These eggs were laid under nettles on the tow path at Todmorden. The nettles have died down now. They're near the town centre, where all the feral Mallards are fed by people.
Birds, especially waterfowl, are known for "dumping" eggs in other birds' nests. There might be the produce of more than one duck here.
At the Raptor Forum we heard in a fringe conversation about a Peregrine pair on a sea cliff seen tenderly feeding their prey to some Herring Gull chicks! That was in the SW of England.
This could be how nest parasitism evolved. It seemed a real conundrum to me till I heard about egg dumping. I've also read that there are various forms of it. Our northern Cuckoo's habit is the most extreme example.
Please
consider signing this important petition raised in response to recent
developments and their potentially serious impact on bird of prey
protection in this country.
Over
50 years ago a law was introduced to protect the UK's birds of prey.
Friday 13th of November 2015 saw a High Court judge, Mr Justice Ouseley,
open the doors fo...
This Timothy grass--Phleum praetense, is late flowering on a pile of bare soil in the park at Todmorden. But what makes it different are the small 'leaves' growing from the base of the flowering spike.
The usual small scales on the spike are in evolutionary terms modified leaves and some grass species occasionally 'remember' their past and elongate these scales (glumes and lemmas) into leaves.
This is known as Proliferation and occurs in grasses more frequently than in other plants. Sometimes the process is called Vivipary but this term should only apply to seeds that germinate in situ on the plant.
There are many theories why Proliferation occurs but it does seem to happen more towards the end of the flowering season. It seems the Florigen hormone has been used up producing normal flowers, so the plant goes into vegetative growth within the spikelets.
I have seen this often in Cocksfoot but never before in Timothy.
Once again the Calderdale
Bird Conservation Group are proud to be hosting
the annual NERF conference to be held at
Rishworth School on Saturday 21st November,
details below
The annual NERF Raptor
Conference is being hosted by Calderdale in 2015
at the prestigious venue, Rishworth School.
The conference committee
has drawn together an exciting and varied
program that will address a wide range of issues
that are of interest to Raptor Workers.
There is ample on-site
parking. Registration, coffee and exhibitions
will be available for delegates from 0930 and
the conference will open at 10.00. Lunch and
refreshments will be provided. In response to
feedback from previous conferences years there
will be increased opportunities to catch up with
friends and benefit from those irresistible
bargains available from the specialist retailers
who cater for the birding community.
The NERF Conference is the
primary training aid for birders interested in
Birds of Prey in the North of England. This
year’s conference will be opened by
Superintendent Chris Hankinson, Chair of the
Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime
[PAW], Raptor Persecution Working Group.
Dave Leech, BTO, - an
unmissable presentation will bring us up to date
with the new mandatory procedures for using IPMR
and making licence applications / compulsory
returns.
Hen Harriers continue to
dominate the concerns of Raptor Workers. Stephen
Murphy, NE, and David Hunt, RSPB will give us
full accounts of the highs and lows of the 2015
season.
After lunch Paul Irving,
NERF Chair, will bring us up to speed with
NERF’s activities over the last 12 months.
Raptor Workers are well aware that the severe reduction in Police resources is
having a negative impact on their ability to
respond to raptor persecution and the situation
is likely to get worse in the foreseeable
future. Raptor Workers invariably discover these
offences and provide expert witness statements.
With that in mind a member of the PAW Forensic
Working Group will guide us through the
techniques that we can use to strengthen Police
investigations.
The Cumbrian Osprey
Project is probably the most important Bird of
Prey assisted breeding program ever undertaken
in the North of England. Nathan Fox, Forestry
Commission, will talk us through the trials and
tribulations of the scheme over the last 5
years.
Delegate Fees £10.00 for delegates aged
14 – 18 years and £22.00 for adults. Once again
demand for places at this year’s conference is
expected to be high. Please book early to avoid
disappointment.
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage captionHedgehog numbers in the UK have fallen from about 36 million in the 1950s to less than a million, campaigners say
The "great British hedgehog" should become a national symbol of the UK, an MP has suggested.
Oliver Colvile, Conservative MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said numbers of the prickly creatures had fallen by a third in the last decade.
He said that declaring the hedgehog to be Britain's national symbol might enthuse people to protect it.
But environment minister Rory Stewart questioned hedgehogs' suitability, and said the lion should remain the symbol.
Mr Colvile said his love of hedgehogs stemmed from his mother reading Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to him as a child.
Image copyrightThinkstockImage captionMinister Rory Stewart asked if the UK wanted to have as its national symbol "an animal that when confronted with danger rolls over into a little ball"
Read more on this story as it develops throughout the day on our Local Livepages.
He said: "The principal reason for this prickly animal's decline is due to the loss of habitats.
"Likely factors for the hedgehog demise are the loss of permanent grassland, larger field sizes, use of pesticides and herbicides and a reduction of hedgerow quality."
Mr Stewart responded in the House of Commons: "Do we want to have as our national symbol an animal that when confronted with danger rolls over into a little ball and puts its spikes up?
"Do we want to have as our national symbol an animal that sleeps for six months of the year, or would we rather return to the animal that is already our national symbol, the lion?"
What can you do to help hedgehogs?
Solid fences and walls restrict a hedgehog's movement through gardens. Make sure you leave small gaps at their bases
Hedgehogs can swim but often drown in garden ponds because of their steep and slippery sides. Provide them with an escape route: a piece of wood, chicken wire or pile of stones
Bonfires make good places for hedgehogs to nest. Check them to make sure a hedgehog has not made its nest before lighting
Be prepared to leave a small part of your garden to go wild. Long grass, log/leaf piles and undergrowth provide foraging and nest places for the perfect hedgehog habitat
Feed your local hedgehog, but please provide dog/cat food and not bread and milk
Sign up as a volunteer on the hedgehogstreet.org website.
Funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, the conservation area stretches across a nature reserve, a public park and the surrounding streets.
The trust said that during the 1950s, some 36 million hedgehogs used to snuffle in UK gardens, although there may now be less than a million.
Gavin Williamson, Conservative MP for South Staffordshire, said he was doing his bit to help.
He said: "It's very important to use our gardens which are a specific habitat for hedgehogs.
"Just recently in my own garden I built a hedgehog house. Sadly I have no residents in it but hopefully it will encourage them and the growth of hedgehogs in South Staffordshire."
Nows the time to watch out for Wildfowl coming into our area,mainly they will be Common species,check out any Water Bodies,this Male Teal ,top was feeding in earnest on Warland Marsh,whilst the Male Tufted was on Longfield Dam,but you never know what might turn up.Also check out any Canada Geese as one or two Pink Footed Geese can turn up with them,as as been the case on Lumbutts Road in recent Years.
