General discussion - public

[ceratopsian]

@ Crackington - yes, we're very close then.  I'm just on the very edge of London.  Meeting up once we're all "safe" would be excellent.  And yes, group outing would be good!

We've seen a kite only a couple of miles from home, so nearly here....  I can remember a good few years ago now visiting some friends near High Wycombe for tea and being completely captivated by my first sight of circling red kites calling above us.  Unforgettable. 

Thanks @ceratopsian , it seems that we are near neighbours then! I'm not too far from St Alban's and Watford. Perhaps when this rotten pandemic is over we'll be able to meet up, maybe with other UK Forumites too (it's a long time overdue!). Ive been dreaming of seeing the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs again and would be great to go in a group.

You've certainly got a very wide selection of birds near you and some nice uncommon ones too. I see many of them too round here, though not yesterday morning!. I probably underestimated the numbers yesterday as I was trying not to count birds twice, but I know where a few are roosting so could kind of tell which ones they were.   

The kites will hopefully get to you soon, I think they've been spreading Eastwards (I saw some in Wycombe first a while ago). We have a big flock of parakeets nearby too, very noisy!

[DinoToyForum]

Thanks @ceratopsian , it seems that we are near neighbours then! I'm not too far from St Alban's and Watford. Perhaps when this rotten pandemic is over we'll be able to meet up, maybe with other UK Forumites too (it's a long time overdue!). Ive been dreaming of seeing the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs again and would be great to go in a group.

Count me in! The last DTF meet-up at the NHM London was a lifetime ago!

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Since British birds have been mentioned, I will briefly share what's with the birds in North West England. There's a field behind my house with trees and a lake (and a school sadly), that never used to have much wildlife but over the last 3 or 4 years that has been increasing and we now have more than before, starlings, wood pigeons, doves, a couple robins, jays, magpies, coots (though I don't think they're native) and a heron. Apart from the last few, they can occasionally be seen from our kitchen window. We used to get toads and bats (neither are birds obviously but I mention them anyway) but haven't seen either in a while. Haven't seen rats in a while either but I'm pretty sure they're still there. Free roaming cats too sadly.

[Stegotyranno420]

I know how much I'm hated.

Nobody hates you here. You are one of the most talented people I have seen here. In fact, we'd be pleased and happy to have you stay with us. This forum is a place that is welcoming and kind. It's one of the best things that happened to me. Sure, I had trouble once in a while, but I love this place, and I love the people in this place, and I respect the people who protect and moderate this place. And we are always here to help. Basically, I'm trying to say, you are not hated, you are welcome here.

[BlueKrono]

? @Stolpergeist

I would second what @Stegotyranno420 said. I'm sorry that you got that impression at all, but I assure you nobody here hates you. Let's give it a fresh start, shall we? I would love to see more of your stellar repaints.

[Stegotyranno420]

@BlueKrono can i also have a fresh start? I said some really rude things in the past and I want to restart everything/erase all bad things. I don't want anyone to remember me as a churlish moron who got banned, I just want to be remembered as a contributor to the goodness of this place and a representative of my race in the dinosaur community, and(i cant phrase this any better, so sorry if I sound egotistical) an artist and animator.

[BlueKrono]

@BlueKrono can i also have a fresh start? I said some really rude things in the past and I want to restart everything/erase all bad things. I don't want anyone to remember me as a churlish moron who got banned, I just want to be remembered as a contributor to the goodness of this place and a representative of my race in the dinosaur community, and(i cant phrase this any better, so sorry if I sound egotistical) an artist and animator.

@Stegotyranno420

Absolutely. I'm glad you're a part of this community. I appreciate your willingness to improve yourself. It's a goal I think we should all aspire to.

[ceratopsian]

@Gothmog the Baryonyx - we are fortunate in that our neighbours don't have cats. I love cats but know that their presence in the garden would change the balance of our bird life.

We used to see bats regularly in the evenings but then saw none for many years. Then to my intense delight, I saw just one flying above the garden in the late summer last year. I will be watching for it again come the spring. I'm hoping it will bring friends!

Rats. Definitely around. One got into our garage in the autumn and disrupted our electrical supply.   

[PumperKrickel]

I'm sorry that you got that impression at all, but I assure you nobody here hates you. Let's give it a fresh start, shall we?

