The Wildlife thread. - Page 3

the golden vision · January 10th, 2011, 01:52 PM

Great to see the Mute Swan thriving in the city

openlyJane · January 10th, 2011, 08:55 PM

Seal washed up on Formby beach.

openlyJane · January 10th, 2011, 09:08 PM

Formby beach. Shark fish?

openlyJane · January 10th, 2011, 10:07 PM

Sefton Park. Rook or Crow?

the golden vision · January 10th, 2011, 10:26 PM

Great stuff Jane. The Seal will probably one from Hilbre . The bird is a Jackdaw,excellent pic(the pale eye colour is the identifier there)

BeeGee · January 11th, 2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openlyJane

Formby beach. Shark fish?

Looks like a Tope - 'Galeorhinus galeus'

the golden vision · January 16th, 2011, 10:16 PM

Birders and Twitchers.

Just in case anyone's interested

there is a difference and i'd be insulted if i was called a Twitcher

Apologies to anyone viewing this who might be of the aforementioned

Twitchers are more like collectors,hunters even. The thrill of the chase is an intrinsic part of their hobby. They might only see the bird for a fleeting second and have travelled hundreds of miles in the process. To me that is 16 hours or spent driving when i could watching and listening to birds. And the emphasis being on listening. I might walk an hour in country and only see 20 or so birds, but i'll hear a lot more, especially so in woodland where you'll often hear more birds than you see. Identifying birds by their song is one of the great pleasures of birdwatching, twitchers are not allowed a 'tick' for bird song

Colonels, Captains and Corporals.
Next time you see a group of House Sparrows hopping about after some crumbs on the pavement maybe you might look again after reading this. Within that little group is a strict hiearchy, often compared to the military ranks. It's all do with the 'bib' the dark colouring on the bird's chest, the bigger the black area the higher the rank. The highest ranked bird will feed first followed by the lower ranks and this decorum in the pecking order is repeated in the things such as disputes. Boring little drab thing, no way!

Joe the red · January 29th, 2011, 01:20 PM

An oystercatcher was having none of it and this was as close as I got to this fella before he buggered off into the dock.

the golden vision · January 29th, 2011, 04:19 PM

Brilliant Joe,

that Cormorant will be getting an honourable mention later.

the golden vision · January 29th, 2011, 08:24 PM

City Centre Birdwatching

Surprisingly there are places to watch birds even in the heart of the city.The best spot is St James's Gardens/Cemetery. This is a haven for birds normally only found in suburban parks. Blue Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch,along with the more common species such as; Wood Pigeon,Blackbird, Song Thrush,Magpie,House Sparrow. Occasional visitors include;Long-Tailed Tit, Coal Tit,Blackcap and Goldfinch.

Over on the waterfront,the docks have small numbers of Coot, Moorhen,Tufted Duck, Canada Geese,Mute Swan and has Joe has illustrated above, the Cormorant.

Another little city centre refuge for birds is the Cornwallis Estate, between Lydia Ann St and Park Lane/St James's Rd. Obviously not a place to bring binoculars to. Putting aside the architectural merits or not of the estate, it is a nice surprise for me anyway, to come off Duke st in to a little oasis of birdsong in the Spring. Birds i've either heard or seen here; Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie as well as the more common town species. On a cautionary note, when viisting the estate for whatever reason, don't park there. Due to under provision of parking spaces locally the locals are hostile to 'outsiders' parking there.

The Approach of Spring.

Spring for birders is a bit like Christmas for kids, there's big build up to it

Also it starts earlier for birders, when the first birds start breeding, that's late February for the Heron. My favourite description of the harbinger of Spring is Chaucer: " and smale fowles maken melodye" Spring is all about the return of migratory birds. The, Swift, Swallow, Martins but especially the songsters, the Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps etc. Not to forget are resident songsters like the Robin and Wren. Which can be heard almost throughout the year and brighten even the darkest January day. The Wren is the little bird with the huge voice that can be heard almost anywhere.

Paul D · January 29th, 2011, 08:48 PM

I remember Mersey Orange posting a picture of a Kingfisher in Liverpool Docks ages ago,apparently the often Winter there.I saw my Barn Owl again yesterday Tom,I'm glad to report it survived the cold spell.

openlyJane · January 29th, 2011, 08:58 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74XPObUCIG4

This is for GV and Paul.

