Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Michael J Campbell on February 09, 2013, 04:09:32 PM

Title: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Michael J Campbell on February 09, 2013, 04:09:32 PM
The resident pair of Robins in our garden have decide to build their nest in the retractable hose reel just beside the back door. I don't suppose we will get much dry weather before the young fledge that would necessitste the use of the hose anyway.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: bulborum on February 09, 2013, 04:52:54 PM
Here I saw yesterday in the pond the first green frog eggs ball
to deep to make a picture

Roland
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 09, 2013, 04:55:37 PM
Here I saw yesterday in the pond the first green frog eggs ball
to deep to make a picture

Roland
Wildest life in our frozen pond today was our little dog , who fell in and could not get out. Luckily she was rescued after only a  few minutes but she was very cold- and filthy, of course.  Yes , she was pretty "wild" .
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: bulborum on February 09, 2013, 05:02:59 PM
No frost at all here sins weeks
just around freezing or warmer
early for frogs
I have seen just one
same for the salamanders
a few sunny days would do wonders

R
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Hoy on February 09, 2013, 05:14:50 PM
No frogs here! It is too cold and has been unusually cold all winter.

However a flock of 5-6 jays in the garden this morning along with the smaller birds and yesterday a golden eagle paid us a visit in the garden! It is usually the white-tailed eagle we do see here.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 13, 2013, 09:31:21 PM
Have you all seen this by now? A Great tit catching and killing a Redpoll just to eat its brain. If this spreads through Europe ....
http://www.iltasanomat.fi/videot/kotimaa/vid-1288538785461.html (http://www.iltasanomat.fi/videot/kotimaa/vid-1288538785461.html)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: angie on February 13, 2013, 09:50:21 PM
Have you all seen this by now? A Great tit catching and killing a Redpoll just to eat its brain. If this spreads through Europe ....
http://www.iltasanomat.fi/videot/kotimaa/vid-1288538785461.html (http://www.iltasanomat.fi/videot/kotimaa/vid-1288538785461.html)

No and I wish I never looked  :'(

Angie  :)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 13, 2013, 10:00:20 PM
will this cheer you up?
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 13, 2013, 10:04:00 PM
The UK and Ireland have a new species of Bumble bee. Bombus terrestris ssp dalmatinus brought in in their 100s to pollinate greenhouse produce have escaped. They are larger and work harder than our own B. terrestris and .... the hive stays active all winter
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2013/0202/1224329539536.html (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2013/0202/1224329539536.html)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: angie on February 13, 2013, 10:04:57 PM
Thats better Mark  :-*

I didn't have to look as you did say what was in the video, nature can be so cruel. I remember years ago seeing a crow attack a kill a blackbird in my garden.

Angie  :)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 13, 2013, 10:05:53 PM
I remember years ago seeing a crow attack a kill a blackbird in my garden.

That's nature
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 14, 2013, 05:55:39 AM
Just got my copy of "Above the Treeline" by Alan F. Mark (Craig Potton Publishing). What a lovely book. Amazing photographs, some taken by at least three of our forumists. Not only does it deal with the flora, but there are sections on fauna too: reptiles, birds and invertebrates. $49 post free in NZ is a superb deal for a book of 472 pages! 8)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Hoy on February 14, 2013, 09:36:52 PM
Have you all seen this by now? A Great tit catching and killing a Redpoll just to eat its brain. If this spreads through Europe ....
http://www.iltasanomat.fi/videot/kotimaa/vid-1288538785461.html (http://www.iltasanomat.fi/videot/kotimaa/vid-1288538785461.html)

Make sense. The brain consists mostly of fat . . .
I remember when I was a boy that the great tits made holes in the cork of the milk bottles and ate the cream on top of the milk.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: chasw on February 14, 2013, 09:43:42 PM
Wildlife today was a sparrowhawk taking a starling from the neighbours feeder :(
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 14, 2013, 09:49:11 PM
Blue tits took the foil off milk bottles in the UK

Chas it has to feed
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Tim on February 14, 2013, 10:37:43 PM
A little bird in an unusual position.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 14, 2013, 10:51:26 PM
I've never seen a Tree Creeper on the ground - his claws are certainly built for tree climbing aren't they?

