Photo competition

[gavin]

Not for the faint-hearted, here is a new competition. A photo competition. Prizes? Oh, I don't know. I'll think of something appropriate.

Although I have the permission of the person donating this material to be open, I think that I'll keep his identity secret. If he wants to come on here and fess up, that is up to him!

Here is one of perhaps a thousand wax objects lying about his yard. Mostly wax anyway. From a distance I thought they were queens cells, but they are a little larger (I'll measure one tomorrow). What are they, and what made them?

http://www.sbai.org.uk/images/mystery%20wax%20object.jpg

Gavin

[kevboab]

This is annoying the life out of me already. I'm thinking along the lines of bird pellets however its the quantity that makes me think it could be something else.

[gavin]

Well done! It was given to me as the product of the other end of the bird, but having thought about it I think that would be anatomically impossible.

Second half of the question: what bird? The object at the thicker end is about the width of the thin end of my little finger.

G.

[kevboab]

First thought was barn owl however pellets are usually always dark coloured regardless of prey eaten. Now thinking kestrel or sparrowhawk.

[gavin]

Nope! Not a bird of prey or an owl. No seagull mess in the yard either.

[kevboab]

This could take a while. Kingfisher ???

[Neils]

Woodpecker? (no idea if they spit pellets, but if it's wax then what the heck for a stab in the dark guess).

[nonstandard]

My guess would be chickens, perhaps from feeding drone comb?

[gavin]

Excellent suggestions, I see where you are going with this. But no, not kingfisher, woodpecker nor any kind of domesticated fowl.

Get the right bird family and I'll give it to you.

I probably shouldn't reveal that a private correspondent suggested that it might be a cut and paste merchant's (one very seldom on this forum) <ctrl> key, but clearly that hasn't been through a bird so it can't be that either.

[gavin]

Here are a couple more examples of the detritus lying on the ground and on objects in that beekeeper's yard. Lots of them. In a suburban setting.

http://www.sbai.org.uk/images/three%20wax%20objects.jpg

These other ones were a bit more fibrous but still essentially wax - from a bird not noted for its fibre intake.

[kevboab]

Hmmm. Could it be from one of the many corvids ?

[Rosie]

It's not from a bee-eater is it?

[gavin]

Not a bee-eater (this is local) nor one of the many corvids (they're too smart to eat wax in quantity!).

[kevboab]

This is rippin ma knittin now. Swallows/martins?? Finch ??

[gavin]

Not them nor their close relatives. Apparently there was one individual doing this, then a family of them at it last summer. I can't see why they would want to - stupidity presumably and maybe a sweet tooth/bill wanting the remnants of the honey on the frames? I can't imagine that there was much brood remaining. There are boxes stacked outside after comb was cut out for pressing for heather, and the birds have taken to sneaking into a building where there are more. Numpties.

To save your knitting further distress I'll give you the answer before I turn in tonight, unless someone gets there first.

[Mellifera Crofter]

... starlings?

[kevboab]

Sparrows??

[gavin]

:)

Close, kind of.

Next one will get it I think. Maybe.

[kevboab]

Robin?

[gavin]

Ah! I said that a bird in the same family would do it. Blackbirds and robins are both thrushes. 'Twas blackbirds.

Presumably they have been well and properly fed at a bird table nearby, otherwise surely they would have succumbed to anorexia by now.

For your prize I'm wondering about sending you the pellets?

[kevboab]

Tit's? Like us for wasting a saturday night guessing which bird chews wax.

[gavin]

:p

I thought that someone would try them.

I can't believe that I went along with the suggestion that they exited the rear end of a blackbird!

[kevboab]

I'll sleep better tonight now. I still cant picture blackbirds throwing pellets like that out though.

[Jon]

Surprised noone has posted this yet!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lorVUJAp8LU

[HensandBees]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gavin]

Hi Folks



I can't believe that I went along with the suggestion that they exited the rear end of a blackbird!

Well, you deserve some clarification. I was wrong. They *do* pass right through the bird from one end to the other, exiting in a rather strained fashion. I'm thinking of contacting the RSPB to set up a hide for visitors! Additional detail just in includes the fact that there is a hen blackbird right now shovelling wax down its neck from a barrel of crushed cappings from their wax press.

I thought that I should bring this to you right away, early in the morning so that Kev can assimilate it before the time for nightmares later.

G.

[Jimbo]

Do you think the blackbird thinks it is a wax bill or even a wax wing!

[kevboab]

:-D Very good Gavin.

[gavin]

... and special thanks to Jimbo for the biggest groan of the week. Maybe they're keen to be immortalised at Mme Tussads once their time is over? Ooops .. very groan-worthy too.

[Jon]

Gavin I hope this photo competition is not based on differing sizes of pellets - the object being to guess which bird ejected the specific pellet.

Number 28 in an ongoing series - the bullfinch pellet!