The whole of the album Aerial is full of bird song.

Paul D · January 29th, 2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openlyJane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74XPObUCIG4

This is for GV and Paul.

The whole of the album Aerial is full of bird song.

Thanks Jane I'll listen to that,I really like Kate Bush.

the golden vision · January 29th, 2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul D

I remember Mersey Orange posting a picture of a Kingfisher in Liverpool Docks ages ago,apparently the often Winter there.I saw my Barn Owl again yesterday Tom,I'm glad to report it survived the cold spell.

Great Paul.

the golden vision · January 29th, 2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openlyJane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74XPObUCIG4

This is for GV and Paul.

The whole of the album Aerial is full of bird song.

Thanks Jane.

the golden vision · January 30th, 2011, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by openlyJane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74XPObUCIG4

This is for GV and Paul.

The whole of the album Aerial is full of bird song.

Nice that Jane. Listened to the prelude and then the prologue in which she sings about "the lark ascending" obviously a little nod to Vaughan Williams. Beautiful as it is, Vaughan Williams's tribute to the Skylark can't approach the real thing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKz6XJlI_jk

Paul D · January 31st, 2011, 10:34 AM

Scandinavian Waxwing spotted in Liverpool
Jan 31 2011

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
A SCANDINAVIAN bird rarely seen in the UK caused a stir among twitchers in Liverpool.

Three flocks of waxwings saw excited birdwatchers assemble in a flutter in Scotland Road.

The waxwing – identified by a distinctive crest on its head – only visits the UK when driven from its traditional feeding grounds by a lack of food.

Student Daniel Foy, 29, of Mossley Hill, said: “Waxwings are a rare species and you only see them in over here when the berry crop in Scandinavia has failed.

“They have been seen in Liverpool now and again but it is rare for them to be seen so close to the city centre in such numbers.”

the golden vision · January 31st, 2011, 06:04 PM

Check this out Paul. Great little blog.
http://southliverpoolbirder.blogspot.com/

Paul D · January 31st, 2011, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the golden vision

Check this out Paul. Great little blog.
http://southliverpoolbirder.blogspot.com/

Some of that seems familiar,I'm sure he posts on John Dempsey's blog in the Echo.Thanks for that,I'll save that page.

Cheyelle · January 31st, 2011, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the golden vision

http://southliverpoolbirder.blogspot.com/

It's really good! Thanks for the heads-up.

January 10th, 2011, 08:55 PM	#42
openlyJane Human Being Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Liverpool Posts: 11,177 Likes (Received): 1812	Seal washed up on Formby beach. Last edited by openlyJane; February 19th, 2011 at 12:06 PM.

January 10th, 2011, 09:08 PM	#43
openlyJane Human Being Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Liverpool Posts: 11,177 Likes (Received): 1812	Formby beach. Shark fish? Last edited by openlyJane; February 19th, 2011 at 12:07 PM.

January 10th, 2011, 10:07 PM	#44
openlyJane Human Being Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Liverpool Posts: 11,177 Likes (Received): 1812	Sefton Park. Rook or Crow? Last edited by openlyJane; February 19th, 2011 at 12:07 PM.

January 10th, 2011, 10:26 PM	#45
the golden vision Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,753 Likes (Received): 169	Great stuff Jane. The Seal will probably one from Hilbre . The bird is a Jackdaw,excellent pic(the pale eye colour is the identifier there) Last edited by the golden vision; January 10th, 2011 at 10:49 PM.

January 29th, 2011, 01:20 PM	#48
Joe the red Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Liverpool Posts: 3,758 Likes (Received): 1	An oystercatcher was having none of it and this was as close as I got to this fella before he buggered off into the dock. __________________ There is surely nothing worse than washing sieves With the possible exception of being Garth Crooks

January 10th, 2011, 01:52 PM	#41
the golden vision Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,753 Likes (Received): 169	Great to see the Mute Swan thriving in the city

