Birdwatching [Archive]

Anonymouse

03-05-2011, 16:04

I've sort of taken this up, unintentionally - while getting some exercise on my bike I recently discovered a small lodge not too far from where I used to live; I decided to stop for a bit and enjoy the scenery, as it's a pretty little place IMO (litter notwithstanding). There are three species of waterfowl there: your standard mallard duck (three, I think), a pair of Canada geese (who are nesting at the moment - yay!) and a kind of duck (I think) I've never seen before, four of them. They're small as ducks go, all black except for a white beak and a white patch on the forehead. One mated pair have six little chicks (until two days ago, they had seven; I don't know what happened to the poor little thing...); the chicks are more a dark grey, with red feathers on their faces. Yes, red. Does anyone have any idea what they might be?

One day I got a little too close to them and one of the pair (I can't tell the male & female apart) took off across the water, with four of the chicks in tow - leaving the other three behind! I could immediately see why - the harsh logic of survival and natural selection dictates that it's better to lose half the chicks to a predator than all of them - but imagine my horror at the thought of being indirectly responsible for the loss of three-sevenths of their family!

After agonising over what the hell I was going to do, if indeed there was anything I could (or even should) do, I decided to go elsewhere for a while, then return to a different spot an hour later and see if the parents would remember and go back for the three wayward chicks.

Thankfully they did, just as I arrived, though one of them briefly looked as though it hadn't learned its lesson and started off in a completely different direction...male, probably; males of any species are often badly-behaved when young. :rolleyes:

Having reswallowed my heart in relief, I wandered over to where one of the geese was sitting on the bank. Something about her posture suggested s/he was egg-sitting, and sure enough there were signs of down beneath him/her (can't tell the difference with geese, either - spot the expert! :rolleyes:). Later s/he went for a swim, revealing five good-sized eggs. I'm planning to go back a few times a week as long as the good weather holds out, partly for the exercise and partly to see and photograph the goslings when they hatch.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one keeping an eye on them, because one of the geese and one of the ducks each have a ring on one leg. The startling thing about the geese is that they seem to be habituated; I got photos of one feeding at the water's edge, and s/he was no more than about two feet away - and apparently utterly unconcerned about my presence despite my total lack of concealment. The goose who was egg-sitting was equally unconcerned, which surprised me even more. I'll try to post some photos when I can.

I wish I knew what happened to that little duckling. :erm: The lodge is fairly isolated, so it should be relatively safe, but even so it seems there are dangers. My best guess is a predatory bird - there's a shallow river not too far away on which I saw a heron.

Oh well. I'm going back there today, as it's a nice day again, and we'll see what's what.

Julian

03-05-2011, 16:22

It sounds like a COOT (http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/coot/index.aspx) :)

Anonymouse

04-05-2011, 13:30

That's it exactly! Thanks!

The missing chick hadn't turned up as of yesterday. :( Oh well. Another nice day, another visit later.

Anonymouse

12-05-2011, 13:24

Yesterday there was a new development - one I still can't believe.

When I got there, the first thing I saw was both geese on the water - with 4 little goslings in tow! My first thoughts were both happy and a little sad, because a) the eggs had hatched, b) I'd missed the event, dammit, and c) only 4 had hatched, out of 5 eggs. Oh well, it happens.

None of this is particularly remarkable, of course. The remarkable bit came when I made my way to the nest to take a look out of interest - and I discovered another goose still sitting on it! Then I saw a fourth goose swimming off to one side - in other words, the original pair are still nesting and there's a new pair of geese, with four goslings in tow! My question: how the hell did they get there?!

The goslings can't be more than a few days old - they're very small with the typical yellow downy plumage, and therefore can't fly. The parents, of course, couldn't possibly have carried them. And as of 5 days ago, this pair simply were not there!

I'm utterly baffled. It's completely impossible that they arrived, laid a clutch and hatched them in only 5 days. The only explanation that makes sense (?) is that there's been an intervention of some kind - someone brought that pair, with either hatched goslings or unhatched eggs, to the site sometime in the last 5 days.

'Why' is fairly obvious - a conservation effort of some kind, although Canada geese are an introduction to this country and far from endangered either here or in Canada. The real question is 'who'.

I think I'll investigate.

As for the coots, they're doing well - they still have 6 little chicks (not so little now, actually), and there's a second pair who I think, I hope, are preparing to have their own; I saw one which seemed to be gathering nest material. We can but hope.

Anonymouse

13-05-2011, 13:54

More weirdness - the geese and goslings, the recent arrivals, have gone! :shocked: Yesterday they made like the little man upon the stair - you know, the one who wasn't there. They weren't there again today. What is going on?

As for the coots, they've had another casualty; they're down to five chicks now. :( They've relocated to a different part of the lodge, presumably because they feel it's safer. I hope it is. If the weather improves, I'll go back later today.

mrmistoffelees

13-05-2011, 19:58

Oh imagine my disappointment on opening this thread..........:(

Apologies to the op no offense intended

Caff

13-05-2011, 20:01

I've finally learned the difference between a moorhen and a coote :)

Anonymouse

16-05-2011, 13:01

Oh imagine my disappointment on opening this thread..........:(

Apologies to the op no offense intended
Disappointed? Why? Unless you thought I meant what I once heard described as ladies of the opposite sex, of course. There's a thread for that here (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/22/33665505-girls-you-lust-over-thread-next.html). :D

Anyway. I found out what probably happened to the two coot chicks - a dirty great heron probably happened to them. One came swooping in on Friday - and the male coot immediately took to the air and engaged in a very spirited defence of the chicks, while mum and the chicks scarpered for the nearest bank and the cover of an overhanging tree. It looked rather like a B-52 bomber being tackled by a Red Arrow jet, but he did the job magnificently; the heron was repelled in seconds. Yay!

Also a new pair of Canada geese came in - and were promptly shooed away by the resident male. This was expected - and funny to see, I love the way they sort of waterski when chasing/being chased - but I'm still baffled about the other disappearing pair. Oh well.

Weather's lousy again, but I'm going later today anyway. Still lacking a job, it's not as if I have much else to do. :(

Caff

16-05-2011, 14:14

Disappointed? Why? Unless you thought I meant what I once heard described as ladies of the opposite sex, of course. There's a thread for that here (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/22/33665505-girls-you-lust-over-thread-next.html). :D

Anyway. I found out what probably happened to the two coot chicks - a dirty great heron probably happened to them. One came swooping in on Friday - and the male coot immediately took to the air and engaged in a very spirited defence of the chicks, while mum and the chicks scarpered for the nearest bank and the cover of an overhanging tree. It looked rather like a B-52 bomber being tackled by a Red Arrow jet, but he did the job magnificently; the heron was repelled in seconds. Yay!

