The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[6Foot2]

 

A deer turned my harp session turned into a Disney movie.

 

Song is "The Sound of Silence", by Simon & Garfunkel.

Harp is the Fullsicle, by Harpsicle.

Deer is startled.

[johnathanadams]

I went camping in Scotland, was a bit wet, but got to see some hares, kestrels, and I think I saw an osprey. Now I need about a month to dry out

[mikeprice]

 

That is beautiful

 

 

but how did they know the deer's name???

[mikeprice]

That is beautiful

 

 

but how did they know the deer's name???

 

and for anyone who loved it and wants the version without the deer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

love the end where she finishes then turns quickly to check for wildlife

[Andrew_C]

We have a hedgehog! Haven't seen one here for a few years, so quite pleased.

[Ditto]

We have a hedgehog! Haven't seen one here for a few years, so quite pleased.

Congratulations - what weight is it? Have you got a name yet

[Andrew_C]

Congratulations - what weight is it? Have you got a name yet

Mrs C is unimpressed with that idea.

[stevejp]

Mrs C is unimpressed with that idea.

 

Not surprised - childbirth is (or so I am reliably informed) painful enough at the best of times!

[VeryPC]

Keeping the Hedgehog theme going

-Nicole

Edited July 29, 2020 by VeryPC

[LeMarchand]

Nicole

[ATTACH=CONFIG]58722[/ATTACH]

 

Why, after all this time, am I expecting that to be followed by "Papa"?

 

 

P.S. for the older chaps on the site, Nicole/Estelle Skornik still looks lovely.

[elsiegee40]

Sadly the hedgehog is newly in the same red list category as hazel dormice

 

 

“The mammals in the most threatened categories are as follows:

 

Critically endangered: Wildcat, greater mouse-eared bat;

 

Endangered: Beaver, red squirrel, water vole, grey long-eared bat;

 

Vulnerable: Hedgehog, hazel dormouse, Orkney vole, Serotine bat, Barbastelle bat;

 

Near threatened: Mountain hare, harvest mouse, lesser white-toothed shrew, Leisler's bat, Nathusius' pipistrelle”

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53585627

[Andrew_C]

We have a hedgehog! Haven't seen one here for a few years, so quite pleased.

TWO hogs last night!

[elsiegee40]

The seasons are changing. At the rescue, baby bird feeding moved on from Blue Tits and then Great Tits being in huge numbers to Robins and now Blackbirds.

 

This last week the numbers of young birds of prey is increasing to the point where we are having to accommodate them in the Nursery. This means that I have been getting to feed and handle...

 

A young kestrel... those eyes!

 

A young Sparrowhawk

 

And two young Tawny Owls (this one looking injured because I disturbed it to clean out its bay)

Edited August 3, 2020 by elsiegee40

[Ditto]

The seasons are changing. At the rescue, baby bird feeding moved on from Blue Tits and then Great Tits being in huge numbers to Robins and now Blackbirds.

 

This last week the numbers of young birds of prey is increasing to the point where we are having to accommodate them in the Nursery. This means that I have been getting to feed and handle...

 

A young kestrel... those eyes!

[ATTACH]58781[/ATTACH]

 

A young Sparrowhawk

[ATTACH]58779[/ATTACH]

 

And two young Tawny Owls (this one looking injured because I disturbed it to clean out its bay)

[ATTACH]58780[/ATTACH]

 

It's looking in better condition than lunch

Edited August 3, 2020 by elsiegee40

[CAM]

Saturday, saw a hedgehog happily snuffling around the apartment's car park!

 

This morning, suspect it's the same hedgehog squashed on the road outside the flat.

[Ditto]

Saturday, saw a hedgehog happily snuffling around the apartment's car park!

 

This morning, suspect it's the same hedgehog squashed on the road outside the flat.

All too sad and I guess a reason why they are so endangered. Compared to childhood, I don't see any squashed ones nowadays. I suspect it is due to their rarity, rather than a Darwin evolution working, with the 'road-timid' ones surviving. I do wonder over how long evolution would help their cause. P.S. - it might have been better to stick with the term 'apartment' rather than 'flat'

[elsiegee40]

Saturday, saw a hedgehog happily snuffling around the apartment's car park!

 

This morning, suspect it's the same hedgehog squashed on the road outside the flat.

 

☹️.....

[Andrew_C]

Well, that's a new experience. One of the pair of hedgehogs that frequent our garden used my foot as a salt-lick.

 

Sitting in the dark watching them and cooling down, one walked over to where we were, and started snuffling around my foot. Then licking, including putting its paws on my ankle to get further up.

 

Couldn't see it as I didn't want to move, and it was pretty dark.

[elsiegee40]

Well, that's a new experience. One of the pair of hedgehogs that frequent our garden used my foot as a salt-lick.

 

Sitting in the dark watching them and cooling down, one walked over to where we were, and started snuffling around my foot. Then licking, including putting its paws on my ankle to get further up.

 

Couldn't see it as I didn't want to move, and it was pretty dark.

 

I have seen others report this behaviour in the last week in wildlife groups. They’re clearly struggling with the hot weather

[elsiegee40]

This is so cool... from ‘my’ rescue’s FB page

[CHiLL]

My bird box hasn't been used in a while, previously used by a pair of blue tits. I cleared it out yesterday, to help entice new birds into the box and found the carcass of a blue tit. Due to degradation, I couldn't tell if it was one of the adults or the chick. It appeared to have the full feather colouring, so if it was a chick, it can't have been far off leaving the nest. This is the one thing I hate about having a bird box.

[elsiegee40]

My bird box hasn't been used in a while, previously used by a pair of blue tits. I cleared it out yesterday, to help entice new birds into the box and found the carcass of a blue tit. Due to degradation, I couldn't tell if it was one of the adults or the chick. It appeared to have the full feather colouring, so if it was a chick, it can't have been far off leaving the nest. This is the one thing I hate about having a bird box.

 

It was probably a failed chick. It happens. We find that our empty boxes are used as roosts through the winter. Lots of bird poo builds up in them. Then the nesting season starts and the new tenant will meticulously remove every scrap of poo and old nesting material before building a new nest. We have a camera nest box and have watched it happening

Edited August 14, 2020 by elsiegee40

[elsiegee40]

Others might want to do this PTES hedgehog survey. There’s an app for Android and Apple phones.

https://ptes.org/get-involved/surveys/road/

[elsiegee40]

Supposed to be in France so went to the Isle of Sheppey instead today.. to Elmley National Nature Reserve.

 

This Kestrel was about 5 metres from us and completely unbothered. We got bored before it did

 

Mr gee40 had fun trying to photograph Little Grebes. They’re easily identifiable by their frequent dives [emoji3]

Edited August 24, 2020 by elsiegee40

[Andrew_C]

Is this the place for this? Or weird signs...