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British Wildlife

Or leave BFW, as I think I am going to now, having only joined it in 2005 after Tom Rigby sent me a message via a fly forum, informing me that some fella named Gerry Castles, since dead from cancer, who under a pseudonym had been laying into me without provocation on Anglers Net, had migrated to a site that I didn't even know existed, Barbel Fishing World, and opened up on me there. So I joined BFW as Paul Boote, posted, not rudely, and Castles backed off and at least had the grace to apologize in public before leaving. So, that's how BFW got me, and I enjoyed my time on it before the serial nasties arrived, causing the regular disintegration and deletions of thread that other boards had seen when people clearly with issues about yours truly just couldn't contain themselves and had to have a go.

Best gone now, I feel (and from other sites before too very long), joining the growing company of names, contributors to and life-long lovers of Angling who have walked away from the fishy internet in recent years, men who realised earlier than me that leopards cannot change their spots or dogs learn new tricks, however nicely and generously they are treated.

Tight lines.
 
Paul,
personally, I've never had a problem with you or your posting.

OK, I don't get a lot of it, and from where I sit, you only seem to react to posts directed at you.

I've been asked to become a moderator, and so I'll look to do it the best I can.

All I've asked is that posters keep then threads on topic and stop the personal insults and petty point scoring.

Hopefully you'll take a few days, chill out and come back posting.


Steve
 
I had a tongue in cheek pop at your posting style with my 'PS - ' in an earlier reply above.

You've got to admit it’s a little eccentric at times to put it mildly, and dare I say not your average hairy arsed barbel anglers cup of tea, which at times also takes a thread off track big time i.e. going back a couple of weeks, what's Dirty Harry got to do with sturgeon pellets? ;)

As ever (and with respect),

Neil
 
I've never been that good at remembering the various names of birds, even though I have an identity book for birds and insects and usually have a waterside guide book in the car somewhere. It was talking to a friend of mine who is a "pro" in this area. He is an environmental something or the other and has worked all over the place for the RSPB, National Trust etc. When talking about all the different birds I had seen whilst fishing (I had to point at pictures in the book I am afraid), not to say the other waterside creatures, he expressed the view that the average angler sees more wildlife than many a bird spotter or other wild life enthusiasts.

Because of sitting still and moving quietly we get opportunities many people would give their eye teeth for.

Every time some one tells me what they have just seen that night on "Springwatch" or whatever I feel like telling them to get a fishing rod, go to the river, where they will see all that and more for real.

Otters are one of my favourites, not one shared with many here;), but I don't know how many people have told me how shy and difficult they can be to spot in the wild. Just sit with a fishing rod or wade slowly up a stream at dusk and you will soon see that they aren't that shy if you are represent no threat.

Kingfishers are always a favourite with bird watchers and many come down to where I fish on the Teme with the intention of spotting one. I see kingfishers more often than I see some of my kids! And the Kingfishers aren't trying to get money out of me.

Great big owls appear out of nowhere and fly down the river at dusk, making me jump. Bats flit across the water, just touching my line without shifting the end of the rod. And occasionally I even get interrupted by a barbel:)

If we want to promote angling to kids then get them out on the river banks where they can see wildlife for real; rather than taking them to sterile ponds where all they will see is a pet carp with a name:(. I can't believe there is a kid alive who wouldn't be fascinated by seeing a lamprey for instance, I know I was and still am. Not going to see one of them on spring watch, but down on the Teme there is a good chance.
 
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Steve Williams said:
I've just downloaded an app for my phone which has the 'common' British birds, and also a short sound clip you can play..... very useful.


Steve
Click to expand...
Can you get it for a BlackBerry?
 
Saw a grass snake swimming across the Kennet yesterday, unfortunately that rare sighting was overshadowed by the loss of the biggest perch i've ever seen......gutted.

Steve
 
Here's a grass snake from the other day. Im seeing lots of wildlife at the moment including a barn owl clearing my head by six inches. Just a shame im not seeing more barbel!
 
Steve Williams said:
I've just downloaded an app for my phone which has the 'common' British birds, and also a short sound clip you can play..... very useful.


Steve
Click to expand...

