Wildlife in the garden - at any time of year

Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
This was on the ground near our hedge line... after a dose of gusting wind. The nest space is about 2" in diameter and the cone depression is about 2" deep. The nest is lined with moss, feathers and hair from our Golden Retriever. My guess is that the nest was built by a Robin although there have been no Robins in our garden this year.

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Robin or something else?

Rgds, Graham
 
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Stephen

Stephen

Western Thunderer
Last couple of weeks we’ve had our usual visitors:

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A couple of different foxes do their circuit and pass through the garden, sometimes in pairs. this chap was wandering solo at about 8am one morning.

Then we have our nighttime visitors:

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This chap usually wanders through about 9:30/10:00pm. Haven’t seen the cubs yet - might be too early, I honestly don’t know.

Generally neither set of visitor causes much trouble - the squirrels are far more destructive on the lawn!

Cheers,

Stephen
 
Rob Pulham

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
The mention of fox burrow brought to mind a little episode that happened this week. It happened while we were having breakfast and so quick that we didn't have time to reach for the phone or camera.

Since some (or all) of the bottom dropped out of the owl box in the field just beyond the railway and the resident Barn owls moved on. A pair of Little owls have taken up residence in the owl box.

We see them out and about quite often, mostly when one or the other (or occasionally both) are sat sun bathing in nearby trees. One of them also regularly sits on some planks which protrude off of the edge of a sheep shelter just below the owl box. While there it often poops, in the same place each time, almost as if it's a designated toilet.

From sitting there, on Monday or Tuesday morning, it flew down to the ground in the field (presumably looking for food) and after a few moments it dropped out of sight into a nearby rabbit burrow.

It got rather a nasty shock, given the speed that it suddenly popped back out, there must have been someone in residence in the hole . It stopped for a few seconds on the ground and shook itself. then it flew back into the tree.
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Just about three weeks back I posted a photo of a bird nest that was on the ground in our garden. Today Smudge alerted us to something in the scrub beside our Lower Bank Shed, we went to look and found that Smudge was looking at a Blue Tit fledgling, see photo below.

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Peter lifted the bird carefully and put the bird onto a leafy branch in the tree line. The bird started calling to a parent and then flew up into the canopy. Smudge sulked at the loss of a playmate.

Rgds, Graham
 
Rob Pulham

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
We were sat out this morning (on our balcony facing the railway line) having a late and leisurely breakfast. When at about 9:30, the resident Polecat came bounding alongside the track with a young rabbit in it's mouth. It's the first time we have seen it in full daylight, as previously it's been dusk or dark and we've had outside lights on.

Once it reached us, it seemed to realise we were there and it bounded off into the undergrowth out of sight. A lovely start to the day.
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
I expect the proximity of the railway line has seen a few off too - perhaps the Polecat had stumbled upon a piece of “Railkill”, rather than having done the deed himself?… :rolleyes:


Regards

Dan
 
RonnieS

RonnieS

Western Thunderer
I was always amused by the fat wood pigeons that visit BUT now I am not. I put snail pellets down to protect the Hostas but the flying rats ate the lot! At £8 for the "new" type pellets I was not amused. Judging by the blue mess everywhere it upsets the pigeons stomach. However (bird brain) it does not stop them going back for seconds! Looks like netting plants or get off my garden green pellets?
 
4

40057

Western Thunderer
RonnieS said:
I was always amused by the fat wood pigeons that visit BUT now I am not. I put snail pellets down to protect the Hostas but the flying rats ate the lot! At £8 for the "new" type pellets I was not amused. Judging by the blue mess everywhere it upsets the pigeons stomach. However (bird brain) it does not stop them going back for seconds! Looks like netting plants or get off my garden green pellets?
Click to expand...
If you put the pellets under some broken pieces of flower pot the birds can’t get at them, but the slugs still will. That’s probably the advice on the packet.
 
RonnieS

RonnieS

Western Thunderer
40057 said:
If you put the pellets under some broken pieces of flower pot the birds can’t get at them, but the slugs still will. That’s probably the advice on the packet.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. I had not read the instructions until now but they did not contain that sensible advice. They did say if your pet eats them visit the vet as they are toxic! I thought they had changed the recipe to avoid that? So now I feel sorry because I have not seen the pigeons today. I had not got any terracotta pots so I used some slate. The instructions also advise watering the area before sprinkling the pellets.
 
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