tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71132386909899851122024-03-13T14:26:43.418+00:00counting cootsThinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-79447772795234239222011-06-13T13:07:00.001+01:002012-02-27T13:22:29.002+00:00Postscript - Famous at lastThe old patch was on the telly the other night, on an episode of The Apprentice where the madheads had to make money from scrap. In Fulham - luxury scrap if you will. The helicopter view drifted over the waste site, showing the Wandle Creek at high tide in the top of the image along with some of the paths in the old stomping ground. Incredible. <br />
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If you look carefully, you can pick out a retarded Coot watching it's nest being washed away...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uO3RCaQ1lHU/TfX70E8LHXI/AAAAAAAAGes/2jFJuornypc/s1600/wandle+creek+on+telly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uO3RCaQ1lHU/TfX70E8LHXI/AAAAAAAAGes/2jFJuornypc/s640/wandle+creek+on+telly.JPG" t8="true" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wandle Creek doing quite lush actually...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-47119548377474590792010-11-08T08:00:00.010+00:002012-02-27T13:22:04.645+00:00that really is it.Honestly.<br />
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This blog is no more. I no longer watch my humble little patch in Fulham and therefore have no more to post.<br />
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Thank you for arriving. Feel free to flick through the previous posts, it's not entirely full of drivvle. If you get bored of the ornithological history of Fulham, click on the links on the right. They are generally rather good...<br />
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Thanks to all that have read this over the last couple of years and commented and linked and all of that. It's been emotionalThinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-31781295467937266802010-11-05T11:04:00.002+00:002010-11-05T11:04:39.015+00:00a final word on starlingsIt seems that the Wandsworth Bridge Starlings get together a little up river before moving in as there were a couple of thousand on the <strike>dump</strike> waste transfer station this evening. <br />
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In my recent travels criss-crossing the river over the past couple of months I've noticed Starling activity on other bridges. Tower Bridge has some, as does Battersea Bridge (a similar construction to Wandsworth Bridge - the Starlings roost underneath remember) and there have been a couple of other dusky encounters.<br />
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The question is - are all (or the majority) London Starlings roosting on the bridges over the Thames? With 4500 regular under Wandsworth Bridge, it isn't too much of a stretch to extrapolate that up to the 10,000 mark for the whole city. If I wasn't moving out I may have considered trying to get counts for each of the bridges over the course of the winter, but that may have to wait for later in life.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-76242467182110126822010-10-22T16:16:00.000+01:002010-10-22T16:16:22.210+01:00better late than neverMaybe. <br />
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That Wheatear what I found, like ages ago, may appear below this sentence (blogger is playing up like stupid).<br />
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If it doesn't, your dose of stunning photography can be found here...<a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/a-wheatear/">a wheatear picture on the wrong blog</a><br />
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Not only was it a patch tick, it also goes on the London List. Cracking little boid.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-6692606329873006312010-10-13T08:38:00.000+01:002010-10-13T08:38:43.411+01:00like busesWheatears that is. You wait five years for one to come along, and then two turn up in the same week. Found another this morning, all perched up and everything. Incredible. Totally.<br />
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I even took a rubbish picture. <br />
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If you can handle this kind of excitement I'll be uploading it later...Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-92017165944259785822010-10-12T13:30:00.000+01:002010-10-12T13:30:53.185+01:0067 and risingYep, 67 - that is now the stunning year's total for 2010. A stunning 4 more more species than last year, and the remainder of October to add to the total.<br />
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The Wheatear yesterday was a complete surprise. Although it was moving with determination southwards, I was lucky enough to see it close in (and without optical aids - naked birding I believe it is called) as it first came past. That's a Wheatear I said to myself. Bloody hell, I also thought.<br />