Also a new pair of Canada geese came in - and were promptly shooed away by the resident male. This was expected - and funny to see, I love the way they sort of waterski when chasing/being chased - but I'm still baffled about the other disappearing pair. Oh well.

Weather's lousy again, but I'm going later today anyway. Still lacking a job, it's not as if I have much else to do. :(

Your description is wonderful.

Ditto and it's good to be able have time to appreciate the wildlife around us :)

Anonymouse

21-05-2011, 12:57

Well, I'd appreciate a bit less time, i.e. I'd prefer to be in a job, but the sentiment is appreciated, as are the reps. :p:

I seem to be turning this thread into a blog of sorts. Apart from the fact that I once swore I'd never do that - in my opinion people who keep diaries tend to spend too much time doing that and not enough actually living - I hope it isn't against forum rules or something. :erm:

Anyway. Another surprise yesterday: as I was leaving for the day, I heard an almighty honking from the nearby shallow river - more Canada geese. Curious, I went to investigate, expecting to see two or three engaged in courting/territorial behaviour.

There were eight...not counting the three goslings one pair had.

They're not recent hatchings, either, they're too big for that - two weeks or so at least. They weren't there two weeks ago! What is going on?!

As for the lodge residents, the coots are still going strong with 5 chicks, and mama goose is still sittin' tight on her nest with papa patrolling the lodge. Four mallard ducks put in an appearance, with two males pestering a female - who kept flying off, clearly uninterested. Either she isn't in season or she already has a mate; maybe he was one of the two males chasing the other off. Again, I'm no expert. :p:

Back there later today; hopefully the weather will hold...and hopefully the world won't end (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/20/33677837-end-of-world-saturday-21st-may.html#post35240474). :D

Anonymouse

23-05-2011, 13:05

Well, now. Apparently the world didn't end. You'll forgive me for not being surprised. :rolleyes:

Anyway. Back at the lodge, things have been happening!

The resident geese are now parents!
...of only one chick, sadly. Some distance away I found the remains of at least one eggshell, so it seems fairly obvious what happened there...:erm:

The second pair of coots are, I've discovered, nesting. I found the nest on Saturday, with two eggs in it. The next day, though, there were three eggs! Maybe coots stagger their egg-laying?

As for the mystery of the disappearing geese with 4 goslings, as Monsieur Clouseau might say, the mystery is solvèd! It seems no human intervention was/is necessary to explain it; a passer-by who knew a bit more about them told me that they do in fact make their goslings walk considerable distances after hatching, therefore they could have come from pretty much anywhere. Logical - predators might find the nest. I confirmed that the resident pair had in fact done this when I didn't find them on the lodge (shock! horror! until reason cut in), but did find them on the nearby river.

That one-day-old gosling must be a little trooper, though - the trip is a bit formidable for something that small. It's a bit of a slog for me, and I am what Firefly's Hoban Washburne ('Wash' to his wife and friends) would describe as a large, semi-muscular man. :D

A walk up the lodge bank; the slope is about 30 degrees. Then down the other side - more like 45 degrees. A yomp through dense undergrowth for over 100 yards until they reach the footpath leading parallel to the river; there's a choice of routes, though the only easy, clear path is nearly twice as long as the one through the undergrowth. Finally a vertical drop of nearly two feet from the footpath to the riverbank. If you're a one-day-old gosling with tiny little legs, this must be the equivalent of an SAS assault course. The little beggar clearly made it, though.

This also accounts for the disappearing family mentioned in an earlier post, as they're there too; they now have three goslings (down from four), which are cute as anything. :p:

There's a pair of mallard ducks who have two of the smallest chicks I've ever seen, too.

The passer-by also told me there's a pair of great tits who nest every year just over the river - there's a badly dilapidated railing along the path, and in one section two steel tubular uprights are missing their crosspiece; where the crosspiece was, there's a hole big enough for, say, a great tit to get in and out. The nest is at the bottom of the pipe. I couldn't believe it, but what a perfect location! Utterly impregnable to any predator (even a burrowing one, as the uprights are planted in stone), waterproof, windproof, even fireproof, and - as the entrance is over two feet off the ground - inaccessible to anything other than, possibly, a snake or something like a weasel or stoat - none of which are found in that area as far as I know.

The weather's gone lousy again, as I knew it would. No, I didn't consult any weatherman or the Internet; I have a much more reliable source... the peony my mum planted in 1976, when we moved in. For ten years the damn thing did nothing, and Mum gave up on it. Then it started sprouting, and has flowered every year ever since.

And once the flowers reach full bloom, rain is guaranteed. :rolleyes:

If the weather lets up, I'm going back...with some bread. It seems Canada geese like it as well as ducks do, so weather permitting I'm going to shamelessly lure the families in close to get good photos!

Dai

23-05-2011, 13:59

I believe all birds stagger their egg-laying. I'd imagine it takes quite a lot of fuel and energy to make an egg so it can't be done too quickly.

Anonymouse

24-05-2011, 13:45

Well, the bread worked. :p: I shamelessly tossed little pieces to the geese and goslings. They were equally shameless in accepting it and, indeed, asking for it - at one point one of the adults came quite close and opened his/her beak; it was almost comical. I think I'll call that one Oliver Twist. :D

At one point there was a bit of drama: one adult argued with another from the one-gosling family, shooing it away - and the little gosling was caught up in the scuffle and got a ducking, poor little thing. But in the process it also got carried away by the current, ending up 50 yards away! Not only that, the three-gosling family then headed downstream, carrying the little one with them, while its parents apparently just looked on!

I was very worried about this; the parents would never feed or even tolerate that gosling, and if it were separated from its parents that'd be all she wrote. I seriously considered doing something I shouldn't, i.e. intervening somehow - the river's no more than a foot or so deep and I decided I wouldn't mind wet feet too much. I figured all the little one had to do was get away somehow, and its parents would guide it to relative safety. I even tried to distract the three-gosling family by tossing more bread to them, but the little one didn't make any headway at first in terms of making a break for it.

As it happened, it wasn't necessary to intervene. The little one finally proved its mettle once again by fighting the current somehow and making its way back to the parents. I spent a few minutes reswallowing my heart. :p:

The coots, though, were a different matter - far more cautious and, I'll admit, sensible. The bread went down very well with them, but the chicks weren't feeding themselves as the goslings did; instead the parents would grab the pieces and feed the chicks, and as a result the chicks didn't come in close, so I couldn't get the photos I was hoping for. :( Whenever a parent picked up a bit of bread, one or more chicks would head straight for it, cheeping eagerly, so it was obviously welcome. Maybe a few more sessions will build up a degree of trust, once they accept that I'm not some weird generous predator.

