RSPB Communities Christmas Advent calendar


Welcome to the RSPB Communities Christmas Advent calendar! Rather than chocolates (sorry), with each day that leads up to the big day, why not open a virtual Advent calendar window and reveal a teaser for you to ponder or post a picture. There is no right or wrong answer, the answers will simply be what you want to appear in that window. It’s Christmas, so let’s have some fun!

Claire

  • My most memorable wildlife story, is Osceola the Hang Gliding Eagle.  Watching the video of the flight was amazing, what dedication to get that eagle in the air.

    Story here www.youtube.com/watch

  • It's not really suitable for a happy christmas thread, but my most memorable wildlife news story was that of Cannelle the last pure Pyreneen bear. I will never forget the images as they carried her body out of the hills in a rope basket suspended below a helicopter. She had been killed by a hunter who said she had attacked him because he came between her & her cub. As she was satellite tagged the hunters knew where she was & weren't supposed to be in that area. There was a national outcry but there was nothing to be done. They were never sure if her cub survived or no.

    It was heartbreaking.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • I don't have much in the way of bird feeding tips other than it's hopeless to try to stop pigeons and corvids from coming to the garden as they're just too clever and determined.  It's best to try to set up a large, flat feeding area for them (we use our shed roof) and concentrate on feeding the smaller birds somewhere else.

    The most memorable news story here features the magnificent white tailed eagle.  I was really excited when it was announced they were going to try to introduce them here - and then I was gutted when the plan was abandoned due to local opposition (including our MP!).  That didn't stop a white tailed eagle from appearing at Boyton Marshes earlier this year......yay!

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Day 15:
    Favourite garden visitor?

    P.s - Apologies with any delays in posting these, I am technically on leave, but will be dipping in now and then next week as well as providing cover over Christmas.

  • My favourite garden visitor is the occasional Goldfinch with all its beautiful red and yellow colours.

    Regards,

    Ian.

  • My favourite is the Great Tit, I don't see it often, but love to watch it when it comes to my garden.

  • I'm also a fan of the Long Tailed Tits who chatter their way down to the pastry always communicating with one another even when eating LOL    

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • It would be too predictable of me to say Red Kites, so I'm going to opt for Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Both the male and female are regular visitors to my pastry feeder. This female was photographed within the last 15 minutes or so through a very rain spattered window. She was a bit confused because the pastry in the feeder had run out and she hadn't quite worked out that the blobs of pastry stuck in the tree were edible.

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    Tony

    My Flickr Photostream 

  • That's a tough question.  I love the goldfinch for its sheer beauty; the wood pigeon for taking the mickey out of Limpy; the starlings for their impressive landings in hordes (and comical behaviour); the pied wagtail for overwhelming fearlessness; and the carrion crow for giving me that warm, trusted feeling!

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.