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Springwatch 2018


Ken L

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We currently have a few daffodils just starting to open up on south facing slopes but I suspect that everything is on hold for the moment with the cold coming in.

I doubt there'll be many daffs about for St David's day.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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Woodlarks singing on the heath areas of Ashdown Forest, Songthrush singing in our garden We are keeping the bird-feeders full and our birdbath topped up with hot water during this cold snap. Local ponds still frozen over.

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Woodlarks singing on the heath areas of Ashdown Forest, Songthrush singing in our garden We are keeping the bird-feeders full and our birdbath topped up with hot water during this cold snap. Local ponds still frozen over.

I have always pondered over bird feeding (we partake in it)

In spring there is a finite supply of food (generally live food in the form of bugs etc)

A if we the bird feeders artificially keep birds alive that should have died in the harshness of winter is there enough bugs around to feed the extra chicks those no longer dead birds produce?

Are we by our kindness starving to death because theres not enough live food the very things we try to help?

 

B are parent birds poking down the necks of chicks whole peanuts that are easy to find but totally useless to young birds because live food contains more nutrients and fat and much more easily digested?

 

It was found mould on peanuts killed birds perhaps our kindness has less obvious death rates

 

B why do they isist on chucking food on the ground and what eats whole wheat seeds that appear to abound in bird food but obviously are not eaten by the birds we feed

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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I doubt that birds make any sort of significant impact on the number of caterpillars and other crawlies that are about in spring. There certainly seem to be plenty left to savage my gooseberries.

 

Not seen any frogs, toads or spawn up here yet.

Edited by Ken L

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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There must be a natural balance ,enought bugs that can be eaten against the number it takes to restock for the future ,too many bugs the foodsource disapears which then impacts on the remaining bugs.

I think 'nature' is like a balance where it is level unless something happens to tip it either way and bad things happen

 

I find it strange the more the number of shelves that have appeared over the last few decades the number of birds have declined

At one time there was "wild bird food" and it was mixed by some old guy in a dusty iron mongers now theres more versions than a gourmet restaurant but bird numbers are falling when i was a kid "feeding birds" was throwing them a crust or complaining the tits broke the milk bottle tops for a crafty gulp of the fat

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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I suspect its down to changes in agriculture. It's big arable agriculture around here with very little land set aside for shooting and the housing here on the edge of town is largely shared with managed gardens set to grass and evergreens. I see very few small birds about.

6km up the road where my parents live it's totally different.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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I suspect its down to changes in agriculture. It's big arable agriculture around here with very little land set aside for shooting and the housing here on the edge of town is largely shared with managed gardens set to grass and evergreens. I see very few small birds about.

6km up the road where my parents live it's totally different.

But if you look to the past there was wide spread agriculture and we ate birds ,in the last war they ate anything but there was planty of birds about ,round here zero agriculture and now the rspb has chased off the nightjars and nightingales almost no birds .

The absense or presense of agriculture cannot be a reason if you stand on hankley common you wont hear a bird ,like poor fishing theres a hidden reason perhaps brexit?

 

Perhaps its our new love of raptors ,they eat birds more raptors less dicky birds ,the resident sparrow hawk is enjoying the plump tits (dont we all) emptying the feeders at a great rate ,mind you they are next doors birds the old lady went into a home so we 'inherited' the half hundred weight of assorted grub and her multitude of feeders ,once thats gone they will have to fend for themselves

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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Maybe the Rooomainians are eating 'em...

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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Maybe the Rooomainians are eating 'em...

Could be damn those eastun uropeens putting us out of a job eating them

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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