The weird bit I could readily admit to, though. :D

Two new geese have moved onto the lodge, and were arguing loudly with a third - presumably they're claiming the territory after the residents moved out. I wonder if they'll nest? We can but hope.

I couldn't see anything in the coot nest, as mum was sittin' tight. Oh well. It's a nice day today; I'll go and see what's what. I'll have to see about setting up a website or something, so I can post some photos.

By the way, thanks for the reps, guys! I will indeed keep it going; it's more interesting than staying home, my daft cat notwithstanding. :p:

Anonymouse

25-05-2011, 14:18

More news, good and bad:

The coots now have only four chicks, apparently. :cry:Hopefully the fifth was hiding somewhere; I'll look today. But I don't expect to find it. :(

Better news - the other coot pair's nest now has 5 eggs! :D

The two goose families seem to be doing well, though the one-gosling family had another bit of drama. They were on the riverbank with the gosling, nibbling at the greenery, but when the parents decided to get back into the water, the little 'un apparently didn't want to know! It looked and sounded so pathetic, cheeping and dashing back and forth!

The parents kept getting back onto the bank and then slowly slipping into the water, trying to encourage it by showing it what to do, but it kept moving to the edge of the dropoff (which couldn't have been more than 9 inches!) and retreating. Surely sooner or later they'd write it off and leave it there...
Finally I couldn't stand it any more and mounted a passive intervention.

How the hell does one intervene passively, you might ask. Like this: I crossed the river some distance away, and made my way through undergrowth towards where the gosling was, making sure I could easily be heard but not seen. My hope was that it'd think 'Ooh, what's coming? Don't like the sound of it - could be something nasty that wants to eat me - mum, dad, wait for me, I'm coming!' and choose the lesser, known danger of dropping into the river over the unknown possible danger approaching.

It worked. The gosling finally took the plunge, and all was well. Phew.

I had a last-resort option - namely picking the gosling up carefully and placing it in the river - but I was extremely reluctant because a) the parents might pick up on my scent and reject it, and b) birds, especially small ones, instinctively associate the feeling of being held with the imminent threat of being eaten, and I didn't want to scare the poor little thing any more than it already was. This is why I hate it when people handle their budgies and the like - the birds might be used to it from their owners, but there's millions of years of evolution and instinct at work here. A bird should never be handled except by a vet IMO, and only then if it needs treatment of some kind.

It's sunny again. Another trip to the lodge, I think. :)

joglynne

25-05-2011, 15:33

You know I am sure your observations would be of interest to a far wider audience than just little old CF. Give your local paper a call and see if they would be interested, they may not be, or they may and not want to pay you but you never know. :tu:

Oh and thanks for the posts you have made so far I find them most interesting and entertaining. Any chance of a few pictures of the Coot families?

Anonymouse

26-05-2011, 14:15

Well, if the coots cooperate, I'll see what I can do! :p:

The nest now has six eggs!

The geese are utterly shameless about accepting bread; they came close enough to touch, even the goslings. I couldn't believe it, still less when one of the adults actually took a piece I was holding out!

Neither of the three-gosling parents has a ring on either leg, which means they're entirely wild and have never been handled. Yet they trusted me enough to bring their goslings within touching distance - not that I did, though you can't help but want to stroke such fluffy little things...:p:

They must be habituated; everything I've read about Canada geese suggests they get stroppy if anyone comes anywhere near their goslings.

More tomorrow, weather permitting!

Anonymouse

27-05-2011, 12:50

Sad news: the one-gosling family is now a no-gosling family; there was no sign of the poor little thing yesterday. After all that drama, too... :bigcry:
It's barely possible it was hiding in the undergrowth, nibbling away; I do hope so. I'll have a look later today.

As for those dratted coots, they just will not cooperate! I can't get them to come close enough for a good photo. I'll keep trying.

Things seemed unchanged at the nest; the mother coot was sitting tight, so I couldn't see if she's laid any more eggs.

I did a bit of research, and apparently the UK-resident geese have lost most of their aggression, which explains their readiness to come close and be fed & photographed. They were introduced by Charles II of all people, so they've been here for considerably longer than I thought - I had assumed some geese somehow got lost during migration, thought 'mmm, this place isn't so bad' and decided to stay, as sometimes happens.

I also feel a bit better about not being able to tell male & female apart; they have the same markings! The only marked difference is that the males are a bit bigger; once I knew what to look for, I could tell. I suspect the same is true of the coots.

More later!

Hom3r

27-05-2011, 12:58

Go and buy a bird feeder from your local DIY store.

We bought a delux feeder that has 2 suet block holders (which get eaten within 24 hours of bing put out - we but them in a 10pk from pet city), 1 peanut holder, 1 seed mix holder & 2 sunflower hearts holders, it also has a tray in which we put a mix of nuts & seed for the squirrels.

We've seed Jays and a Woodpecker as well as the usual mix of birds.

Anonymouse

28-05-2011, 12:39

Not a bad idea, but I suspect the coots' behaviour is instinctive - the parents bringing food to the chicks until they're old enough to feed themselves is safer for them. In fact, at least one chick has already reached that stage; I saw it diving underwater to nibble on the vegetation that's on the bottom of the lodge. None of them have any adult plumage yet, but if they're already looking after themselves, things are looking bright for them.

As for the geese, they were less cooperative yesterday - they'd moved upriver, to a point where the bank is effectively inaccessible without actually wading in the river, which I'm not prepared to do, because a) I'd need a pair of waders, and b) I suspect I'd be trespassing, or breaching some law or other regarding waterways. I'm pretty sure the land is privately owned, but I'm not sure by whom.

There was, sadly, still no sign of that poor little gosling. :(

The coot nest still had 6 eggs; perhaps if their parents get used to me from day one as a non-threatening presence in their lives once the chicks have hatched, maybe they'll be more cooperative. :)

The sun's coming out. Time for another trip!

Anonymouse

31-05-2011, 14:08

Those dratted coots still won't cooperate; the parents will come close, but not the chicks. I've decided to be content with feeding and watching them; you can't fight instinct. As for the geese with 3 goslings, they seem to come and go, I don't know where. The last time I saw them, I succeeded in feeding both adults, by hand. They sort of hiss and open their beaks - I'm sure they're asking. I have seen no threatening behaviour.

