Often misidentified as a Blue Tit or Coal Tit; one resident bird species, always welcome in our gardens here in Ireland, is the Great Tit, latter one of our top-20 most widespread of garden birds.
This shy, often non easily trusting little residents, is welcomed by gardeners since it lives on a diet of mainly insects, seeds and nuts. By using a peanut feeders during the winter months and food scraps on a bird table, this black-headed and largest of the tit family, will remain a constant visitor.
Word of warning, especially regarding the use of peanuts, fat and bread at nesting time, since these foods can be harmful when adult birds are feed their young. If you must put out peanuts in Spring and Summer, only do so in tight mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces of peanuts to be removed, thus avoiding the risk of baby chicks choking.
The Great Tit is easily identified with its striking black head and large white cheek patches. Also a distinct black band can be easily spotted runs down the centre of its bright yellow breast. When perched viewers can observe a distinct white bar on both wings. Its bill is pointed but nevertheless stout for its size, while it stands on legs which appear bluish-grey in colour.
Its typical chirp, sounds like “teacher, teacher” and or ” tew, tew tew” with often repetitive variations.
The Great Tit breeds throughout Eire and will nest in cavities in trees or stone walls and are known to choose unusual nesting sites such as pipes or even letterboxes. Where silence prevails, it will readily use man manufactured nest-boxes.
Thurles Sky watchers should have had a chance to catch a glimpse of the full “strawberry moon” tonight Friday, June 9th; the sixth full moon on the 2017 lunar calendar and the last full moon of the spring season in the northern hemisphere.
Alas, our Tipperary skys are clouded over and presently, to use the old Irish phrase describing heavy rain showers, “Tá sé ag caitheamh sceana gréasaí,” or translated from the Irish to English: “It’s throwing cobblers knives.”
Tonight’s moon should have been the smallest looking moon of 2017, as it will be the furthest distance from the Earth when it reaches its fullest phase.
Often referred to as the strawberry moon in warmer climates, because June in some areas is the prime month for harvesting strawberries. Here in Ireland, my late Granny always referred to this moon as the ‘Rose Moon’, viewing with such pleasure her climbing, rambler ‘American Pillar’ roses which she had nailed, over the years with leather straps to the stables south facing timber wall. She would smile when asked where she had acquired it; replying, “I borrowed a slip from a friend.”
Perhaps, if you don’t get a chance to see this full strawberry or rose moon tonight, do check it out tomorrow night (Saturday June 10th), when the potential clouded sky’s over Thurles may be more revealing.
Thurles & Templemore Town Enhancement and Painting Scheme 2017
Tipperary County Council are seeking to improve the streetscapes of the towns of Templemore and Thurles. This is being done by supporting the owners of properties through improving and enhancing their premises and public areas generally; through painting or undertaking other general improvements to the fronts of Commercial and Residential buildings, e.g. Erection of planters; floral hanging baskets, or indeed other environmental improvements.
Generous Maximum Grants:
Up to 50% of the approved cost of any such work undertaken (subject to a maximum of €500.00), will be grant aided. Note: Priority will be given to applications by owners of property that are visibly in dire need of maintenance, in order to further prevent them from becoming and or indeed continuing to remain derelict.
Grant Application forms are available to download from www.tipperarycoco.ie. Further queries can be directed to Mr Noel McCormack, Tipperary County Council, by email to noel.mccormack@tipperarycoco.ie or by Telephoning (0761) 066062.
Completed Applications should be clearly marked “Thurles/Templemore Town Enhancement & Painting Scheme 2017” and returned to Ms Deirdre O’Shea, Acting District Administrator, Tipperary County Council, Templemore / Thurles Municipal District, Castle Avenue, Thurles, Co. Tipperary by 4.30pm on Friday 30th June, 2017.
Despite over half the month gone, March is already living up to its reputation of “March many weathers”.
Potato Sowing Time.
Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing tonight nationwide, with hazardous icy driving conditions guaranteed on our roads. (So please, please do drive with care.)
Today’s forecast comes with a yellow weather warning from Met Éireann for snow and ice tonight and much of tomorrow morning, particularly on mountains, hills and areas of high ground in the western half of the country.
During the next three days, Tuesday 21st through to Thursday23rd, our weather is expected to be cold with northern winds making it feel even colder, with some rain showers expected to turn into sleet or even snow.
With the long term weather outlook promising to turn milder next weekend; outside elements permitting, now might be the perfect opportunity to turn over some soil to the frost, in preparation for sowing a few seed potatoes early next week.
It’s still not too late to install a Bird nesting box in your garden. Ideally the box should have been put in place during last autumn or at least in the early part of last winter. This would have allowed regular bird visitors to your garden plot enough time to get used to its existence.
When installing, fix the box onto something solid; a sturdy garden fence, a stone or cement wall, a secure post; using screws, or if to a mature tree, use strong plastic electric cable ties. Position the nest box between 2 metres (6ft) and 4 metres (12ft) above ground level, preferably out of direct midday sunlight.
Always position the box in such a way as to ensure its front door is facing between north-east and south-east in an area well shaded by foliage, thus offering maximum shelter against Ireland’s regular south west prevailing weather conditions.
Do add a small protruding perch to your nest box, and ensure that same is out of reach of roaming, domestic, furry, feline friends or other natural predators. Try to keep nesting boxes away from bird tables also so as to allow Mum and Dad and their brood to fully relax away from unnecessary noise.
Once in place, relax, sit back, observe quietly and resist all temptation to inspect the box constantly. Such actions can disturb and drive off nesting birds, forcing them to desert their chosen home in favour of other quieter rent free accommodation.
At the end of summer or early autumn always check that any previous nesting material or unhatched eggs is removed, as old nest materials can become infested by various types of larvae, which can cause a serious infestation to any future nesting inhabitants.
Do wear rubber gloves when removing waste nest material, before pouring freely, simply plain boiling water into and over the box. This extermination process removes any hidden parasites that may have holed-up in cracks or crevices. Avoid all temptation to use insecticide, if possible.
Remember birds will often return to use your nest box for roosting outside their breeding season, so it is a good idea to install a small handful of clean hay or wood shavings or a temporary roost, for this eventuality.
Expect Earwigs to make their home in any narrow crevices in your nest box, but same will not cause any harm to tenanted birds. To avoid this Earwig problem, inviting crevices can be filled using the various types of filling compounds available in your local DIY store.
Thurles Sky watchers should have had a chance to catch a glimpse of the full “strawberry moon” tonight Friday, June 9th; the sixth full moon on the 2017 lunar calendar and the last full moon of the spring season in the northern hemisphere.
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