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Author Topic: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald  (Read 228366 times)

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #510 on: December 26, 2018, 07:42:31 PM »






The black "smudge" on a branch.

Birds today were, gadwall, mallard, teal, meadow pipit, stonechat, robin, blue tit, great tit, marsh harrier, goosander, merganser, redpoll, tree creeper, shoveler, bullfinch, jay, chaffinch, long tailed tit, wood pigeon, coal tit, mute swan, wigeon, blackbird, pheasant, greater black backed gull, merlin, barn owl, water rail, grey lag geese and crow. Also seen were roe deer and a frog.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2018, 07:47:20 PM by ian mcdonald »

David Nicholson

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #511 on: December 27, 2018, 12:42:15 PM »
Many thanks for your reports Ian, always something interesting and to learn. Long may they continue.
David Nicholson
in Devon, UK  Zone 9b
"Victims of satire who are overly defensive, who cry "foul" or just winge to high heaven, might take pause and consider what exactly it is that leaves them so sensitive, when they were happy with satire when they were on the side dishing it out"

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #512 on: December 27, 2018, 08:25:03 PM »
Thanks David, there is always something interesting to see. Sometimes we discover species previously not recorded there before. This is something most people can do if they are able to get out and about. It is easy to overlook a local site and spend time watching wildlife on TV but much better to see it for yourself. Most wildlife records come from "amateurs" who are interested in their "local patch."

Chris Johnson

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #513 on: December 28, 2018, 03:13:10 PM »
Ian, good to see you out and about and finding rather more than I.

The small brown fungus is a Galerina and the small white one a Mycena.
The black 'smudge' could be Birch Woodwart, Jackrogersella multiformis, but can't see enough detail.
South Uist, Outer Hebrides

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #514 on: December 28, 2018, 03:53:01 PM »
Thanks Chris, the woods are very interesting just now and look like the rain forests in miniature.

Maggi Young

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #515 on: December 28, 2018, 04:02:08 PM »
Thought of the moment - when does a 'wood'  become a 'forest'? ( Odd how these  questions pop into one's mind!)
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #516 on: December 28, 2018, 04:03:53 PM »
Maggi, I think a forest is a very large wood and you can,t find your way out of it?

Maggi Young

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #517 on: December 28, 2018, 05:45:25 PM »
Maggi, I think a forest is a very large wood and you can,t find your way out of it?
Good answer - and jolly  scary too, Ian!
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #518 on: December 28, 2018, 07:23:29 PM »
It is the strange noises I find interesting. The sound of something moving about but out of sight. An unusual bird call. No sound at all perhaps means there is something that wildlife can see but you can,t. On Wednesday we noticed there was hardly any sound in the wood at all and we were being quiet.

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #519 on: January 02, 2019, 09:18:52 PM »
An up-date on the "new" water pump. It is still not working as designed, i.e. automatically. The site staff are having to switch it on and off manually. On Monday, last, one of us paid a visit to the site. She looked at a part of one of the woods which we have visited many times. On leaving the wood she found a clump of Harts Tongue Fern growing behind a birch tree. This fern is common in the district, especially in Limestone areas. It seems that the fern has not been recorded on the site, according to records, since 1907. It shows that because of the extent and diversity of the site there are many species awaiting discovery.



Harts Tongue Fern, Phyllitis scolopendrium.





A large tree, white willow, had fallen some time ago and verticle trunks had grown from the fallen tree.





Phellinus igniarius?

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #520 on: January 02, 2019, 09:26:00 PM »


A colourful spider, the name of which will be provided. It has been tentatively identified as an Episinus species.



A fairly quiet day for birds. Those seen were, mallard, shoveler, goosander, marsh harrier, bullfinch, chaffinch, jay, great spotted woodpecker, redpoll, wood pigeon, robin, crow, pheasant, grey lag geese, teal, great tit, kestrel, moorhen and barn owl.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2019, 02:57:56 PM by ian mcdonald »

Robert

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #521 on: January 04, 2019, 08:16:46 PM »
Ian,

Phyllitis scolopendrium

Very good news!  8)

I may have already asked, but are invasive species an issue at the site?

Here in California, invasive species often hamper the recovery of our native species. In other situations, invasive species even inhibit and/or overrun our native species.
Robert Barnard
Sacramento & Placerville, Northern California, U.S.A.
All text and photos © Robert Barnard

To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.

Mohandas K. Gandhi

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #522 on: January 04, 2019, 09:18:20 PM »
Hello Robert, invasive species are not a problem on the site. We do get some species that are introduced with path building material. The material is supposed to be screened but this is not always the case. A plant of Nicandra physalodes was seen last year where material had been spread. Last year 13 species of plant were added to the site list. The insect list is growing steadily. With cleaner air more species of Lichen are arriving on site. We are a group of three people regularly recording on site and there are a regular number of bird recorders (as well as we three) visiting the site. Now that the Carr woodlands are not so flooded we are able to visit more areas and record. I went to the site today and saw what looked like a person standing on the main track, a bit unusual I thought as it was early. As I approached, the "person" moved and I saw two large stags watching me. They ran off in different directions before I got close enough for a picture. Something interesting every visit.

ian mcdonald

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #523 on: January 09, 2019, 09:27:39 PM »
Today started out dull and cold, 2C. Later the sun came out but it was still cold. I went to look at an area where conservation work has been carried out to help the spread of a rare plant. The work consisted of scrub clearance and it is hoped that removal of the bushes and the heavy shade they cast will be an improvement. Monitoring the site later in the year should give an indication how successful the clearance has been. Fewer birds were seen today as the site in question is sheltered with limited views. Those birds which were seen included several flocks of pink footed geese, bullfinch, robin, marsh harrier, crows, kestrel, great tit, blue tit, pheasant, magpie, wood pigeons and a possible woodcock as we were leaving.

Robert

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Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald
« Reply #524 on: January 10, 2019, 01:48:18 PM »
Ian,

Keep us posted on the outcome of the rare plant conservation project. You have reported many success stories. It is very encouraging to hear reports with good out comes.
Robert Barnard
Sacramento & Placerville, Northern California, U.S.A.
All text and photos © Robert Barnard

To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.

Mohandas K. Gandhi

 


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