One of the coot chicks is, I've noticed, a bit bigger than the other three - probably s/he hatched first and thus got a head start (Re the staggering of egg-laying; this is one reason why, to ensure that one or two chicks get an early advantage and thus increase the odds of their survival. Birds of prey do this, too, but take it one stage further: the chicks compete in the nest, and will often team up to eliminate a weaker chick, then go back to fighting each other, especially if food is scarce). S/he is now big enough to emulate the parents' behaviour and chase away a duck whenever it gets too close, the cocky little beggar! :p:

At one point yesterday I was feeding three different species of waterfowl at the same time. Had I been a poacher, it'd have been like Christmas. Luckily I've never heard of poachers round 'ere; the only people I usually see are anglers.

The two geese who lost their family are, I believe and hope, courting again - they were copying each other's behaviour, and I'm sure I read somewhere that that's what it means. Presumably they're going to try again. Yay!

Anonymouse

01-06-2011, 15:59

No sign of the geese yesterday; I wish I knew where they go.

The coots cooperated a bit; I did get a couple of pictures.

When I went looking for the geese on the river, I found a female mallard duck instead - with TEN little ducklings in tow!

Oh, they're a merry sight - they don't swim so much as run on the water, very fast! It's very entertaining, but hard to photograph!

Things look a bit dull today, but still...

Caff

01-06-2011, 16:51

4 goslings waddling up from a canal to my car yesterday when I was parked up. 'Mum' was watching from a short distance. Lovely - stuff you can't buy.
Oh! and a male pheasant perched on my fence again. Such striking colours.
I didn't see anything but had to clear collared doves' feathers off the lawn earlier - a sparrow hawk got it I guess.

Anonymouse

02-06-2011, 12:36

Indeed you can't. I had a merry time yesterday watching the ten ducklings dashing back and forth, cheeping busily. I swear, they actually do run on water - it's so funny to watch!

Still no sign of the geese. <sigh>

Mama coot was still sittin' tight; no way to tell the number or status of her eggs.

But I did see two rabbits! I even managed to get a few pictures.

Of course, if there are two, there are many - just ask any Aussie...:p:

Anonymouse

03-06-2011, 13:44

Not much to report today, unfortunately; no sign of the geese or even the ducks yesterday - there were a few bachelor male mallards, though. Mama coot's still sittin' tight. A rabbit made a brief appearance.

It's a beautiful day today, though - I might even have a couple of butties al fresco when I visit. Needless to say, the coot family will get some. You should see the chicks heading for the parents when they're offering food - it's like watching a torpedo homing in! :p:

A couple of the chicks are diving for food now; one came up several yards from where s/he dived. I was impressed.

More later!

Anonymouse

06-06-2011, 15:04

Still no geese or ducks, except for a bachelor party of five or six male mallards. The heron made a brief flight over the river yesterday.

The coot chicks - who are now approaching the size of their parents - had a merry time trying to stay aboard a floating piece of plank. While they were all together and staying put it wasn't too hard, but when they tried moving around - well, the plank wasn't a very stable raft as it was less than a foot wide. Things got wobbly, and they decided not to bother. :p: I had a left-the-lens-cap-on moment when I realised I could have engaged movie mode on my camera and filmed this funny scene. Oh well.

The nest's still going strong; still six eggs, no hatchings yet. I'll be back there again later today!

Dai

06-06-2011, 15:47

The mother ducks with babies will quite often disappear. Basically they're trying to get away from unwanted attention from randy mallards. I remember a few years ago when my mum made a little birdbath pool in her village garden and was most amused to wake up one morning and see a mummy and babies swimming in circles round this tiny patch of water.

Caff

07-06-2011, 00:42

Anonymouse

10-06-2011, 12:52

The mother ducks with babies will quite often disappear. Basically they're trying to get away from unwanted attention from randy mallards.
True - in fact, I saw it happen yesterday. There was a family of ducks I'd never seen before, i.e. mum and 5 ducklings - though they might be better termed juveniles, as they are quite well-grown and have adult plumage, though they can't fly yet. The mother was chasing other ducks away with considerable vigour.

At one point they were heading up the river, only to encounter a - I don't know the proper term for this - a step or whatever, creating a miniature waterfall. The mother, unperturbed, scrambled up using a combination of wings and feet, and quacked to her brood. But she was expecting way too much of them; though the step's less than two feet high, it might as well have been two miles. They simply could not get up there.

The poor things were cheeping frantically - you can imagine it: 'What?! Up there?! Mum, what are you on?' Oh, they tried. It was funny and worrying - I was afraid she would give up and abandon them. But after a bit she dropped back down, led them back downriver - then turned around and tried again! I'm calling uselessly, "They can't do it! It's impossible for them! What are you thinking, you dozy motherquacker?!"

I doubt she took any notice. :p:

This went on for half an hour, then the weather started to deteriorate, so I wished them luck and left.

Still no geese anywhere.

The coot chicks haven't hatched yet. Still 6 eggs.

The original family are doing well; the chicks are nearly the size of their parents and are feeding themselves, as well as being fed by the parents...and me. :D

And I caught a brief glimpse, less than a second, of something flying incredibly fast, something amazingly bright iridescent turquoise in colour - I've never seen one outside of wildlife documentaries, but I knew immediately it was a kingfisher. Beautiful!

Angua

10-06-2011, 13:52

True - in fact, I saw it happen yesterday. There was a family of ducks I'd never seen before, i.e. mum and 5 ducklings - though they might be better termed juveniles, as they are quite well-grown and have adult plumage, though they can't fly yet. The mother was chasing other ducks away with considerable vigour.

At one point they were heading up the river, only to encounter a - I don't know the proper term for this - a step or whatever, creating a miniature waterfall. The mother, unperturbed, scrambled up using a combination of wings and feet, and quacked to her brood. But she was expecting way too much of them; though the step's less than two feet high, it might as well have been two miles. They simply could not get up there.

The poor things were cheeping frantically - you can imagine it: 'What?! Up there?! Mum, what are you on?' Oh, they tried. It was funny and worrying - I was afraid she would give up and abandon them. But after a bit she dropped back down, led them back downriver - then turned around and tried again! I'm calling uselessly, "They can't do it! It's impossible for them! What are you thinking, you dozy motherquacker?!"

I doubt she took any notice. :p:

This went on for half an hour, then the weather started to deteriorate, so I wished them luck and left.

Still no geese anywhere.

The coot chicks haven't hatched yet. Still 6 eggs.

The original family are doing well; the chicks are nearly the size of their parents and are feeding themselves, as well as being fed by the parents...and me. :D

And I caught a brief glimpse, less than a second, of something flying incredibly fast, something amazingly bright iridescent turquoise in colour - I've never seen one outside of wildlife documentaries, but I knew immediately it was a kingfisher. Beautiful!

