LeetleGreyCells
Un rouleur infatigable
- Location
- Whitehaven Mansions
It's an Ibis, isn't it?
Your day's wildlife
- Thread starter Flick of the Elbow
- Start date
-
- Tags
- wildlife
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Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
How many were there, Nick?
I seem to remember that you wait ages for one ibis to come, then three come along together. .
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Trail runner in a onesie?
Chris Packham launches http://wildjustice.org.uk/about/ to improve laws for wildlife
Kempstonian
Has the memory of a goldfish
- Location
- Bedford
Preserve wildlife - throw a party today!
Poacher
Gravitationally challenged member
- Location
- Nottingham
Last year, when a pair of Tawnies were regularly visiting, my neighbour (an avid cyclist, by the way, but I don't think he reads this forum) said to me "Do you think they have babies?". "No, Mike." I replied, "They lay eggs." His missus nearly peed herself, and he's hardly spoken to me since. To placate him, unbeknown to me, Mrs Poacher promised that I'll make a nest box for them. I don't have any suitable timber or ply, and I'm damned if I'm shelling out good money for any, so I've taken to scanning skips for suitable offcuts, without success so far.
Anyway, to get finally to the point, RSPB has two designs, an upright with a roof, and a chimney type to be mounted diagonally under a branch. Can you advise me which is more likely to be used? I reckon the vertical one is more likely to replicate the kind of cavity they're likely to find naturally, but if I make and fit one of those, Mike will probably demand that I include a ladder for the owlets to climb up.
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
You got it in one. The RSPB vertical one has had the most success of the ones I put up. (Local wildlife charity) You can use the diagonal one if you can’t attach it to the trunk and only a diagonal bough is available. Leave it empty as the owls will choose their own bedding. Shelter from the wet, prevailing wind. When young owls are ready to leave their nest will inevitably fall to the ground. No problem. They can climb all the way back up a tree with their Velcro claws and beak. Maybe not into the box, but out of harm’s way into a roost. They exercise, practice and in a day or so will manage flight. Their biggest killer is other tawnies.
Talking of ladders: I was up a ladder, screwing a box to a big oak tree and was surrounded by nosey, young steers. My colleague ran off leaving the cattle, 6 metres below me to nudge and shoulder the ladder I was perched on
(Did you know that the famous wildlife photographer, Eric Hosking, lost an eye as a result of an encounter with a tawny?)
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Very common across Australia.
Poacher
Gravitationally challenged member
- Location
- Nottingham
Kept his sense of humour with his book title "An eye for a bird".
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
Cycling to work along the Coton cycle path this morning, out of the fog in front of me roll two tumble bushes.... turns out they had legs and black and white striped faces.
One turned off, this one ran along for a few hundred yards
One turned off, this one ran along for a few hundred yards
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
Another
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
And this determined soul this afternoon
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
I heard these and couldn't resist going in to the farm yard to see my first lambs of the year .
