Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 (edited) I'm green.... I was going to visit Skomer myself this year but couldn't go. Nice video, love the puffins, but garden birds? That's pushing it a bit..... Mornin' Chaz, ....hence the opening statement "in a Skomer island garden" maybe. Not strictly the way to go but brings a bit of variety onto the thread and might encourage a few more visitors to the island. When you go be sure to be in the queue at St Martins Haven by 07.30 otherwise you won't get on a boat that day. You can't book ahead for coming days either. Again not in a garden...or maybe a Welsh mountain garden...the red kites were putting on a fine display as we drove near Rhyader on our Elan valley coach trip yesterday Dave Edited June 16, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon hudson Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Mornin' Chaz, ....hence the opening statement "in a Skomer island garden" maybe. Not strictly the way to go but brings a bit of variety onto the thread and might encourage a few more visitors. When you go be sure to be in the queue at St Martins haven by 07.30 otherwise you won't get on that days boats. Again not in a garden...or maybe a Welsh mountain garden...the red kites were putting on a fine display as we drove near Rhyader on our Elan valley coach trip yesterday Dave If you are heading further up into North Wales you will see plenty of Red Kites and Buzzards we are getting more and more Red kites up here I see more and more of them up the Conwy Valley.For something a bit different we do have some Chuffs up and around Aber Falls and if you walk up the lh side to Aber lake you should see some and if you are lucky you will also see some of the wild Welsh hill ponies 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2013 The things I've missed for the past couple of years are the bats, I haven't seen any for a while.There is a big old church opposite as well, I did ask one of the locals and he reckons that things should improve as the pigeons had taken over a few years ago,but they have put netting up and other devices to deter them but bats should be able to get access.Unfortunately all the bat boxes are empty.A bit off topic I would love to cast a fly over your local water.Unfortunatley like the River Tweed I wouldn't be able to afford it.They say the Itchen is a beautiful stretch of water I think a lot clearer than the river Wear.my river when I get home to fish it Fished the Usk at Chainbridge between Abergavenny and Usk last week. Mayfly hatch and spinner fall the like of which I have not seen since the 70s. However Martins and other insectivores conspicuous by their absence - but when dusk fell the bat population was stupendous, Daubetons and Pipistrelles conspicuous but must have been others too. Phil 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 This is not in my garden either - but they do fly over occasionally. (I use the term 'seen from the garden'). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon hudson Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Ah the fishermans friend Up at Penmaenmawr fishing a couple of years ago,one of the local jesters put a plastic heron at the other side of the resevoir .The antics of Huw the owner where a joy to behold till he realised his trout were not in danger mind the plastic heron had a few holes in it!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 If you are heading further up into North Wales you will see plenty of Red Kites and Buzzards we are getting more and more Red kites up here I see more and more of them up the Conwy Valley.For something a bit different we do have some Chuffs up and around Aber Falls and if you walk up the lh side to Aber lake you should see some and if you are lucky you will also see some of the wild Welsh hill ponies ...Choughs in very short supply around St Davids at the mo Simon....we didn't see any in the first week of June. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 If you are heading further up into North Wales you will see plenty of Red Kites and Buzzards we are getting more and more Red kites up here I see more and more of them up the Conwy Valley.For something a bit different we do have some Chuffs up and around Aber Falls and if you walk up the lh side to Aber lake you should see some and if you are lucky you will also see some of the wild Welsh hill ponies Didn't see any choughs at Aber when I went last time but did see this (and a couple more of the same species) I got to see Choughs at South Stack... Chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon hudson Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 (edited) I normally walk up to Aber Lake (funny the locals don't call it a Llyn) twice a year for the Wild brown trout usually late May and late September I didnt spot any choughs last year.Certainly they were there in 2011 as on our way down we spoke at length to a young lady from the R.S.P.B they were apparently monitoring them.I remember last Septembers trip There was a heck of a lot of the Ponies so much so my fishing companion a local fellow of 60 plus years remarked it was years since he had seen so many together at any one time Edited June 16, 2013 by simon hudson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 (edited) Didn't see any choughs at Aber when I went last time but did see this (and a couple more of the same species) I got to see Choughs at South Stack... Chaz ...smart anklets Chaz...trendy chough! The dippers in Lathkildale, Wolfscotedale & Monsaldale are still much in evidence. Link to dipper in Lathkildale http://www.flickr.com/photos/43564631@N08/4308299557/ Dave Edited June 16, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2013 