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Apropos nothing at all, have a picture of a gull that won't load properly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TLRUxRr8W4I/AAAAAAAAGdw/GjCx_TBZKUw/s1600/gull+flying.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TLRUxRr8W4I/AAAAAAAAGdw/GjCx_TBZKUw/s400/gull+flying.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-22232104149252942502010-10-11T15:42:00.002+01:002010-10-11T15:42:23.380+01:00MEGA!Just had a Wheatear flying south across the river.<br />
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Patch tick mega and everything! Result! Fulham continues it's run as vis-mig hotspot! <br />
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Sort of.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-10861926548222217232010-10-07T11:13:00.000+01:002010-10-07T11:13:52.893+01:00n-n-n-n-nineteenMigrating Magpies. Really? Well it would seem so, as less than an hour ago there was a rag-tag stream of Magpies steadily moving south over the river. There were nineteen of them. There are not that many Magpies round here. Yet more vis-mig in the on fire patch...Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-8228023881821048402010-10-06T10:33:00.002+01:002010-10-06T10:33:33.557+01:00mega year tickThe patch has been quiet, and to be honest I haven’t been expecting much of late as the tide is high at lunchtime and the weather not great. Have been in the patch of course but there has been little to report, despite cracking birds being found all over the show. Ring Ouzels a couple of miles up the road. Little Gulls. Terns. That sort of thing, but obviously not likely to show up in humble Fulham of course. Or could they?<br />
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Whilst time wasting by the river yesterday afternoon, I saw a bird flying up river which is not unusual in itself, but was unusual specifically as it was a bloody Sandwich Tern! Patch Mega! Year tick! 66 for the year now. I’ve seen one of these rarities in this location only once before and that was years ago so it was thoroughly unexpected. Get on in!Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-53887302790052392302010-10-05T15:32:00.000+01:002010-10-05T15:32:08.246+01:00tube strike list updateWell in the end it was if nothing was happening underneath the streets, and the traffic was more normal than usual. But for the sake of completion, here is yesterday evenings list.<br />
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Black Headed Gull<br />
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Cormorant<br />
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Herring Gull<br />
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Crow, Carrion – not Bob<br />
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Wood Pigeon<br />
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Mallard<br />
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Starling<br />
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Canada Goose<br />
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Kestrel<br />
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Magpie<br />
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Jay<br />
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Stunning, eh?<br />
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No owls unfortunately, nor could I see much bombing past Rainham at 70mph in the failing light....Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-12473580650538049572010-10-04T14:07:00.000+01:002010-10-04T14:07:15.266+01:00how to beat the tube strike revisitedSome time ago I wrote about how I (internally) beat the tube strike - <a href="http://countingcoots.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-beat-tube-strike.html">read it here if inclined.</a><br />
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So we find ourselves in the same position today, but with considerably less pleasant weather and largely darkness as a companion. But I have three times the distance to travel and a metropolis to cross. Bitching doesn't even get half way to describing the commute this morning. However, when a river has to be crossed there are birds to be seen. Somehow this morning I found myself on the Woolwich Ferry, and while on said ferry there were three Common Terns to watch around the side of the boat. A nice interlude.<br />
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I'll count the birds on the way home tonight but don't have my hopes up for 26 species, or for that matter finishing the journey within two hours.<br />
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Nice.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-47228525441637349362010-09-30T14:10:00.000+01:002010-09-30T14:10:10.142+01:00vis-mig in FulhamNo, really - full on proper vis-mig. Not just Woodpigeons chuffiing over all about the place that may or may not be from round here but summer birds moving in a southerly direction one after the other.<br />
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Swallows they were too, which are pretty unusual in this locale, making it more special. First six flew over Hurlingham Park to Wandsworth park, then three, then one then three more and two more. That's like, loads.<br />