And what is it called and for which phone is it available. I have seen some good ones over the last year, Great Grey Shrike, a pair of Godwits, egrets and only last weekend a hobby and a nuthatch which I had never seen previously. My late father was a fairly interested twitcher and he passed it on to me. We used to go twitching together but Pete is absolutely right, I have seen more on various river banks over the last two seasons than I ever saw when deliberately bird spotting.

It is one of the joys of the riverbank for me.

Not keen on woodland spiders though, them really spindly things that delight in crawling on my face and neck! Yuk!

Conrad
 
Pete/Conrad.

The one I've got is called 'Birds of Britain' for the iPhone.

I've also got a 'Rogers Mushrooms' one, but I was unable to convince the wife and kids that the beautiful field shrooms I found on holiday were anything other that poisonous.....

Such a shame....
 
On the Rother on Saturday.
Long tailed tits, Buzzards, 1 Red Kite, Blue & Great tits, Tree Creeper, Swallows and Martins, Grey Squirrels taking acorns in the Oak opposite, a jet black Mink, a Grass snake, Sparrow hawk, Kingfisher, and a pike of a foot in length trying to swallow a dace of 3".
Not a sign of a Barbel, but an excelent day out.

One of my most memorable experiences was a Kingfisher perching on my rod while fishing at Arley, and I was able to get a photo.
 
Mark Anderson said:
Hi men,

We was at the upper Teme Saturday , and herd a bird sound like two stones being banged together . Not a woodpecker , more of a clacking noise , Nuthatch ?.


Hatter
Click to expand...

Mark, it sounds very much like the noise a stonechat makes (hence the name)
Not sure of their distribution but when I lived in Pembrokeshire they were common on the Preseli mountains and heaths and that was a very familiar sound.
 
Alex Gowney said:
Mark, it sounds very much like the noise a stonechat makes (hence the name)
Not sure of their distribution but when I lived in Pembrokeshire they were common on the Preseli mountains and heaths and that was a very familiar sound.
Click to expand...
I've heard that noise on the Teme and now I know which bird it is. Thanks. Looks like they are pretty common in the West of the country from the RSPB site here. Looking at the drawing on that site and reading the description of the behaviour
Birds are frequently seen flicking their wings while perched, often doing so on the tops of low bushes
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure I watched one of these some weeks ago in a willow next to a swim I was in.
Thanks for the information, I will now be able to impress my birdie mate with my knowledge:)
 
Paul Boote said:
Or leave BFW, as I think I am going to now, having only joined it in 2005 after Tom Rigby sent me a message via a fly forum, informing me that some fella named Gerry Castles, since dead from cancer, who under a pseudonym had been laying into me without provocation on Anglers Net, had migrated to a site that I didn't even know existed, Barbel Fishing World, and opened up on me there. So I joined BFW as Paul Boote, posted, not rudely, and Castles backed off and at least had the grace to apologize in public before leaving. So, that's how BFW got me, and I enjoyed my time on it before the serial nasties arrived, causing the regular disintegration and deletions of thread that other boards had seen when people clearly with issues about yours truly just couldn't contain themselves and had to have a go.

Best gone now, I feel (and from other sites before too very long), joining the growing company of names, contributors to and life-long lovers of Angling who have walked away from the fishy internet in recent years, men who realised earlier than me that leopards cannot change their spots or dogs learn new tricks, however nicely and generously they are treated.

Tight lines.
Click to expand...



Goodbye Paul, but you'll be back or on some other fishing forum........ad nauseam!




Hugo

 
Regarding Stonechats, I'd expect to encounter them on heathland, coastal scrub or moorland. Regarding the call you heard, it could well be a juvenile Whitethroat (lots of them still about).

Neil
 
oops, whats gone wrong ! my age has set in again.
sorry guys, it seems i have lost a stunning picture of an Egret.

001640x480.jpg


looks like i have found it, this was taken on the Great Weir on the Royalty.

<edit - changed your post so the image shows directly Brian :) - paul4>
 
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Neil Blood said:
Regarding Stonechats, I'd expect to encounter them on heathland, coastal scrub or moorland. Regarding the call you heard, it could well be a juvenile Whitethroat (lots of them still about).

Neil
Click to expand...

I have no idea what a young whitethroat sounds like but your description of stonechats habitat is what I would expect too, but I cetainly wouldn't discount them being in the Teme Valley. As it says on Petes link the flicking of the wings is very common and they do this as they make the "stonechatting" noise
 
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