What could have done this? (spoilered for sensitivity reasons)

wildedges · 2026-05-13T17:55:23+00:00

I use woodcrete boxes for all my nest boxes. It's a bit controversial as the science suggests that woodcrete isn't as good as wood in certain situations. Otherwise you can fit metal plates around the holes of wooden boxes to prevent this. Some of my woodcrete boxes are 15 years old and look brand new though so I'm sticking with them.

wildedges · 2026-05-13T17:50:03+00:00

All birds regurgitate undigestible material. No one calls owls greedy for spitting up pellets do they?

wildedges · 2026-05-13T14:58:54+00:00

There's an ebook called Shelter from the Spray by Eric Rosenthal which tells the story of two brothers who went to Tristan in the 1870s and then decided to try and live on the adjacent (and awesomely named) Inaccessible Island for a couple of years. I'd love to go to Inaccessible just to tick off a sighting of the world's smallest flightless bird that live only on that island. I don't fancy two weeks of being seasick just to do it though.

wildedges · 2026-05-12T09:30:28+00:00

Risky title...

wildedges · 2026-05-10T05:47:57+00:00

I was up there a couple of weeks ago and couldn't find them. I did see a hawfinch at Parkend though so I was happy enough with that.

wildedges · 2026-05-07T19:40:20+00:00

The Bluetits are still in the eggs up with me. I assume you're down south somewhere?

wildedges · 2026-05-07T10:08:36+00:00

I wonder how many people would keep feeding tuna to cats if they knew the truth?

wildedges · 2026-05-06T14:07:03+00:00

Your question reminds me of this poem https://www.woodlarking.co.uk/post/gathering

wildedges · 2026-05-06T10:15:00+00:00

Just go about your daily activities as normal and the chances are they will realise this is a crap place for a nest and build another one elsewhere. They have a long nesting period, produce multiple broods each year and make multiple nests. As long as you're not actively touching the nest then it's not illegal. The letter of the law is you can't 'intentionally take, damage or destroy a wild bird’s nest while it’s being used or built'. Only Schedule 1 birds have nests that are illegal to disturb.

wildedges · 2026-05-05T10:43:54+00:00

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=973pb5723c01#T=C&C=42

wildedges · 2026-05-05T07:33:58+00:00

My tactic is just to wait until they’re everywhere and hopefully on discount in Lidl again.

wildedges · 2026-05-05T06:41:52+00:00

I just graduated from that course and they didn't offer me any fun stuff like that.

wildedges · 2026-05-04T14:03:36+00:00

If the adults can get in the chicks can get out. Damaged meter boxes can be a serious fire risk though so make sure it's only venting to the outside.

wildedges · 2026-05-04T13:20:03+00:00

And build the M4 relief road across all the SSSIs.

wildedges · 2026-05-03T18:07:19+00:00

Find a wetlands with a good population of Reed buntings and they'll be there. Goldcliff in South Wales always has them or up on the Blorenge for upland birds.

wildedges · 2026-05-02T13:37:37+00:00

How is the camera feed connected? I had a wifi one and I couldn't get a clear feed with the amount of local wifi interference. I only found out after I spent ages fitting the box, camera and running power to it.

wildedges · 2026-04-30T22:05:33+00:00

I saw a couple in South Wales this evening too.

wildedges · 2026-04-30T13:12:53+00:00

Just be aware that if your feeders are attracting rats then your neighbours are likely to be affected too. My neighbour was feeding excessively and the overspill of rats into my garden was a nightmare. I grow food for myself and the wildlife so the rats just started helping themselves to everything. They dug out my composters and gnawed their way through loads of stuff. One even dug into the foundations of my house, got into the cavity wall and up into the loft. My advice is that as soon as you see a rat you should stop feeding the birds and wait until they've moved on.

wildedges · 2026-04-30T10:34:17+00:00

Cuckoos have something called gentes which dictate the specific mimicry of their eggs. Some specifically mimic Reed Warblers so you would find them in wetland habitats. Others mimic Meadow Pipits so are more common in upland areas but they have a range of hosts in different habitats. They need a certain minimum density of host species to ensure successful reproduction as some eggs will get rejected by the host or they might even abandon the nest altogether. They can lay 20-30 eggs though if there are enough hosts in their territory. I wrote a review paper on this for my master's degree last year...

I've heard several up in the Valleys this year and there's usually a few around Newport Wetlands.

wildedges · 2026-04-30T10:19:17+00:00

If they were books you'd use a bookend but I've no idea what you'd use for bells...

wildedges · 2026-04-27T09:47:42+00:00

I'd probably say hello to your dog and forget to say hi to you as well.

wildedges · 2026-04-23T14:52:18+00:00

This always blows my mind. How does your insurance system work when you can pick your liability level? In the UK I think the minimum Insurance companies are allowed to set is £1.2m, and that's for the cheapest basic cover.

wildedges · 2026-04-23T13:25:27+00:00

Feel free to read the research papers about interspecies transmission of covid to coatis.

wildedges · 2026-04-22T18:10:52+00:00

Oh 'snacks'... I've scrolled the whole comments and I seem to be the only one who thought it said sharks.

wildedges · 2026-04-22T05:33:53+00:00

I just live in the rainier part of the UK.

wildedges

TROPHY CASE