We have them in the garden occasionally, though a pair seem to have moved in now.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Tim on February 14, 2013, 10:55:36 PM
First time iv seen one on the ground as well. There must be a lack of insects around at the moment as this one was scavenging under the bird feeders picking up bits and pieces.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 19, 2013, 10:53:53 AM
Some amazing photographs on this New Zealand biologist's blog: http://dylanvanwinkel.wordpress.com/ (http://dylanvanwinkel.wordpress.com/)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 25, 2013, 09:55:35 AM
I grow several types of milkweed (Asclepias and Gomphocarpus spp.) for monarchs that are common in my garden. Alas, they become infested with the orange oleander aphid (Aphis nerii), so I decided to check what biological control was going on with these introduced pests. The obvious ones were ladybirds, but first I noticed a twig of the plant covered with brown and clearly dead aphids. I then saw a small parasitic wasp which is smaller than its name Lysiphlebus testaceipes. The brown aphids were aphid 'mummies' and some had tiny holes in their backs where the adult parasitoid had emerged. I tried to take some pictures but they are not great. One blurry picture show the wasp in the act of laying an egg in an aphid. It was very quick and I wasn't.

Don't seem to be able to add pics just now. Get this message: The attachments upload directory is not writable. Your attachment or avatar cannot be saved.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 25, 2013, 10:23:38 AM
Quote
Don't seem to be able to add pics just now.

Anthony,  I expect this will be a temporary hiccup as Fred completes his work.  Bear with us!
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 25, 2013, 10:28:54 AM
Thanks Maggi. I wasn't sure as my computer has been misbehaving today.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 25, 2013, 11:37:33 AM
Testing  the system .....

 an ancient artifact- a bison carved from mammoth ivory


http://www.world-archaeology.com/news/ice-age-art-arrival-of-the-modern-mind/ (http://www.world-archaeology.com/news/ice-age-art-arrival-of-the-modern-mind/)

Bison sculpted from mammoth ivory. About 20,000 years old, it was found at Zaraysk, Russia. Image: Zaraysk Kremlin Museum, Zaraysk, Russia


Edt by Maggi : I thought this beautiful object created from Mammoth Ivory was appropriate for a test when Fred is working on such a mammoth task!  ;)
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 25, 2013, 03:31:33 PM
I've seen them on the ground at Susan Tindalls below seed feeders. At her feeding station I've seen them on the nut feeders
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 25, 2013, 03:59:54 PM
I've seen them on the ground at Susan Tindalls below seed feeders. At her feeding station I've seen them on the nut feeders

 Bison or mammoths?
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Hoy on February 25, 2013, 04:41:02 PM
Bison or mammoths?
Have to be bison. The mammoths went extinct some years ago.
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 25, 2013, 04:49:25 PM
Have to be bison. The mammoths went extinct some years ago.
You are SO right! I am so stupid- should  know better.... bison it is.........
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 25, 2013, 05:45:40 PM
Both Maggi! Treecreepers
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: mark smyth on February 26, 2013, 12:16:06 AM
Out and about this afternoon I saw this Otter. I know they are pale below but what about cream moustaches?
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Maggi Young on February 26, 2013, 10:27:04 AM
Great photos, Mark. Looks like a big  strong otter, too.
I think the amount of pale markings around their faces is quite varied - this one is going for the Hercule Poirot look, eh?!
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 26, 2013, 11:10:04 AM
Maybe it washed its face in a bison?
Title: Re: Wildlife February 2013
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 27, 2013, 08:49:14 AM
This is quite shocking. Our favourite beach too. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868127 (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868127)
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