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Post by suep on May 29, 2020 15:06:24 GMT
Super video GBH, so lovely to see them coming along so well. Good for you treating yourself to a trail camera, we all deserve a little treat once in a while . So hope it arrives in perfect time for you Sue
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Post by greatbluehopeful on May 30, 2020 13:57:49 GMT
Well...the "treating myself" didn't stop with the trail camera.... I've just gone and bought a 20ft high Irish Oak tree at a local nursery. Its about 10 years old, so it is a really nice size....I'm thrilled about it!!! I was going to take cuttings from a local tree, and try to grow my own, but Oaks are hard to propagate and it would take years and years for it to grow to a decent size. When I saw this one this morning, I just thought what the hell. And it wasn't expensive at all actually - but I'm suspecting it was priced wrong, but the fella didn't seem to care??? That's it there in the centre of the picture....its in a large pot, so we can take our time to decide where it goes but I think I'm going to place it on its own, out in the back garden and put a seat arrangement around it....with bluebells at its base. I have ALWAYS wanted to do that!!!! Next on our list - the chicken coop. We are designing it this weekend and will order the wood next week and himself will build it over the next few weeks. We have a chicken rescue place who advertise every few months, and this time we want to be ready. Anyway, here is a little video of my trio of chicks this morning...even more mature again!!!
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 30, 2020 14:01:17 GMT
That oak tree will be a good buy for you!! Glad you got it cheap aswell, 20FT tree aren't normally cheap got a bargain it seems! Lovely footage of your chicks GBH, I am so pleased for you this year with your nest!
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Post by YorksherLass on May 30, 2020 15:28:05 GMT
Fantastic news all round & lovely videos! I don't blame you one bit for spending the cash - buy what you want, not just what you need, as life is too short.
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hardy
Senior Member
Posts: 166
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Post by hardy on May 30, 2020 19:22:03 GMT
Well...the "treating myself" didn't stop with the trail camera.... I've just gone and bought a 20ft high Irish Oak tree at a local nursery. Its about 10 years old, so it is a really nice size....I'm thrilled about it!!! I was going to take cuttings from a local tree, and try to grow my own, but Oaks are hard to propagate and it would take years and years for it to grow to a decent size. When I saw this one this morning, I just thought what the hell. And it wasn't expensive at all actually - but I'm suspecting it was priced wrong, but the fella didn't seem to care??? That's it there in the centre of the picture....its in a large pot, so we can take our time to decide where it goes but I think I'm going to place it on its own, out in the back garden and put a seat arrangement around it....with bluebells at its base. I have ALWAYS wanted to do that!!!! Next on our list - the chicken coop. We are designing it this weekend and will order the wood next week and himself will build it over the next few weeks. We have a chicken rescue place who advertise every few months, and this time we want to be ready. Anyway, here is a little video of my trio of chicks this morning...even more mature again!!! GBH, I grew an oak tree from an acorn and there is another oak growing in my back garden from an acorn that fell from the big tree. They are both about 10 to 12 feet high. They don't appear to be hard to grow so next year you can save a few acorns and grow a few in a pot.
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Post by sammi on May 30, 2020 20:14:48 GMT
Wow your very own oak. How marvellous is that? Now there is more reason for those birds to nest at yours. Great video too. My heart almost skipped a beat when a sparrow seemed to br eyeing up the boxes today but I think it was just confused or lost. 🙂
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Post by hfriel on May 30, 2020 21:44:20 GMT
All sounds fabulous GBH, best thing you probably ever did was move house
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Post by Taz on May 31, 2020 1:39:59 GMT
Wow GBH, that's great. Are you going to put a box up in it too? 🙊
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Post by greatbluehopeful on May 31, 2020 5:56:50 GMT
Hi all...thanks - yes, I think moving house is definitely something I am realising we should have done years ago...but like always, the timing must be right and its a BIG decision not to be taken lightly.
It wasn't all plain sailing for us of course because of the two previous house choices that fell through prolonging the whole ordeal.
We had to go through several months of uncertainty once our own house was sold, and the upheaval of putting most of our stuff in storage and living in a small holiday house 50km (30 miles) away from the kids schools - we had commute there every day through long queues of traffic and again on the return journey while the 'process' was ongoing and my daughter was going through an important exam year - not ideal!!!! Not to mention co-coordinating their hectic social life and sporting activities!
