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Post by Philcounty on Aug 26, 2023 19:30:19 GMT
As you may have seen on the news, here in Southern Europe we've had a very prolonged period of very hot weather. It was cool enough last evening for me to take one of our dogs out on a walk. This particular dog loves splashing about in the river so that's where I took him. However, it's all but dried up now. There are still one or two puddles left though and approaching one, several things jumped out of one. On closer inspection, I discovered they were really tiny frogs. I guess they lay eggs - I think frogs lay eggs 🤷♂️ - in these small, muddy puddles and when the rains return and the river flows again, they hatch. Frogs eggs are commonly known as frogspawn. Frogspawn is effectively jelly eggs clumped together.
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Post by malc on Aug 28, 2023 6:25:10 GMT
As you may have seen on the news, here in Southern Europe we've had a very prolonged period of very hot weather. It was cool enough last evening for me to take one of our dogs out on a walk. This particular dog loves splashing about in the river so that's where I took him. However, it's all but dried up now. There are still one or two puddles left though and approaching one, several things jumped out of one. On closer inspection, I discovered they were really tiny frogs. I guess they lay eggs - I think frogs lay eggs 🤷♂️ - in these small, muddy puddles and when the rains return and the river flows again, they hatch. Frogs eggs are commonly known as frogspawn. Frogspawn is effectively jelly eggs clumped together. Yes, of course it is. It's been a long time since I learned about the biology of frogs! Of course, the frog spawn turns into tadpoles and they need water to survive so I'm figuring these frogs lay their spawn in the mud at the bottom of these puddles and this spawn has the ability to lie completely dormant safely protected by the rock hard, sun dried mud until the water returns which could be years down the line. These particular frogs were no bigger than your thumb nail. It was the tiny eyes of the ones that didn't leap away poking through the top of the muddy puddles that identified them as frogs to us.
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Post by vicar on Aug 28, 2023 9:54:04 GMT
Frogs eggs are commonly known as frogspawn. Frogspawn is effectively jelly eggs clumped together. Yes, of course it is. It's been a long time since I learned about the biology of frogs! Of course, the frog spawn turns into tadpoles and they need water to survive so I'm figuring these frogs lay their spawn in the mud at the bottom of these puddles and this spawn has the ability to lie completely dormant safely protected by the rock hard, sun dried mud until the water returns which could be years down the line. These particular frogs were no bigger than your thumb nail. It was the tiny eyes of the ones that didn't leap away poking through the top of the muddy puddles that identified them as frogs to us. Walking past High Lane cricket club recently we had to be careful not to stand on the little blighters they were everywhere.
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Post by fb on Nov 11, 2023 19:58:26 GMT
3 wrens, 2 robins, black-backed gull, badger, unidentified finch, mistle thrush, bloody load of magpies, parakeets, blackbird, 200 Jackdaws, 100 crows/rooks, several squirrals and a dragonfly in the back garden. Not been well so could not keep you YBs up to date but thought I better keep you informed. Hope this helps!
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Post by AmericanHatter on Nov 11, 2023 20:29:23 GMT
My lady wants to put some hummingbird feeders in our back yard. For those who have them, is their a certain way we need to do so?Any tips? Thanks.
Oh and wants to put a bird bath out there also.
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Post by fb on Nov 11, 2023 20:36:38 GMT
Do not have Hummingbirds over here in blighty my colonial cousin. However I do not believe that type of bird eats solids so maybe honey or some other sugary treat may do the trick on the bird table. If it goes wrong and the NC Hummingbird population plummets deny all knowledge and run.
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Post by fb on Nov 11, 2023 21:01:18 GMT
Just had a quick look and found very small insects are also top scran for HB's. Happy trails AH.
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Post by orkneyhatter on Nov 11, 2023 22:10:30 GMT
Yesterday I got excited to see a goldfinch in the garden. Used to get them all the time in Stockport but they are not common here. Then had a hen harrier fly past the kitchen window at breakfast and later a snipe in the garden. Saw my first ever Brambling last week too.
No magpies up here!
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Post by fb on Nov 11, 2023 23:00:01 GMT
Snipe are one of the hardest birds to shoot, after Teal (duck), Orkney. Sorry my farming heritage kicking in there. Please do not go out and shoot Snipe or Teal Yb's. Feel free to hammer Magpies though - cheeky feckers.
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Post by orkneyhatter on Nov 12, 2023 9:15:54 GMT
Snipe are one of the hardest birds to shoot, after Teal (duck), Orkney. Sorry my farming heritage kicking in there. Please do not go out and shoot Snipe or Teal Yb's. Feel free to hammer Magpies though - cheeky feckers. No problem. Plenty of people come up here to shoot geese, ducks in the season. Got used to it now, even though I don't agree with it. But the local farmers say geese are a nuisance. Get flocks of 100+ easily, and at least as many plus more wigeon on the loch.
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Post by fb on Mar 31, 2024 14:58:51 GMT
Spring is here in a big way, in Bredders. Two butterflies, several bee's, a Coal Tit, Blackbird's, a Mistle Thrush, many corvids, collared doves, wren's, gull's and a multitude of other critter's in the back garden. Good stuff!
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Post by Count de Stockport on Mar 31, 2024 15:02:03 GMT
Spring is here in a big way, in Bredders. Two butterflies, several bee's, a Coal Tit, Blackbird's, a Mistle Thrush, many corvids, collared doves, wren's, gull's and a multitude of other critter's in the back garden. Good stuff! I’m sure we can find allies among them in our struggle against the Newt and his minions
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Post by orkneyhatter on Mar 31, 2024 19:24:40 GMT
Spring is here in a big way, in Bredders. Two butterflies, several bee's, a Coal Tit, Blackbird's, a Mistle Thrush, many corvids, collared doves, wren's, gull's and a multitude of other critter's in the back garden. Good stuff! Saw the first bumble bees today, goldcrest chiffchaff, reed buntings. Also hen harriers and short eared owl. Had some good otter sightings in the loch here a couple of weeks ago. It's been glorious here the last couple of days-making up for the awful winter storms. Spring is here at last.
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Post by nelly on Mar 31, 2024 19:29:34 GMT
Spring is here in a big way, in Bredders. Two butterflies, several bee's, a Coal Tit, Blackbird's, a Mistle Thrush, many corvids, collared doves, wren's, gull's and a multitude of other critter's in the back garden. Good stuff! Saw the first bumble bees today, goldcrest chiffchaff, reed buntings. Also hen harriers and short eared owl. Had some good otter sightings in the loch here a couple of weeks ago. It's been glorious here the last couple of days-making up for the awful winter storms. Spring is here at last. Once you hear the Chiffchaff's you know it's spring.
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Post by herbiedumplings on Mar 31, 2024 19:55:27 GMT
Saw the first bumble bees today, goldcrest chiffchaff, reed buntings. Also hen harriers and short eared owl. Had some good otter sightings in the loch here a couple of weeks ago. It's been glorious here the last couple of days-making up for the awful winter storms. Spring is here at last. Once you hear the Chiffchaff's you know it's spring. Nah. It’s not officially Spring until you first see a scally lad walking down the street with his shirt off.
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