American wildlife
Jul 11th 2003, 12:40 pm
#46
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Bristol, UK and Morehead City, N Carolina
Posts: 269
Atlantic Beach NC....we were driving behind one of them BIG 4wd trucks when it slowed and stopped in the middle of the road. A VERY large person slowly climbed down and looked at us.
We shivered and wondered about road rage, what had we done to annoy him...........
He walked to the front of his truck, picked up a baby turtle off the road, gently deposited it on the verge, smiled at us and drove on!
Birds in NC on the coast....Sitting in the swing on our front porch I can see pelicans, seagulls, crows, catmockers, cardinals, titmouses (titmice?), chickadees, sparrows, finches, grackles, woodpeckers, pigeons, doves, blue jays, the occasional hummingbird, and a family of grey squirrels that live amicably with birds, dogs and humans and give us so much delight playing in the branches of the mimosa.
Sitting in my back garden in a suburb of Bristol, England, I see sparrows, blue tits, collared doves, magpies, crows and gulls.
Guess why I prefer to sit in my N Carolina swing?
We shivered and wondered about road rage, what had we done to annoy him...........
He walked to the front of his truck, picked up a baby turtle off the road, gently deposited it on the verge, smiled at us and drove on!
Birds in NC on the coast....Sitting in the swing on our front porch I can see pelicans, seagulls, crows, catmockers, cardinals, titmouses (titmice?), chickadees, sparrows, finches, grackles, woodpeckers, pigeons, doves, blue jays, the occasional hummingbird, and a family of grey squirrels that live amicably with birds, dogs and humans and give us so much delight playing in the branches of the mimosa.
Sitting in my back garden in a suburb of Bristol, England, I see sparrows, blue tits, collared doves, magpies, crows and gulls.
Guess why I prefer to sit in my N Carolina swing?
Jul 12th 2003, 12:11 pm
#47
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2002
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 92
I have never been an animal lover. I lived in Manchester UK and saw the occasional dog and bird lol...Since I have moved to US, I have become an animal lover- quite bizarre really! I am now in love with all dogs!
When we lived with the inlaws, we lived somewhat in the country and would have to brake for deer running across the road. There were always rabbits in the yard- I did run over one once and it was so sad
My husband knows names for different birds and trees and snakes and spiders and insects and all other strange things. I just call them 'bugs' and 'crawly things' haha...that's the extent of my wildlife knowledge. I was going to get a hummingbird feeder too, but it would probably drive my beagle dog mad seeing them from the window.....
I hate mosquitoes though- dang, I get bitten by those things every time I walk out of the apartment...
When we lived with the inlaws, we lived somewhat in the country and would have to brake for deer running across the road. There were always rabbits in the yard- I did run over one once and it was so sad
My husband knows names for different birds and trees and snakes and spiders and insects and all other strange things. I just call them 'bugs' and 'crawly things' haha...that's the extent of my wildlife knowledge. I was going to get a hummingbird feeder too, but it would probably drive my beagle dog mad seeing them from the window.....
I hate mosquitoes though- dang, I get bitten by those things every time I walk out of the apartment...
Jul 12th 2003, 5:53 pm
#48
Howling at the Moon
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Incline Village, NV
Posts: 3,742
Originally posted by smartiegirl88
I have never been an animal lover. I lived in Manchester UK and saw the occasional dog and bird lol...Since I have moved to US, I have become an animal lover- quite bizarre really! I am now in love with all dogs!
When we lived with the inlaws, we lived somewhat in the country and would have to brake for deer running across the road. There were always rabbits in the yard- I did run over one once and it was so sad
My husband knows names for different birds and trees and snakes and spiders and insects and all other strange things. I just call them 'bugs' and 'crawly things' haha...that's the extent of my wildlife knowledge. I was going to get a hummingbird feeder too, but it would probably drive my beagle dog mad seeing them from the window.....
I hate mosquitoes though- dang, I get bitten by those things every time I walk out of the apartment...
