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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 24 8:17 am Post subject:

some old pals have been seen, assorted snail spp is nice

the new improved mouse castle with toad halls(it can choose) is different and better

the human plants are liking light

destruction and construction and not upsetting the wildlife more than minimum is a bit delicate
the chap doing all the heavy stuff has become quite taken by mice and hand feeding birds, im not sure he really understood when i grabbed a stump off him saying" careful, one of my special spiders" , i was quite brave, three times i have had Schmidt 3 hits from the false widows
"a tiny stimulus not unlike the tip of a thistle prickles, some hours of no obvious problems, then you hope the skin won't split, then you hope it will"

they are not shy like the funnel webs who are polite even though they also have a nasty nip

i think my arm was probably a flower bug, S2
and something got my foot in a S2+ way, might have been multiple wasp stings in a safety slipper

both swelled a bit

the birds are getting used to the new environment

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15849

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 24 3:30 pm Post subject:
Not too sure about your spiders, but glad the other wildlife approves. Currently we have a number of snails living in our recycle bin, so hope they either wander off before it goes out. or the like the recycling centre.

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2538
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 24 5:38 pm Post subject:

Yesterday evening I tossed out the usual - dry corn kernels, peanuts, black oil sunflower seed. Thirty minutes later I tiptoed through the dark kitchen, flicked on the outside light and

there were SIX raccoons in a couple of sizes, three or perhaps four smaller ones, the others larger but not massively so, daintily picking up the goodies.

Looked again not quite an hour on. No raccoons. No seed either.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 24 5:40 pm Post subject:

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 24 6:07 pm Post subject:
that nasturtium has at least 50, medium-sized white going by who has been laying eggs nice to see at least one spp coping, sort of, the lack of numbers and lack of spp among the insects(birds and bats) is scary if this posts i will carry on in a few mo

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Aug 05, 24 7:40 pm Post subject:

total leccy crash between writing and posting, this pooter is more robust than i expected
more of leccy later

where was i?

ahh, tt's today anecdote says the area of woods etc around Knaresborough are noticeable lacking in invertebrates birds etc compared to previous observations
(the river is filthy, even 5 yrs ago it was between grade one and two out of 5 clean, decent size trout etc)

mouse and its two tiny mousey children were happy to feed 3 feet away from me, they like stage one of the mouse castle improvements

ps i recon that snap is ok for a less than fancy phone

get close and a minute with pro photoshop beta/raw tweaks was all it needed to make it look ok

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15849

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 24 7:23 am Post subject:
Have not seen many butterflies this year, but there are the usual range of them I think. Weather was rather against them this winter and spring. Otherwise, think we have about the same number as in previous years, so avoiding areas where ticks are likely to lurk, but still pick them up sometimes.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Aug 09, 24 10:52 am Post subject:

the improved mouse castle is approved

i was a bit worried they might be upset by the alterations, the log with 3 holes makes a fine gatehouse, the extra passages and runways between and under lumps are popular

never more than a few inches from safety seems to be ideal for them, before the improvements some parts were a little exposed

although there are many nooks and crannies and tunnels, they are even happier to show themselves posing on choice stones

the birds are a bit upset at the gap between the restaurant and the trees and bushes over the alley
it is exposed in a way grin could exploit, rather than bushes almost meeting over the alley

next year a lot more co-potted nasturtiums, the pillars have almost eaten these two
very few insects of all spp, they need any help they can get, i feel rather odd having to fluff elsie, craig and shirley

thinking of insects, aphids have been depleted which goes with few ladybirds, wasps, other predators
moths and butterflies are almost not present
ditto large insectivores, eg bats
worm town is thriving

very few birds compared to 3 or 4 yrs ago,for numbers of the spp present and many spp just not present
that goes for locals and seasonal migrants

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15849

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 24 8:22 am Post subject:

Could you train something over the alley to stop the peregrine using it. Mouse castle seems ideal.

Saw a number of deer the other day; a roe buck completely out in the open near a road and a doe and a couple of well grown fawns in the wood. Also saw several silver washed fritillary butterflies, a small blue, meadow brown and painted lady yesterday. Best count of butterflies this year. We have had some in the garden, but a lot fewer than most years. Think it was the weather over the winter and spring.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 24 3:28 pm Post subject:

before any training i need the new wall to set

the daws have adjusted, the mice are happy, i have 3 power pigeons, hansom mrs hansom and young hansom, the rest are either no more or moved on

less sparrows, they often take a working holiday in the countryside about this time of year

about an hour ago i was doing the bins(a bit energetic for me, but tt has gone to Lincoln to see keifer sutherland and pals, better than work or mother visits)
that bit is not wildlife

there is/was a very young and very poorly looking squab in the alley, i was tempted to intervene but took advice from the lucilla, who were not quite waiting for the next stage

it might get rescued by parents, it looked sick enough to have been evicted by them

this one is far beyond my avian veterinary skills, hansom was a nearly eaten and orphaned, this one has little potential vitality looking at it

a bit harsh but circle of life etc

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 24 8:22 am Post subject:
a few feathers in the alley this morning explains the corvid squawking and flapping about noises 45 mins after the mention of the poorly squab oh well, it was fairly swift, and the corvids got a meal if i had dispatched it, they might have missed out on afternoon tea

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46071
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 24 6:41 pm Post subject:
yep ace critters

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15849

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 24 1:10 pm Post subject:
Still not keen on pigeons en masse, although I could accept that individual birds have some good human interactions.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8807
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 24 9:31 am Post subject:
The starlings are really going for the berries on the Himalayan Honeysuckle bush and the young Rowan tree. They haven't started on the Fuschia yet

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15849

Posted: Tue Sep 10, 24 7:37 am Post subject:

Went into the greenhouse to water yesterday and found some hornets after the split grapes. Didn't recognise them as they didn't seem as big as the ones we get in the woods, and the wood ones have bright pink legs. Husband chased them round the greenhouse for a bit but eventually got a picture on his phone for ID. Definitely hornets, so must be a nest somewhere that is on the way out as they don't normally feed on sugar but insects.

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