Wonderful descriptions, feels like one is there with you :D

We have watched the Starling gang increase. Seeing the fledglings bigger than their parents looking permanently hungry turn in to the bird equivalent of youfs (more smartly dressed though) :rofl:!

You can make a perch for the Kingfisher and with a lot of patience you might get a photo.

Anonymouse

17-06-2011, 10:37

Though I did get a (3-second) glimpse of the kingfisher again, there hasn't been much happening of late.

Until yesterday - THE COOT CHICKS HAVE HATCHED!!!

Well, three at least. I checked the nest as usual; mama was sittin' tight as usual, but there was something about her posture that made me wonder, so I stood still and watched for a bit. Sure enough, two little red faces peeked out from under her, as two little balls of dark grey fluff entered the water and went swimming after dad, cheeping merrily! I only caught a glimpse of a third, which didn't come out, little spoilsport. There were 6 eggs; I'd no way of knowing if there were 6 chicks, as mama wasn't for moving. I'll check later today.

The other family are doing fine; now they come near (but not too near) the edge of the water when they see me. Can't imagine why, unless it's got something to do with the bits of bread I keep tossing their way. :D The youngsters don't always wait to be fed; they race each other to get to the bread. But the parents are still feeding them, and they still lack adult plumage.

No sign of the duck or goose families at all. Oh well.

The heron put in a brief appearance on the river, but proved to be camera-shy; I didn't manage to get a picture.

joglynne

17-06-2011, 11:07

I bet those baby Coots put a smile on your face, I can just imagine you peddling away home feeling like the proud Uncle. :)

Anonymouse

18-06-2011, 13:44

They did indeed, and I did indeed. Better news - the other chicks came out to play, briefly - and there are indeed six of 'em! Happy happy joy joy!

One looked as if it'd hatched in the last 12 hours or so - it was staying in the nest, being fed by mum, and I'm sure there were bits of eggshell around it. The chicks have definitely hatched in the last two days or so; apart from their size (one could easily fit in the palm of my hand), each chick still has the egg tooth on its beak.

Both mum and dad accepted the bits of bread I tossed to them and fed some to each chick!

I also saw two female ducks, each with one duckling. Little sign of anything else apart from a few male mallards and a rabbit.

More later!

Anonymouse

20-06-2011, 16:09

I'm just off to the lodge again. I just thought I'd recount a little bit of mild drama that happened yesterday:

The coots took their chicks across the water to visit the lily pads (which are now in pretty flower). After a while, papa gathered up five of the chicks and headed back to their nest. But there's always one in any brood, isn't there? This little thing sort of got itself lost, cheeping. Mama coot called to it. I watched helplessly, hoping they'd find each other.

They did, finally. Mama sort of pushed a couple of pads aside so she could see her wayward chick; it actually walked across a pad and plopped safely into the water. Cue sigh of relief from me.

More tomorrow!

Anonymouse

25-06-2011, 13:57

I learned something new yesterday - and it's something I'd rather I didn't know. Two things, in fact:

I now suspect I know why the geese have vanished - some git's been taking eggs!

They may well have decided as a result it isn't safe to nest there, and they're trying their luck elsewhere. I found this out from a chap who's apparently one of the local anglers - it seems I was a suspect, briefly, but I soon dispelled that with the evidence in my camera. I'm the last person to do such a thing - if bird eggs keep being taken then pretty soon there won't be any birds to watch. Far from being an egg thief, I will quite happily report them to the police if I see anyone doing such a thing - I forget which law it is, but I know for a fact disturbing a wild bird's nest is a criminal offence.

The second thing is that the coot chicks are, alas, in considerably more danger than I thought. They have to face predation not only from above, i.e. herons, magpies etc., but from below...there are pike in the lodge. 40-pounders, apparently. The angler reckons they won't balk at taking a full-grown duck, let alone a poor little coot chick. Eep!

Now, every time I go to the lodge I'll be anxiously expecting one or more chicks to have vanished...oh, dear...:erm:

There were still six as of yesterday; I laughed when the parents started swimming towards me immediately on seeing me - from halfway across the lodge! Clearly they recognise me and associate me with a) a lack of harm and b) food - which is of course perfectly correct. :p: The ducks are getting cheeky, too - there's one female who'll happily accept titbits by hand, and she makes odd little peeping noises, I'm sure she's asking for it!

The four chicks from the other family are doing very well; it's so funny hearing them cheep frantically and watching them race each other and their parents to the bits of bread floating in the water!

More later!

joglynne

25-06-2011, 14:29

Here's a link on the RSPB website about egg collecting.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/policy/wildbirdslaw/wildbirdcrime/egg_collection.aspx

Nature can appear cruel at times but, given half a chance, she does try to compensate by the production of far more youngsters than are needed to ensure that a species survives but somehow knowing this doesn't make it any less worrying every time you go looking for them that one of the youngsters will have disappeared.

tosh mate

25-06-2011, 14:49

Once a few years ago during a bad storm a coot flew into one of my window's and stunned itself, so me been me I picked it up and carried it to a local canal and set it down in a small bush, I then waited long enough to see it recover and jump into the water and swim off :D.

bw41101

25-06-2011, 15:21

I believe all birds stagger their egg-laying. I'd imagine it takes quite a lot of fuel and energy to make an egg so it can't be done too quickly.

I can vouch for that, as I had a pair of Blue Tits that started a family in my nest box at the back of the house. She laid eleven eggs in eleven days and the food at my bird table was hammered as a consequence As I have a camera mounted within the box I was able to watch the family develop - really entertaining.

To say that I live in an urban environment, I have many birds that visit my garden and some that have nested nearby - Blackbirds, Blue tits, dunnocks and Starlings mainly - with many other species regularly visiting my bird table - loads of grub on offer - that's the secret!

As for Coots, they're not the brightest birds on the planet - As I have (many times) had to rescue chicks from the tall reeds of my local angling club's pond - tis a learning curve when you're only little I guess.

Si thee :Sprint:

Anonymouse

30-06-2011, 14:53

Nothing much to report of late, except that there are still six chicks, merrily swimming about after their parents - generally at full pelt when they see me arrive with the daily bread! :D

Either the pike story is exaggerated, or the family know how to avoid them, but they're all still there! Yay!

The other family are doing fine; the juveniles are nearly as big as their parents, and they're a medium grey colour now, with white chests, no longer fluffy - they're close to developing adult plumage, I think.