I have never been an animal lover. I lived in Manchester UK and saw the occasional dog and bird lol...Since I have moved to US, I have become an animal lover- quite bizarre really! I am now in love with all dogs!
When we lived with the inlaws, we lived somewhat in the country and would have to brake for deer running across the road. There were always rabbits in the yard- I did run over one once and it was so sad
My husband knows names for different birds and trees and snakes and spiders and insects and all other strange things. I just call them 'bugs' and 'crawly things' haha...that's the extent of my wildlife knowledge. I was going to get a hummingbird feeder too, but it would probably drive my beagle dog mad seeing them from the window.....
I hate mosquitoes though- dang, I get bitten by those things every time I walk out of the apartment...
We saw two deer in the road and another racoon
Jul 14th 2003, 8:07 am
#49
Wurzel turned redneck
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC (was Bristol, Wessex)
Posts: 363
Originally posted by MrsLondon
Apparantly, ship rats ('black' rats though not always black) are common in some parts of the US like CA, whereas in the UK they are the rarest mammal, only now found on one scottish island. They just culled them all on Lundy Island off the Devon coast even though they are so rare in Britain.
Apparantly, ship rats ('black' rats though not always black) are common in some parts of the US like CA, whereas in the UK they are the rarest mammal, only now found on one scottish island. They just culled them all on Lundy Island off the Devon coast even though they are so rare in Britain.
Jul 14th 2003, 8:09 am
#50
Wurzel turned redneck
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC (was Bristol, Wessex)
Posts: 363
Originally posted by MrsLondon
Don't know about bears, but I think it's a pity there are still no wild boars in Britain, like there are in France. Sadly, there is a lot less forest here than there is there.
Don't know about bears, but I think it's a pity there are still no wild boars in Britain, like there are in France. Sadly, there is a lot less forest here than there is there.
Jul 14th 2003, 10:29 am
#51
Go RedSox!
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: London
Posts: 681
Originally posted by nxylas
Yes, to protect the native seabirds. The rats were eating all the eggs of the puffins and Manx shearwaters. Ship rats are an invasive non-native species in the UK, like the grey squirrel.
Yes, to protect the native seabirds. The rats were eating all the eggs of the puffins and Manx shearwaters. Ship rats are an invasive non-native species in the UK, like the grey squirrel.
Not true, though the Lundy people want to make ppl believe it. It's just cos they don't want tourists to see them and be 'offended.' They've actually lived on the islands since the 1700s in harmony with the birds. Examinations of the contents of ship rats' stomachs showed they'd eaten mainly vegetable matter.
Ship rats were introduced by the Romans, so have existed in Britain longer than rabbits which were brought over by the Normans hundreds of years later. So which is the more invasive? Should we cull all rabbits too? What about grey squirrels, brown rats, Canada geese, collared doves (only here since the 50s). Lets cull everything except humans and cats and dogs!
That's what some people would love wouldn't they?
Jul 14th 2003, 10:31 am
#52
Go RedSox!
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: London
Posts: 681
Originally posted by nxylas
They've been reintroduced in a couple of places - and are causing all sorts of problems. They can be pretty vicious beasts.
They've been reintroduced in a couple of places - and are causing all sorts of problems. They can be pretty vicious beasts.
No species more vicious than humans or who cause more problems in the world. What is it with some people? Why so anti-animal?
Jul 14th 2003, 12:02 pm
#53
Wurzel turned redneck
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC (was Bristol, Wessex)
Posts: 363
Originally posted by MrsLondon
Not true, though the Lundy people want to make ppl believe it. It's just cos they don't want tourists to see them and be 'offended.' They've actually lived on the islands since the 1700s in harmony with the birds. Examinations of the contents of ship rats' stomachs showed they'd eaten mainly vegetable matter.
Not true, though the Lundy people want to make ppl believe it. It's just cos they don't want tourists to see them and be 'offended.' They've actually lived on the islands since the 1700s in harmony with the birds. Examinations of the contents of ship rats' stomachs showed they'd eaten mainly vegetable matter.
