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Post by HTC on Jun 15, 2024 8:58:35 GMT
Hadn’t seen as many sand martins as usual around the Mersey / Burnage rugby this year, but they’ve turned up with a vengeance today - loads by the bridge/ Waterside hotel this morning
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Post by timberwolf on Jun 16, 2024 8:27:55 GMT
The greater spotted blue brested shite hawks will be seen in numbers across greatr manchester in august going to their breeding ground known to nature lovers as the etihad flats.
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fb
Contributor
Posts: 789
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Post by fb on Jun 23, 2024 12:38:47 GMT
Lawn lovers look away. Quite enjoying the Bittercress, Selfheal, buttercups and clover flowers coming out of the lawn in the back garden, that is my excuse for the lack of mowage and I am sticking to it. The sweet peas and clematis are coming on nicely. The Roses are stunning this year and the Cornflower plants are doing really well. The apple tree is now sprouting apples at an alarming rate, this early. Last years Lavatera plant has bloomed and is very impressive but may need cutting back this year as it resembles a small tree. Not much birdage today but loving the flora. Anyhoo, time to open another beverage and watch the plants grow.
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Post by vicar on Jun 23, 2024 16:09:18 GMT
Lawn lovers look away. Quite enjoying the Bittercress, Selfheal, buttercups and clover flowers coming out of the lawn in the back garden, that is my excuse for the lack of mowage and I am sticking to it. The sweet peas and clematis are coming on nicely. The Roses are stunning this year and the Cornflower plants are doing really well. The apple tree is now sprouting apples at an alarming rate, this early. Last years Lavatera plant has bloomed and is very impressive but may need cutting back this year as it resembles a small tree. Not much birdage today but loving the flora. Anyhoo, time to open another beverage and watch the plants grow. Get the flymo out you bone idle waster.
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Post by orkneyhatter on Jun 23, 2024 19:02:24 GMT
It's been Open Gardens here this weekend. Went to one who is re-establishing a wildflowers meadow on a field of grazing land next to his house. Lots of varied flowers and grasses including 4 types of orchid. Loads of bumblebees around too, and the passing short eared owl was a bonus.
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Post by fenedgeexile on Jun 29, 2024 16:44:27 GMT
Or muntjac deer, get them in my garden, stocky little buggers Loads of muntjac deer around here in Cambridgeshire. We also have a population of black squirrels. Apparatently they are grey squirrels with a genetic mutation that gives them black fur. There is at least one in the village with a bright white tip on its tail which makes it looks like a cross between a squirrel and a skunk. Managed to get a photo of one of the resident black squirrels earlier today.
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Post by herbiedumplings on Jun 29, 2024 17:05:54 GMT
Loads of muntjac deer around here in Cambridgeshire. We also have a population of black squirrels. Apparatently they are grey squirrels with a genetic mutation that gives them black fur. There is at least one in the village with a bright white tip on its tail which makes it looks like a cross between a squirrel and a skunk. Managed to get a photo of one of the resident black squirrels earlier today. View AttachmentSaw one of them in France last year. Tame AF as well.
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oldroader
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Posts: 336
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Post by oldroader on Jun 29, 2024 17:20:41 GMT
Managed to get a photo of one of the resident black squirrels earlier today. View AttachmentSaw one of them in France last year. Tame AF as well. Nah, that was Pepe le Pew.
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Post by fenedgeexile on Jun 29, 2024 18:36:55 GMT
Saw one of them in France last year. Tame AF as well. Nah, that was Pepe le Pew. There is also one in the same area with a white tip to its tail - very much, a la Pepe le Pew!
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Post by timberwolf on Jun 30, 2024 7:39:56 GMT
Lawn lovers look away. Quite enjoying the Bittercress, Selfheal, buttercups and clover flowers coming out of the lawn in the back garden, that is my excuse for the lack of mowage and I am sticking to it. The sweet peas and clematis are coming on nicely. The Roses are stunning this year and the Cornflower plants are doing really well. The apple tree is now sprouting apples at an alarming rate, this early. Last years Lavatera plant has bloomed and is very impressive but may need cutting back this year as it resembles a small tree. Not much birdage today but loving the flora. Anyhoo, time to open another beverage and watch the plants grow. Think its been a good year for growing across the north at least. The wild raspberries are staring to go red and are much bigger than last years. Possibly rain and that early period of hot weather we had was spot on for everything. Must admit i find bowling green type lawns quite boring and prefer something on them to break the monotony. Whether its down to council cuts or not i also feel that the lack of grass cutting this year by them has improved the number of plants and wild flowers we see by allowing them to fully grow.
