Out in the big wide tank...

You may remember I had some baby fish a while ago. You probably don't and if you do, you probably didn't really care that much when I told you, but I found it quite exciting. The four babies quickly turned into two, but they've both survived for nearly a month now. They're still pretty small, but figured they were slightly bigger than the mouth of a Gourami, so it was time to let them spread their fins and see how they got on with the rest of my fish.

They've lasted about 15 minutes so far, and now they seemed to have worked out the current in the tank, they seem to be doing okay at the moment. Well, one is hiding behind the thermometer looking shit scared, but the other one is doing some good investigation... I'll keep you posted of course, whether you're interested or not. I tried to take some nice photos just in case I underestimated the size of a Gourami's mouth, but it turns out a tank in a tank is hard to focus on. I've posted them anyway for your viewing pleasure :)

the baby fish when they were stupidly small (I particularly enjoy the one at the top eyeballing the lens here)

baby fish before being released to the big tank (with helpful minnow for scale)

Rainham Can Be Good Sometimes (and Other Stories)

As the boy has probably already told you, we finally got round to a proper Rainham trip this weekend, and very nice it was too. Despite the cold, it was clear and fairly pleasant, and I managed to see some stuff that I would have seen earlier had it not been for the snow, like snipe, pintail and cetti's warbler. More exciting things included water rail squeeling from the reeds, picking out one golden plover amongst a sea of lapwings, and finally getting those bean geese just before we were about to leave the site. I always complain about going to the serin mound, because contrary to it's name, I don't think it has any serins. Or dartford warblers. Or whatever it is we ever go there to find. However today was an exception, offering up a big old flock of linnets, then revealing a previously-concealed slavonian grebe and a finale of a barn owl quartering over the fields in front. They're always my favourites, a site can always win me over with a bit of strigiformes... short eared owls would be nice too.

I would add some photos but the boy still has the camera, and although I copied some photos, they're not really too impressive...

This all puts the year list at a rather respectable 92 for the year so far, with Norfolk and Mull trips both looking more likely over the next few months. I think I'm getting better at this birding thing too, it's good to find your own stuff rather than wait for things to be pointed out (although my bird call knowledge is woefully inadequate).

In other news, I have some new additions to my tank... Topped up my corys with three very cute julii, and got some grassy type plants for the guppys to hang around in and look mysterious.


Some even more exciting additions didn't cost any money though...


AWESOME.

New Things

This weekend I didn't manage to do anything exciting like go to Norfolk, so instead I cheered myself up by restocking my fish tank following a bit of neglect of late.

First up were a pair of corydoras to keep my panda company. Marvel at my amazing photography skills..


With the gradual decline of my minnows (finally) and my platys (theyre rubbish fish), I decided on trying out some guppies, for the main reason that they're supposed to be really easy to breed and that might be quite fun.


Will keep you posted as to the extent of their success, but so far I've kept the full compliment alive for 2 whole days. Hoorah!


Ram is still my favourite though, he's like the fish equivalent of a portugese friend of mine- small, cocky but entertaining.

Oh and while I was out I picked up one of these...

Should be much more reliable for all those far-flung birding trips than the blue beast :) It's much bigger than I thought, but I suppose most cars are big compared to a Ka. It's pleasingly grown-up and doesn't make any doom-filled noises as you drive along, which as far as I'm concerned is a big plus.

And so it begins...

Yes, the slow decline into failue. It was bound to happen really. Just as I managed to outsmart the snails and the plants had settled in, something was bound to go wrong.

RIP Minnow I. A victim of what I suspect to be foul play, on the part of my Ram. I am keeping a close eye on this one... Still, these minnows have already easily outlived their life expectancy, so it could be the result of a combination of reasons. However, concerns over the welfare of my fish population have taken a slightly more sinister turn...


Currently my Corydoras schwartzii isn't looking this good. Really not very good at all, bearing in mind the two massive lesions on his head and lack of barbels. Bumcakes. Methinks I'll be heading down to the fish shop first thing in the morning for some sort of miracle fixitude, after a water change. I'll keep you posted, but my hopes aren't high for this little guy :(

Note to readers: Don't search for "Hole in the Head Corydoras" unless you want to throw up some gay porn...

lazy bloggans

I haven't got round to writing a post about my trip to Abberton on the weekend yet, so you will have to contain your excitement on that one for now.

I managed to find a bit of time this weekend to get a few more plants for my aquarium, and a couple of new fish. First off was another panda corydora, to keep my other one company when zipping up and down the side of the tank. Secondly I wanted something a bit more interesting.

This is my dutch ram, and he's very pretty. He was a bit shy to start with, and is very good at swimming through the plants unlike my rubbish minnows which tend to just see them as obstacles to go round. He's very colourful and is getting more confident, after working out the catfish aren't a threat. I contemplated getting angelfish, but my tank isn't quite hot enough for them (and i can't turn it up any higher without boiling the minnows). I think this guy is a bit different though, and seems to get on with all my other fish.

In other fish tanky news, there are still no platy babies, so maybe the white platy just has eating issues and I shouldn't draw attention to her sudden weight gain. Oh, and what started out as two tiny stowaway snails on a plant about a month ago has turned into snail city inside my filter, and half the pebbles are now snails. Shit. Any suggestions other than a bucket of salt?

i do work in a zoo, honestly

First, a little update on my personal living collection: We are still awaiting the arrival of my free fish...

The Cat is fully supportie of my foray into the world of aquariums by the way :)

In other news, Regent's Park has been looking so awesome lately that I thought I should probably share it with you (and because I know at least one person quite likes botany).

Hoorah, tulips everywhere :)

Meanwhile, in the zoo there have been loads of animals looking quite pleased with all the sunshine and leaves on trees etc that we've been getting. Coming into baby season, so it's really quite cute :)


After reading about some Choughs in Cornwall, I thought it might be an idea to point out that we have some nesting in Regent's Park too. Sort of.


The enclosure that these guys are in is REALLY difficult to take photos of, because the mesh is angled perfectly to catch your focus every time (not included in this blog post: about 56 similar photos of chough completely hidden by dirty great big grey lines).
For this reason you do not have any photos of baikal teal, night herons, wood ducks, radjah shelduck... But I did get a nice photo of a sparrow pretending to be a reed warbler.

update

One of my platys is very ROUUUUNNND... keeping my eye out for teeny fishes.

All other fish present and correct, with the addition of some awesome rocks to make some hideaways for the catfish. Getting there slowly :)

Quick update...

I have been in France this weekend, so will be making a proper post in the week with some photos etc. Don't get too excited on the birding front though...

In other news, I have tentatively introduced my first fish into my new tank...


Well these are my original fish, but I have to start somewhere. I carefully left my favourite minnow in the old tank for now just in case, but all going well should be there for the weekend so i can go buy some proper new additions. I find this exciting even if nobody else does :)