The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

Yes - and, just in case, I didn't state WHICH Tuesday

Come on, you didn't even specify which YEAR :p:p

PasturesNew

I nodded off, really early - wide awake now!
I must've nodded off before 8pm at a guess.

Pyxis

Good job I set my box to record Curious Creatures, as it seems to be on daily! (BBC2 18:30).


Another brilliant piece of info.....

There's a bird in South America, the Cinereous Mourner, that is a dull grey colour, (Cinereous means looking like ashes.....I had to look it up), but its chicks are covered in long orange hairs.

This is because they are mimicking a toxic caterpillar, which predators leave alone. It even wriggles like the caterpillar does when it senses a predator is nearby.
Important, because the parent can leave it alone for up to an hour at a time, so it would be very vulnerable.
It's the same size as the caterpillar, too!

It's the only known example of a bird mimicking a toxic caterpillar, the only one found so far, anyway!


I haven't been able to find out why it's called a Mourner, although there are several species of birds called Mourners.

There is a pigeon called a Mourning Dove, due to its plaintive call, so it might be that their calls are sad! :rotfl:



Edit......just found an example of its call, and it's like an elongated pee-wit. I suppose it might be considered plaintive...... it is in a minor key! :rotfl:
I heard another Mourner, too, which wasn't particularly plaintive, but still a sort of pee-wit sound.

GDB2222

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've been out and hand clipped the front hedge, on the road side of the wall, just the overhanging bits and snipped the taller tops off.

I prefer to do that early morning, before the traffic starts ... don't want to feel "looked at" while I'm doing it as I do hate any form of audience.

For hedge clipping, that's two sessions I've done of it now ... one more to go and it'll be finished. I don't like to rush at these jobs

I'm afraid that I have this vision of you, at dawn, dressed in Druidical robes, cutting the hedge with a small scythe. I'm sure that's wrong, but it won't go away.

PasturesNew

GDB2222 wrote: »

I'm afraid that I have this vision of you, at dawn, dressed in Druidical robes, cutting the hedge with a small scythe. I'm sure that's wrong, but it won't go away.

Yep. The Druidical robes and scythe will stop passers by from engaging in conversation ... so it's a "win".

I think, whilst I was out there (15 minutes or so), 3 cars passed and no pedestrians.

Pyxis

GDB2222 wrote: »

I'm afraid that I have this vision of you, at dawn, dressed in Druidical robes, cutting the hedge with a small scythe. I'm sure that's wrong, but it won't go away.

Does Pastures impersonate Death in her spare time? :eek:

Jackmydad

Pyxis wrote: »

Good job I set my box to record Curious Creatures, as it seems to be on daily! (BBC2 18:30).


Another brilliant piece of info.....

There's a bird in South America, the Cinereous Mourner, that is a dull grey colour, (Cinereous means looking like ashes.....I had to look it up), but its chicks are covered in long orange hairs.

This is because they are mimicking a toxic caterpillar, which predators leave alone. It even wriggles like the caterpillar does when it senses a predator is nearby.
Important, because the parent can leave it alone for up to an hour at a time, so it would be very vulnerable.
It's the same size as the caterpillar, too!

It's the only known example of a bird mimicking a toxic caterpillar, the only one found so far, anyway!


I haven't been able to find out why it's called a Mourner, although there are several species of birds called Mourners.

There is a pigeon called a Mourning Dove, due to its plaintive call, so it might be that their calls are sad! :rotfl:



Edit......just found an example of its call, and it's like an elongated pee-wit. I suppose it might be considered plaintive...... it is in a minor key! :rotfl:
I heard another Mourner, too, which wasn't particularly plaintive, but still a sort of pee-wit sound.

It sounds to me as if what's really happening is that the "youfs" is rebelling against authority, dying their "hair" orange, an' rockin' to the lastest soundz.
Innit?

(I didn't know what cinereous meant either)

Pyxis

A question for the culinarily-unchallenged amongst you lot.........

If I made a pancake batter with milk, flour and eggs, could I freeze it in its batter state?

chris_m

Pyxis wrote: »

A question for the culinarily-unchallenged amongst you lot.........

If I made a pancake batter with milk, flour and eggs, could I freeze it in its batter state?

According to the first few links on Google, yes you can.

Pyxis

chris_m wrote: »

According to the first few links on Google, yes you can.

Well. that's my wrist well and truly slapped!