The Cork Oak is from a hotter climate as the cork (thick bark) is for protection from the heat. I’m not aware of any Oak species being native to the UK except the pedunculate and sessile oaks. I think all the others are introductions, generally in gardens, but that doesn’t mean that their progeny cannot escape into the wild.
Behind our house there is a playing field where numerous dog walkers bring their dogs to allow them off the lead. For the last few weeks the dawn chorus has overlapped with these people letting their dogs get some exercise before they go to work. I’ve never noticed this in previous years but the birds have now incorporated into their songs the whistles that people have used to call their dogs back. It was hilarious - at least I thought so - but my wife couldn’t understand why I was laughing at birds singing. Never mind!
NIce! A couple of years ago we had a starling that had incorporated a car alarm into it’s song (a bit tedious after a while!). Interesting how birds learn new elements for their song - I suppose the fact that some birds can be taught to ‘speak’ is just an extension of that.
I adored the idea of dogs rushing back to assorted starlings and others.[quote=“johnwilliams_6, post:2287, topic:971”]
some birds can be taught to ‘speak’
[/quote]
I think that is true. I’m not sure why only some can manage speech sounds, bill design maybe?
I do know that starlings are clever mimics, but I’m not sure about other British birds. A distant relation, possibly step, dead before I was born, had a pet crow called Jim. I have never quite believed that a crow has the vocal equipment to speak, but my Dad was convinced Jim had done so!
Yes, I’ve heard too that it’s possible to teach the crow family to speak, even magpies.
Oh gee! Diolch yn fawr! it may be just about 6 months short of 100 years since my dad was born, but it’s nice to know he was probably right all along, and I do know magpies can mimic, although I’m not sure how they good are at voices. A friend had a grey parrot who was brilliant. Had a lovely Gower accent and lived in her porch, delightfully greeting all visitors! It did mean I had to leave a certain Cavalier King Charles tied to the gate, but it was worth it! (Tish, of course, did not agree!). The only other one I knew was more colourful, not sure which kind of parrot, but it was bought at Liverpool Market by a friend and had some very unfortunate vocabulary, including a suggestion of what should be done to the Vicar!
I am wrth fy modd to be posting this picture. It is a Marsh Tit - Titw’r Wern.
Hapus iawn otherwydd this is the first time I have erioed identified one. It is identical to the Willow Tit - Titw’r Helyg - apart from it’s song & according to a video on YouTube by the BTO, the teeny tiny white bit at the base of its beak. This one kindly called out - pitshŵ - and turned it’s head for me. I’m easily amused.
DS
Iolo’s Natur Gudd Cymru is being shown again on S4C or iPlayer.
Da iawn pippa, i struggle with these two species, the area i tend to survey is marsh tit territory according to the the local bird people. like you i went for internet song recordings and i find the ones i photograph make the willow tit call !!.
Watched Iolo last week with the usual thrill (hopefully i get a bit more each time they are repeated).
Cheers J.P.
I never tire of watching & listening to him.
15 years in Oxfordshire & I never managed with any confidence to work out if it was Marsh or Willow Tits we were seeing, hence we called them Mallow Tits.
That is priceless.
Rhydechan heddiw - Oxford today.
The book say’s March to May for blodau Britheg - snake’s head fritillary flowers, (we didn’t see any). but it was a good day (read no rain).
Digon o crocws - Plenty of crocus.
Oedd gwydd wyllt hyn yn gobeithio J.W gan bwyd aderyn (oedd o siomedig) - this graylag goose was hopeing J.W. had bird food (it was disappointed).
Much to my surprise there was a lot of boat races on the river which led to some alarming signs.
Of course know the reason for a loud bang would be interesting.
Oedd cannon bach - it was small cannon.
Llygad ebrill’n dechrau blodaeo hefyd - Lesser celandine stared flowering as well.
Diolch am dy gymny J.W.
Cheers J.P.
It suddenly occurred to me, this may be a common sight in damp Wales and even damper Yr Alban, but not elsewhere, so -
A lichen tree? Of course not! It’s a rowan!
Coeden cen? Wrth gwrs ddim. Mae’n griafolen!
But no leaves yet! All the green is lichen!
Today i took a chance as the forecast is warmer but wet tomorrow, today promised sunny spells.
Fioled ber (dw i’n meddwl) - Sweet violet (i think).
Madfall - common lizard.
Now, what i was hopeing is that the sun would bring out the first adder of the year, was i lucky, oh yes. i eventually spotted one and while watching it realised there was another close by, the lucky bit was when they moved together to share the same sunny spot.
Dau gwiber gyda gilydd - Two adders together. (click on images for full size).
Cheers J.P.
Neidr ddefaid - slow worm.
Gwyddau bach o Helygen ddeilgron - Sallow catkins (the direct welsh translation is little geese which i think is excellent).
Alan mawr - Butterbur.
Carn yr ebol - Colt’s foot.
Briallu - Primrose.
Mae’n edrych fel yr gwanwen wedi dechrau - it looks like spring has started 
Cheers J.P.
My favourite friends! Gwiber close second.
Now, although this plant is so close outside it almost doesn’t count, and although I posted a bad pic before, I could not resist! I planted this Camellia in about 2005 as a very small plant into a bed of ericaceous compost dug into an unlikely mix of builders’ rubble and old, compacted junk, outside my sitting room window. It grew and grew and produced a few (2 or 3 or 4) flowers each year. When I posted the first picture, what was notable was how early it flowered!
NOW:-
as you can see, it is full of flower, of which a close up is…
Heddiw, heulwen, felly mae’r glynnod byw dechrau ymddangos - Today, sunshine, so the butterflies started to appear.
Melyn y rhafnwydd - Brimstone.
Mantell garpiog - Comma.
(hopefully i will take some better photo’s soon of these).
Cheers J.P.
I noticed this at the side of the road on the outskirts of Llanover/Llanofer near Abergavenny, last night. I don’t know if the inscription is in Gwenhwysig dialect.
I can only make out, “y fwch fawr a…” my little geiriadur app tells me bwch is a Billy goat, which wouldn’t soften, would it @aran? Maybe it is just ‘the big goat’…but I can’t see the rest! Curiosity bites! Can you remember it. John?
Yfwch …drink
Idiot woman here never thought of that, I read it as two words!! ‘Drink and…’ oh, I do want to know what comes next!
Yfwch pawb a croesaw a nag anghofio wennen Gwent.
I’m not sure what wennen means.
