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Re: Visitors

Posted: 29 Sep 2018, 5:19pm
by PDQ Mobile
661-Pete wrote:
PDQ Mobile wrote:I do not share this love of the rabbit.
It is a pretty destructive beasty if one farms or gardens. Though quite tasty.
I didn't say, I love rabbits. Quite the opposite, I think they're a pest too.

But I was making the point that they're here to stay, and they have helped to shape our present-day landscape as we know it. Keeping the numbers down is fine (which is why we need more foxes out in the countryside, rather than foraging rubbish bins in the cities). Totally exterminating the rabbit population, on the other hand, is not on.


I agree and I didn't mean to misquote.

Indeed some places in Europe have reintroduced the Wolf, Lynx and Bear. Quite successfully and sometimes in (or near) areas of moderate human population.
The Wolf has proved the most contentious, not surprisingly, perhaps, though I can't see the average Welsh Sheep Farmer going for it.
I am pretty sure the Lynx would "do" for a fair few rabbits though.

Re: Visitors

Posted: 29 Sep 2018, 6:04pm
by mercalia
PDQ Mobile wrote:
661-Pete wrote:
PDQ Mobile wrote:I do not share this love of the rabbit.
It is a pretty destructive beasty if one farms or gardens. Though quite tasty.
I didn't say, I love rabbits. Quite the opposite, I think they're a pest too.

But I was making the point that they're here to stay, and they have helped to shape our present-day landscape as we know it. Keeping the numbers down is fine (which is why we need more foxes out in the countryside, rather than foraging rubbish bins in the cities). Totally exterminating the rabbit population, on the other hand, is not on.


I agree and I didn't mean to misquote.

Indeed some places in Europe have reintroduced the Wolf, Lynx and Bear. Quite successfully and sometimes in (or near) areas of moderate human population.
The Wolf has proved the most contentious, not surprisingly, perhaps, though I can't see the average Welsh Sheep Farmer going for it.
I am pretty sure the Lynx would "do" for a fair few rabbits though.


and a few domestic cats that go wandering

Re: Visitors

Posted: 29 Sep 2018, 7:06pm
by 661-Pete
I remember once, while out walking, coming across a weasel taking out a young rabbit. Even though it was very young, the rabbit still seemed to be two or three times the size of the weasel, but the weasel definitely had the upper hand. I left them to it. I presume the weasel got its dinner!

And don't get me started on that dreadful old joke about stoats and weasels! The latter are definitely quite tiny animals - for all their aggression...

Re: Visitors

Posted: 29 Sep 2018, 7:29pm
by pete75
PDQ Mobile wrote:I do not share this love of the rabbit.
It is a pretty destructive beasty if one farms or gardens. Though quite tasty.


Damn useful in the war.My mother said no matter how scarce meat got there were always plenty of rabbits.

Re: Visitors

Posted: 30 Sep 2018, 8:22am
by Cugel
pete75 wrote:
PDQ Mobile wrote:I do not share this love of the rabbit.
It is a pretty destructive beasty if one farms or gardens. Though quite tasty.


Damn useful in the war.My mother said no matter how scarce meat got there were always plenty of rabbits.


The rabbit pie from The White Bull at Ribchester was once, long ago, a repast worth cycling many hilly miles for, even in the wind and snow. I used to do it with several mad CTC members who all had Chater-Lee chainsets and even the odd acetylene lamp.

Cugel

Re: Visitors

Posted: 7 Oct 2018, 5:05pm
by mercalia
make sense of this if you will -

"In late winter, squirrels may be seen courting, one, or more, chattering males chasing a female through the tree or across the ground. Females can mate only twice a year, but males may mate at any time. After mating, the male plays no part in the rearing of his young." so we have gay squirrels?

https://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/k/squirrels

Re: Visitors

Posted: 7 Oct 2018, 5:38pm
by Cugel
mercalia wrote:make sense of this if you will -

"In late winter, squirrels may be seen courting, one, or more, chattering males chasing a female through the tree or across the ground. Females can mate only twice a year, but males may mate at any time. After mating, the male plays no part in the rearing of his young." so we have gay squirrels?

https://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/k/squirrels


They always look like they're having a good time, certainly. Many play hard-to-get with the collies, who haven't managed to catch one in 12 years.

Cugel

Re: Visitors

Posted: 8 Oct 2018, 8:47am
by 661-Pete
mercalia wrote:make sense of this if you will -

"In late winter, squirrels may be seen courting, one, or more, chattering males chasing a female through the tree or across the ground. Females can mate only twice a year, but males may mate at any time. After mating, the male plays no part in the rearing of his young." so we have gay squirrels?

https://www.wildlifeworld.co.uk/k/squirrels
My guess is, the various females don't ovulate simultaneously, but at times spread across the year - so amorous males can 'play the field'. But I'm not an expert on squirrel sexual behaviour - nor do I wish to be...

Re: Visitors

Posted: 8 Oct 2018, 10:36am
by Vorpal
mercalia wrote:so we have gay squirrels?

Red and grey squirrels are both on the list of animals known to exhibit homosexual behaviour.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_m ... avior#List

Re: Visitors

Posted: 8 Oct 2018, 1:29pm
by mercalia
well it seems I have atleast 5 grey squirrels that frequent my shared garden and may be 2 that visit me 3 floors up. They do like sunflower seeds, in fact they seem to have bottomless stomachs for them - I got a large batch of 25kg from Ebay at a good price with one of those special Ebay price reductions. Had I known what 25kg looked like and felt like I might have changed my mind...cheaper than buying them at Poundlander at 750grms for £1

Re: Visitors

Posted: 16 Oct 2018, 12:40pm
by mercalia

Re: Visitors

Posted: 16 Oct 2018, 2:18pm
by cyclemad
There's a shiny £50 for the first person to get on a Ryanair Flight with an Emotional support miniature horse!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

The cabin crew/staff member complained when I opened a magazine while people were still boarding as '' It was a safety issue '' so I think my money is safe :)

Re: Visitors

Posted: 16 Oct 2018, 2:21pm
by Cyril Haearn
cyclemad wrote:There's a shiny £50 for the first person to get on a Ryanair Flight with an Emotional support miniature horse!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

The cabin complained when I opened a magazine while people were still boarding as '' It was a safety issue '' so I think my money is safe :)

Why not, originally horses were as small as dogs :wink:

I have a small emotional support teddy that a little girl gave me when I was 30 but I leave her at home

Re: Visitors

Posted: 16 Oct 2018, 2:25pm
by cyclemad
:D :D :D :D :D

Does an emotional support other half qualify ??? :D :D

Re: Visitors

Posted: 16 Oct 2018, 2:39pm
by Cyril Haearn
As long as s/he fits in a standard seat

I read about a very fat man who was told he had to pay for two seats
He was allocated one at the front and one at the back :?