Alligators in the Thames

[Brayman]

My son-in-law rescued some orphan ducks when quite tiny and brought them home to rear in his garage. Having hand fed them he built a pen in the garden and is now looking for a pond to let them go free. He rears pheasants to shoot so he doesn't want to put them on the shoot's pond as they will undoubtedly get shot.

My daughter let them have a paddle on their garden pond and was devastated when she saw one of them eat a goldfish and then another!

I didn't realise ducks ate fish, or is it because they haven't been trained by a parent duck?

 

[byron]

Ian you can let them go here if you want. Either my pond near the river or up on the stream near my barn. They will eventually make their way on to the Thames either way.

 

[lenseman]

. . . And my dad saw what he thought was one but only about a foot long.

They are only a foot long when view from 300 yards away!

 

[Brayman]

Ian you can let them go here if you want. Either my pond near the river or up on the stream near my barn. They will eventually make their way on to the Thames either way.

Thanks Byron, they are going to try locally to them (Dorset), but if they or the ducks aren't happy they may take you up on your kind offer.

Hope to see the week after next when we are upriver.

 

[TrueBlue]

I watched it circling and what really drew my eye was that it was over the river itself and quite low. It then swooped down, talons extended to just brush the top of the water and - i think - take a live fish. But it missed. It seemed to need more practice and there was a distinct sense of flying off to patrol over some more familiar territory whilst recovering from a loss of pride...But perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part.

SWMBO - who knows about these things (also carries a book about bird and creepie crawlies on board) "Red Kites take rodents birds and carion", but fish are not quoted, however, The Black Kite (smaller and a visitor April to June) will take sick and dead fish.....

There you have it from The Boss.

 

[byron]

SWMBO - who knows about these things (also carries a book about bird and creepie crawlies on board) "Red Kites take rodents birds and carion", but fish are not quoted, however, The Black Kite (smaller and a visitor April to June) will take sick and dead fish.....

There you have it from The Boss.

Kites have taken all my neighbour's baby chicks. Herons will also take Ducklings and Chicks.
Lord only knows how many baby Frogs have been taken too. The Heron that lives here sits in the middle of the paddock no where near water and gorges on Frogs. The biggest scourge around here remains the Fox.

 

[heron]

While on a trip out boating recently in this rather un-english weather I spotted what looked distinctly like a small alligator relaxing in the sun, on the offside near Pangbourne. I have seen the terrapins before but never noticed the alligators.

Having chatted with other boaters I understand that due to global warming and temperature changes the alligators can survive in the uk climate and apparently a breeding pair have been spotted down near Reading.

As Bob Dylan would say 'The times they are a-changing'

.

You did indeed spot an alligator relaxing in the sun next to the magic mushrooms

 

[the_wanderer]

Pink elephants.

Due to the sometimes large intake of alcohol on some boats could this be the boater's version of pink elephants?

Regards.

Alan.