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Proper visible migration at the end of September. Lovely.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-85060310585817985492010-09-28T11:00:00.000+01:002010-09-28T11:00:12.417+01:00i did birdingNo, really.<br />
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I went into the patch and I stood there and watched birds. First time for ages, and it was brilliant. Relatively.<br />
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The Yellow Legged Gull was knocking about for twenty minutes or so, and other than that there wasn't much. A few Common Gulls, the returned Jackdaws in the distance.<br />
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And that's about it.<br />
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Better than nowt.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-71063465273264050082010-09-23T13:42:00.000+01:002010-09-23T13:42:36.588+01:00do have a picture this time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one that I couldn't load up, but is now compressed so doesn't look as it did when it wasn't. Anyway, the patch is wet, the tide is high so there is little going on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TJtKkADlVHI/AAAAAAAAGdk/YPdPewE82PM/s1600/norfok+n+all+right.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TJtKkADlVHI/AAAAAAAAGdk/YPdPewE82PM/s400/norfok+n+all+right.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Whitlingham doing swan cliche photo.</span></div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-17741638496154475692010-09-21T07:52:00.000+01:002010-09-21T07:52:07.144+01:00don't have a pictureThree weeks in Norfolk. Not really a birding trip <em>per se</em>, but some birding was done. Most notably was going to Whitlingham CP and finding 4 Black Terns doing lengths of the water in the late evening. Much pleased.<br />
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I would give you a picture, but for some reason by computer is reluctant to let anything be uploaded. Once fixed I'll proffer some cliched sunsets etc.<br />
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Back to the patch today. Not expecting Black Terns though...Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-38204863648699309952010-09-01T11:55:00.004+01:002010-09-01T11:55:00.793+01:00a week offThis is the blogging equivalent of the out of office reply. But prettier. <br />
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I'm away from the big smoke this week, preparing for life in the other place. Did I mention the <a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/">new patch</a>? <br />
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I <em>did</em>? <br />
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Oh.<br />
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Here's a picture of it. Just in case anyone missed it the first few times.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/THeb6_1V36I/AAAAAAAAGcc/7ZffF0sddQY/s1600/norfolk+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/THeb6_1V36I/AAAAAAAAGcc/7ZffF0sddQY/s640/norfolk+beach.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A Norfolk beach doing rubbing it in...</div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-71222138338843616052010-08-27T09:32:00.000+01:002010-08-27T09:32:34.341+01:00peter scott's house for saleA snip at £435,000!<br />
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See more by clicking this link - <em><a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/house-for-sale/">ooh get me with my parallel blogging!</a></em>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-67875301129853274442010-08-26T07:59:00.000+01:002010-08-26T07:59:41.747+01:00what I will miss part 2I’m going to miss a website. As the website is not closing that may sound a bit strange, but I will miss it because it will cease to be entirely relevant to my new patch and I will have little cause to read it.<br />
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The website is the <a href="http://londonbirders.wikia.com/wiki/London_Bird_Club_Wiki">Londonbirders Wiki</a>. <br />
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You may think that as London is a generally a more frosty place to live on an interpersonal level that you would have more coherence amongst birders in the idyllic flatlands of Norfolk than you do in London. It is my opinion that the reverse is true. Londonbirders seem to be able to work better as a unit in spite of the difficulties that the city presents whereas the individuals in the Norfolk birding scene don’t seem to be able to get it together to maintain a project as good as the wiki, which is a pity. They have yahoo groups and what not but they don’t seem to be able to unite behind a common technowebical cause. As far as I know the most popular venue for discussion is <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59348&page=383">a thread on Birdforum</a> that is as long as it is chaotic, and I’m willing to be corrected. Yes, it is true that the Londonbirders mail group does have the odd barny, and a certain Mr Evans of the parish of Amersham has been, erm ‘deselected’ but that was a rarity. I suppose it could be that Norfolk birders are all out in the field seeing birds, and London birders are all keeping the interweb up to date rather than doing their employers will. Something that I would obviously have no truck with. No that would be very naughty indeed. The nub of my point is that the birders in London have got all this interweb thing all sorted and have an excellent resource. I will miss it.<br />
