Aliens in Scotland!!!

[ina]

No, this is not about little green men...

I'm just looking through a review of alien species in Scotland (work related... plants and animals!), and I've come across a most astonishing fact. Aussies and Kiwis look here! Did you know we didn't have to visit you any more to see a wallaby? (Oh well, we have the New Zealand flatworm, too - not quite so attractive.)

Hope these links work.

http://www.nhpa.co.uk/bin/nhpa.dll/go?a ... t=00031951

http://www.bigcats.org/esa/wallabies3.html

Ina

[Magpie]

I was surprised to learn we have a thriving wallaby population about an hour's drive from us too.

I also read recently about the naughty man who sold dock seeds as tobacco seeds here in NZ, years ago... almost as bad a the Scottish settlers who spread gorse seeds around, so they could see the hills all golden with their flowers - well, they got their wish!

[Millymollymandy]

Interesting, but was it the 1970s or 1870s when they were introduced????

I can just imagine though, can't you, the poor truck driver. A kangaroo in Scotland?????? He must have thought he'd gone nuts!!!

[ina]

1970s - I saw that misprint, too. And since there are quite a few people on the road with alcohol problems in Scotland - well, not just on the road - they might well think it's time to reduce their intake... Might have a beneficial impact on Scottish health!

Ina

[flowers-v-spuds]

[Andy Hamilton]

Hmm, this opens up the debate on bull bars on the front of 4 x 4!

I had heard about the bears and wolves and such being introduced, why on earth would they introduce wallabies even on an island???

[ina]

I think that was supposed to become a kind of exotic wildlife park. In the 70s they probably thought that was a clever idea - and no fences necessary, being on an island - well, they didn't reckon that wallabies are such good swimmers! Loch Lomond very rarely freezes, so I don't think they got across on ice. Nowadays Scottish Natural Heritage would probably have to say a word or two about introducing alien species.

Ina

[Boots]

Well, that certainly got me laughing. Have seen them on the beach, but never in it.

Sure enough... I found this
http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1030590.htm

So it looks like wombats and echidnas might be on the way too!

Ya'll take care of em now, won't you? No weird new haggis recipes or nuffin like that... promise?

[ina]

Don't worry, you know haggis are a species to themselves... Two short legs on the left, two long legs on the right, so they can run around the hills better. Sub-species the lesser spotted haggis are the ones with the spotted coat. (Logic!) Difficult to catch, especially the spotted ones, due to camouflage effect.

Ina

[Shirley]

Don't worry, you know haggis are a species to themselves... Two short legs on the left, two long legs on the right, so they can run around the hills better. Sub-species the lesser spotted haggis are the ones with the spotted coat. (Logic!) Difficult to catch, especially the spotted ones, due to camouflage effect.

Ina

Catching them is quite easy Ina... because they have longer legs on one side they can only run up the hills easier... when they come down the wrong way you can catch them in nets at the bottom... Scrummy served with neeps and tatties... and a wee dram of something special ;)

[Guest]

2 short legs, 2 long legs....mmm

Ya'll sure you haven't had roos all along and are just now noticing?

WEE DRAM.....? Whatzat Shirlz...? Neeps and Tatties...

Right, I got spuds.

Wee dram with Neeps...

Is that a little tram that beeps when you've had a couple too many moonshines?

[ina]

No, no - even I know that roos have the short legs front and the long legs back!
I was told that you had to chase the haggis around the hill for a while in the direction that is easier for them (dictated by which legs are shorter), then stop and turn round - since haggis are a bit daft, they keep running until they catch up with you again - then you say "boo" and they fall off the hill with fright...

And a dram is a measure of whisky. Don't know whether the size of the measure is in any way fixed. Wee is Scottish for small - but we have a tendency for understatement, especially where drink is concerned.

Neeps are swedes - or turnips - or Swedish turnips - we had that discussion before, and the jury is still out! I think it varies locally. In Shetland I discovered local swedes that looked (and tasted) like turnips to me

I think we need to start writing a dictionary to facilitate the use of this forum !

Ina

[Boots]

Ooooh Ina....You are so right!!! You have resurrected a childhood memory for me... and it is fact what you say about haggis catching! Because bonnie Prince Charlie said so in his book!

When I was younger, I remember my Grandma giving me a book...no idea what it was called... but the Prince wrote it himself , so it was very special and very important...and I read that book over and over...

I don't think it ever made any sense.

But you are definately right about how to catch them. No doubt about it.

[Millymollymandy]

Mon dieu! Thankfully I speak 'Strine' and understand a bit of Scottish.

Now as long as Ina doesn't start posting in German, I can still, just, follow this thread!

[Boots]

Ah WEE! Does a banier tournea gauche or tournea Droit?




Um, that's all I learned at school.

Am fitted out real well for a trip to France aren't I?