Wildlife in Stevenston

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5siamese7
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

Post by 5siamese7 »

Its been quite encouraging recently with gold finches, house sparrows ,robins and of course our resident blackbird. The tits are less numerous as they were affected with the poor spring last year. Our resident mute swans are sitting tight and are one of the more successful species. Lots of swans down at south beach enjoying the water from the Stanley burn. Not enough nesting sites for these folk.
iain
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

Post by iain »

Apricot Club fungus growing in dune heath habitat on the Ardeer Peninsula a year or two ago. It’s a fungus of short grassland. It’s neither common nor rare, but I don’t encounter it very much when I‘m wandering about Stevenston.

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5siamese7
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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Sadly it looks like we have lost the windhover. A bird that was very common and a delight to watch. It really gets to you that they have gone, miss them.
5siamese7
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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The coots at the White Wife and the" Scaup" pond are busy marking out their territories. They do look swell but considering the small number of them I wonder how inbred they are. The old structure that housed the pump to keep the mine dry has starlings nesting in it and good luck to them. Loads of swallows and martins about but yet to see a swift.
Vivc113
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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Have not been down that way in ages.

Just been feeding my birds. 'Mental' has mysteriously vanished. And the birds have brought some new offspring along (all very nervous) and staying well away from me.
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iain
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

Post by iain »

A Pill Millipede on the Ardeer Peninsula. The only place I tend to see these invertebrates is along a certain stretch of the Ardeer Peninsula

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5siamese7
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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The swans at the White Wife have hatched nine cygnets which may be a record for the area. Perhaps its all that white bread folk have been feeding their parents over the year. The hawthorn trees so beloved of Viv are in full bloom and so fragrant and beautiful I hope she can enjoy them.
Vivc113
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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5siamese7 wrote: The hawthorn trees so beloved of Viv are in full bloom and so fragrant and beautiful I hope she can enjoy them.
I would have done last week, if there hadn't been a whole load of sheep grazing in front of my faves (!!)

However, here's to this week. If they are not covered in flies with the heat, that is. :shock:
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5siamese7
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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I'm glad your looking forward to getting out in the countryside. We certainly have so much beauty to enjoy. We have had the gorgeous gorse and broom with their delightful yellow flowers and now the white and pink hawthorn which I hope will bring you much needed cheer.
5siamese7
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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The swans at the Ardeer quarry have six healthy cygnets. The cob at the White Wife knows me and looks forward to my visits with wholemeal bread for his family. Down at the Ardeer fen songbirds are doing very well which supports the opinion that farmers using all kinds of chemicals coupled with the destruction of head rows have had a devastating affect on our songbirds. I saw my first swifts yesterday they were flying around the private housing scheme near the chapel. They use to nest in the tower in the Ardeer church but I think the renovations blocked off their nesting sites. A real shame as they are wonderful birds.
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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A sad site to-day the swans on the "scaup" pond have given up their nest and have no cygnets. Their nest was on the island in the middle of the lake and its a bit of a mystery why this has happened. The cob and hen are a very healthy pair. Such a shame after the success of the neighbouring swans.
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Re: Wildlife in Stevenston

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Birds never cease to amaze me. The swans at the White Wife have walked their cygnets to the "scaup pond" where the public have no access except on foot. Gosh they were fed like turkeys where they were, maybe their brains are shrinking. Anyway I took myself down to see them with some wholemeal bread and they were very glad to see me. Their excrement is black which I think indicates that they are feeding where the grass is soggy and they are ingesting soil with the grass. Hard to understand why they moved unless they felt threatened by foxes and actually as it happens one cygnet has disappeared. I guess there are too many urban foxes these days
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