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Meanwhile in another land, <a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/norfolkn-list/">a listers list is listed</a>.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-42335092269117539372010-08-24T07:20:00.000+01:002010-08-24T07:20:57.075+01:00what i will miss - part 1Part 1 of how many, I don't know. But certainly at least two. <br />
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When I leave this patch to <a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/">go here</a>, I will miss this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/THKM90pEcLI/AAAAAAAAGcM/U8o8Th4Gbqo/s1600/the+final+nest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/THKM90pEcLI/AAAAAAAAGcM/U8o8Th4Gbqo/s640/the+final+nest.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yep, that is the view of the shopping trolley Coot nest from Friday. Empty, no eggs or chicks visible but the adults were still knocking about (as they always are). The nest really is enormous now, and is likely to last the winter to leave a much better base for earlier success next year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would think that this is the last time that I will set eyes on this (eventually painful) scene for two reasons. Firstly is that there is little point in going this far up the Wandle if the Coots are not nesting, and secondly the Coots are not nesting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It has been quite a rollercoaster watching these bloody birds over the last few years, and to a certain extent they have come to represent the the blog itself (although the image that adorned the header for quite some time was from a bird that lives some 8 miles away), although qualifying that statement might be a bit tricky to be honest. What I do know however, is that the day that I found that they had actually produced young was as high as the day was low when I found that they had all gone to the big shopping trolley in the sky. Which might tell you something.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway that's enough navel-picking-shoe-gazing-introspective nonsense for one day. Yes I'll miss them but they bollocked my nut in for most of each year, <em><strong>see ya</strong></em>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-92185815656477862422010-08-23T08:59:00.003+01:002010-08-23T12:03:57.601+01:00don't watch that......watch this!<br />
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<a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/stag-party/">A stag party at cley...</a>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-37489489414093848592010-08-21T17:05:00.004+01:002010-08-21T17:05:00.368+01:00if i build it...Did I mention that I've got a new patch coming? I did? <br />
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Well, I reckon that a new patch deserves a new blog (might have mentioned that too).<br />
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It's still in it's infancy, and lots of honourable links are yet to be added and all that kind of malarkey, but for the moment feel free to enjoy the first, and reasonably uninspiring entry to <a href="http://norfolknbirds.wordpress.com/"><em>Norfolk'n Birds.</em></a><em> </em> <br />
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Click on the bluey bit - it's a link...Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-74706597629232337592010-08-20T08:06:00.000+01:002010-08-20T08:06:51.564+01:00a gull eats a balloon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you ever been asked the question "will a gull eat a balloon?". No, nor me. Now, thanks to the wonders of modern technology you can answer that question. Read on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02s4OW-LI/AAAAAAAAGaA/uQrPwx4pY1s/s1600/balloon+gull+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02s4OW-LI/AAAAAAAAGaA/uQrPwx4pY1s/s400/balloon+gull+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Initially I thought it intersting that a gull had found a balloon on the foreshore (and ironically only a few days after <a href="http://www.thames21.org.uk/">Thames21</a> had done a big clean up in the area) and thought that it might be investigating this new thing in it's life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02uNgmfmI/AAAAAAAAGaI/441OPc7daVg/s1600/balloon+gull+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02uNgmfmI/AAAAAAAAGaI/441OPc7daVg/s400/balloon+gull+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But it decided that it needed a wash, becuase it probably mistook it for a lugworm or something similar.