Garden Wildlife UK

They looked like chestnuts, Jacksparrow - in the photo with the other fruit in Willpar's 'Fruit Identification' post in 'Photos and Video'

Why would Willpar gather up a pound of conkers ??!!

Placido wrote:Why would Willpar gather up a pound of conkers ??!!

Only if he thought they were chestnuts. I was actually attempting a little light humour which clearly failed to register with anyone. Never mind there's always tomorrow.

So was I which clearly failed to register ..... oh never mind .
It's still funny

I've got lots of conkers - I think I'll make a nice conker pie and some jelly

nuthatch wrote:I've got lots of conkers - I think I'll make a nice conker pie and some jelly

Is it easy to do - or are there strings attached ?

That's two Peregrine jokes, Greg ......

brilliant

The 'Today' prog on Radio4 this morning was a mine of Nature stuff - as well as the Weather Watchers initiative (which I have posted under the correct Topic ) there were also items on:

Government plans to frack underneath National Parks;
and
The big increase in goldfinches may be due to the increase in garden bird feeding.

But if that is so, they didn't ask the obvious question: Why are other species still diminishing then ??

I think one of the reasons Goldfinches have increased as they were once regarded as a migratory bird but the milder winters along with garden feeding has persuaded may to stay at home rather than fly of to the south. A dependable food source will influence many birds but there also has to be suitable habitat producing that source of food. As it turns out Goldfinches are quite happy to come into gardens but some species are not which makes surviving on what can be gleaned from the ever decreasing wild more and more difficult. I think Sparrows and Starlings have decreased through lack of suitable breeding sites rather than lack of food.