Another lovely day, so I'm off again!

joglynne

30-06-2011, 20:01

It sounds as though it won't be long before you are experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome. Still it's always satisfying to know that your chicks have had a good start and are equipped to fly the nest. :D

bw41101

30-06-2011, 22:07

it won't be long before you are experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome. :D

I know - cos I miss my little blueys! :cry:

joglynne

01-07-2011, 13:41

I know - cos I miss my little blueys! :cry:

:hugs: Chin up matey, Come next year they will be back visiting, looking for handouts and expecting you to give them everything on a plate. :D

Anonymouse

01-07-2011, 14:10

:hugs: Chin up matey, Come next year they will be back visiting, looking for handouts and expecting you to give them everything on a plate. :D
- which he will, of course. :p:

I'm still wondering how long those two coot pairs have been coming to that lodge - did they only start this year, or has it been every year since they paired up? Since I only discovered the lodge this year, I've no way to know. I'll have to wait until next year to see if they come back!

As of yesterday, the chicks still number six; they must be successfully running the pike gauntlet - good for them!

"Empty Nest Syndrome", indeed! It's not my gorram nest! :D

(Oops, been watching Firefly again; I'll be cursin' in Chinese next... :p:)

joglynne

01-07-2011, 15:01

I discovered a nice site which gives interesting information and insights about Coots, maybe you would find it interesting.

http://10000birds.com/coots.htm

Taf

01-07-2011, 16:16

We have apparently been adopted by a fledgling woodpigeon. It sits atop our rotary washing line all day, then lets us take it into the shed overnight due to the cat population eyeing it up.

No sign of parents coming to feed it, so the missus has been drip feeding it water and porrige.

I reckon it's a week or so away from its flirst flight.

On another topic, our massive population of magpies have ALL vanished!!!

bw41101

01-07-2011, 17:20

We have apparently been adopted by a fledgling woodpigeon. the missus has been drip feeding it water and porrige.

Och aye and has the wee birdie got ginger feathers on the heed? :D

On another topic, our massive population of magpies have ALL vanished!!!

Magpies I'm led to understand (because of their destructive nature) are one species of our native birds that can be legally euthanised. It may well be that they've been culled to reduce their numbers.

Unfortunate but (in some cases) necessary.

Si thee :Sprint:

Anonymouse

04-07-2011, 13:21

The coot chicks - both families - are doing well. In fact, the 6 chicks are doing very well; I swear they're growing faster than the other lot did. I can't help wondering if that's down to me, feeding 'em bread. It isn't much - a couple of barmcakes' worth to each family once a day, plus some for the cheeky ducks - but I wonder if it's making a difference. Given the potentially horrible death one or more chicks might suffer in the jaws of a pike, though, I think they could use the help. :erm:

Going O/T a bit - though since I'm the OP who's going to object? :p: - I have an odd photography habit: on odd occasions I happen across a single wildflower (dandelion, buttercup, or these lovely bluish-purple flowers I can't identify), or some other plant that is in some way isolated, and I take a photo of it. They catch my eye because they're isolated spots of colour in an otherwise green background.

There's a spot where very young apprentice trees have taken root, and I've photographed one or two of them as well, simply because they're standing alone. They're practically shouting "I want to be...a tree!" and I'm wishin' 'em luck.

I did get a photo of a sprig of - I can't put a name to any of the wildflowers I see - some flower or other, sprouting from the bank of the river and hanging over it a bit. I didn't realise until I took the photo that the sky and clouds were reflected in the water, but it made a beautiful photo. I was well pleased.

I even do this with clouds - a cloud catches my eye (I love wispy ones, for some reason), and it gets snapped. In short, almost anything in the area that catches my eye on the grounds of a) isolation or b) prettiness gets snapped. Is it just me, or does anyone else do this sort of thing?

bw41101

05-07-2011, 12:41

I have an odd photography habit: on odd occasions I happen across a single wildflower (dandelion, buttercup, or these lovely bluish-purple flowers I can't identify), or some other plant that is in some way isolated, and I take a photo of it. They catch my eye because they're isolated spots of colour in an otherwise green background.

There's a spot where very young apprentice trees have taken root, and I've photographed one or two of them as well, simply because they're standing alone. They're practically shouting "I want to be...a tree!" and I'm wishin' 'em luck.

I did get a photo of a sprig of - I can't put a name to any of the wildflowers I see - some flower or other, sprouting from the bank of the river and hanging over it a bit. I didn't realise until I took the photo that the sky and clouds were reflected in the water, but it made a beautiful photo. I was well pleased.

I even do this with clouds - a cloud catches my eye (I love wispy ones, for some reason), and it gets snapped. In short, almost anything in the area that catches my eye on the grounds of a) isolation or b) prettiness gets snapped. Is it just me, or does anyone else do this sort of thing?

Am surprised that you don't enter the BBC Countryfile photographic competition, it's open now for all new entries and I believe that this year there's even a category (plant life) specifically for wild flowers - go for it, what have you got to lose - you never know! ;)

Link: http://www.countryfile.com/feature/discover/countryfile-photographic-competition-2011-best-show

Si thee :Sprint:

Anonymouse

08-07-2011, 16:10

Still watching!

The coots are holding with 6 chicks - yay! :D

I caught two butterflies (don't know the species) at it; they somehow managed to fly from one flower to another, still coupled, and I snapped a couple of shots; they obligingly stayed put for some minutes. I love butterflies and moths. In my flat, I don't get much chance to see the latter, though, before Tigger leaps after them with a deadly accurate swipe of her paw to bring them down and gobble them up! She's had one or two that looked quite interesting, but I didn't get a chance to study them before she got 'em!

And I forgot to mention earlier that I had an 'Oh, dear' moment. Well, not 'Oh, dear' so much as 'Oh! Deer!' I caught a very brief glimpse of a deer bounding away into the woods surrounding the lodge. I'd heard there were a few in the area, but I never expected to see one.

I've also seen a new duck (I think she's new) with 2 ducklings in tow, heading down the river. I saw the local heron perched on a warehouse roof, and managed to get a couple of distance shots.

More later, if the weather holds!

Angua

08-07-2011, 19:05

Our poor sparrows and starlings are looking very dishevelled at the moment. Particularly concerned about a dear little downed sparrow fledgeling spotted in the twig pile yesterday. Still seems to be grounded today but hopping about well so fingers crossed the poor wee thing will make it and avoid the local cats.

Anonymouse

11-07-2011, 14:10

I found something else of interest while I was walking around the lodge. A bit of Oxford Ragwort (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Ragwort) caught my eye - because it had more than a dozen caterpillars on it. These are orange with thin brown stripes, a bit more than an inch long, though I found another plant with smaller, i.e. younger, caterpillars on it.