</div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02vFELi9I/AAAAAAAAGaQ/tvGYd9YT6R0/s1600/balloon+gull+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02vFELi9I/AAAAAAAAGaQ/tvGYd9YT6R0/s400/balloon+gull+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02wextgoI/AAAAAAAAGaY/Q5isf3t3J00/s1600/balloon+gull+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02wextgoI/AAAAAAAAGaY/Q5isf3t3J00/s400/balloon+gull+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At this point I thought that it had realised it's folly and was going to leave it alone. Sensibly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02xlZaYZI/AAAAAAAAGag/goUTe_7vYPo/s1600/balloon+gull+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02xlZaYZI/AAAAAAAAGag/goUTe_7vYPo/s400/balloon+gull+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02yy2wzaI/AAAAAAAAGao/eaI-ch2k1fk/s1600/balloon+gull+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02yy2wzaI/AAAAAAAAGao/eaI-ch2k1fk/s400/balloon+gull+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But it picked it up again, and with a flick of it's head it had it in the correct place for an efficient swallow...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG020ndJ7OI/AAAAAAAAGaw/2RneJG0_yfQ/s1600/balloon+gull+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG020ndJ7OI/AAAAAAAAGaw/2RneJG0_yfQ/s400/balloon+gull+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was at this point that I realised that the bird <u>was</u> actually going to eat the bloody thing. By waving my hands in the area and swearing loudly at the gull, I thought that it might be persuaded to take flight and drop it. But with what it thought was a lugworm that big though, it wasn't going to budge. With hindsight, I should have known that it may well of flown off, but it wouldn't have dropped it as that isn't what gulls tend to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG022K0jX8I/AAAAAAAAGa4/wuCk9AgxEyI/s1600/balloon+gull+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG022K0jX8I/AAAAAAAAGa4/wuCk9AgxEyI/s400/balloon+gull+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It swallowed it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG027OBjTaI/AAAAAAAAGbI/9uas40JX9Qc/s1600/balloon+gull+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG027OBjTaI/AAAAAAAAGbI/9uas40JX9Qc/s400/balloon+gull+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Completely. Bloody thing.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG028NqAANI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/8yF6jv7vVwU/s1600/balloon+gull+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG028NqAANI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/8yF6jv7vVwU/s400/balloon+gull+11.jpg" width="397" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It then proceeded to have a little drink and carried on feeding in the river.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG04Qjkbz-I/AAAAAAAAGcA/zx_fWH0RcRY/s1600/balloon+gull+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG04Qjkbz-I/AAAAAAAAGcA/zx_fWH0RcRY/s400/balloon+gull+12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then it had a preen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02-8huHSI/AAAAAAAAGbg/dft7ACMWk1A/s1600/balloon+gull+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TG02-8huHSI/AAAAAAAAGbg/dft7ACMWk1A/s400/balloon+gull+13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And then it had a kip.</div><br />
<br />
Unless it regurgitates it (<a href="http://countingcoots.blogspot.com/2009/01/hmm-tasty.html">which I have seen in gulls before</a>) it's shortly going to be a very, very, dead gull indeed. I know it's only a gull, and not an uncommon one and that I am not one for shying away from nature when it is at it's most raw and unforgiving. If this gull was killed by a Peregrine I would have loved it. But this is at the other end of the scale, the shitty end of urban birding.Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-1112408342005195432010-08-19T08:25:00.000+01:002010-08-19T08:25:39.489+01:00it's ok, they are only gullsIf you look at the Birdguides reports of rarities that are knocking about these fair isles, you will occasionally see that there are entries for Yellow Legged Gulls. That means that they are unusual. So I should make more of a song and dance about this bird as it is still hanging about in Fulham and seen yesterday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzWCPNErUI/AAAAAAAAGZo/MeBkNxXCNAc/s1600/yelluh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzWCPNErUI/AAAAAAAAGZo/MeBkNxXCNAc/s640/yelluh.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, just because it is on Birdguides (other rare bird information services are available) doesn't necessarily mean that the birds are hard to find or that significant. How many times in a day do people need to tell everyone else that there are Spoonbills at Cley for example?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhow, elsewhere in the patch, Common Gull numbers are on the rise, as there were <em>two</em> yesterday. Here is one, ain't it purdy?