Sadly I don't think it's that simple. It's a very difficult situation to navigate.

[DinoToyForum]

@Gothmog the Baryonyx - we are fortunate in that our neighbours don't have cats. I love cats but know that their presence in the garden would change the balance of our bird life.

We used to see bats regularly in the evenings but then saw none for many years. Then to my intense delight, I saw just one flying above the garden in the late summer last year. I will be watching for it again come the spring. I'm hoping it will bring friends!

Rats. Definitely around. One got into our garage in the autumn and disrupted our electrical supply.

We had bats, lots of them, flitting around above the trees in our garden in the summer. We're in Nottingham. I've also seen most of the birds mentioned above, but a new sighting for me last month was a flock of redpoll, they were feeding on next door's silver birch tree. Last year we had a pair of amorous hedgehogs dancing on our patio late into the night. Having spent most of my adult life staying in flats or apartments, the joy of a garden is something I'll never take for granted! Last year I documented all the plants in my garden, this year I may do the same for insects and other invertebrates.

[ceratopsian]

I had to look up redpoll - not something I'd even heard of and I never came across them as a youngster when I was in Nottingham.  You were lucky @dinotoyforum!

[Crackington]

@ceratopsian and @dinotoyforum  - great to hear some enthusiasm for a future UK meet up. I was thinking of maybe doing a joint visit with the Friends of Crystal Palace folk to see the Victorian dinos. We'll just have to see how the Lockdown etc pans out but I don't mind volunteering to help organise it for later (and when it's safe of course)!

? @Stolpergeist - just want to re-iterate what the good folk said earlier and hope that you come back on the Forum. I know it's easier said than done, but don't let bigots stop you from enjoying life (and the Forum!). This is a good place overall with diverse and interesting people, and you are highly thought of here. Plus Dr Admin and co are very good at keeping things civil and friendly. You are always welcome in my book 

[ceratopsian]

@Crackington - I visited them for the first time post TetZooCon two or three years back and very much enjoyed it.  Crystal Palace is very easily reached by train.  On the other matter - I'm being very cautious indeed and am relatively elderly (compared to most on the Forum at least).   Not sure I'll be considering group outings till I've had my second jab, not just my first.  But yes, we just need to see how things look later in the year.

@ceratopsian and @dinotoyforum  - great to hear some enthusiasm for a future UK meet up. I was thinking of maybe doing a joint visit with the Friends of Crystal Palace folk to see the Victorian dinos. We'll just have to see how the Lockdown etc pans out but I don't mind volunteering to help organise it for later (and when it's safe of course)!

[Crackington]

Sorry @ceratopsian, I was getting a bit carried away. We of course will have to wait for the vaccines to take effect and for the virus to really go down before we can do anything in groups. Let's face it, it may not even be safe to do anything this year

One of my other hobbies is playing in a brass band and I am on the committee. Quite a few of the members are pensioners as are many in the audience when we play. It's frustrating but we have to keep everyone safe, so we haven't played together now for almost a year. I'll bear this in mind as a yardstick - when the band can play, it'll hopefully be time to bring up a Forum meet up again

[Dilopho]

I haven't posted on this forum for such a long time, I'm just dropping by to let everyone know I'm alright. I haven't lost my passion for dinosaurs or anything. I hope everyone here is well. 

[SidB]

Good to hear from you again, @Dilopho , I'd missed seeing your posts the last half year or so. Best wishes for 2021, a bit belatedly.

[Dilopho]

Good to hear from you again, @Dilopho , I'd missed seeing your posts the last half year or so. Best wishes for 2021, a bit belatedly.

Thank you, you too! And everyone else here.

[Halichoeres]

I haven't posted on this forum for such a long time, I'm just dropping by to let everyone know I'm alright. I haven't lost my passion for dinosaurs or anything. I hope everyone here is well. 

Good to hear from you! Glad to know you're well and still into dinosaurs.

[EmperorDinobot]

UK meet-up? Sign me up! I plan to be in the UK sometime next year if we return to normal and if I can find a steady job at the lab I'm applying to. I can bring a pal, yea?

[BlueKrono]

UK meet-up? Sign me up! I plan to be in the UK sometime next year if we return to normal and if I can find a steady job at the lab I'm applying to. I can bring a pal, yea?

That sounds fun. By next year you do mean 2022, right?