Spring's on its way! (1 Viewer)

[Cuckoo-shrike]

Just found the first frog-spawn of the season, down on the Lizard!

 

[scampo]

Global warming or randy frogs? We'll never know.

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Global warming or randy frogs? We'll never know.

A bit of both I should think! I wonder if it would survive a hard frost?

 

[Andrew]

Daffodils and crocuses are coming up already here too!

 

[scampo]

That's normal for parts of Devon, isn't it, Andrew? I hope everything's coming up roses for you, too.

 

[Andrew]

That's normal for parts of Devon, isn't it, Andrew? I hope everything's coming up roses for you, too.

I am not too sure about that, I don't remeber seeing our daffs and crocuses up in December.

 

[scampo]

I thought I read somewhere that the Torquay area was the warmest part of the UK? Newspaper hype maybe.

 

[Bluetail]

I was taught that at school. It probably is one of the mildests part of the mainland, but I'd like to see some stats for Falmouth (is the banana tree still growing there?) As all Scillies devotees know, the daffs are already beginning to push up there in October, but, as a boatman put it to me once, the growers "have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves".

Jason

 

[Andrew]

You could well be right about Torquay. They have palm trees there but so do plenty of places in the south west. There are all sorts gron on Tresco so I reckon that is a contender. I was told they once had snow many moons ago for half a day!

Some put Daffs in the firdge to fool them into thinking they have gone past winter!

 

[Michael Frankis]

I know of two large palm trees in Northumberland . . . they're not a southwest exclusive

Michael

 

[Andrew]

I think we might have just a bit more than two. 3

 

[Mike D]

Mallard are making the first attempts at mating and the coot are displaying (head down low in the water while they swim) at Strumpshaw.
Perhaps the snow shower we had tonight will be a bucket of water to them - who knows?

 

[scampo]

Great-crested grebe and goldeneye were displaying at Swithland Reservoir, too, a week or so back. I blame the water - just wait till they fluoridate it. All hell will be let loose.

 

[Andrew]

All the Mallard have paired up on the canal but then again they normally do well in advance don't they?

 

[Bluetail]

Andrew, sometimes I wonder whether those libidinous drakes really care what time of year it is. I suspect "quack" is the avian equivalent of a rugby song.

Jason

 

[scampo]

I once read that the drake mallard is a good hubby in nature, but becomes pretty evil when kept in large unnatural collections.

 

[Bluetail]

Even the most attentive hubbies can be right cads on the quiet and Mallards are no different. To put it bluntly, rape is commonplace with this species.

Jason

 

[Michael Frankis]

And drake Mallards won't so much as lift a single finger (or feather) to help raise the kiddies

Michael

 

[HH75]

Hi all,
It is not unusual to see ducks courting on the wintering grounds:indeed,I saw a few Gadwall(a very localised bird here,but can be tolerably abundant at favoured sites) indulging in courtship behaviour last Thursday at Ballyhonock(where we went to see a female Ring-necked Duck).
Harry H

 

[pauco]

Michael, as regards not lifting a finger or "feather"
to help with kids, sounds like some humans!!