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elle

18th July 2017, 18:21
Hi, Rusty!
Ouch, I have been badly bitten whilst out in the garden.........
Midges? I didn't see anything "predatory" but have now got three huge bites!
I've popped the piriton pills and put antihistamine cream on the swellings ...
Very itchy!
I love "bafflegab"!
Needless to say it is not in my "official" Chambers 13th edition - but I have tracked it down to the "missing" 500 words list!
I see what you mean though about wondering what it means - even after reading the definition!
Hard to comprehend?
I shall study the "Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation" later , after dinner, when I will have more time.
Thank you for the info.
It sounds very interesting.
Poole Harbour - next to Bournemouth - is in Dorset, about 125 miles from us.
I wonder whether the birds are being taken to Brownsea Island?
Well, I must away to start the dinner.......
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rusty

18th July 2017, 20:02
Hello, Elle!
Bafflegab is a fine word whatever it means!
The first requirements for ospreys are an adequate food supply.
They only eat fish.
Are there rivers or lochs in the Poole Harbour area?
You said Bournemouth. Bourne means river or stream.
I wonder why the birds are only being taken from nests up North?
None from around here.
There will be a reason for that.
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rusty

18th July 2017, 20:09
Hello, Elle,
Type you "Poole Harbour Ospreys" into Mr Google.
There is a lot of info about the project.
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elle

18th July 2017, 21:03
Hi, Rusty!
It seems that the ospreys from Scotland would normally stop off at Poole Harbour en route to/ from their long flight to Africa.
But attempts to persuade them to stay there and breed have failed.
Hence this new project.......
Poole Harbour is a large natural estuary of several rivers - the largest being the Frome.
Once collected together from their northern nests, the chicks are to be held in large pens for about three weeks, and then released at the end of this month to artificial nests, in Poole Harbour, and fed with fresh fish.
I think it is to be hoped that they will then migrate as usual to Arica, from Poole, but will return to their "new breeding ground" of Poole Harbour in their future migrations?
A "cunning plan"?
It sounds good...I hope it will be successful!
This will be something of interest to follow?
I hope we are kept informed......
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rusty

18th July 2017, 21:31
Hello, Elle!
Yes, let us hope so!
The Scottish ospreys would not stop unless there were plenty of fish in the area.
A good sign.
It will be about 3 years before they return, though.
When they are old enough to breed.
The ospreys at Rutland Water were originally chicks from Scottish nests, and probably the Welsh ospreys, too, were originally Scottish chicks.
So there is quite a lot of expert knowledge out there.
I have just been reading about the couple who have been found in a glacier in Switzerland 75 years after they went missing.
Their bodies were perfectly preserved in the ice.
They went out one day to tend to their cows and never came home.
Their daughter is still alive.
I think the glaciers give up bodies every year.
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elle

18th July 2017, 22:04
Hi, Rusty!
Strangely, I had only just finished reading about the two bodies discovered preserved in the glacier, when I read your message on here!
What a coincidence!
I wonder how it will affect the family?
Will this bring long -time welcome closure, do you suppose?
Or simply open up old wounds?
I guess it must be very weird after all this time to have bodies to bury?
Goodness, I do wonder what "bit" me in the garden?
The bites are very itchy........
Most likely a mosquito?
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rusty

18th July 2017, 22:23
Hello, Elle!
Goodness knows, but they will have a funeral anyway.
I remember reading about Otzi who had been in the ice for 5,000 years.
It was amazing what they could tell from his body and belongings.
And I read about 3 brothers who were found some years ago.
They had been in the ice since 1926.
The glaciers eventually give them up.
Probably midgie bites?
Do you have midgies in Bromley?
The ones up here are very troublesome at times!
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elle

18th July 2017, 22:39
Hi, Rusty!
I am not very au fait with the insect population of Bromley!
But we do get both midges and mosquitoes....
Usually though, I think midges kind of hunt in droves? a small swarm of them?
I 'm not very sure about this , but I think a mosquito looks rather like a small crane fly ( a small version of a daddy- long -legs) ?
I did kill a couple of them earlier - one last night in the bathroom.
I think the bites can take up to 48 hours to come out in the huge red welts?
No matter...I shall survive a bit of itchiness!
At least, mozzies in the UK do not pass on any "nasties"!
Only one osprey in the nest right now...not sure which?
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rusty

18th July 2017, 22:50
Hello, Elle!
It is one of the chicks. I do not know which.
Yes, midges are in clouds.
I have never met a mosquito.
Maybe too cold here for them.
You should open a window and let them out rather than killing them.
They are God's creatures, too, you know.
That is an excellent site Roy Dennis has.
I shall have a look tomorrow before Le Tour.
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elle

18th July 2017, 23:04
Hi, Rusty!
I may be sharing my home with a determined little mouse........ but definitely not with any insects!
Whether they crawl or fly, they are not welcome!
And I shall certainly kill them should they dare to cross my path!
The problem is that all the windows are permanently open in this weather.... so it's a free -for-all!
Maybe I should sleep under a mosquito net ....?
At present, I am re- reading "Strong Medicine" by Arthur Hailey.
It is many moons ago since I first read it.
I need to consult Amazon about buying some more books.......
What are you reading?
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