I saw a thing in the garden (3 Viewers)

[ann post]

yup, I'm out that area for a short while now. I'll be going back to Cork at some point, once I've harvested all the local buzzard eggs probably.

You should eat one like it's an ortolan

 

[flashback]

You should eat one like it's an ortolan

Normally I like to eat my eggs as partially developed embryos, like those Balut eggs.

 

[Cormcolash]

Oh nice. Was this out in Donegal or Kerry or something?

I've never seen one. I've seen Sea Eagles, and Andean Condors. Condors don't really even look like birds, they look more like small planes piloted by little fellas. They'd sort of swivel their heads around and look at you, but the rest of the animal looks like it's a glider with a lad in the front flying.

I'd guess the Golden Eagle would be more like a Sea Eagle, massive enough but flies more normally? I only properly got the scale of the Sea Eagle when she was being harassed by Greater Blackback Gulls, which she dwarfed. And we've all seen the footage of the Blackbacks choking down whole rabbits.

Hahaha na Budapest!! There's an island in Budapest, Margaretsziget, that has this mini-zoo thing, and it was in there. Actually kind of shit seeing the birds with a cage over their heads, the other things in the mini-zoo are fine, like deer and rabbits and stuff, some of the birds are fine too, ducks and storks, but it's shit for the birds of prey.

 

[flashback]

Hahaha na Budapest!! There's an island in Budapest, Margaretsziget, that has this mini-zoo thing, and it was in there. Actually kind of shit seeing the birds with a cage over their heads, the other things in the mini-zoo are fine, like deer and rabbits and stuff, some of the birds are fine too, ducks and storks, but it's shit for the birds of prey.

Ah. Oh yeah, I know that spot. I had an apartment by Erztibet Hid. Or something like that.

There was a place by me at one point that had birds of prey in cages, and I asked a couple of questions to learn they had been all injured and unable to get rehabbed enough to be released.

Seemingly (in the US at least) there's a big problem with animals getting hit on roads, then birds of prey coming down to eat them, only to get clipped by a passing car.

So yeah, maybe you can believe they were injured and unable to be re-released?

 

[Cormcolash]

Guess it could be, it looks like the animals there are all well looked after just that the birds can't fly off anywhere, so maybe they do end up there from injuries and stuff

 

[magicbastarder]

We were once in a falconry in Cornwall, the lad there took in raptors seized by the RSPCA. Never would have lived in the wild, but being kept as pets by people who hadn't a clue how to care for them.

 

[magicbastarder]

yup, I'm out that area for a short while now. I'll be going back to Cork at some point, once I've harvested all the local buzzard eggs probably.

We've seen kingfishers at the botanic gardens end of Griffith park a couple of times.

 

[flashback]

We've seen kingfishers at the botanic gardens end of Griffith park a couple of times.

Are they along the Tolka yeah? I was asking people if there were any living along there only a week or two ago. OK, cool. I've still never seen one of these lads.

 

[egg_]

I've seen Sea Eagles, and Andean Condors

I did birdwatching for a while when I was a little chap, I think I have a notebook somewhere still where I had drawings of a bird in the field in front of our house (in Wexford) that I identified as a condor

(I got better at identification as I went on )

 

[ann post]

I've been planning out what parts i'm leaving wild for year - aiming for 30% or more so which i'm not going to touch unless it stops light coming into the house. If you have a bit of garden the edges are probably the best place. I don't have kids so I don't need that space over the summer, i'm mosltly making access paths to things i need to do this year and doing a small 'lawn' because relatives who visit have toddlers.

I kinda think it's possibly better to just leave one spot wild all year rather than letting it go mad for a month and then executing everything?

 

[flashback]

I kinda think it's possibly better to just leave one spot wild all year rather than letting it go mad for a month and then executing everything?

yeah, I'd say it is.
I think the no-mow May thing was a better than nothing sort of idea.

 

[egg_]

Pollinators aren't as dependent on the early flowers that grow in your lawn (like dandelions) after summer starts. If you never mow it then you won't get dandelions either cos it'll end up as brambles/scrub

 

[therealjohnny]

I just used a tissue to help a bee out the window without harming it. I'm great.
I just hope it doesn't make a beeline for my chimney and set up home again this year

 

[the_jen]

It's good to cut everything once a year, late in the year, and lift the clippings. As egg_ already said. Even if you don't get it heading totally wild with brambles and scrub and it stays a fairly tame and walkable meadow, grass is more dominant than wild flowers and will choke them out. If you cut when things have gone to seed, and let the clippings sit and dry out for a while so they drop their seeds, you'll get more diversity year on year.

You should still ideally lift the clippings though, leaving them in a mat blocks light and the weaker plants fare worse and you're back to grass taking over again.

There's a plant called Yellow Rattle, if you have it it's worth harvesting the seeds to make sure they stay on site. It's parasitic to grass and keeps it weakened so other wild flowers have a better shot.

 

[the_jen]