But that was the choice we made and somehow, looking back, we all agree it was the best thing we ever did, and the kids learned a valuable lesson in patience and perseverance...and seeing that if something is worthwhile doing, then don't loose sight of the finish line....and speaking of which, himself and myself managed to find time train for a marathon through all of that too - honestly, I think I would have lost my mind if I didn't have something else to focus on.
As I sit here this morning, looking out the window....all of that is a very distant memory.
So happy to be here, especially in these unprecedented COVID 19 times. (The Dublin Marathon is cancelled this year for obvious reasons, but my entry rolls forward to 2021...but I've a fair bit to be doing this year - long runs don't really fit in! For once the timing was correct in this instance and I can continue gardening 'guilt free'. lol!)
I think since this last year, my outlook has change a great deal...I used to save up, and hold back, sacrificing the things I wanted just to be practical and looking out for the future, but now I am living by the "life is too short" scenario and coming to the realisation, that if you wait too long, it'll pass you by....seize the day!!! Life is not a rehearsal...
Buy that proverbial Oak tree!!
P.s I most definitely intend to grow some baby Oaks from my future acorns....there is a community garden across the road from us, where they sell veg & flowers, and maybe I'll sell my baby Oak trees there too?....€2 a plant or something like that?! Or just give them away for free...? Ireland will once again be covered in Oak trees by my hand....remember Johnny 'Appleseed' - well, something like that. ha,ha!!
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Post by karenupnorth on May 31, 2020 6:15:27 GMT
Really happy for you gbh and agree life is too short. I collected acorns last autumn and planted them following woodland trust instructions and after a long time I now have 7 tiny oak trees!They are about 6 inches tall with 6 or so leaves on and are so sweet!Really worthwhile doing it,we plan to plant them out in a few years in the area and hopefully watch them progress into mature oaks. I will pop some pics up. Chicks are looking healthy, soon be fledge day!
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Post by karenupnorth on Jun 1, 2020 7:50:48 GMT
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Post by blueeyedchick on Jun 1, 2020 8:29:22 GMT
We so need more trees and less housing GBH!
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Jun 2, 2020 8:19:00 GMT
Ah that a wonderful little Oak tree - I just love them!!! Thanks for photo - its great that you successfully grew them from the acorns. I will definitely try that in September when I find some. (I have read that Oak trees only bear acorns after 70+ years!!! So I will not see any on my shop bought one in my life time, unless I live another 60 years!) And you know what, its like when you a buy a car, and then you see the same car popping up everywhere!! ....I have since noticed seven Oak trees within the 1km radius of my house....Three which are very close and very mature - one is only 500 metres away!!! I never noticed it as the leaves were quite late coming this year. But there it was...right in front of me! I would say those three mature ones are excess of 200 years old, judging by the size of them and the others I have seen are 20 years+ or younger, where people have planted them in their gardens. And now mine will make number eight! Of course there is probably much more around that I haven't yet spotted, so that is really good!! I took a few photos at the weekend of them all....the bottom left is the one quite near me on the road right up from my house....out of the three local mature trees, two are Pendunculate Oak and one is a Sessile Oak - both native to Ireland. Both have been native to Ireland for hundreds of year, however apparently it was only in the 1900's that the "Sessile Oak" was declared Irelands national tree. I have learned this weekend how to identify them. The Sessile Oak (Quercus Patraea) has more neater uniform shaped leaves which grow out on stalks, and its acorns will have no stalks, they will grow in a close cluster attached on the branch. It is more suited to rocky, hilly terrains so you'll see them in mountainous regions more. The leaves are more of a dark purple-brown in Autumn. The Pendunculate Oak (Quercus Robur) is in fact known here now as the 'English Oak' - I have bought a Pendunculate Oak (I have never actually seen the Sessile Oak for sale anywhere)....The Pendunculate Oak has 'rhomboid' leaves (i.e tapers outward, with irregularity and then back in) with no stalks as the leaves are just attached to nodules on the branch, but the acorns do grow out on long stalks. This Oak is more suited to lowlands and peaty soil - which Kildare is full of. These leaves are tan brown in the Autumn. The acorns, out of anything else, will help you really identify what tree it is though due to the presence or absence of stalks on the acorn cluster. Then there are Pendunculate/Sessile hybrids which are quite common too because the two species cross propagate quite easily apparently. So that could cause confusion trying to identify it, as the tree will have traits of both species, ha,ha! All species of Oak offer the exact same benefit to wildlife, with one having no advantage over the other. A mature tree can host up to 280 different species of insects. So now! Wildlife and Bird news: Fox came really close to the house last night. I've moved the camera to a patio area now and I'll place food out in the hopes I'll catch a good shot of him. The hedgehog also has been spotted in this area...so either way, i'll hopefully get a good shot of something. Here is my three little guys this morning - this is Day 17 . They are adult sized now and really getting restless and often are out of the nest cup, looking out the window. I know its a little early, but I believe they will go in the next few days. This one in the centre of the photo has shown great bravery and I believe this one will go first. I will miss it all being in work, but I'm still thrilled to bits about how everything has gone so far.
