Resolved A lovely or a Rat ? please

***Chocky*** · 02-04-2008, 10:44 PM

I don't know what this is it was so quick I snapped it and it was gone . It was on a garden wall

**Merlin** · 02-04-2008, 10:48 PM

Can think of absolutely nothing but 'rat' here Beryl. Be interesting if anyone can come up with an alternative suggestion.

Pete.

***Chocky*** · 02-04-2008, 11:24 PM

Uhg. I thought so. I wondered as it was on a garden wall not any where near water or sewers etc.

Thanks Pete

**Babs** · 02-04-2008, 11:37 PM

Beryl I agree with Pete, you will still get them Beryl away from water, they will travel but they are good swimmers

**rolf** · 02-04-2008, 11:45 PM

Yep, Brown Rat, the ears give it away. A great site for identification is http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/

***Chocky*** · 02-04-2008, 11:53 PM

Yes I did notice the ears and rats have bare ears but not too clever with rodents . Thanks every one , I have sent it to the trash bin

Have book marked that page , thanks Rolf

**andy b** · 03-04-2008, 12:41 PM

i would echo the rat suggestions. at the visitors centre at leighton moss rspb, there are bird feeders directtly outside the front entrance. there are quiteoften rats scavenging around the base of the feeders. the surrounding bushes provide ample cover as they nip too and fro with morsels of food. above the entrance is the cafeteria. a couple of windows look out onto the feeders. we have sat , on a number of occasions, watching the rats, aswell as the birds. we have watched them climbing along the branches of the bushes and appear very agile. i dont find them repulsive at all when watched in this scenario. ( even though it is near to a cafe!!) it's the rats around dicarded town waste that is'nt nice.

p.s. rats make very good pets. i know people that have had them and say they are lovely. in one of the petshops in preston, an assistant used to walk around the shop with a rat on her shoulder... a bit like you would a parrot!!
i suppose in that instance, beryl you could say.. a lovely!!

***Chocky*** · 03-04-2008, 01:08 PM

My brother had a white pet rat. It bit him and he was so ill he nearly died in hospital.. psittacoses probably acquired from the pet shop parrots where he bought it. Not so lovely

**andy b** · 03-04-2008, 01:24 PM

as you say beryl not so lovely, sorry to hear it.

***Chocky*** · 03-04-2008, 01:29 PM

He survived. That was back in the early 60s . Things are a little healthier in pet shops today.

**Merlin** · 03-04-2008, 04:38 PM

Might be treading on thin ice here, but I'm not sure the rat is any more a problem than any other creature. Of course the rats downfall is that it thrives on 'mans' (and woman's to be politically correct these days) waste, and for this reason it is unfortunate the animal does perhaps carry far more disease than many other animals do. But without going too deeply into the problem, and on the face of it, isn't it as much our fault as the rat's.

The bottom line here - as with many so called 'pest' problems - is that the case is very often over dramatised in my view. I think if we had a country wide survey with a 100% response the result would be a minimum of the 100% ever having seen a rat, let alone suffered in any way at all at the hands of one.

Pete.

**rolf** · 03-04-2008, 06:00 PM

Well I think they are considered a problem firstly, as they exist in massive numbers and are not indigenous to this country, at least not the most numerous species, secondly, they tend to encroach on human living space, often bringing health issues.

Anyone who has had an infestation will certainly consider them as a problem, but as you say, many will go through life without seeing a rat, possibly because they don't tend to observe what is around them.

**Babs** · 03-04-2008, 06:07 PM

It doesn't bother me a bit if I see a rat while I'm at the reserves, I would be eager to take it's picture,I wouldn't like them in my garden though. I've never see the ones at Leighton Moss andy, I must look next time I go. A couple appear at Formby on the bridge by the ponds they don't worry about the people walking about and I've see one from a hide a Pennington. Yes pet rats are lovely until as like Beryl says one bites you. one bit hubby and it wouldn't let go for ages..........ouch

***Chocky*** · 03-04-2008, 06:17 PM

I used to see King sewer rats in the well of the block of flats we lived in and they were the size of my Siamese cat . We were move to another married quarter very swiftly.

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02-04-2008, 10:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Merlin Regular Member Info Real name: Pete Location: N W England Gallery: 6 Equipment: Nothing but my notebook which is one of the most important parts of birding. To go out without it (which I only ever did once) is like going out without your pants on. I've never understood why I responded to the 'Cameras and Equipment' question in this way because in reality I own a Leica Telescope with eyepieces, Zeiss Binoculars, and a Manfrotto Tripod all of which cost a positive fortune. Posts: 817 Join Date: Mar 2008 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Can think of absolutely nothing but 'rat' here Beryl. Be interesting if anyone can come up with an alternative suggestion. Pete.

