Photo competition

[gavin]

Not for the faint-hearted, here is a new competition. A photo competition. Prizes? Oh, I don't know. I'll think of something appropriate.

Although I have the permission of the person donating this material to be open, I think that I'll keep his identity secret. If he wants to come on here and fess up, that is up to him!

Here is one of perhaps a thousand wax objects lying about his yard. Mostly wax anyway. From a distance I thought they were queens cells, but they are a little larger (I'll measure one tomorrow). What are they, and what made them?



Gavin

[kevboab]

This is annoying the life out of me already. I'm thinking along the lines of bird pellets however its the quantity that makes me think it could be something else.

[gavin]

Well done! It was given to me as the product of the other end of the bird, but having thought about it I think that would be anatomically impossible.

Second half of the question: what bird? The object at the thicker end is about the width of the thin end of my little finger.

G.

[kevboab]

First thought was barn owl however pellets are usually always dark coloured regardless of prey eaten. Now thinking kestrel or sparrowhawk.

[gavin]

Nope! Not a bird of prey or an owl. No seagull mess in the yard either.

[kevboab]

This could take a while. Kingfisher ???

[Neils]

Woodpecker? (no idea if they spit pellets, but if it's wax then what the heck for a stab in the dark guess).

[nonstandard]

My guess would be chickens, perhaps from feeding drone comb?

[gavin]

Excellent suggestions, I see where you are going with this. But no, not kingfisher, woodpecker nor any kind of domesticated fowl.

Get the right bird family and I'll give it to you.

I probably shouldn't reveal that a private correspondent suggested that it might be a cut and paste merchant's (one very seldom on this forum) <ctrl> key, but clearly that hasn't been through a bird so it can't be that either.

[gavin]

Here are a couple more examples of the detritus lying on the ground and on objects in that beekeeper's yard. Lots of them. In a suburban setting.



These other ones were a bit more fibrous but still essentially wax - from a bird not noted for its fibre intake.