A great account Vox. Were you anywhere near Ham Wall? Mrs A's Dad was a river engineer whose 'patch' was The Levels with its fascinating and often unpredictatble water-scapes. It was always a bit 'somewhere other', even in the days before wildlife conservation became a priority.
What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?
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Originally posted by Padraig View PostWalking along the river today I saw a flock of seagulls in the water about half way across - (Richard, I mean the stretch of the Foyle between the Odeon Cinema on the City side and St.Columb's Park on the other side). They were in three distinct groups, a large group with a smaller group on either side. If I had been fishing I would have thought they were feeding and would have made for that area; but they seemed to be just drifting. The whiteness of the gulls in the water made the appearance of a pair of black heads twenty yards apart instantly noticeable. They disappeared as soon as I saw them, and I waited until they popped up again. They were the first I have seen this year, and I have been spotting cormorants in this area for many a year. Nice to see them right in the City centre, but being cold and windy there were not too many people about.
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Originally posted by ardcarp View PostA great account Vox. Were you anywhere near Ham Wall? Mrs A's Dad was a river engineer whose 'patch' was The Levels with its fascinating and often unpredictatble water-scapes. It was always a bit 'somewhere other', even in the days before wildlife conservation became a priority.
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Richard Tarleton
Originally posted by Padraig View PostWalking along the river today I saw a flock of seagulls in the water about half way across - (Richard, I mean the stretch of the Foyle between the Odeon Cinema on the City side and St.Columb's Park on the other side). They were in three distinct groups, a large group with a smaller group on either side. If I had been fishing I would have thought they were feeding and would have made for that area; but they seemed to be just drifting. The whiteness of the gulls in the water made the appearance of a pair of black heads twenty yards apart instantly noticeable. They disappeared as soon as I saw them, and I waited until they popped up again. They were the first I have seen this year, and I have been spotting cormorants in this area for many a year. Nice to see them right in the City centre, but being cold and windy there were not too many people about.
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Originally posted by Richard Tarleton View PostGulls just roosting or loafing by the sounds of it Padraig - what time of day?
Alas! Too late for City Centre reminiscing with Richard. He probably knew as much about environment issues here in Northern Ireland as our own experts, and he always remembered his time here, which was appreciated,Last edited by Padraig; 06-02-20, 15:06.
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I had hoped for a comment from Richard on this item, as he no doubt was familiar with the area and the issue. I also hope that members find something of common interest in these occasional news items.
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Originally posted by Padraig View PostI had hoped for a comment from Richard on this item, as he no doubt was familiar with the area and the issue. I also hope that members find something of common interest in these occasional news items.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-51399028
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Originally posted by Vox Humana View PostI can't comment on this specific case, but I am very cynical about environmental impact assessments. I have some experience. What happens is that officials call for an EIA, the applicant industry commissions one favourable to its case, the box is ticked, the scheme is approved and the environment is harmed. Every single time. The best an industry-funded EIA will achieve is to mitigate the worst effects. The conservation organisations need to do their own EIA, but would it be seriously considered?
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There is certainly more public awareness of environmental matters and this may perhaps force industry to take notice too. However arguments for jobs and wealth always seem to trump everything else in the end. It is difficult for local government to turn down projects that promise financial and economic benefits for their residents.
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Probably off topic, but there's a good story from Norway. When Fornebu airport in the centre of Oslo had to close because it was inadequate to handle the volume of international flights, there was hot competition from Torp (to the south) and Gardemoen (to the north) NOT to have the airport in their back yard. The deciding factor was going to be the average number of foggy days which would restrict airport use. So the authorities set up apparatus to measure the density of fog over the course of a year. Torp 'won' because someone had crept out at night and smeared the lenses with Vaseline. The airport is now at Gardemoen, an inconvenient and expensive distance of 25 miles from central Oslo.
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Originally posted by agingjb View PostWe are delighted that a (female or immature) Marsh Harrier is regularly seen in a site near us.
The same site attracts a migrant Osprey each year, although we also miss the bird each year.
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