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Post by timberwolf on Jul 1, 2024 7:13:32 GMT
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. Glad to hear that but i,d keep well away from my area unless you are in a walking group. Only a few minutes ago i was asked a question by a female dog walker i know. It was did you see that bloke walking down the path without a dog. Do feel there is a lot of adding numbers up and getting well above the correct answer because of situations that have happened in the past across the country.
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Mozzer
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Posts: 1,292
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Post by Mozzer on Jul 1, 2024 7:41:14 GMT
The dog walker's the weirdo there. They probably don't think so. But they are.
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Post by vicar on Jul 1, 2024 8:34:18 GMT
The dog walker's the weirdo there. They probably don't think so. But they are. Walking is now one of my favourite passtimes and I refuse to get an expensive shit machine to avoid suspicion.
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Post by HTC on Jul 1, 2024 8:41:27 GMT
The dog walker's the weirdo there. They probably don't think so. But they are.
Know where you're coming from, but suspect you're showing a fair bit of male privilige with that statement
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Mozzer
Contributor
Posts: 1,292
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Post by Mozzer on Jul 1, 2024 10:29:34 GMT
The dog walker's the weirdo there. They probably don't think so. But they are.
Know where you're coming from, but suspect you're showing a fair bit of male privilige with that statement
You may be right. Which is disappointing for more than one reason (for me and for wider society). But a fair point nevertheless. Thank you and noted.
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Post by ancienthatter on Jul 1, 2024 14:17:01 GMT
The dog walker's the weirdo there. They probably don't think so. But they are.
Know where you're coming from, but suspect you're showing a fair bit of male privilige with that statement
Its a rotten rotten world though where people suggest I should get a dog to be allowed to go for a walk without being considered a threat. It’s a very short step to saying men can’t walk alone.
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Post by hedleyverity on Jul 1, 2024 14:32:17 GMT
If you are a pervert or weirdo, get a dog, it’ll make things much easier apparently
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Fez
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Posts: 562
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Post by Fez on Jul 1, 2024 19:26:20 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 AttachmentThousands of miles away, we also have a lot of black squirrels in our garden this year (melanism in grey or fox squirrels). Two or three years ago years ago, a different variation - no black squirrels but a recessive trait causing a load of them to have white tails (leucism). I don't know what triggers these different variations year by year.
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Fez
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Post by Fez on Jul 1, 2024 19:49:29 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. Three years ago we decided on a wildflower policy. Everyone is partly responsible in this city for the roadside verges, so we tore up our scraggy grass there and planted plenty, and also alongside our garden fence, so passers-by walk through a low tunnel of native plants and flowers - coneflowers, milkweed, rudbeckia, tickseed, beard tongue, bee balm, phlox, dogwood and others, including something splendid called Jupiter's beard. Our horticulturist neighbour is doing similar with his front garden. Great for bees, butterflies and humming birds.
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Post by FridoBiggins on Jul 1, 2024 20:03:08 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. Three years ago we decided on a wildflower policy. Everyone is partly responsible in this city for the roadside verges, so we tore up our scraggy grass there and planted plenty, and also alongside our garden fence, so passers-by walk through a low tunnel of native plants and flowers - coneflowers, milkweed, rudbeckia, tickseed, beard tongue, bee balm, phlox, dogwood and others, including something splendid called Jupiter's beard. Our horticulturist neighbour is doing similar with his front garden. Great for bees, butterflies and humming birds. I'm impressed! Hopefully more and more people will do the same. It looks beautiful as well as helping wildlife. There are still far too many, however, who want a bowling green type lawn. Easy win this, help wildlife, sack the lawn mower, have a beer and watch the wildlife.
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Fez
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Post by Fez on Jul 2, 2024 16:56:02 GMT
We normally and frequently see these circling overhead but the other day a pair came down for a rest on a chimney a street away: turkey vultures. Big buggers. Excellent creatures.
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Post by scfc73 on Jul 2, 2024 18:08:27 GMT
We normally and frequently see these circling overhead but the other day a pair came down for a rest on a chimney a street away: turkey vultures. Big buggers. Excellent creatures. View AttachmentJust read up about these critters & supposedly if threatened they have the ability to projectile vomit powerful stomach acids. At least seagulls just pinch your chips!
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Post by ancienthatter on Jul 2, 2024 18:33:35 GMT
A sparrowhawk perched on my garden chair on Sunday.. a bit more exotic than the woodpecker and nuthatch we normally see pecking at the apple tree. I’m hoping he might take a few parakeets down 😜
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Post by orkneyhatter on Jul 2, 2024 18:54:06 GMT
We normally and frequently see these circling overhead but the other day a pair came down for a rest on a chimney a street away: turkey vultures. Big buggers. Excellent creatures. View AttachmentJust read up about these critters & supposedly if threatened they have the ability to projectile vomit powerful stomach acids. At least seagulls just pinch your chips! Fulmars do a similar thing. They spit smelly oily stuff at you. Best not to get too close to their nests!
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Fez
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Posts: 562
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Post by Fez on Jul 2, 2024 19:47:17 GMT
We normally and frequently see these circling overhead but the other day a pair came down for a rest on a chimney a street away: turkey vultures. Big buggers. Excellent creatures. View AttachmentJust read up about these critters & supposedly if threatened they have the ability to projectile vomit powerful stomach acids. At least seagulls just pinch your chips! :-) Up to a 10' range, evidently. I've watched them scarfing down dead squirrels or raccoons and whatnot but never been quite as close as that, and now never intend to be with that info. I value having shoes. In the air, you rarely see them flap. They soar on thermals a lot but not as elegantly as, say, kites. They sometimes 'topple' a bit, like they're on training wheels, or like a slightly tipsy aunt on high heels. Like near the start of this video:
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