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Post by sammi on Jun 3, 2020 7:04:54 GMT
Aaawww such lovely chubby chicks GBH. I love your mission to cover Ireland in oak trees❤
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Jun 3, 2020 7:17:12 GMT
Thanks Sammi! lol!
Just realised I got my days wrong yesterday - it was actually Day 17! I was back in work, I forgot because of being off for the bank holiday, that it was actually Tuesday and not Monday, so I counted wrong.
So, my chicks are actually now 18 days since hatching today. They're making moves to go...they are getting fed up with each other and pushing each other out of the way.
I wouldn't be surprised if the nest was empty when I got home after work today.
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Post by karenupnorth on Jun 3, 2020 7:58:45 GMT
Day 18 here too! They are starting to look through the entrance hole but I have some smaller ones that I think will hang on a day or so. That oak info is fascinating thank you for that, really love trees esp oak trees. Goodluck to your chicks on fledging.
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Post by blueeyedchick on Jun 3, 2020 8:16:46 GMT
GBH Definitely ready your chicks hope they wait until the time is right and you get home to see them fledge,it's always a bitter sweet moment I feel. Love Oaks too we have 3 over the road from us and they are protected, no chopping down just allowed to be pruned. They are a source of caterpillar for our BT's. Very interesting about the Irish oaks too you learn something new every day! Good luck to the little beauties when they do finally go.
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Post by suep on Jun 3, 2020 10:05:08 GMT
Great info about the oaks GBH, we are learning all the time. Your chicks are looking really healthy and ready for the big wide world. Am so pleased you have managed to witness for yourself this year and would be amazing if you happened to catch the fledging Sue
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Post by WildlifePaul on Jun 3, 2020 10:52:50 GMT
Lovely little update GBH, I am glad everything is going well for the fab 3!
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Jun 4, 2020 7:06:06 GMT
Hi all Well the three Chicks were still there when I got home yesterday. But I noticed some new behaviour from Mother...she would tease them with food by putting it to their beaks but then pull it back...and leave the box still with the food. I saw her do this a number of times... Did she hope they would follow her out? They are definitely very big and crowed in the box now...I believe today is definitely the day now. I haven't been out yet this morning - they may even be gone! Here is a little video of Foxy. Clearly very busy on important fox business.
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Post by karenupnorth on Jun 4, 2020 7:46:18 GMT
Cant be long now then, my lot are still here too, still being fed in the box but they keep looking up and getting curious about the hole
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Post by Ann70 on Jun 4, 2020 8:08:53 GMT
yes , she will be encouraging them to follow her out, maybe very soon it seems.they will be jumping to the hole, soon off out to the out doors, probably today
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Post by Beechnut on Jun 4, 2020 8:20:07 GMT
Yes usual pre-fledge behaviour GBH - perhaps waiting for it to warm up a bit before taking the plunge?
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Post by greatbluehopeful on Jun 4, 2020 8:33:28 GMT
Yes....there are very definite signs this morning. I stayed half an hour videoing them try out the entrance hole in rotation...they are going quite bananas in there now. I really thought I might get lucky enough to be there for the big 'event'....but they need more time clearly. Mother has not been in at all this morning - I imagine this is her effort to make them hungry enough to entice them out? Here is a video of a moment when I thought Chick no.1 was going to take the 'leap of faith'....but no....however, I would say they will be gone in the next hour or two. Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to them at 9am.....and I know for sure that they will be gone when I come home this evening. Ah, such a bitter sweet feeling. Apologies for the crappy shaky hand held video - lighting is bad and I was excited!!
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Post by Ann70 on Jun 4, 2020 9:00:06 GMT
lovely, where are you mum with my breakfast.lovely and healthy trio
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