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Sheffields Flora and Fauna


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Bad news about our nesting pigeon.

However, today my wife witnessed an attack on the nest by "a gang of magpies", which managed to drag the chick out of the nest into our front garden where they attacked and killed it.

R.I.P. baby Wood Pigeon,

:(

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I'm no lover of wood pigeons, cooing on our roof from first light and stripping the bird table before anything else gets a look-in, but magpies are murderous creatures. A pair of blackbirds managed to raise two chicks in a nest in our hedge. The magpies tried repeatedly to get to them, but they fledged and left the nest. They were immediately set upon by the local mob of magpies. I don't know the outcome, but I suspect the youngsters didn't last long.

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Sorry to hear Dave. Evil to the core Magpies ..

Bad news about our nesting pigeon.

The egg had natched and mum had a single healthy chick which she was feeding and looking after.

Unfortunately, the rapid growth of leaves on the tree since my original picture made photography of the pair difficult and impossible to get a clear unobscured view.

However, today my wife witnessed an attack on the nest by "a gang of magpies", which managed to drag the chick out of the nest into our front garden where they attacked and killed it.

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I suppose it's wrong to apply human feelings and standards to wild creatures, but I'll make an exception for magpies. I think what makes them seem so evil is that the natural instincts are allied to intelligence.

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I'm no lover of wood pigeons, cooing on our roof from first light and stripping the bird table before anything else gets a look-in

This family of wood pigeons we had were exceptionally quiet and did not cause us any disturbance at all, - and the nest was about 3 metres from our bedroom window.

They were a bit greedy at the bird table, but as we enjoy having birds in the garden it is always well stocked.

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I suppose it's wrong to apply human feelings and standards to wild creatures, but I'll make an exception for magpies. I think what makes them seem so evil is that the natural instincts are allied to intelligence.

Quite right Bayleaf

We have both refered to the magpies as a "gang" or a "mob".

From the way they acted they were an organised team working together with a common goal of killing young birds of another breed.

Now, to me that does represent intelligence when I group of animals can communicate in such a way as to work on a common target in a unified way.

Humans do it all the time, but so do most other mammels such as packs of dogs or large cats.

However, even insects such as ants and bees show this communal inteligence don't they, so you don't have to be a large well developed animal with a well developed complex brain to benefit from it.

Birds often get regarded as being a bit thick when it comes to intelligence (bird brained lol ), but I am sure they are not.

Of course, from a human and emotional viewpoint, it is not possible to say what an animal is "thinking" or "what is going through its mind" or even how that animal perceives the world around it.

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Unfortunately, the rapid growth of leaves on the tree since my original picture made photography of the pair difficult and impossible to get a clear unobscured view.

While the chick was still alive and mum was on the nest this was about the best I could get

Just because the subject is close and not going anywhere in a hurry didn't make it any easier to get a good picture.

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Spotted a new neighbour in the garden today, in the wall near the house. Watched it for quite a while to-ing and fro-ing, didn't seem bothered my me.

Bank Vole

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R.I.P. baby Wood Pigeon,

:(

The remains of the nest have fallen out of the tree now.

It appears to be made entirely of bits of twig and not much else

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This was taken at Ladysbridge.

Heron.

There seems to be quite a few of them about this year.

Glad I haven't got a pond in my garden which is well stocked with fish.

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The remains of the nest have fallen out of the tree now.

It appears to be made entirely of bits of twig and not much else

In the old Weston Park Museum there used to be a pigeon's nest found in the roof girders of one of the steelworks, that was made entirely of bent nails and bits of wire.

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In the old Weston Park Museum there used to be a pigeon's nest found in the roof girders of one of the steelworks, that was made entirely of bent nails and bits of wire.

Last year one nested in our guttering instead of the tree.

Every time it rained water came pouring off the guttering instead of going down the drainpipe as the nest was blocking the flow.

Didn't seem to put the birds off nesting there though.

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Photos taken this morning.

Still around after over two years, note the scar on the bridge of her nose.

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Still around after over two years, note the scar on the bridge of her nose.

Steve, if that's your garden, your grass needs cutting lol

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Can ayone tell what this little fella is? Abit bigger than a sparrow, the poor thing looks as if it's gone 10 rounds with a cat or something, but can still fly.

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Can ayone tell what this little fella is? Abit bigger than a sparrow, the poor thing looks as if it's gone 10 rounds with a cat or something, but can still fly.

Going on the white rump, it could be a juvenile House Martin, a better view of the bill would confirm it.
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Going on the white rump, it could be a juvenile House Martin, a better view of the bill would confirm it.

I've got a shot of its head, but it rather looks as if the poor thing's bill was badly damaged by whatever happened to it. At the time it was trying to feed from the seed feeder, which would tend to rule out a martin, but then it might have been desperate for food and having seen the other birds at the feeder given it a try. I'll post the pic later.

I hadn't thought of a martin but the white rump and blue plumage would fit wouldn't they.

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Did a stint at Shepherd Wheel this afternoon when someone brought this in. Apparently it fell on him from a tree by the dam, and he rescued it from falling into the water. After a few minutes in his hand in the sun it flew off,so I reckon it was fresh out of hibernation and hadn't warmed up properly when it fell.

I think it's a Common Pipistrelle?

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Had a walk up on Longshaw this morning and saw this little family picnicking.

I know they're nearby on Big Moor, but I've never seen them on Longshaw before. I guess the snow must have forced them down.

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Lesser Spotted Sleepy, Cold Tiny Bat-Fella (scientific name) ... possibly

Did a stint at Shepherd Wheel this afternoon when someone brought this in. Apparently it fell on him from a tree by the dam, and he rescued it from falling into the water. After a few minutes in his hand in the sun it flew off,so I reckon it was fresh out of hibernation and hadn't warmed up properly when it fell.

I think it's a Common Pipistrelle?

attachicon.gifIMG_0977.JPG attachicon.gifIMG_0978.JPG attachicon.gifIMG_0979.JPG

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Lesser Spotted Sleepy, Cold Tiny Bat-Fella (scientific name) ... possibly

No it's a pipestrelle.

I used to have a friend at work, now promoted elsewhere, who was the Derbyshire "Batman".

By that I mean he knew all about bats and had some sort of official licence for handling, keeping and moving bats to safe locations, which are of course a protected species, - it is normally illegal to move or disturb bats wherever they choose to roost, - even in your own home,

Anyway, by knowing "Batman" I learnt enough to recognise a pipestrelle, one of Britain's commonest bats.

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Never knew that hedgehogs made a sound until recently.

I hear them making quite a loud snuffling, panting sound most nights after dark.

They're at it again now.

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Never knew that hedgehogs made a sound until recently.

I hear them making quite a loud snuffling, panting sound most nights after dark.

They're at it again now.

Mating sounds.

Some years ago I heard strange sounds coming from the back garden,

my Dad grew runner beans up canes, and he had wrapped them in nylon garden netting,

so I was thinking that a fox or stray dog could have been trapped in the net.

It was late in the evening and was dark, so I got my torch and ventured down the garden.

To my surprise the noise was being made by a pair of hedgehogs, who were in the act

of making love.

:)

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