ED Nature Watch

[Sue]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Isn't nature amazing? It seems the animals are

> tuned in to the Met forecast.

>

> All the robins and wrens are fluffy (presumably

> that traps air and keeps them warm) and I've never

> seen so many squirrels at once: busily hoovering

> up acorns and it seems, yew berries - are they

> immune to its poison?

xxxxxx

I think yew berries are only poisonous to humans.

And birds fluff up their feathers when it's cold, not before it's cold, I think?

[PeckhamRose]

Indeed my squirrel proof seed, peanut, and fat ball feeders are all being attacked by the blue tits and it is a joy to behold. They have also worked out that SpaceyCat, sitting at the window watching them, is completely harmless.

[Sue]

Not ED I know, just wanted to share that I have never seen so many cormorants on the Thames as between Vauxhall and Battersea on Sunday afternoon ... possibly a few flew past more than once, but we saw four all together at one point, and stopped counting at around fifteen :)

[ianr]

> They have also worked out that SpaceyCat, sitting at the window watching them, is completely harmless.

Or they're playing chicken?

It's always blue tits, innit. I think I heard something on the radio last week about ?blackbirds learning new behaviours so as to use the feeders. Any pioneers sighted locally?

[BrandNewGuy]

Sue Wrote:

> I think yew berries are only poisonous to humans.

The dark seeds (and foliage) certainly are, but the fleshy red parts aren't... eating them isn't advised, however, as they taste disgusting :-)

[Dickensman]

I have a feisty robin who thinks the oats and cornflakes I put out are his, he not only sees off the sparrows but attacked and scared off a starling briefly,

although it was a short lived fright as the starling returned and ate his fill with the robin shadowing his every move.

The blackbird pecks at the pear on a daily basis, but the coal tit has decided he likes pears too,

so he gets stuck in as soon as the blackbird leaves the fruit.

[The Minkey]

"I think I heard something on the radio last week about ?blackbirds learning new behaviours so as to use the feeders. Any pioneers sighted locally?"

Last year I had a male blackbird which learned to flutter up at the fat feeder and knock bits off with its beak, also a magpie balancing on top of it and a robin hovering like a humming-bird to get at the fat - though not all at the same time.

[Dickensman]

My garden was graced with the presence of a family of long tailed tits, they always travel 'mob handed' it seems, because you never see one on its own.

They only ever appear when weather is particularly harsh in the gardens that I have looked after, although they are to be seen in Peckham Rye park anytime in the year.

It is always a pleasure to see them inspite of the inclement weather.

[PeckhamRose]

Oh sighhh it was such a beautiful way to start the day.

I was walking across the park this morning to the dentist and had seeds and peanuts with me, and heard and saw a couple of robins circle around. No-one else around me. I stood still held out my hand with the seeds and nuts on and the two robins flew on to my hand and took the nuts. How fabulous.

Then I went to the dentist!

[Dickensman]

Peanuts is not what the dentists that I've used in the past, work for!

[PeckhamRose]

oooh clever.

[BornAgainSELondoner]

Walking across Dulwich Park this morning, I encountered a family of young squirrels feeding on a yew tree. On closer inspection, I also noticed a pair of tiny goldcrests, who were more than happy for me to get about a foot away from them and take photos of them for 10 minutes. They were happy, but I think there were a couple of angry mistle thrushes above who wanted me to go away, or at least that's what it sounded like they were telling me.

[Twirly]

Saw a fox in the back garden in the snow today - am on the 1st floor, so grabbed my camera and took some photos from my nice warm bedroom window as they made their way across the neighbour's shed roof :)

[Sue]

Great pics, Twirly!

I nearly ran over a young fox a few days back - it ran across the road from Goose Green.

Foxes have been making hideous noises in my back garden, but sadly unlike last year don't seem to be sleeping there :(

[computedshorty]

There was a family of starlings born this year one of them looked very white it has fully grown now to be an Albino white bird.

Pictures here it is in the garden this summer and in the snow.

[Dickensman]

Sue wrote:- Foxes have been making hideous noises in my back garden...

Yes they are all busy "doing it" they're right at it rumping, all night long, dirty little devils,

lucky bar studs.

[Dickensman]

The garden has been visited by magpies recently,

with the harsh weather birds you normally see at a distance drop by, the Jays have been mooching around too.

[Dickensman]

I have noticed a couple of feline visitors in the garden, they have noticed the mice which feed on the bird feeders, I don't care for cats coming in and crapping all over the place but I like vermin less, so it would seem I have to tolerate the moggies.

They will be shoo'ed out double quick in spring when the birds start nesting.

[LadyTaTa]

The crows have figured out how to use the bird feeder... they must be starving. One stands watch while the other perches on it and feeds - they are bigger than the feeder itself.

[Thomas Micklewright]

I lve robins, very sociable animals!

[Sue]

One advantage of Winter is that you can often see the birds better - we saw a woodpecker in the woods the other day.

Sadly it was getting dark and we couldn't see what kind - just its distinctive shape.

[Dickensman]

I heard the foxes 'right at it' last night, dirty little devils,

I'm envious.

[Sue]

I looked out of my living room window last night and saw a foxy staring at me from across the road.

We gazed at each other for a while and I went outside.

We continued the gazing for a further while, then he (or she) padded off down the street.

Only other time that's happened to me is when I was living in a hut on a farm.

I love foxes. Sorry for the hens though.

The farmers used to shut their hens in a henhouse each night so the foxes couldn't get them.

Unfortunately one of the hens stuck its head out of a small gap in the henhouse.

The next morning a headless chicken (literally) was found inside the henhouse. Ooops.

[rbrtdngl]

I only just found out over Christmas the collective noun for a crow is a murder of crows - brilliant. I think my top three has to be:

A sneak of weasels

A skulk of foxes

A squabble of seagulls

[Ann]

Good point and thanks, I had known about a ' Murder of Crows' but am completely lost as to it's origins.

Likewise have never heard of a 'skulk of foxes'. When it snowed quite heavily one evening before Christmas, I was looking out my bedroom windrow. Not a soul in sight except for a solitary fox roaming the street, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. A 'Skulk'. He should be so lucky!