NATURE NOTICE

Pogue Mahoney wrote: I have not seen one since I was a baby and can't believe they are back "Shy bittern flies back to Irish shores after 150-year break" http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/1230/1224 286494 404.html

It's great news about the bittern.I hope they stay to breed.

With the cold  snap we just had it's being reported that a lot of Kingfishers died, due to the fact that a lot of rivers froze over  

died

 Here's a book to start you off bird watching.There are some spetacular birds inside  

  I had a pet magpie  called Charlie

I came across it as a chick which must have fallen out of the nest on the Howth road near the Nuns Walk.I was on my way to the shops with a few taylor keith and club organge empties,You could get 3d or 4d of the empties.Anyway there were a couple of lads chasing the chick trying to catch it.I traded the empties with them for the magpie.I brought it home and stared to feed it with chopped up maggots and bread and scraps.

I put it an organge box and eventually released it when he got older.I named him Charlie and he would fly off the roofs and land on my arm when I called him by Name.We went on a caravan holiday that year and when I came back he was still hanging around. Eventually he found a mate and  I didn't see him anymore.

Pogue Mahoney wrote: Here's a pic of Feathers and Sylvester...Feathers liked to live on the edge. ..

 Great picture Pogue

he is cetainly brave

 That's It Uncle Georges Pet shop I couldn't remember name of it.

 and a big grey parrot and a semi circle gold fish tank.I think most people just went in to have a look around it. It was like a mini Zoo.

It's well gone now and so is the poultry shop near by I think it was called Gearathy's or something like that.It had egss from the floor to the ceiling and a sign saying" Nice to handle nice to hold if you drop one consider it sold or words to that effect