02-04-2008, 11:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Babs Founder Member Info Real name: Barbara Location: Greater Manchester Gallery: 14 Equipment: The equipment I use is a Canon 30D with Sigma 50-500mm lens. I also have a garden hide from which I take most of my pictures. Posts: 1,530 Join Date: Apr 2007 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Beryl I agree with Pete, you will still get them Beryl away from water, they will travel but they are good swimmers

03-04-2008, 12:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
andy b Regular Member Info Location: preston, lancashire Gallery: 0 Equipment: for the last 8 yrs i have used a kowa 60 mm scope, but hve recently bought an opticron hr66 ga. i too have have used a homemade digiscoping adaptor with my kowa.i used two different sized bushes to accomodate the scope eyepiece and camera lense.( with some good results!).... budget has always been a massive factor with my hobby. having a family, there are always other things which take financial p Posts: 523 Join Date: Oct 2007 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	i would echo the rat suggestions. at the visitors centre at leighton moss rspb, there are bird feeders directtly outside the front entrance. there are quiteoften rats scavenging around the base of the feeders. the surrounding bushes provide ample cover as they nip too and fro with morsels of food. above the entrance is the cafeteria. a couple of windows look out onto the feeders. we have sat , on a number of occasions, watching the rats, aswell as the birds. we have watched them climbing along the branches of the bushes and appear very agile. i dont find them repulsive at all when watched in this scenario. ( even though it is near to a cafe!!) it's the rats around dicarded town waste that is'nt nice. p.s. rats make very good pets. i know people that have had them and say they are lovely. in one of the petshops in preston, an assistant used to walk around the shop with a rat on her shoulder... a bit like you would a parrot!! i suppose in that instance, beryl you could say.. a lovely!!

03-04-2008, 01:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
andy b Regular Member Info Location: preston, lancashire Gallery: 0 Equipment: for the last 8 yrs i have used a kowa 60 mm scope, but hve recently bought an opticron hr66 ga. i too have have used a homemade digiscoping adaptor with my kowa.i used two different sized bushes to accomodate the scope eyepiece and camera lense.( with some good results!).... budget has always been a massive factor with my hobby. having a family, there are always other things which take financial p Posts: 523 Join Date: Oct 2007 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	as you say beryl not so lovely, sorry to hear it.

03-04-2008, 04:38 PM	#11 (permalink)
Merlin Regular Member Info Real name: Pete Location: N W England Gallery: 6 Equipment: Nothing but my notebook which is one of the most important parts of birding. To go out without it (which I only ever did once) is like going out without your pants on. I've never understood why I responded to the 'Cameras and Equipment' question in this way because in reality I own a Leica Telescope with eyepieces, Zeiss Binoculars, and a Manfrotto Tripod all of which cost a positive fortune. Posts: 817 Join Date: Mar 2008 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Might be treading on thin ice here, but I'm not sure the rat is any more a problem than any other creature. Of course the rats downfall is that it thrives on 'mans' (and woman's to be politically correct these days) waste, and for this reason it is unfortunate the animal does perhaps carry far more disease than many other animals do. But without going too deeply into the problem, and on the face of it, isn't it as much our fault as the rat's. The bottom line here - as with many so called 'pest' problems - is that the case is very often over dramatised in my view. I think if we had a country wide survey with a 100% response the result would be a minimum of the 100% ever having seen a rat, let alone suffered in any way at all at the hands of one. Pete.

03-04-2008, 06:07 PM	#13 (permalink)
Babs Founder Member Info Real name: Barbara Location: Greater Manchester Gallery: 14 Equipment: The equipment I use is a Canon 30D with Sigma 50-500mm lens. I also have a garden hide from which I take most of my pictures. Posts: 1,530 Join Date: Apr 2007 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	It doesn't bother me a bit if I see a rat while I'm at the reserves, I would be eager to take it's picture,I wouldn't like them in my garden though. I've never see the ones at Leighton Moss andy, I must look next time I go. A couple appear at Formby on the bridge by the ponds they don't worry about the people walking about and I've see one from a hide a Pennington. Yes pet rats are lovely until as like Beryl says one bites you. one bit hubby and it wouldn't let go for ages..........ouch

Thames valley birds - Identification requests on birds, wildlife and plants If you need to identify, or confirm your thoughts on identity of a garden bird, wildfowl, waterfowl, bird of Prey or indeed any wildlife or plants, then ask here, including a photo (even a bad one) makes identification easier. A lovely or a Rat ? please

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