January 16th, 2011, 10:16 PM	#47
the golden vision Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,753 Likes (Received): 169	Birders and Twitchers. Just in case anyone's interested there is a difference and i'd be insulted if i was called a Twitcher Apologies to anyone viewing this who might be of the aforementioned Twitchers are more like collectors,hunters even. The thrill of the chase is an intrinsic part of their hobby. They might only see the bird for a fleeting second and have travelled hundreds of miles in the process. To me that is 16 hours or spent driving when i could watching and listening to birds. And the emphasis being on listening. I might walk an hour in country and only see 20 or so birds, but i'll hear a lot more, especially so in woodland where you'll often hear more birds than you see. Identifying birds by their song is one of the great pleasures of birdwatching, twitchers are not allowed a 'tick' for bird song Colonels, Captains and Corporals. Next time you see a group of House Sparrows hopping about after some crumbs on the pavement maybe you might look again after reading this. Within that little group is a strict hiearchy, often compared to the military ranks. It's all do with the 'bib' the dark colouring on the bird's chest, the bigger the black area the higher the rank. The highest ranked bird will feed first followed by the lower ranks and this decorum in the pecking order is repeated in the things such as disputes. Boring little drab thing, no way!

January 29th, 2011, 04:19 PM	#49
the golden vision Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,753 Likes (Received): 169	Brilliant Joe, that Cormorant will be getting an honourable mention later.

January 29th, 2011, 08:24 PM	#50
the golden vision Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,753 Likes (Received): 169	City Centre Birdwatching Surprisingly there are places to watch birds even in the heart of the city.The best spot is St James's Gardens/Cemetery. This is a haven for birds normally only found in suburban parks. Blue Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch,along with the more common species such as; Wood Pigeon,Blackbird, Song Thrush,Magpie,House Sparrow. Occasional visitors include;Long-Tailed Tit, Coal Tit,Blackcap and Goldfinch. Over on the waterfront,the docks have small numbers of Coot, Moorhen,Tufted Duck, Canada Geese,Mute Swan and has Joe has illustrated above, the Cormorant. Another little city centre refuge for birds is the Cornwallis Estate, between Lydia Ann St and Park Lane/St James's Rd. Obviously not a place to bring binoculars to. Putting aside the architectural merits or not of the estate, it is a nice surprise for me anyway, to come off Duke st in to a little oasis of birdsong in the Spring. Birds i've either heard or seen here; Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie as well as the more common town species. On a cautionary note, when viisting the estate for whatever reason, don't park there. Due to under provision of parking spaces locally the locals are hostile to 'outsiders' parking there. The Approach of Spring. Spring for birders is a bit like Christmas for kids, there's big build up to it Also it starts earlier for birders, when the first birds start breeding, that's late February for the Heron. My favourite description of the harbinger of Spring is Chaucer: " and smale fowles maken melodye" Spring is all about the return of migratory birds. The, Swift, Swallow, Martins but especially the songsters, the Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps etc. Not to forget are resident songsters like the Robin and Wren. Which can be heard almost throughout the year and brighten even the darkest January day. The Wren is the little bird with the huge voice that can be heard almost anywhere.

January 29th, 2011, 08:48 PM	#51
Paul D Phatang Phatang Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Liverpool Posts: 11,650 Likes (Received): 315	I remember Mersey Orange posting a picture of a Kingfisher in Liverpool Docks ages ago,apparently the often Winter there.I saw my Barn Owl again yesterday Tom,I'm glad to report it survived the cold spell.

January 29th, 2011, 08:58 PM	#52
openlyJane Human Being Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Liverpool Posts: 11,177 Likes (Received): 1812	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74XPObUCIG4 This is for GV and Paul. The whole of the album Aerial is full of bird song. Last edited by openlyJane; January 29th, 2011 at 09:08 PM.

January 31st, 2011, 10:34 AM	#57
Paul D Phatang Phatang Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Liverpool Posts: 11,650 Likes (Received): 315	Scandinavian Waxwing spotted in Liverpool Jan 31 2011 Uploaded with ImageShack.us A SCANDINAVIAN bird rarely seen in the UK caused a stir among twitchers in Liverpool. Three flocks of waxwings saw excited birdwatchers assemble in a flutter in Scotland Road. The waxwing – identified by a distinctive crest on its head – only visits the UK when driven from its traditional feeding grounds by a lack of food. Student Daniel Foy, 29, of Mossley Hill, said: “Waxwings are a rare species and you only see them in over here when the berry crop in Scandinavia has failed. “They have been seen in Liverpool now and again but it is rare for them to be seen so close to the city centre in such numbers.”

January 31st, 2011, 06:04 PM	#58
the golden vision Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,753 Likes (Received): 169	Check this out Paul. Great little blog. http://southliverpoolbirder.blogspot.com/

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