Wildlife 2007

[jomowi]

One of the problems of ragwort is that it is a cumulative poison.  Another factor is that animals often do not recognise it in hay.  While horses avoid the green plant they soon suffer if the hay contains dry ragwort

Brian Wilson Aberdeen

[Armin]

Brian,
thank you for your comment. The topic made me investigative - I found in a swiss nature magazine an article saying the same. The authors recommendation was to weed out ragwort where seen in meadows.
 
It seems whereever ragwort and farmers interest meet - they are incompatible!
But it seem to be a pest worldwide.

[Anthony Darby]

We have red kites breeding less than five of miles from my house. Alas the buzzards prevent them from spreading too far.

[Armin]

Anthony, lucky you! Red Kites are elegant like gliders in the wind...

[Maggi Young]

Armin, have you seen Rafa's photos of birds of prey, including Red Kites, in the old Forum Wildlife pages? They are wonderful; Wonderful birds and wonderful photos!!

[Armin]

Maggi, no I haven't yet. Will do.

[Maggi Young]

This is a good page: http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/1078/23345.html
searching with the latin names is better because Rafa uses those.

[John Forrest]

Calling all experts.

I'd like some help in identifying some of these critters taken in Tenerife recently

1 I know the first, which is a Spanish Sparrow and has differences from our local one

2 Here's a local one caught having a doze by the pond at home

3 A 'Darter' sunning itself next to the swimming pool

4 A lizard treading carefully.

5 Bird 1 may be the same as the following but lit differently

6 I thought possibly a Chiff Chaff, which is shown to be in Africa at the same  area but I'm hopeless at ID ing fluttery things even though I spend quite a time looking (You can't get them to sit next to the book like you can with flowers and the books don't have keys)

7 May be the same and probably is

8 Was up in the hills but near to some cultivated land.

[mark smyth]

I think the last one is a Canary - serinus canaria.

Warblers are so difficult. I dont think it is green enough to be Chiffchaff or Willow warbler

[John Forrest]

Thanks for that Mark. I think you are correct because I just Googled it and found a site showing the wild Canary in the Teide National Park, which is just a spit away.

[John Forrest]

Just found the Lizard on the same site. It is Gallotia galloti galloti, the Canary Island Lizard.

[Susan Band]

Here is a picture of some 2 day old Robins whose parents decided to nest in the greenhouse rubbish bin. They are great company, the adults that is, they don't mind me at all, nicking into the nest when they think I am not looking. They are both pictured bringing in supper to the little ones.
The Oyster Catchers are back checking out the field. There have been a few trial scrappings but no eggs yet, no doubt they will end up within a yard of where they always nest. They keep me amused all summer with their antics, totally confusing little dog. Last year they layed 4 eggs and 2 chicks made it to full size.

[Maggi Young]

Those baby robins really do mean Spring, don't they?  Lovely shot, Susan.
I saw today where oyster catchers were making  two or three trial nest scrapes in a raised bed, but no eggs yet. They're still talking about it... or shouting about it, they do nothing quietly, do they?
Five birds swept high over a small group of us, and the noise was deafening! Ian and I call them "black and white owls" because they fly around so much in the dark, calling! Very few real owls round here these days, since so many of the biggest  and best trees were taken down, though since Lily arrived, we have been further afield on evening walks and have found one or two not so very far away.

[John Forrest]

Susan, your baby robins are very cute. I have had the local Heron hit squad attacking my fish in the early morning before I get up. The surface of the pond has a white scum of dust/oil from their festhers.

[mark smyth]

yes very nice. Their nests are great too. What starts as pile of old damp leaves soon become a mossy cup lined with fine grass and hairs