A Proper Thread.

[cg74]

What with the current crop of threads (some) being less than stimulating, I thought it a good opportunity to resurrect an old favourite..... My river is better than yours but with a new twist.


Which river has the greatest diversity of bird life and/or trees?
(both the birds and trees must be found within 10m of the river)

I'll start with the Windrush: Elder, Alder, Oak, Beech, Sycamore, Willow, Yew, Silver Birch, Lime, Hawthorn, Ash, Holly (is it a tree?) and Scots Pine. That's 13 can your local river beat that?

Because there are so many species of birds, it might be best to only list species of some rarity.
I'm going for the windrush again: Egret, Tawny, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Auk, Tawny and Barn Owls.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Natural surroundings..well that would be a riverine SSSI. From memory that would be Wye, Lune(?), Hants Avon, Wensum, ..cant remember them all.

Apart from the variety of trees, the key aspect for me would be a natural-ish channel (not dredged, not regulated by weirs etc), a relatively natural floodplain (maybe some marsh, lakes, fen or grazing marsh) and clean water.

Difficult. But my local Ivel would come nowhere. It even has a sluice with silly hourly changes from very little flow to spate flow for no reason whatsoever.

 

[bennygesserit]

I nominate my local canal which is a triple SSSI - no really , CANNOCK EXTENSION CANAL - SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I nominate my local canal which is a triple SSSI - no really , CANNOCK EXTENSION CANAL - SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST

Thats looks great - really rich aquatic plants and stuff. That should mean it is safe from dredging / development etc. Tenchy by the reading of that.

 

[bennygesserit]

Thats looks great - really rich aquatic plants and stuff. That should mean it is safe from dredging / development etc. Tenchy by the reading of that.

believe it or not a 40 lb + carp has been pulled out of there - made the angling times and everything. Regularly the match guys have their laccy's bottomed out by something monstorous.

Yes very perceptive a lot of tench are pulled out from there , there are numerous herons , wild birds that I don't recognise , it really is a prolific place.

5 pound a year to fish there.

 

[Alan Tyler]

GREAT AUK!? ( Original post)

Are you just seeing if we're awake?

 

[Fred Bonney]

No he's not, he's looking for an argument

It must have been a Little Auk!

 

[Alan Tyler]

I may have missed the point here - I suppose its too late to mention the flocks of spoonbills on the Pymmes Brook? Bunyips in the Lea??

 

[cg74]

No he's not, he's looking for an argument

It must have been a Little Auk!

WWWWwhat Fred, I'm hurt and deeply offended at the very suggestion, how bleedin' dare you....
I mean, if I'd wanted to be argumentative; I would've mentioned Snipes, but I was setting the bar low to start with, though looking at Alan's additions, I obviously set it to low.

I think a maximum river stetch limit of 10 miles needs bringing in place and exclude estuaries.

In view of Alan raising the game, I'm changing my Bird river to the Thames, Standlake to Oxford - Add to my previous list Snipe, Sand Martin and Sparrow Hawk.

I can't remember who mentioned SSSI's but they have little of nothing to do with protecting a natural environment, take Cotswold Water Park; a collection of 147 gravel pits dug in the early 1970's, ten of the pits are now SSSI classified.

---------- Post added at 11:48 ---------- Previous post was at 11:43 ----------

GREAT AUK!? ( Original post)

Are you just seeing if we're awake?

Well I didn't say they have to be alive...... But you are right, it was a leg pull.
Great Auk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I can't remember who mentioned SSSI's but they have little of nothing to do with protecting a natural environment, take Cotswold Water Park; a collection of 147 gravel pits dug in the early 1970's, ten of the pits are now SSSI classified.

Ok if you want trees then, how about the 300 species at this arboretum on the banks of the Severn?

Arley Arboretum Website: Home

For birds, maybe Slimbridge is the answer.

 

[Fishingdownthewindy]

Windrush - Dipper, pied wagtail

Flamingos, pelicans, penguins, cranes, storks, cassowary, parrots, falcons, pheasants, hornbills, toucans, touracos, pigeons, ibis over 500 if you count birdland in bourton on the water.

 

[cg74]

Ok if you want trees then, how about the 300 species at this arboretum on the banks of the Severn?

Arley Arboretum Website: Home

For birds, maybe Slimbridge is the answer.

Please bear in mind the 10m rule for trees and isn't Slimbridge next to the Severn estuary?

 

[waggy]

GREAT AUK!? ( Original post)

Are you just seeing if we're awake?

Yes, we saw it. We were just being polite.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Brailsford will be along in a minute

 

[mark brailsford 2]

I don't see the point of this ''proper thread'' all rivers, lakes, canals and such will allways support a wide range of flora and fauna and you could go on forever and a day listing it.
The opening post mentioned birds that he thought were rare, well apart from the Great Auk (good twitch that one, saw one once, natural history museum!)
and maybe the barn owl to a certain extent, are quite common (the little egret is just a migrant visitor) the tawny is our commonest owl
If you want to make this thread interesting then what about asking folk if they have ever found a Slipper or Bee Orchid or a Dartford or sedge warbler or what about the Great Crested Newt, or you could ask how many species of Dragonfly have you spotted, now that would make a good thread

---------- Post added at 14:20 ---------- Previous post was at 14:16 ----------

Brailsford will be along in a minute

Bit sarcastic there Mr corker

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

No, just observant

 

[mark brailsford 2]

No, just observant

No offence taken Sir, I am just waiting for that cockney Amphibian to have another swing at me

 

[benny samways]

Poochads? Seen those.

Nuthatch as well.

Bar heeded goose.

Is there such as thing as a copper beech tree? There is a swim on a stretch I fish called the beech tree swim but when an irish chap asked me what type of tree it was and I said a beech he banged on about it not being a beech tree! I think it is a copper beech.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

Poochads? Seen those.

Nuthatch as well.

Bar heeded goose.

Is there such as thing as a copper beech tree? There is a swim on a stretch I fish called the beech tree swim but when an irish chap asked me what type of tree it was and I said a beech he banged on about it not being a beech tree! I think it is a copper beech.

Yes Sam, they do exist, gorgeous tree

 

[dangermouse]

I`d never heard of a copper beech tree either, gotta agree with Mark, gorgeous tree.