Off Topic Vote for a National Bird (feathered variety)

I enjoyed reading that Aussie. Very funny.

I hope you went straight to a shop and bought a lottery ticket.

 

Except when its pinching the fish out of your pond, then its a pain in the 'arris !! Grrrrrrrrr !
The Robin would be my choice, a lovely looking bird with its red breast and present in most british gardens

 

Copyright Edmund Blackadder !

 

Not the only one to spot it then !

 

Have I ever mentioned....................................................that I ****ing hate Norwich?

 

Heron's are like a hoover in a pond aren't they? All the fish are gone in a few minutes. A net is an effective way to keep them out, but not too pleasing on the eye.

I chose the Hen Harrier simply because I'm into birds of prey, but the Robin is probably the best all round choice for a bird to represent Britain from that list.

 

Now you mention it, I do believe you have!

 

You should get quite a few Marsh Harriers in your neck of the woods? Beautiful birds.

 

Here's a brilliant bit of film on Red Kites

 

The last I heard, Gandy was somewhere in County Tipperary. Not sure he is a Norfolk based Canary.

 

Ah.......ok!

 

Beautiful aren't they?

 

Am I correct in believing that the heron doesn't like to land on water, but instead will land on land (as it were) and then wade into the water? I believe that rather than covering ponds with netting, which can somewhat ruin the overall effect, many pond owners instead will install a perimeter fence of angling wire around the pond which can be sufficient to deter the heron from devouring their prize koi.

 

Correct.
Both methods are employed.

 

Like a hoover indeed. I've had two lots of koi taken from my pond in fairly quick succession, not huge fish as I presume the heron couldn't swallow them in one but a few quids worth all the same.
I tried a net after the first lot went and I think the heron just pecked its way through that and had the second lot off! I have now hung up CD's as ive read shiny things deter them and bought a gadget that emits sonic noises which is also supposed to be good as a deterrent.
I actually caught it in the act once as it flew off all "pterodactyl" like while s**tting all over my decking to add insult to injury!!
I'm led to believe that the heron is fairly territorial in so far as its feeding grounds so once it has my card marked so to speak it will just return year after year.If it has this third lot away I think I might consider some nice lighting effects in the water and forget about the fish!

 

They are notoriously difficult to stop mate.
Sometimes the only solution is to put a huge domed net across the entire area. Trouble is, this looks pretty awful.

 

For the best part of 20 years now, and at this time of the year, my parents have had a nesting pair of blackbirds, but usually the hen, come hopping into their kitchen and chirping for raisins etc. to presumably feed their young.

It started with a hen blackbird taking interest in my father digging the garden, particularly when he would lob it the odd worm. Pretty soon they'd come close to the kitchen door, then inside.

Of course, no blackbird can live to be 20 years or more, so there must have been a number of generations visiting my folks through the years, which I find quite fascinating. There must be some form of communication that is passed down from blackbird generation to generation, otherwise why would today's nesting couple be so brazen (and indeed trusting) in their demand for the raisins?

It is quite lovely, I think, to have this kind of trusting relationship between human and animal. I am envious.

 

Linda Lusardi.........with a feather boa

 

Blackbird for me. Tremendous song and intelligent. Also, very common in England.

 

There are a pair of nesting blackbirds in my garden for the third year running. As AWJM says, they are lovely songbirds. A place I lived in many years ago had a huge TV Ariel and every evening there was a blackbird perched atop chortling away tunefully while I sat reading or having a drink. It really is a lovely way to unwind...