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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 21 11:12 am Post subject:

the prodigals are being educated, by my count that is 5 this year

1 is MIA from 2 days out

2 and 3 are pottering around

4 and 5 are under supervision

well done the bracks

there are a few small, white with marks, butterflies looking for laying spots in the brambles, i hope the btf/spw balance is ok for both

spw town is less populated than last year, there were no early broods, catching up with the survival ratio of the later ones, they might manage another, the success of that depends on autumn weather etc

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 21 7:30 pm Post subject:
young sammison has not got a name yet

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 21 7:42 am Post subject:
At least you got a picture of it. Does it seem aware of you, because we have had wood mice nosing around in the leaf litter within a few feet of us and completely oblivious to our presence.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 21 8:29 am Post subject:

it knows me already, i hand fed it the night before that snap

wrong lens, or too far away(both)
wrong light settings(twilight needs a load of test shots)
cartier bresson style, f8 see what you get

it sort of works in monochrome and gritty

from my sammison interactions, there are several levels of familiarity

they are careful of you but will get on with mousy stuff knowing they can escape if needs be
they know you as harmless and treat you as landscape
they know you as a beneficent god with cashew manna
they consider you a comrade who will protect them from rat or avian
they come for a cuddle

work on it, it is fun
if this generation thrive i will get close up snaps

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Mon Aug 09, 21 7:00 am Post subject:
The ones in the wood treat us as landscape. We don't see them very often, and I am careful about not leaving food scraps about, except for crumbs on a high perch for the robin. as I don't want to attract things near our main area. Must admit I do like wood mice, but I prefer them in their natural setting as they suffer from the same problem with incontinence as all other mice.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Aug 09, 21 7:12 am Post subject:
re the last point, have you met my large hound

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 21 6:19 am Post subject:
Have been hearing what we think is a sparrowhawk in the woods for a while. Son thinks it/they are teaching their offspring to hunt by getting it to chase them while they are carrying a small bird, then releasing it when chick is close enough to catch prey. Certainly higher pitch call than the buzzards or kites.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 21 7:08 am Post subject:
Saw a hare in the long grass in a valley going through the woods yesterday. Husband says he has seem it there a couple of times lately. The sparrowhawk was making its presence felt yesterday by being very vocal. It actually flew over in a space in the trees so son saw it. The pigeons are keeping very low and among the trees for safety.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 21 4:01 pm Post subject:

a while back i noticed a commotion, the sparrowhawk on the pigeons back was just about hanging on, the pigeon was grateful for very thick feather armour and after a struggle the pigeon wriggled free and the hawk withdrew with as much dignity as it could muster, which was not much

they are wise to be cautious, the one above may have been a foolish youngster, but pigeons have far more efficient hunters awaiting them than sphks or kestrels who get ambitious so careful is good

top level predators are a "canary in the mine"for the health of a landscape, raptors=healthy, at least in terms of their prey and what it eats

so are invertebrates and plant species, many=well
unless it is extreme or "special" and the few hardy things thrive, which =well

a selection box of raptors is a very nice sign that you have a healthy landscape with a variety of snacks that are also thriving

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 21 9:20 am Post subject:

Not too sure about the invertebrates, but we have a good selection of plant life. Don't see too many of the animals, but there are plenty around I am sure; wood mice, voles, dormice, and a good selection of small birds. Being semi natural ancient woodland and hardwood plantation on, as far as we can tell, ancient woodland, it is ideal for all sorts. There are arable fields beyond, but they still have some hedgerows, and more woods beyond.

I may have told you before, but on one occasion a sparrowhawk killed a pigeon on a local road, and decided to sit in the middle of the road to eat it. Caused some minor disruption of traffic as people tried to avoid it. Hawk was giving everyone filthy looks and daring them to come near its kill.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 21 6:08 am Post subject:
Had the robin hopping around again today, although it was being a bit circumspect and keeping near the ground. No sound from the sparrowhawks, so think they may have wandered off a bit. Also the dormouse surveyors came in again, and although we didn't see any dormice, found one new nest and what they think might have been a practice nest by a juvenile, as it was all moss.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 21 6:26 am Post subject:
i thought winter was the time to count dormice, more likely to be tucked up in bed and less foliage even with lots of time outside in places with them, i have never seen one in the fur doing mousey things

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45478
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 21 6:25 am Post subject:
quite a few new sparrows and some wardrobe malfunctions among the young brackets as well:lol:

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15587

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 21 7:18 am Post subject:

In tubes, autumn is the best time as they make summer nests in them, not hibernation nests in general, although they may sleep in there if the weather is bad. Dormouse boxes may be better to find them in the winter; it used to be quite common for coppice workers to find them fast asleep in or under coppice stools, although we have never found one that way. We are careful when cutting to clear the debris out of the middle of a stool, or cut the rods a bit above it before cutting the stool right down, partly for that reason, and partly because they sometimes harbour flints, which don't do the saw any good at all.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8605
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 21 9:36 am Post subject:
On our walk around the local reserve.."just" a brown moth, but beautiful patterns. Just like sparrows, not simply a Little Brown Job â¤ï¸

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