It's human nature to want to touch strange and unfamiliar things. But I didn't, because I have intelligence and knowledge. Given the fundamental rule of nature that where there's something to eat, there's something to eat it, you have to ask: how is it these caterpillars haven't been picked off by the local birds? They're in the open, completely unconcealed, on the top of the ragwort, and therefore easy prey - especially as they weren't moving at all.

Answer: they're either poisonous or they taste horrible, or both. Either way, birds will avoid them, as they do all such creatures with bright, contrasting colours. I took the precaution of not even touching them, as there are some poisons which can be absorbed by the skin. Granted it's unlikely we've got anything that exotic in the UK, but you never know. Mind you, they might be bluffing. :p:

I'm now intensely curious to see how they turn out and what sort of butterfly or moth (most likely butterfly) they turn into.

As for the coots, they're still doing well - still 6 chicks, still lovin' the bread!

joglynne

11-07-2011, 15:00

Maybe it was the caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth you saw?

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/pictures/large-insects.asp?pic=127

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=101

Anonymouse

11-07-2011, 16:00

Hmm, they could be...I'm not sure the ones I saw were hairy at all. Then again, they might not have gotten that far yet. Thanks, in any case!

I hope they are those; those moths are gorgeous!

Caff

11-07-2011, 16:13

Dai

11-07-2011, 17:35

Anyone here who is off to the Brecon area will have a treat on the countryside roads and have a fill of solitary-flying Red Kites.
I saw two together in Cornwall a few years ago, but dozens around Brecon and beyond a couple of weeks ago.
Magnificent.

They are totally amazing to watch. I used to see them regularly when we lived in Brecon. Awesome birds.

Taf

11-07-2011, 18:55

Our House Sparrows have been evicted....... by a small colony of Pipistrel bats... and their droppings are all over the back doorstep!! I though we had mice at first, then heard them moving about at dusk, then all scramble out and fly off.

Anonymouse

12-07-2011, 14:30

Bats? Lucky you! They're fascinating creatures. Pipistrelles are cute, I think. I think I've seen one or two at home; outside my flat there are trees, and I'm sure I saw something at dusk one evening a few months back, flitting between the trees. I hope it was a bat - and I hope Tigger doesn't go for 'em, because then I'm in trouble, as all of Britain's bats are protected by law.

As for the caterpillars, I took a closer look at 'em yesterday, and they are in fact a bit hairy; I missed this before, as the hairs are very fine. They are indeed Cinnabar moth caterpillars, and several have reached their full size of 30mm or so, which, I suppose, is why they weren't moving much - they'll be gearing up to pupate, I imagine. That's the good news...the bad news is that they overwinter as pupae, apparently, so I won't be seeing the moths until next May or thereabouts. Not only that, but the caterpillars often turn cannibal if food runs out (which it often does, as they're such voracious eaters they're now being employed to control ragwort in agricultural areas of the States), so they might not all survive. There isn't much ragwort in the area of the lodge; much more of thistles, nettles and various other wild plants.

I glanced through a library book on Britain's moths; I had no idea we had so many colourful species here! I thought all our moths were variations on the grey and/or brown colour schemes you'd expect of nocturnal species, but apparently we have day-flyers, too - most of which are unpalatable to birds, which is why they're brightly-coloured.

As for the coots, they're still going strong - still six of 'em, so the pikes obviously aren't getting any. Maybe their adults are just better parents than the other two.

Angua

12-07-2011, 15:16

Rescued a Pipistrelle from the cat once. Had to keep it very warm & feed it live meal-worms for a few days and wear gloves to handle it. Let it go one evening around 8pm by sort of throwing it in to the air.

Seem to be more Kites around nowadays. Generally see one floating over the cricket pitch at Combe.

Anonymouse

12-07-2011, 15:33

Well, you can't blame the cat, really; I imagine a cat thinks, "Ooh, that's interesting: a mouse with wings! I wonder if I can catch it?"

But if you rescue a bird/bat/whatever from a cat, if you see any blood you should take whatever-it-is to a vet...because the poor thing's likely doomed, I'm afraid. Cat bites carry infections; if the cat's teeth break the creature's skin, it'll need antibiotics ASAP, and it's unlikely to survive even then. A vet is its only hope. Seems your bat was lucky.

Angua

12-07-2011, 16:26

Rest assured is was only downed not damaged. Checked with the local bat man which is where the care advice came from. The bat was kept in a box wrapped in a scarf on top of a hot radiator.

Anonymouse

15-07-2011, 13:26

I finally got a good look at an interesting moth, and for once Tigger didn't get it, because a) she was outside, and b) the damn thing flew inside my T-shirt! It tickled!

When I coaxed it out, I was surprised to discover it was leaf-green with a white body; it actually looked like a leaf - protective camouflage, obviously.

Coots still doing well - still 6 chicks!

Cinnabar moth caterpillars getting bigger. I'm debating whether to gather one or two and a sprig of Oxford Ragwort (so they've got something to nibble on until they pupate), take 'em home and let 'em overwinter in the outside garden, so I can watch for them emerging. They're not a rare species, though they're rarely seen, apparently; I've checked.

Kymmy

15-07-2011, 13:34

Anyone here who is off to the Brecon area will have a treat on the countryside roads and have a fill of solitary-flying Red Kites.
I saw two together in Cornwall a few years ago, but dozens around Brecon and beyond a couple of weeks ago.
Magnificent.

As well as the red kites here in the Chilterns there's some fantastic sighting of Buzzards.. Amazing to watch them flying low scanning the fields looking for prey.. Round the Tea Green side of Luton Airport is a good place to see them.

Anonymouse

21-07-2011, 14:15

Angua

25-07-2011, 09:41

Sad news: both of the coot families have lost a chick. Perhaps in the case of the original family one chick reached maturity and left or was shooed off - certainly the remaining chicks now look almost identical to their parents - but as for the 6-chick family...well. :cry:

Oh, well, it happens. Damn pikes.
:sorry:

Found a small corpse whilst clearing some weeds on Saturday. Looks like it could be our poor downed sparrow. :cry:At least it avoided the cats.

On a happier note, there seems to be at least 3 Goldfinches visiting, plus the coal tit has been spotted again. :D

Anonymouse

25-07-2011, 15:48

I spent an hour or so yesterday doing something that was both frustrating and fun: I tried to grab a photo of the local dragonflies. You know the ones - they're about 3" long in the body, sort of brownish in colour. Incredibly agile; they can turn in their own length, I've seen 'em do it. But they never seem to alight anywhere, so getting a photo's nearly impossible. Damn things won't stay still!

I made a discovery, too: I knew they could hover, but I didn't know they could glide. I saw one soaring through the air on a breeze, not flapping a single wing - wonderful! It seems obvious in hindsight, superbly designed as they are, that they should be capable of gliding, especially with that wingspan (and four wings to boot), but I'd never seen it until yesterday.