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzVzJujTtI/AAAAAAAAGZg/8XZVh9gAUuo/s1600/common+gull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzVzJujTtI/AAAAAAAAGZg/8XZVh9gAUuo/s640/common+gull.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Else-elsewhere in the patch, this ringed Herring Gull (white A6LK) has been seen. I'm not the first to have seen it but it's the first time I've seen it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzXojtsY1I/AAAAAAAAGZ4/bZmfPf-BCGM/s1600/a6l+k.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzXojtsY1I/AAAAAAAAGZ4/bZmfPf-BCGM/s640/a6l+k.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Now if you think that me moving to a new patch means that I'll stop yapping on about Larids, think again (even if I'm able to find the time to do it, it will depend on servers and monitoring and stuff). So it might not be <em>Norfolk'n Birds</em>, it might well be <em>Norfolk'n Posts</em>! I digress, regardless of the blogability of my situation, this photo of the new patch gives you an idea of what kind of gullage I'll be up to.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzXfrPpSxI/AAAAAAAAGZw/5M7muNeIrcA/s1600/gulls+on+a+beach+again.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGzXfrPpSxI/AAAAAAAAGZw/5M7muNeIrcA/s640/gulls+on+a+beach+again.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now ain't <em><strong>that </strong></em>purdy?</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">I can't bloody wait.</div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-16932467740489466722010-08-18T08:06:00.000+01:002010-08-18T08:06:43.577+01:00a list of birds what i sawYou know those waffle free posts where someone that birds in a patch actually puts up a list of birds they saw in the patch? The ones like what I don't do very often? Lets have one for yesterday.<br />
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Mute Swan - 2 adults, 5 cygnets<br />
Mallard - loads<br />
Tufted Duck - 1 female, 6 ducklings (no, really)<br />
Grey Heron - 7<br />
Cormorant - c15<br />
Lesser Black Backed Gull - 5+<br />
Herring Gull - 15+<br />
Common Gull - 1<br />
Black-headed Gull - 30+<br />
Long Tailed Tit - c7<br />
Blue Tit - 1<br />
Goldfinch - 3<br />
Magpie - 5<br />
Carrion Crow - loads<br />
Starling - c20<br />
Moorhen - 2<br />
Coot - 4<br />
Pigeons - loads<br />
Wood Pigeon - 10+<br />
Ring-necked Parakeet - 3<br />
Pied Wagtail - 1<br />
Blackbird - 2<br />
House Sparrow - 6+<br />
Canada Goose - 2<br />
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Not very exciting I grant you. The only notable from that list is the Tufted Duck with ducklings. If they stay loyal to the site over the coming weeks it may be proof of breeding, which will be a first. But there are Tufties on Wandsworth Common, and it is not unknown for ducks to take their progeny for a walk. But round here it seems a little unlikely.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGuFxL0YIaI/AAAAAAAAGZU/ZcmHhXJldws/s1600/tufties.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGuFxL0YIaI/AAAAAAAAGZU/ZcmHhXJldws/s640/tufties.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tufted Ducks doing activity</span></div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7113238690989985112.post-52456570550023920942010-08-16T08:11:00.000+01:002010-08-16T08:11:38.718+01:00the dalai lama and meWhat was the relevance of the title of Friday's post? What is the relevance of this one? Firstly, none whatsoever and secondly none until I'm done here today. You still with me?<br />
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Here is how it all ties together. Trying to find witty or even slightly different titles for posts can be a bit taxing. Now, on the way to work on Friday, rather than the dulcit tones of John Humphreys, I was listening to some of Screamadelica by Primal Scream, as you do. In the track <em>Don't Fight It,</em> <em>Feel It</em> the backing singer(s) sing the line (taken from the superb <em>Rocket Reducer No. 62</em> by the MC5 as some of you know) 'Rama Lama Lama Fa Fa Fa'. And it stuck in my head. So for my own amusement, I put it as the title of the post. So far so innocent. That's the first bit out of the way. The second answer, and a little installment of wierdness is that because of that post title a link to my blog ended up on a kind of daily whereabouts blog thing for the Dalai Lama.<br />
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<a href="http://dalailamalisboa2007.com/counting-coots-rama-lama-fa-fa-fa/">No shit - click here.</a><br />
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How <strong>totally</strong> bizarre.<br />
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Erm, have a picture?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGjj5CXA_bI/AAAAAAAAGYU/WiNgNu7RcAQ/s1600/scratch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y-NyoUC9LJA/TGjj5CXA_bI/AAAAAAAAGYU/WiNgNu7RcAQ/s640/scratch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A Heron doing itchin' an' scratchin'</div>Thinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15668213457849133975noreply@blogger.com3