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Post by orkneyhatter on Jun 30, 2024 8:30:04 GMT
Lawn lovers look away. Quite enjoying the Bittercress, Selfheal, buttercups and clover flowers coming out of the lawn in the back garden, that is my excuse for the lack of mowage and I am sticking to it. The sweet peas and clematis are coming on nicely. The Roses are stunning this year and the Cornflower plants are doing really well. The apple tree is now sprouting apples at an alarming rate, this early. Last years Lavatera plant has bloomed and is very impressive but may need cutting back this year as it resembles a small tree. Not much birdage today but loving the flora. Anyhoo, time to open another beverage and watch the plants grow. Think its been a good year for growing across the north at least. The wild raspberries are staring to go red and are much bigger than last years. Possibly rain and that early period of hot weather we had was spot on for everything. Must admit i find bowling green type lawns quite boring and prefer something on them to break the monotony. Whether its down to council cuts or not i also feel that the lack of grass cutting this year by them has improved the number of plants and wild flowers we see by allowing them to fully grow. Here the council cuts the verges which are quite narrow and usually have a ditch, once over the summer. They are full of wildflowers:birds foot trefoil, dandelions, buttercups, vetch, orchids. Also some of the fields get left fallow or lightly grazed and are full of ragged Robin, ox eye daisies, cornflowers, more orchids, Marsh marigolds. It was a very wet winter here but since then we've had some but not much rain. There's lots of voles,mice and a few hedgehogs around. Also some rats but it is rural so you expect that. Also quite a few otters around this year. Unfortunately they're not popular as they occasionally take hens and ducks. The bird life is fantastic. Went to Westray recently and saw 60+ puffins. Lots of skua/tern battles going on over fish. There's ways something to look at whilst out walking.
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Post by timberwolf on Jun 30, 2024 8:58:42 GMT
Think its been a good year for growing across the north at least. The wild raspberries are staring to go red and are much bigger than last years. Possibly rain and that early period of hot weather we had was spot on for everything. Must admit i find bowling green type lawns quite boring and prefer something on them to break the monotony. Whether its down to council cuts or not i also feel that the lack of grass cutting this year by them has improved the number of plants and wild flowers we see by allowing them to fully grow. Here the council cuts the verges which are quite narrow and usually have a ditch, once over the summer. They are full of wildflowers:birds foot trefoil, dandelions, buttercups, vetch, orchids. Also some of the fields get left fallow or lightly grazed and are full of ragged Robin, ox eye daisies, cornflowers, more orchids, Marsh marigolds. It was a very wet winter here but since then we've had some but not much rain. There's lots of voles,mice and a few hedgehogs around. Also some rats but it is rural so you expect that. Also quite a few otters around this year. Unfortunately they're not popular as they occasionally take hens and ducks. The bird life is fantastic. Went to Westray recently and saw 60+ puffins. Lots of skua/tern battles going on over fish. There's ways something to look at whilst out walking. All this is one big reason i own a dog. Anyone seen now just having a walk to see what i see are looked at with suspicion nowadays and for quite a few years before this.
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Post by orkneyhatter on Jun 30, 2024 14:38:10 GMT
Here the council cuts the verges which are quite narrow and usually have a ditch, once over the summer. They are full of wildflowers:birds foot trefoil, dandelions, buttercups, vetch, orchids. Also some of the fields get left fallow or lightly grazed and are full of ragged Robin, ox eye daisies, cornflowers, more orchids, Marsh marigolds. It was a very wet winter here but since then we've had some but not much rain. There's lots of voles,mice and a few hedgehogs around. Also some rats but it is rural so you expect that. Also quite a few otters around this year. Unfortunately they're not popular as they occasionally take hens and ducks. The bird life is fantastic. Went to Westray recently and saw 60+ puffins. Lots of skua/tern battles going on over fish. There's ways something to look at whilst out walking. All this is one big reason i own a dog. Anyone seen now just having a walk to see what i see are looked at with suspicion nowadays and for quite a few years before this. Yes,when I was in Stockport I was always worried, especially when you've got binoculars hanging round your neck. Often got people asking suspiciously "what are you doing". Luckily here there's quite a lot of people with scopes,binoculars wandering round. Many of the few trees are in people's gardens and in winter and spring a lot of the smaller birds take shelter there, so people are used to having binoculars pointed into their garden, and most households have a pair in the house. It's a remnant from when people used to watch the fishing boats coming in. Mostly its not a problem. That and the open access policy so you can wander across any farmland does take some getting used to after "public footpaths" down south.
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Post by masterful on Jun 30, 2024 20:05:40 GMT
Here the council cuts the verges which are quite narrow and usually have a ditch, once over the summer. They are full of wildflowers:birds foot trefoil, dandelions, buttercups, vetch, orchids. Also some of the fields get left fallow or lightly grazed and are full of ragged Robin, ox eye daisies, cornflowers, more orchids, Marsh marigolds. It was a very wet winter here but since then we've had some but not much rain. There's lots of voles,mice and a few hedgehogs around. Also some rats but it is rural so you expect that. Also quite a few otters around this year. Unfortunately they're not popular as they occasionally take hens and ducks. The bird life is fantastic. Went to Westray recently and saw 60+ puffins. Lots of skua/tern battles going on over fish. There's ways something to look at whilst out walking. All this is one big reason i own a dog. Anyone seen now just having a walk to see what i see are looked at with suspicion nowadays and for quite a few years before this. Well, I don't own a dog, and do go out walking on my own with binoculars usually once a week. Never been looked at suspiciously. Started a walking blog in lockdown to record walks, and interesting birds spotted. All walks within about an hour from Stockport. Anyone interested can follow at half-daywalker.com . Send PM with email address if you want to go on my regular mailing list.
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Post by ancienthatter on Jul 1, 2024 6:40:55 GMT
Sparrowhawk sat on my patio furniture yesterday.. a bit of a wow moment in our house.
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