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buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 19 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Black Rabbits have been around in wild populations for ages. When Rabbits had to be kept in warrens for them to survive, and fur was just as important a product as meat, black ones were prized, because black fur went at a premium. Presumably black ones were given special attention and selected, and their genes entered the wild gene pool when Rabbits expanded from the warrens.

I wonder if 'they' will be able to tell us what colour this 'new' Roman rabbit was?

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45375
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 19 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

a long time ago , somewhere i cant quite put a name to, i came across wild x big dutch bunnies from an escape.
huge and a variety of coat patterns.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 19 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

What must have been about forty years ago I spent a week on the Welsh island of Skokholm. The Rabbits there were very variable and some were clearly descended from domestic bunnies. One I recall was half sandy, half white.

These were probably derived from the pets kept by Ronald Lockley and his family.

Incidentally, Skokholm was an early (late 1930s) testing site for the use of myxomatosis to control Rabbits. It failed - apparently the resident Rabbits had no fleas, so nothing to spread the disease from Rabbit to Rabbit!

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45375
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 19 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

iirc several welsh coastal islands were used as warrens.

flatholm in the bristol channel definitely was, in not sure about steepholm but i am fairly sure others around the uk have been mentioned as well.

it does make sense to have the bunnies contained and safe from most predators n thieves

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45375
Location: yes
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 19 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

insect watch

a rather nice painted lady ( or ladyboy ) was sunning it's new shape on a brick on the shed roof

so far all very nice

the way the rather chunky hoverfly was looking at it made me and more importantly it rather nervous.

watching the less than stealthy approach and rather random escape was quite a privilege and funny, neither knew quite what they were supposed to do being fresh changelings to adult.
they did a rather awkward wedding dad and bridesmaid dance routine for a second or two then both lost control and squirrelled around the sky regardless of each other.

the " lady " prevailed, repelled the confused and was back in the sun in a minute or so

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8576
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 19 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    



He has been here for about three days. A group have been at the farmyard where our neighbour works, for a good week now.

Swallow or Martin?

sgt.colon



Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 19 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Looking at it I'd say swallow.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 19 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Red patch on throat, and long thin tail feathers = Swallow.

Henry

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8576
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 19 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

no hope of seeing the red patch! Will see if we can see him from a different angle

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 19 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well, the bird in the photo has a patch on its throat, and since House Martins don't have a throat patch the patch in the picture must be red. And Swallows are slender, like this bird. House Martins are more dumpy.

Henry

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8576
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 19 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thankyou

We seem to get a loner every year Possibly due to people removing nests and keeping sheds closed. The house-wrapping disrupted many last year,but at least those that didn't get plastic soffits ( I think thats the correct word...horizontal bit from the wall to the gutter) should still be able to have nests built on them. The localmud doesn't appear to stick on plastic

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45375
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 19 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

planks , araldite and grit makes a good substitute for a rough wall top when fastened under the eaves

iirc other sticky and shaped options are available for the wee fly eaters .

insect news is another " native " ladybird in the bramble so up to 4 spp.

avian report , sparrahs , lots of em. getting used to feeding near me, i don't bother with taming any or getting to know their names ( pretty high turnover in the sparrow hoarde) but they do sometimes land on me by the end of the season.

walter two sticks, descendant of fat walter pigeon, is just as round and has a liking for husked sunflower seeds so is unlikely to become slimmer of the year

tis very dry here which affects quite a few things not least the availability of food for a lot of beasts

hughe bunny ( well big for a normal wild one ) was out in the sun , in a bit of scrub between a park and the caravans on the back rugby field so i guess the buns are ok after i worried at their apparent absence.

parakeet report, there was one in hatch end, london village, on tuesday but i have not seen the "locals " again so far.

hoverflies are about with dancing and music as they do hoverfly things.

i just watched a ladybird ( spp previously counted ) share a plant pot rim with an aphid that lapped it, was missed several times and then probably had a laugh as the bird fell off and pretended it meant it

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 19 6:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    


Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 19 6:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Digging out the old raised bed the other day we found a lovely little slow worm. Put it in the new compost heap, so hope it will be happy there. Also found the bluetits are nesting in the tubes of the front forks for the tractor in the woods again.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 19 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

After a weekend away returned to hear Mr Green (aka Green Woodpecker) laughing away at 'normal' tone but occasionally replied to by a falsetto call, which I assume is still a Green Woodpecker. I must get out with the binoculars and see if I can confirm the high voiced caller, but am still recovering from three days at my mother-in-law's house, where the room temperature is rarely allowed to fall below 80 degrees Fahrenheit!

Henry

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