Jul 14th 2003, 12:03 pm
#54
Wurzel turned redneck
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC (was Bristol, Wessex)
Posts: 363
Originally posted by MrsLondon
Why so anti-animal?
Why so anti-animal?
Jul 14th 2003, 1:08 pm
#55
Go RedSox!
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: London
Posts: 681
Originally posted by nxylas
Well, that doesn't explain the 60% decline in seabirds on Lundy. The rat-lovers would have us believe that it is down to pollution, but equally polluted islands nearby that don't have rat populations have not suffered a similar decline.
Well, that doesn't explain the 60% decline in seabirds on Lundy. The rat-lovers would have us believe that it is down to pollution, but equally polluted islands nearby that don't have rat populations have not suffered a similar decline.
Jul 14th 2003, 1:38 pm
#56
Wurzel turned redneck
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC (was Bristol, Wessex)
Posts: 363
Originally posted by MrsLondon
And equally the other scottish island WITH a ship rat population has not got a problem with it's birds. Just seems funny to me that our rarest mammal is sacrificed cos it's just ASSUMED it must be to blame, though there is no scientific evidence to back it up.
And equally the other scottish island WITH a ship rat population has not got a problem with it's birds. Just seems funny to me that our rarest mammal is sacrificed cos it's just ASSUMED it must be to blame, though there is no scientific evidence to back it up.
Jul 14th 2003, 3:02 pm
#57
Go RedSox!
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: London
Posts: 681
Originally posted by nxylas
God, I feel like I'm talking shop here (I work for Defra and have had to answer letters on this as part of my job). There is no scientific evidence from Lundy to prove that the rats are responsible for seabird decline, but there is ample evidence from other similar ecosystems. English Nature (who have no particular motive to distort their findings purely for the benefit of the tourist industry) felt that by the time scientific research was carried out on Lundy to prove the rats' involvement beyond a reasonable doubt, it might be too late to save the seabirds.
God, I feel like I'm talking shop here (I work for Defra and have had to answer letters on this as part of my job). There is no scientific evidence from Lundy to prove that the rats are responsible for seabird decline, but there is ample evidence from other similar ecosystems. English Nature (who have no particular motive to distort their findings purely for the benefit of the tourist industry) felt that by the time scientific research was carried out on Lundy to prove the rats' involvement beyond a reasonable doubt, it might be too late to save the seabirds.
Jul 15th 2003, 6:57 am
#58
Wurzel turned redneck
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Columbia, SC (was Bristol, Wessex)
Posts: 363
Originally posted by MrsLondon
The same seabirds that are found on plenty of other islands and mainland Britain, whereas the rats are not.
The same seabirds that are found on plenty of other islands and mainland Britain, whereas the rats are not.
On a happier note, and getting back to the original theme of this thread, does anyone know what those big yellow-orange butterflies that one sees all over Florida and South Carolina are called?
Jul 15th 2003, 1:05 pm
#59
Banned
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,933
Originally posted by nxylas
Ah heck, I'm not going to debate wildlife management in my spare time, I get enough of that at work.
On a happier note, and getting back to the original theme of this thread, does anyone know what those big yellow-orange butterflies that one sees all over Florida and South Carolina are called?
Ah heck, I'm not going to debate wildlife management in my spare time, I get enough of that at work.
On a happier note, and getting back to the original theme of this thread, does anyone know what those big yellow-orange butterflies that one sees all over Florida and South Carolina are called?
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm
Jul 15th 2003, 1:16 pm
#60
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Bristol, UK and Morehead City, N Carolina
Posts: 269
Orange Sulphur Butterfly
Superfamily: Papilionoidea - True Butterflies
Family: Pieridae - Whites and Sulphurs
Subfamily: Coliadinae - Sulphurs
Species: Colias eurytheme
Their appearance in NC means summer is here!
Superfamily: Papilionoidea - True Butterflies
Family: Pieridae - Whites and Sulphurs
Subfamily: Coliadinae - Sulphurs
Species: Colias eurytheme
Their appearance in NC means summer is here!