owl

What eve said xx

Good morning everyone x

Hope it has settled down now, Jazz.

Yes thank you, today I have avoided all vicious wildlife and all obnoxious humans both on and offline so it was a good day. Those stings are still itching a bit but it is bearable. Took Wispa for a riverside walk and a paddle, very pleasant. Will be thinking of Ruby on Wednesday.

I intend to avoid all antisocial wildlife and hope it feels the same way about me.

Good morning

Wasp stings have calmed down, thankfully. Glad you have your car with Jim's no claims bonus on it, blackmagic.

I am ok thanks. Felt better and went back to do a bit more, and several wasps flew up. One got me through my jeans. I have identified them as red wasps Vespula Rufa who nest very close to or even in the ground. Definitely a nest under a pile of cut leylandii branches. Gate now locked until autumn as they die off in September

The Anglo-Saxons were numerically a relatively small group of people who had a cultural effect which was huge in relation to their numbers. They didn't drive all the previous Romano-British residents out but integrated with many of them. Many of those who settled after the Roman invasion were from other Roman provinces, as was much of the army. Some of those guarding Hadrian's Wall were from North Africa. Add into the mix all the Scandinavians and Jutes and the Normans, and later on the Huguenots from France who had a huge community in the eastern bit of London, and the mixture is very complex. I decided to do similar to Suzeanna, and was making good progress on clearing Russian vine and bindweed from the hedgehog zone, when everything was scuppered by a wasp. As it was so humid I was wearing gardening clogs, loose trousers and loose shirt. While pulling the vine loose I disturbed the little buzzer who whizzed up my trouser leg and stung me twice on inner thigh. Shook it out and it flew up the back of my shirt and got me twice more. I always have Piriton and Antistan cream so treated with that, but the rest of the day is pretty well written off as wasp stings rather knock me for 6. Next time I work in that area it will be trousers tucked into wellies and shirt tucked into trousers.

I suspect much of the problem is that people in lockdown have had their emotions fermenting and have had a lot of time to think, not always very logically. Social media is a soapbox for all and whatever harebrained stuff you decide to write you can find people to support you. A Scotsman posted the other day that the Celtic nations need to rise together and sent the Anglo-Saxons back to Germany where we came from because we are nothing more than a bunch of drunks. Apart from many of us not being Anglo-Saxon anyway, I think the Celts can match us for drinking. I am surviving the lunacy by keeping regular contact with a small network of sensible friends, not all holding identical opinions but respecting each others' views.

Good morning. Blowing a gale here. We had a long walk on the reserve yesterday and did various things so I am hoping Wispa will be ok with a stay at home day. Lots of gnats, fish jumping around all over the lakes, common terns grabbing fish, not many people though.

Jazz, we have no way of finding them to kick said arses unless someone gets lucky and spots them in action. The one two years ago was probably a rogue birdwatcher to judge by the note, and people are accusing birdwatchers of doing this one. The fishermen in the area hate the Notts Wildlife Trust because they can't fish on our lakes, and frankly some of the birders are an arrogant lot thinking that they can trespass wherever they like anywhere in the county. A bit like the fishermen lol. Anyway, a couple of the fishermen went for me hammer and tongs on the Retford facebook site where the victim of the last attack posted, over decisions made by the executive committee of the Trust in various parts of Notts and the fact that they can't fish in certain lakes. That is like going into Tesco and having a go and the checkout operator about decisions made by the top brass. I saw that last thing at night and ended up being too upset to sleep. To say I am sticking my head in the sand when tyres are being slashed in the local villages allegedly by birdwatchers ... unbelievably nasty, but not answering because they want me to defend myself so they can have another go at me. All I care about is keeping humans and animals safe on the reserve. Another warden made a very sensible post in my support, and I think the guys are starting to look like the bullies they are. I suppose it got to me because of my love for the reserve and the effort I have put into it for the last 6 years. I do actually think the wheel nut business may be a birder gone psycho, and I am not a happy owl to have someone like that around the place, but tyre slashing in surrounding villages could be something else.

Sleepless night and I have to go and collect new glasses at midday.

Whatever it is you didn't rant about, I hope it will work out ok xx Bindi is a little drama queen. Life on the reserve is getting like a novel in quite the wrong way. 2 years ago some dog walkers found a note on the windscreen of their car accusing them of illegal fishing. When they drove off they found their wheel nuts had been loosened. Luckily they found out while still on the byway before they reached a main road. A couple of days ago the same thing happened, this time to one of the many cars parked on the approach road to the visitor centre. The main gates and car park are shut at present but people can access the reserve via a stile as it is public footpath. No note was left, but the technique was the same as 2 years ago. The results were more dangerous as the driver got on to the main road before the wheels came loose. It was just luck that there was not a bad accident. There was no way anyone could have thought this driver was a fisherman. It's very worrying, and the authorities are taking it seriously.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, then? I just had to share this, which someone posted on a local birdwatching site: "For the last two years I have run a wildlife site on Facebook featuring stills and video of Badgers, Barn Owls and Foxes. This last 3 months I have through Facebook live producer been streaming live footage direct from the Barn Owls nest Box onto my site as they laid six eggs which have now hatched. It’s like a mini Springwatch site. On Monday I and my stream was blocked by Facebook for contravening community standards on Adult Nudity and sexual activity. I have tried in vain to contact Facebook to find out what the hell is going on, I immediately objected to this decision but have heard nothing. After the block was lifted after 24 hours I carried on thinking that common sense would prevail and they would see their error. Alas no as last night exactly the same thing occurred for exactly the same reason. Now my site has built up quite a following and there are a lot of angry people out there wanting to know what the hell Facebook are playing at including me and the lack of opportunity to contact them is at the least very frustrating. Any ideas on how this could resolved?" You couldn't make it up. Since when did owls (apart from me) wear clothes? 🦉