Zone 3

Hoy

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2011, 08:16:23 PM »
Nice shots, Olga, I can't come so close to my  nuthatches!
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Trond Hoy, gardening on the rainy west coast of Norway.

Olga Bondareva

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2011, 09:27:09 PM »
Trond
Long focus lens could help you.  :D
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Olga Bondareva, Moscow, Zone 3

Hoy

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Re: Wildlife January 2011
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2011, 09:33:42 PM »
Quote from: Olga Bondareva on January 03, 2011, 09:27:09 PM
Trond
Long focus lens could help you.  :D
Yes I know, Olga, but my old zoom lens don't fit my new small camera :'(
All the cats have made the birds easily frightened too!
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Trond Hoy, gardening on the rainy west coast of Norway.
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