From a distance they look like helicopters (though of course the comparison should be the other way about!), but up close they rather remind me of a Lancaster bomber! Mind you, it could be worse; millions of years ago there were dragonflies 12" long! Eep! :shocked:

As for the coot families, they're still okay, if a little truncated now. There seem to be fewer Cinnabar caterpillars, and the ragworts they're eating don't look at all well.

More later!

Dai

25-07-2011, 17:18

Dragonflies are amazing. I get them in the garden, probably drawn by the pond in the corner. They seem to be able to make instant 90-degree turns in midair.

Agreed, they're almost impossible to photograph. I must watch for mine gliding as well, I'd never noticed that before.

Anonymouse

27-07-2011, 13:12

I finally managed to photograph one! Finally, a dragonfly stayed still long enough for me to snap it!

Her, as it turned out - she'd alighted on a floating plank, to lay eggs on and under it. Apparently she's a Brown Hawker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Hawker). Her laying eggs is very bad news for small fish, young frogs, tadpoles and the like, because when those eggs hatch, they produce nymphs - these are armoured, ravenous eating machines with very scary jaws that'll take anything smaller than they are. The bottom of the lodge will become a terrifying place for any bottom-feeding creatures for at least a year, until the nymphs haul themselves out of the water and split their carapaces down the back, to allow the adult dragonflies to emerge.

Once that happens, no non-toxic flying insect that isn't a Brown Hawker, not even wasps, will be safe. Dragonflies don't give a stuff about wasps' stings, as they never get a chance to use them - the dragonfly's legs form a sort of cage under its body, and once it catches something, it doesn't let go. One quick bite and the wasp's headless.

Now to catch one in flight...

The coots are still fine, cheeping frantically when I appear. :p:

More later!

Anonymouse

01-08-2011, 14:33

On Saturday I had another 'Oh dear/Oh! Deer!' moment - and what a moment!

I was actually trying to snap photos of an interesting pretty butterfly, mostly orange with black spots and ragged wing edges, presumably to look like a torn leaf. I heard something moving in the undergrowth; I looked, expecting kids - and a deer bounded out, stood in the open and looked back at me!

I just managed to zoom in and focus before the beggar ran down the path running parallel to the river. I almost managed to photograph him - yes, the antlers gave him away as a young roe deer buck - looking right at me, but in the last tenth of a second he turned his head to one side. Oh well; I still got the photo!

And I did manage to get a couple of shots of the butterfly. At one point it surprised me by alighting on my upper chest, and if only it'd been a few inches further down I could've got a closeup, but I couldn't get the camera between it and my chin. Awkard subjects, butterflies. :p:

Anonymouse

09-08-2011, 13:15

I haven't posted updates for a while, as nothing much has happened. The 5-chick coot family are still going strong; the other family are now down to two juveniles, and I imagine they'll be leaving home soon. One female duck hangs around the 5-chick family...because she knows, as they do, that there's a free lunch when I arrive! :p:

The Cinnabar moth caterpillars have pretty much gone - they've either pupated or eaten each other. :shocked:

No further sign of deer. I'll keep looking.

Anonymouse

12-08-2011, 15:35

The original coot family have gone! The 5-chick family seem to have claimed the entire lodge in their absence.

No sign of deer or geese. One cheeky duck is hanging around. A brief sighting of the heron, a dragonfly and a kingfisher, but things seem to be winding down even though it's only August. Oh well, I'll keep going there if only for the exercise, unless this job in Sheffield I've applied for works out.

Dai

12-08-2011, 16:51

It's been a delight to read your nature diary. Best of luck with the job.

:)

joglynne

12-08-2011, 17:56

I second that. Please keep on updating us as the season changes or else I shall get withdrawal symptoms. Although I must say getting that job will be an acceptable reason not to keep us informed of the things you notice on your nature rambles. :)

Anonymouse

13-08-2011, 13:38

Thanks, guys!

And the job won't stop me rambling, if I get it - it's a night shift job! :p:

Anonymouse

16-08-2011, 15:07

I had a very bad weekend - I managed to lose my camera!

I'd spent a couple of hours in the library, downloading tracks and copying them onto my Sandisk Sansa Fuze - it's sort of a poor man's iPod without being enslaved to iTunes, and works very well. I normally carry the camera in a pocket of my rucksack, as well as USB cables for various devices; I must have taken out the camera in order to retrieve the Fuze's USB cable...and somehow forgot to put it back.

We now take you to 5pm, i.e. the library's closed by now, and I arrive at the lodge, taking out the camera...which isn't there!

Cue brief momentary panic - how the hell could it not be there? Oh, wait - I changed the battery at home and was distracted by Tigger (she does that :p:) - maybe I didn't put it back in the rucksack? I went home - no sign of the camera. Inevitable conclusion: I left it in the library.

My weekend was spent kicking myself, because no way in hell could I rely on getting it back - people generally are fairly honest, yeah, but hey, it's a digital camera, times are hard...

Anyway. I didn't manage to get back to the library until today, and I asked if a digital camera had been handed in...

...it had. Cue heartfelt sigh of mega-relief - and a frantic few minutes backing up my photos onto a USB stick, so in the unlikely event this ever happens again, at least I won't lose the photos. It seems there's at least one honest person in Bolton. I wish I could find out who it was, I'd buy 'em a drink!

zoro

18-08-2011, 16:05

I had a very bad weekend - I managed to lose my camera!

I am so sorry! If lost my camera like that I would be devastated for months to come.

Anonymouse

23-08-2011, 15:39

I am so sorry! If lost my camera like that I would be devastated for months to come.
No, no, I did get it back! :D

I didn't get the job - big surprise. :rolleyes: Oh well.

joglynne

23-08-2011, 18:32

No, no, I did get it back! :D

I didn't get the job - big surprise. :rolleyes: Oh well.

Sorry to hear about the job. Hopefully you will get employment soon. :hugs:

Anonymouse

26-08-2011, 13:21

Cheers, Joglynne!

I had a merry time yesterday watching the most number of Brown Hawker dragonflies I've ever seen in one place, i.e. four of 'em. Dratted things wouldn't stay still, as usual, so no photos. According to my research, they used to be even bigger than I thought - 2 1/2' wingspans?! That's total eep! territory. :Yikes:

Insects have a size limitation caused by the laws of physics, in terms of how they breathe; they can't get any bigger than about 12" in the body because the diffusion process on which they depend doesn't work well enough. But it seems there was rather more oxygen in the dinosaur days, so they could get away with it back then. Hence the huge dragonflies mentioned earlier.