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Author Topic: Wildlife October 2009  (Read 30372 times)

mark smyth

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Wildlife October 2009
« on: October 02, 2009, 08:01:35 PM »
A Tufted puffin that should be in the Pacific is off Kent!
http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1749
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 October 2009
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2009, 08:31:19 PM »
Autumn Watch starts again tonight on BBC2 at 9pm
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

Paul T

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2009, 06:49:40 AM »
Very cool re the Puffin, Mark (no pun intended).  What a find.  8)
Cheers.

Paul T.
Canberra, Australia.
Min winter temp -8 or -9°C. Max summer temp 40°C. Thankfully, maybe once or twice a year only.

Paul T

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2009, 08:24:57 AM »
Anyone who thinks Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are lovely?......

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/10/09/2045456.htm

I am SO hoping they don't decide to latch on to our house!  :o

And Yes, we do get a lot of them in this area.
Cheers.

Paul T.
Canberra, Australia.
Min winter temp -8 or -9°C. Max summer temp 40°C. Thankfully, maybe once or twice a year only.

angie

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2009, 09:49:35 AM »
Liked the article about the cockatoos amazing to think that they could do damage like that.  8) I think I am safe here in Scotland.

Angie
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Paul T

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2009, 01:17:37 PM »
Angie,

I don't know.  Those cockies are pretty smart.  maybe they might steal some tickets and save their wings on a flight to Scotland!!  ;D


On a visit to some open gardens a couple of hours north of here the other day, I came across a few of these strange bugs that I have not seen before.  Anyone know what they are?  They're obviously attracted to nectar.  Please excuse the brown spots on so many of the pics I am posting.... we suffered from a dust storm just like Sydney did the other day, although ours was the day before and thankfully not quite as bad.  :o

Please click on the pic for a larger version.
Cheers.

Paul T.
Canberra, Australia.
Min winter temp -8 or -9°C. Max summer temp 40°C. Thankfully, maybe once or twice a year only.

Anthony Darby

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2009, 01:34:10 PM »
Just what I need for my Advanced Higher Biology lesson on mimicry Paul. :o These are beetles, but are clearly wasp mimics! Compare them with Armin's parasitic wasps! Fantastic! 8)
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Stephenb

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2009, 03:29:48 PM »
Astonishing Puffin find, Mark and beetles, Paul.

Cycling home from work yesterday and I heard the characteristic sound of Waxwings and further investigation revealed a small flock of 25 birds, the season's first. Not a good Rowan year, so they probably won'æt be hanging around long this year. Arrived home to find a group of 8 Swallows insect catching over the garden - their migration south would have been hampered this year by the continous stream of low pressure systems passing through (record rainfall for September).
Stephen
Malvik, Norway
Eating my way through the world's 15,000+ edible species
Age: Lower end of the 20-25,000 day range

mark smyth

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2009, 03:34:04 PM »
Stephen are you saying there could be another waxwing eruption?  Here, at least in N Ireland, the berry crop this year is huge
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

Lori S.

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2009, 01:27:42 AM »
Snow geese in north-central Saskatchewan last weekend.  There were a few thousand feeding in the hills behind the area that's visible here.  And speaking of snow, we had a flurry this morning...
Lori
Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Zone 3
-30 C to +30 C (rarely!); elevation ~1130m; annual precipitation ~40 cm

Kees Green

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2009, 08:40:46 AM »
Paul
Looks like a long horn beetle but dont quote me, you guys have some extremely weird insects over there in Aussie. I wonder if they wave those long antennae about as the wasp they mimic no doubt does, nice to see the mimic even has the white on the end of the antennae.
Kees Green, miniature daffodil and insect enthusiast

League fan in a city crazed by AFL

Anthony Darby

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2009, 08:56:23 AM »
Paul
Looks like a long horn beetle but dont quote me, you guys have some extremely weird insects over there in Aussie. I wonder if they wave those long antennae about as the wasp they mimic no doubt does, nice to see the mimic even has the white on the end of the antennae.

The fact that the antennae have an 'elbow' joint is very ant-like.
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html

Lesley Cox

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2009, 09:22:15 AM »
Paul our native parrot the kea also has destructive tendencies like the cockies' but since they frequent high country rather than inhabited areas, they're not too much of a problem. They like windscreen wipers or anything moveable on a vehicle and I once had a sneaker removed from outside a tramping hut. Found it about a kilometre away and in very sad condition. Usually their habits are thought of here as "playful" rather than malevolent. :D
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Lesley Cox

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2009, 09:26:23 AM »
I generally refer to cleavers as "sticky weed." I was told at the weekend by a friend who has Irish Setters that the best way to clean them from long dog fur is to put the dog among those sharp edged grasses which grow on sand dunes and which are known locally as "cutty grass."
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

angie

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Re: Wildlife October 2009
« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2009, 09:51:04 AM »
Paul

We have creepy bugs over here, I hate those insects with long legs we have "daddy longlegs " here in Aberdeen, Anthony will know the right name for them I guess. I agree with Kees Green you do have some weird insects over there, but saying that it must be the most wonderful place to live. I enjoy the pictures.

Angie
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