oiseaux
Apr 17th 2008, 8:16 pm
#76
La petite noblesse
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Craon, Mayenne
Posts: 507
Re: oiseaux
It is not that big at the moment, it was about 6 months old when we bought the place allthough it's mother was quite big and as you described untill a fox took her!
We did have more but the previous owners did not have the birds fenced in properly and by the time we got round to it we had already lost 3.
The mother went first and then her other 'chick' laid 19 eggs outside of the pond area, we did everything we could to protect her. but 2 weeks into her nesting a fox took her and all the eggs.
We also lost one of the chinese swan geese.
As soon as we had chance, we fenced them all in and built a little hut, we have recently found the female goose nesting in there on 10 geese eggs, so we should have more very soon.
We did have more but the previous owners did not have the birds fenced in properly and by the time we got round to it we had already lost 3.
The mother went first and then her other 'chick' laid 19 eggs outside of the pond area, we did everything we could to protect her. but 2 weeks into her nesting a fox took her and all the eggs.
We also lost one of the chinese swan geese.
As soon as we had chance, we fenced them all in and built a little hut, we have recently found the female goose nesting in there on 10 geese eggs, so we should have more very soon.
A tip to keep foxes away - get your OH to pee round the edges of the place where your birds go and around their enclosure, it puts them off coming too close. Also if you have fences, cut up old stockings or tights and fill the bottoms of the feet with dish sponges that have been soaked in human or dog urine. Sounds revolting but works a treat, change every week or so. After doing that we were troubled no more and the only predator was a polecat - can't do much about that!
Another tip - when it comes to locking them up each night, make sure you put loose feed into their enclosures. After they get used to this you'll find they put themselves away each night in anticipation of supper!
Apr 20th 2008, 7:27 pm
#77
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Re: oiseaux
A tip to keep foxes away - get your OH to pee round the edges of the place where your birds go and around their enclosure, it puts them off coming too close.
Now I know why French men do what they have to do before going into places with oerfectly good toilets........
Now I know why French men do what they have to do before going into places with oerfectly good toilets........
Apr 20th 2008, 10:58 pm
#78
La petite noblesse
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Craon, Mayenne
Posts: 507
Re: oiseaux
A tip to keep foxes away - get your OH to pee round the edges of the place where your birds go and around their enclosure, it puts them off coming too close.
Now I know why French men do what they have to do before going into places with oerfectly good toilets........
Now I know why French men do what they have to do before going into places with oerfectly good toilets........
That's why you see no foxes in french towns!
Apr 29th 2008, 7:00 am
#79
down under where
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,444
Re: oiseaux
The Bee Eaters have arrived 
Apr 29th 2008, 8:56 am
#80
La petite noblesse
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Craon, Mayenne
Posts: 507
Re: oiseaux
Thought I'd share a funny...
Yesterday, at our french class, we were given a multiple choice general knowledge quiz to fill in. One of the questions was :-
Which of these animals is not a bird?
a) Moineau b) colibri c) pingouin d) corbeau
We were flummoxed to say the least! After checking, it turns out french people think a penguin is not a bird, but we were able to convince our teacher that it was an error and penguin was indeed a bird...
Yesterday, at our french class, we were given a multiple choice general knowledge quiz to fill in. One of the questions was :-
Which of these animals is not a bird?
a) Moineau b) colibri c) pingouin d) corbeau
We were flummoxed to say the least! After checking, it turns out french people think a penguin is not a bird, but we were able to convince our teacher that it was an error and penguin was indeed a bird...
Apr 29th 2008, 4:30 pm
#81
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Re: oiseaux
How lovely. Any chance of a photo? Do they go round in flocks or individually? I don't think I"ve ever seen one. Do they come as far north as central France?
Judging by the sound there's lots of nightingales around here and I saw a little owl the other evening. The mallards have decided to colonise my bend of the river this spring. Barn owls are quite common which is great.
Judging by the sound there's lots of nightingales around here and I saw a little owl the other evening. The mallards have decided to colonise my bend of the river this spring. Barn owls are quite common which is great.
May 1st 2008, 8:36 am
#82
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Re: oiseaux
How lovely. Any chance of a photo? Do they go round in flocks or individually? I don't think I"ve ever seen one. Do they come as far north as central France?
Judging by the sound there's lots of nightingales around here and I saw a little owl the other evening. The mallards have decided to colonise my bend of the river this spring. Barn owls are quite common which is great.
Judging by the sound there's lots of nightingales around here and I saw a little owl the other evening. The mallards have decided to colonise my bend of the river this spring. Barn owls are quite common which is great.
They go round in flocks. You tend to hear them before you see them. They fly around or rather float around in groups not too high up making sort of purring type chirps to each other. You can hear this here. If this link doesn't work then the attached file is a recording I made last summer - it's got a lot of background hiss but you can hear them. Or you might see them sitting on telephone wires near vineyards or the like. They are very beautiful. I doubt there are many in your neck of the woods as they prefer it further south but I would think that there are a few around however. You need to ask the local LPO group.
May 1st 2008, 9:43 am
#83
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Re: oiseaux
Hi,
They go round in flocks. You tend to hear them before you see them. They fly around or rather float around in groups not too high up making sort of purring type chirps to each other. They are very beautiful. I doubt there are many in your neck of the woods as they prefer it further south but I would think that there are a few around however. You need to ask the local LPO group.
They go round in flocks. You tend to hear them before you see them. They fly around or rather float around in groups not too high up making sort of purring type chirps to each other. They are very beautiful. I doubt there are many in your neck of the woods as they prefer it further south but I would think that there are a few around however. You need to ask the local LPO group.
May 2nd 2008, 10:03 am
#84
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Provin, Nord
Posts: 200
Re: oiseaux
We went London last weekend, and walking through Regent's Park, we'd never realised before just how tame Herons can get. This one was just 15 feet away.
May 3rd 2008, 8:19 am
#85
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: In a pretty little village near Thiviers off the N21
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Re: oiseaux
Hi,
They go round in flocks. You tend to hear them before you see them. They fly around or rather float around in groups not too high up making sort of purring type chirps to each other. You can hear this here. If this link doesn't work then the attached file is a recording I made last summer - it's got a lot of background hiss but you can hear them. Or you might see them sitting on telephone wires near vineyards or the like. They are very beautiful. I doubt there are many in your neck of the woods as they prefer it further south but I would think that there are a few around however. You need to ask the local LPO group.
They go round in flocks. You tend to hear them before you see them. They fly around or rather float around in groups not too high up making sort of purring type chirps to each other. You can hear this here. If this link doesn't work then the attached file is a recording I made last summer - it's got a lot of background hiss but you can hear them. Or you might see them sitting on telephone wires near vineyards or the like. They are very beautiful. I doubt there are many in your neck of the woods as they prefer it further south but I would think that there are a few around however. You need to ask the local LPO group.
May 3rd 2008, 3:35 pm
#86
down under where
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,444
Re: oiseaux
Thanks for the info Tres. I don't think I've seen or heard any round here. Saw a hoopoe again the other day. At first I thought it was a jay but it wasn't. Am still puzzled over some of the birds in the garden though. There's one which has a very melodious almost tropical rich fruity 'Oiyo' sound. I remember hearing it on all those Zoo Quest programmes I watched as a child.
Up in the trees - poplars often, near waterways.
really fruity tropical sound.
Last edited by treskillard; May 3rd 2008 at 3:38 pm.
May 4th 2008, 12:34 pm
#87
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