Natural history quiz (for the not so bored).

D

Dawsie

Well-Known Member
Before we start, there are no prizes (unless some kind person wants to offer one).

Rules
The first person to post all the correct answers can ask the next questions.
Try not to cheat too much.


I’ll start;

True or false, do wood pigeon in the uk breed throughout the year?

How many meanings can you find for the word, RUT

What do you call a baby snake?

What does the old country folklore saying mean? Never cast a clout till may is out.
 
False
4
Bootlace
As above .
Google may say otherwise and woodies do have the longest breeding season out of our native birds but they do not breed all year round .
 
levigsp said:
Sorry your wrong, I have found wood pigeons on eggs in every month of the year likewise nestling being milk fed.
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That case I stand corrected .Never seen it personally .We have woodies nest in our nut trees at bottom of the garden and 3 clutches is all they ever do .Shot thousands of pigeons and never shot an unbanded youngster in true winter and that’s in the south .
Any pics of the winter squeakers please ,timestamped if poss .
Just out of interest we had 3 eggs laid in one nest that all hatched same time but one of the chicks got pushed out as they grew .I think the nests are only designed for 2 chicks at pre fledge weight .Probably extra egg laid by another hen as between clutches there’s always a vying for nest spots .
 
levigsp said:
Sorry your wrong, I have found wood pigeons on eggs in every month of the year likewise nestling being milk fed.
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I agree abt the wood pigeons breeding all year around this is quite a new factor in terms of them as a species, but in truth a huge number live in towns these days also the warmer climate (no winters of the 60's)

Large numbers of them leave the towns to feed where back in the day they lived in woods hence the name.

Well done FH :tiphat:
 
uptonogood said:
That case I stand corrected .Never seen it personally .We have woodies nest in our nut trees at bottom of the garden and 3 clutches is all they ever do .Shot thousands of pigeons and never shot an unbanded youngster in true winter and that’s in the south .
Any pics of the winter squeakers please ,timestamped if poss .
Just out of interest we had 3 eggs laid in one nest that all hatched same time but one of the chicks got pushed out as they grew .I think the nests are only designed for 2 chicks at pre fledge weight .Probably extra egg laid by another hen as between clutches there’s always a vying for nest spots .
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For me and I’ll gladly stand corrected if I’m wrong, the squabs for the majority are fed on pigeon milk, which comes from the parent bird which they derive from seed related food ie barley wheat seeds etc I’ve always thought the woodie is one of the last starter breeders to enable harvest time to coincide and provide the glut of the food required for the squabs
 
Your not wrong mate which is why I question winter broods .Harvest is a weather related period and I guess pigeon breeding cycles kick in to suit .Not sure what they have to eat middle of winter that would sustain chicks .Do berries and greens allow the bird to form milk ,I don’t know .Very interested to see these winter broods and the young fledging ,thriving .
Perhaps someone will remember this thread and take a timestamped pic to show it happening 🙄
 
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plenty of bird food in cities, towns and villages. also the spilt grain around grain stores. and the question was do they breed all year, not do they succesfully raise young.
 
Just a pity the snow flakes won't allow me to shoot town flying rats off my own roof ! bring on a very cold winter 🙏
As a kid a snake skin was just around 10 bob at the tanners ( higgs fur's) they used them on posh gloves/other , less if it was't a big fat bugger .
 
Here are my questions.
1. What small tree found in the UK has small capsular fruit that turns pink to reddish purple from September onwards. The wood is very hard and makes superior charcoal?
2. What moths' caterpillar food is birds foot trefoil and what poisonous substance can it emit at all stages of its life cycle?
3. When the cuckoo lays an egg it frightens its host by imitating what bird?
4. Who was born in 1793 in Helpston and is regarded as one of Englands finest nature poets?

Good luck
 
uptonogood said:
Your not wrong mate which is why I question winter broods .Harvest is a weather related period and I guess pigeon breeding cycles kick in to suit .Not sure what they have to eat middle of winter that would sustain chicks .Do berries and greens allow the bird to form milk ,I don’t know .Very interested to see these winter broods and the young fledging ,thriving .
Perhaps someone will remember this thread and take a timestamped pic to show it happening 🙄
Click to expand...
Next time I'm in Suffolk in January Ill take photos of eggs and young,[ I dislike the term squab for wild pigeon] I do not know of a month in the year where pigeons cannot get starch based feed and other seeds in the wild.
In Caithness, they get wheat, rape, barley, oats and wild seeds peas .
In Suffolk you can add buckwheat, triticale, maize, sweetcorn, sorghum, millet, quinio beans etc etc so wood pigeons get ample feed all year round. the reason they don't breed in Caithness year round is the extreme wind and rain in winter. Suffolk does not suffer with the same issues and has warm fir woods for nesting and roosting.
 
levigsp said:
Next time I'm in Suffolk in January Ill take photos of eggs and young,[ I dislike the term squab for wild pigeon] I do not know of a month in the year where pigeons cannot get starch based feed and other seeds in the wild.
In Caithness, they get wheat, rape, barley, oats and wild seeds peas .
In Suffolk you can add buckwheat, triticale, maize, sweetcorn, sorghum, millet, quinio beans etc etc so wood pigeons get ample feed all year round. the reason they don't breed in Caithness year round is the extreme wind and rain in winter. Suffolk does not suffer with the same issues and has warm fir woods for nesting and roosting.
Click to expand...
Apparently according to google ,pigeons do not need grain to produce the milk .It’s a secretion formed in a duct in the throat .Both sexes produce it as eggs hatch and add food to it as the squab grows .
 
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