Jump to content

The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

elsiegee40

By elsiegee40
in General Chat

 Share

Recommended Posts

elsiegee40

elsiegee40

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Our garden has turned to concrete with the lack of rain which isn’t good news for the mason bees I have emerging from cocoons.

 

Today I dreamed a solution...

 

One takeaway dish, some capillary mat, a pond and some clay soil.

 

Hopefully this will provide some damp clay for the bees to nest with

IMG_6140.JPG

IMG_6141.JPG

  • Thanks 1
6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted

Link: What3Birds [song Bird Survival]

 

Britain’s songbirds need your help!

 

50% have disappeared in just 50 years* & many are threatened by EXTINCTION

 

BUT what3birds? means that we can ALL help - whatever our age or location...

 

Do just 3 things:

 

What 3 Birds.jpg

 

  1. Click on our ‘Spot’ page with bird identification pictures to guide you.
  2. Use our ‘Plot’ page to record your sightings using your what3word three word address and help us build our UK songbird map.
  3. Build your knowledge about how to help our at-risk songbirds species. Then YOU can share it with friends and family and colleagues! The more people you can share your findings with, the better.

Happy birdwatching! #what3birds

 

Spot Page Map.jpg UK Songbird Map Detail.jpg

RobD

RobD

Posted
Posted

The great tits eggs have hatched:

 

 

 

 

Sorry the sound is distorted. My NAS records movement and I cant seem to sort it.

  • Thanks 3
elsiegee40

elsiegee40

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Two things start this weekend:

 

1. No Mow May

 

Don’t mow your lawn for the entire month. (We haven’t cut in March or April already due to lack of rain) Let the wildflowers grow. This will help the bees and other invertebrates in your garden. And more invertebrates helps hedgehogs.

 

Which brings me to…

 

2. Hedgehog Awareness Week

 

A week when ideas will be circulated on how people can help this endangered species.

 

From the British Hedgehog Preservation Society

There are many things we can all do to help hedgehogs; here are just a few:

 

1. Make sure hedgehogs can access your garden with a ‘Hedgehog Highway’ a 5” x 5” (13 x 13cm) square gap in the bottom of fences or walls should do it! Once created you can log these on the BIG Hedgehog Map at http://www.bighedgehogmap.org

 

2. Create a log pile that will offer shelter and natural food.

Build a Hedgehog Home (see plans at http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-homes).

 

3. Move piles of rubbish to a new site on the day you are burning it and check it carefully before setting light to it, lighting from only one side so that there’s an escape route should you have missed anything.

 

4. Check areas carefully before mowing or strimming.

 

5. Ensure netting is kept at a height that allows hedgehogs to pass safely under it.

 

6. Check compost heaps carefully before digging the fork in.

 

7. Stop using pesticides and poisons.

 

8. Cover drains or deep holes.

 

9. Ensure there is an easy route out of ponds & pools.

 

IMG_4352.JPG

Edited by elsiegee40
  • Thanks 1
3s-gtech

3s-gtech

Posted
Posted
Quite simple - as they obviously can’t be trusted, fishing needs to be suspended there. It does mean lumping the perpetrators in with everyone else, but fishing can be done elsewhere (or preferably, nowhere [emoji35]) and these birds must take priority.
6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted

I just heard on Radio Cornwall (we are down here on holiday) that a man from Surrey (also on holiday) spotted a killer whale off the Cornish coast.

 

It must be very recent, as I can't find any links for it yet.

 

He was SO excited about it!

  • Thanks 1
elsiegee40

elsiegee40

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Some feeding and removing of waste:

 

Aww!

 

I think ours have abandoned the nest without laying. There’s been no activity for about a week now :(

RobD

RobD

Posted
Posted
Aww!

 

I think ours have abandoned the nest without laying. There’s been no activity for about a week now :(

 

It does seem hit and miss, a friend of mine had some blue tits in really late but all of a sudden laid 10 eggs. We're moving in the coming months so hopefully they fledge sooner rather than later.

 

In the new place, I'm wanting a owl house.

