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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 20 7:00 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

As Dpack says, they can drop a deer, so think dogs, babies or even children.

Not big enough for Boris then?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 20 6:20 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Mistress Rose wrote:

As Dpack says, they can drop a deer, so think dogs, babies or even children.

Not big enough for Boris then?

No but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try it, just in the interest of science, of course.

I could do with one around here to swoop down on any cat that tries to defile our garden.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 20 10:45 pm Post subject:
I wouldn't feed Boris to anything; he would be certain to make it vomit! Henry

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 20 3:43 am Post subject:
It would certainly have to cough up a decent-sized hairball, at the very least

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15578

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 20 7:01 am Post subject:

Changing the subject to some smaller feathered friends, I was in the garden yesterday when a flock of long tailed tits appeared. Not unusual, but I just stood still and 5 of them perched on a bush within a couple of yards of me. Might have been young ones as there did seem to be a couple more around a bit further away and they looked a bit on the fluffy side. Even so, nice to know they are probably nesting with us.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45468
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 20 7:49 am Post subject:

mr brack and little bracket shopping together is fun to see, i does not seem long ago that little bracket was suspected and then brought for its first adventure to the restaurant

the very grey sparrow chicks are still about, i will try to work out exactly which two are the parents and see what batch 2 look like

they are noticeable a different colour to yer average sparrow chick

i have a few new bee snaps i need to go through, but not many spp so far, maybe about 5 + the different roles and ages among each spp.

the white tails have nectar fans and pollen harvesters+a lot of different sizes, shapes,colour detail and the older ones get to look like a victorian velvet covered sofa in patina terms, some get to a very shabby chic stage

yesterday there was a white tail dangled on the outside of the shed in a small amount of spider silk, whatever subdued that has quite a nip on it, they are a decent size, strong and hairy and armed in extremis

my suspicion is false widow but i need to get snaps to make a positive id

i recon i can remember to look before i touch but it does make it interesting thinking i might be a short distance from a nasty bite

a few hoverflies so far

far too many horse flies closer to the river, twice on the scalp before i noticed it

skin so soft should make the "short bits" nice and supple but jungle formula or neat deet/dmp mix seems to work as well, or take a short haired hound as a distraction

bitey and or toxic wildlife i can manage without even if they are fascinating, nice ones that only bite each other or are vegan if a bit stampy when cross are fine

thinking of fierce, male sparrows can be really savage if another looks at their wife's beak
i have seen some fairly serious attacks recently, i am not sure how well feathers act as body armour from stout pecks to the back of the head

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15578

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 20 7:37 am Post subject:
I was afraid the horse flies would be out soon, but so far all right in the woods. No doubt they will be bothering us soon. The new Skin so Soft doesn't smell anything like the old one, so not sure if it will work. I bought some, but haven't used it much as the smell isn't to our liking. I may be allowed to use it if it keeps the horse flies away, otherwise it will have to be the Jungle Formula.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6540
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 20 5:44 pm Post subject:
I was about to eradicate a yellow jacket wasp today when I realized it was actually just a sheep in wolf's clothing. Not sure what it was, and didn't have my wits about me to think to take a photo. Will keep my eyes out in case I see it again.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45468
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 20 6:28 pm Post subject:

do your yellow jackets do most of the year hunting "pests" like our picanic wasps?

we have lots of stuff that either looks nasty when it isn't or looks nice when it is nasty as well

i have made friends with picanic wasps, after a long time they told me they were ok and have played like that since even when we are quite intimate in the bramble etc.
oh, until the colony is collapsing to prepare for winter and the "pensioners " start hitting the fruit wine etc

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6540
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 20 6:47 pm Post subject:
I'm letting the bald faced hornets fill the role of pest hunting wasp, including their habit of preying on the yellow jackets. Yellow jackets are mostly just a nuisance right now, but they keep trying to nest in and around my garden. Come late summer they turn downright nasty and aggressive, and are described as our continents most dangerous vespid

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45468
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 20 8:53 pm Post subject:

that seems to explain them well, i could be ruthless with them if i understand properly.

a long way off for ever or dead? either seem ok if your post is the case against them.

do they have a defence?

some critters are just horrid, even some horrid ones have merit, some don't, at least where they are at the time.

i went right off Argentinian ants, nasty up close and very ecosystem disruptive
the local ones did not thrive but york is rife with them where folk have not done the whole street or even one side of a terrace.
the wee beasts are super colony style with multiple queens and castles. Omnivorous, with a schmidt score that is lowish but one at a time is not like in the 10 to the 5's in a super colony or a few out and about in your bed or on your dog:roll:

keen covers it in both directions

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45468
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 20 3:33 pm Post subject:
been taking bee snaps, one seems ok steep learning curve , back in a bit. at least they see me as no threat, even if they are in my hair, ear or feeding on a flower i am almost wearing 2 hours in a bee bush , old fool

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45468
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 20 7:05 pm Post subject:
low res but the raw and tweaked one is quite nice full fat. a different style of snapping but it may have merit, bees don't vogue for me yet.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15578

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 20 7:18 am Post subject:

Yes, good picture. You managed to get the bee in focus well.

I was doing a bit of bee watching in son's garden yesterday and think I saw at least 2 different sorts of bumble bee as well as honey bees and hover flies. One type of bumble was small with an orange bottom and black top, and the other one was larger with a white bottom, but didn't get a good look at the rest of it. Encouraging there are at least 2 varieties though.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 20 8:00 am Post subject:
Nice shot DPack.

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