Dippers a-plenty on the Welsh border streams too Proper little characters but fiery tempers - in a territorial aerial dispute one is likely to overfly the rival and force it to fly directly in to the water - only to re-emerge a few moments later Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted June 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2013 Today we opened our garden for the NGS (10 years this year) after everyone had gone we were sitting having a cuppa, bits of cake had been thrown out onto the lawn when we cleared up, for the first time we had Black headed gulls landing to feed, but as the garden has a lot of trees they were circling 2-3 times before descending, helicopter like, to grab and go. The local population of Jackdaws took offence to this Gull invasion so started to mob them, we noted that the behaviour of the Gulls changed and 2 led the Jackdaws off so the others could feed, then they swapped. Couldn't get to the camera without disturbing them, so let them get on with it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 I discovered where a lot of birds had gone (not 'garden' birds though). Apologies for dodgy picture. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2013 Slightly off topic. it was reported on BBC Breakfast this morning that there is a shortage of ladybirds this year. This apparently is due to the warm dry spring last year followed by the lousy summer. I don't recall seeing any ladybirds yet, has anybody else? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 One or two - I think they over wintered in the sun room. Not many though. Still no slug epidemic but I'm not complaining. Most unusual. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2013 One or two - I think they over wintered in the sun room. Not many though. Still no slug epidemic but I'm not complaining. Most unusual. You want slugs? I have plenty to spare. They are nothing like the ones I saw in Barbados, up to 12" long and 2" diameter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2013 Loads of ladybirds around 36E and have been since March! Have got local Swifts investigating old HM nest at the moment; just outside my bedroom window so great views of swooping. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 If they were crawling in other fellows' laps, maybe they weren't slugs. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2013 Saw something in the river in Groudle Glen on Saturday, we have never seen before - a heron took a dipper that was fishing. Tried to frighten it into dropping the dipper but it took off with it. :-( Too many herons around here.....(Mrs NHN is a koi keeper) Dippers are rare though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 They used to be near the sea...........But the rotters moved inland and they're now our garden birds. Nesting behind chimneys, the result is buckets loads of the white stuff on cars, pavements and buildings. If they were ground rats something would be done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2013 Ah, 'Manx Eagles'........sh*tehawks by any other name. Peel seems to be the world's centre for them. The word r*t is disallowed here, a strong local superstition after a plague of them some time in the past. It's OK to call them long tails or whatever though. I'm still upset about the heron taking the dipper though....hardly ever see one, and wallop it's gone. Nature, eh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 17, 2013 Ah, 'Manx Eagles'........sh*tehawks by any other name. Peel seems to be the world's centre for them. The word r*t is disallowed here, a strong local superstition after a plague of them some time in the past. It's OK to call them long tails or whatever though. I'm still upset about the heron taking the dipper though....hardly ever see one, and wallop it's gone. Nature, eh. Afraid that's the real world though A few years ago there was a rare wader strutting its stuff in front of all the twitchers at an East Midlands reservoir - a red legged phalarope at Swithland I think - when there was a large swirl and no more phalarope. Esox Lucius thinks he is king of the water am afraid. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon hudson Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Ah, 'Manx Eagles'........sh*tehawks by any other name. Peel seems to be the world's centre for them. The word r*t is disallowed here, a strong local superstition after a plague of them some time in the past. It's OK to call them long tails or whatever though. I'm still upset about the heron taking the dipper though....hardly ever see one, and wallop it's gone. Nature, eh. We have problems with them in Llandudno the main problem are the tourists.People on holiday just can't read.There are signs all over "Please don't feed the birds" obviously the gulls.People think they are lovely and cute and fluffy.I find it amusing when whoosh mammy bird comes down and just about takes their hand off.I watched a bemused holiday maker a couple of years ago.Puts his Kentucky/MacD on his car roof to open door big bird swoops and it's gone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2013 Are gulls edible? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Are gulls edible? Don't tell him, Pike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 (edited) I discovered where a lot of birds had gone (not 'garden' birds though). Apologies for dodgy picture. BirdMultitude.jpg I can see... bewicks swan eider mallard shelduck pochard tufted duck pintail and (I think) scaup where? when? Please tell (I gotta know!) Edited June 17, 2013 by chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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