  • Thanks 1
6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted
So would I be!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]61713[/ATTACH]

 

Link: Killer whales seen swimming off the Cornish coast [Cornwall Live]

 

A nature photographer has snapped a series of breathtaking photographs showing two killer whales off the Cornish coast.

 

Will McEnery-Cartwright was enjoying refreshments at the Minack Theatre when he spotted what he thought were two whale fins in the water yesterday.

 

Will said: “Well today something crazy happened. I was taking in the views and drinking a coffee at the Minack Theatre and I spotted a whale fin in the distance.

 

“Couldn’t believe my eyes when I realised it was an orca (killer whale). Wow.

 

“Showed a staff member called Dave who confirmed it was an orca. Looking at all my pictures again and doing some research online it looks like there might be more than one, possibly John Coe with the distinctive notch on the dorsal fin and a chunk out of the tail fluke.”

 

Will’s sightings have since been confirmed by experts as John Coe and Aquarius, the UK’s resident orcas.

 

Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s marine team has since released a statement saying it is amazed by the rare sighting of two killer whales seen off the coast of West Cornwall.

 

It is believed this may be the first record of the UK’s only resident population of orcas travelling this far south in Great Britain.

 

John Coe and Aquarius were identified by the shape and notches of their dorsal fins and patches of colouration near their eyes and on their backs which makes them easily recognisable and which can be used to track these individuals around the UK’s coastline.

 

Cornwall Wildlife Trust occasionally receives reports of orcas in Cornwall but has not been able to confirm many previous sightings due to their similarity to risso’s dolphins and a lack of photographic evidence...

  • Thanks 1
elsiegee40

elsiegee40

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Extraordinary footage from a Kestrel nest box.

 

Dad brings in a vole for the chicks, but is followed in by a Hobby. Mum piles in too. Dad leaves… Hell hath no fury like a female Kestrel protecting her chicks… and eventually the Hobby becomes Kestrel chick dinner

 

All the video sequences can be seen here

https://www.wildlifekate.co.uk/post/kestrels-battle-a-hobby-incredible-footage-from-stow-maries-aerodrome

 

This is the opener

Edited by elsiegee40
  • Thanks 1
6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted
Extraordinary footage from a Kestrel nest box.

 

Dad brings in a vole for the chicks, but is followed in by a Hobby. Mum piles in too. Dad leaves… Hell hath no fury like a female Kestrel protecting her chicks… and eventually the Hobby becomes Kestrel chick dinner

 

All the video sequences can be seen here

https://www.wildlifekate.co.uk/post/kestrels-battle-a-hobby-incredible-footage-from-stow-maries-aerodrome

 

This is the opener

 

Well, as a colleague might say, that's grim!

 

But also, natural: Red in tooth and claw, etc.

stevejp

stevejp

Posted
Posted
Well, as a colleague might say, that's grim!

 

But also, natural: Red in tooth and claw, etc.

 

Just the usual gratuitous violence that we have come to expect from @elsiegee40 ‘s posts...

  • Thanks 3
Ditto

Ditto

Posted
Posted
That's brave!!

 

not the Kestrel - @stevejp

 

well the Kestrel as well but .........

 

Well, he's right though. I earlier suggested we might need the red triangle, but things have stepped up another level!

  • Thanks 1
Ditto

Ditto

Posted
Posted
I did give a potted summary of the action. You didn’t have to watch of it was too gruesome

 

All good with me! Country born and bred is me, so I grew up with delights and gruesomeness of nature. I have a lifelong fascination with science and nature. I remember as a (oldish) child watching open heart surgery - it was so interesting I completely forgot the fact it could be seen as gruesome too. I do recall, it's the first surgical cut that's the hurdle though, but after that, the interest takes over.

  • Thanks 1
stevejp

stevejp

Posted
Posted
[ATTACH]61787[/ATTACH]

A few days in the Yorkshire Dales with these guys around… This one’s at Snaizeholme but we saw them at Hardraw too

 

Anyone know their status at the moment? Last I seem to remember they were either endangered or critically endangered.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


×
×
  • Create New...