The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[elsiegee40]

Next door but one’s cat had a prickly problem last night

 

(Sorry the video is in two parts because that’s how it was recorded and I don’t have the tech to join them)

 

[Cat_Jam148]

Had some wildlife cameras sitting in the cupboard for a few years gathering dust so decided to set them up in the school's wooded areas.

 

Got the usual pigeons and magpies but also managed to get some video of the foxes and badgers - I do have a soft spot for foxes!

 

[elsiegee40]

Had some wildlife cameras sitting in the cupboard for a few years gathering dust so decided to set them up in the school's wooded areas.

 

Got the usual pigeons and magpies but also managed to get some video of the foxes and badgers - I do have a soft spot for foxes!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]63720[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]63721[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]63722[/ATTACH]

 

Lovely!

 

I have moved your post into the most appropriate thread

[elsiegee40]

 

It’s so warm now that hedgehogs are active and hungry all over the country.

 

Rescues are reporting that their hedgehog admissions generally have no health problems other than starvation. There aren’t enough bugs around for them. They should be hibernating, but it’s too warm.

 

Please put out food and water for them if you can. Cat food is best as, sadly, many hedgehog food brands contain ingredients that are actually harmful to hedgehogs (avoid any foods with mealworms, peanuts, sunflower hearts, fruit or sweeteners like honey in them)

Edited January 2, 2022 by elsiegee40

[elsiegee40]

 

The fox would really like to join the hedgehogs in our feed station. It regularly searches for a way in.

[Andrew_C]

My wildlife news is much less fun. Could easily be in the 'annoying things' thread.

 

Rats. In the loft, and all of the neighbours lofts. They HAVE GOT TO GO.

[elsiegee40]

My wildlife news is much less fun. Could easily be in the 'annoying things' thread.

 

Rats. In the loft, and all of the neighbours lofts. They HAVE GOT TO GO.

 

Oh no! Not what you want at all.

 

We had to set up a rat trap a few years ago to get rid of a squirrel that chewed its way in and then proceeded to chew its way through things in the loft (no wires luckily)

[jmak]

My wildlife news is much less fun. Could easily be in the 'annoying things' thread.

 

Rats. In the loft, and all of the neighbours lofts. They HAVE GOT TO GO.

Large cat. My sister had that issue in a London terrace. After several months of visits from pest control the agent took pity on them and told him all he could do was move them to a neighbour's house, then next month he would visit the neighbours and move them back again... [emoji17]

[elsiegee40]

Article by Kate Bradbury in the Telegraph (their paywall appears to be down).

 

“Should we stop feeding wild birds in the garden?”

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/problem-solving/should-you-feed-wild-garden-birds-uk-autumn-winter-2021/

 

 

Feeding garden birds is an international obsession. In the UK we spend £250 million a year on more than 150,000 tonnes of bird food, from peanuts and sunflower hearts to dried insects and suet. Over the years, bird feeding studies have shown mixed fortunes for our garden species: we’ve seen how supplementary feeding can improve the fate of birds like the house sparrow, which has declined by some 60 per cent in urban areas since the 1970s, but which seems to be responding to efforts to save it.

 

Yet we’ve also seen how bird feeding – specifically allowing dirt and bacteria to build up on feeders – can spread diseases such as avian pox and trichomonosis; the latter has led to significant declines in greenfinch populations, and it could be the cause of a similar population crash in chaffinches. It’s even been suggested that our obsession with feeding garden birds has changed the migratory patterns of black caps, resulting in them developing different wing and bill shapes.

 

Nevertheless, trichomonosis and changing wing and bill shapes aside, feeding garden birds is still overwhelmingly regarded as a positive act. It brings us closer to the birds that visit our gardens, helping connect us to the natural world and even learn a thing or two about the species we see. It’s also good for our mental health.

 

However, a 2021 study conducted at Manchester Metropolitan University suggests that feeding garden birds can do more harm than good. Our well-intended offerings benefit already dominant birds, such as blue tit and great tit, at the expense of less dominant birds like willow tit, marsh tit, lesser spotted woodpecker and flycatchers. The dominant birds are more confident (and therefore more likely to feed) at bird feeding stations, making it more likely that they’ll breed more successfully. As a result, blue tit and great tit populations are increasing in Britain and Europe. By contrast both the marsh tit and willow tit are experiencing long-term declines, with both species now on the Conservation Red List as “species of concern”.

 

“For years, scientists have puzzled over why great and blue tits are increasing in number while marsh and willow tits are not,” explains co-author of the paper, Dr Alex Lees. “Because they’re less dominant than blue and great tits they have evolved some useful survival strategies – willow tits excavate their own nest holes, enabling them to breed in younger woodland than the blues and the greats, while the marsh tit caches food so it always has something to eat in winter.

 

“But when blue and great tits have constant access to food at garden feeders, the strategies of the willow and marsh tits are rendered useless.”

 

Add to this the fact that, having gone to the effort to excavate their own nest hole, willow tits often then have it stolen by blue tits. “The willow tit is now extinct across most of southern Britain,” says Dr Lees.

 

This all makes me question my own bird feeding habits. But then I doubt my very urban garden has ever seen a willow or a marsh tit, let alone a spotted flycatcher or lesser-spotted woodpecker – in fact, I barely get great tits and blue tits.

 

“The study is less relevant to city gardeners,” agrees Dr Lees. “Cities are artificial ecosystems and many city-dwelling species need help to survive – for example we absolutely should continue to feed house sparrows in urban areas,” he says. “But for those who live in the suburbs and more rural areas, particularly where great tits and blue tits can disperse into habitats populated by willow and marsh tits, we should be looking at ways to reduce advantages for the dominant species.”

 

How to feed wild birds in the garden

 

Dr Lees suggests that gardeners living in less urban areas should stop leaving out peanuts, as they are a key food shown to benefit the more dominant species. “Instead, why not scatter small amounts of seed on the ground for finches and other ground feeders,” he suggests. Creating better garden habitats and growing more natural food will help, too. “It’s such a big pay-off, when you plant teasels and see goldfinches feeding from them… it’s a lot more rewarding than hanging up a feeder of nyjer seed, which was probably grown in West Africa and generated a carbon footprint to get here.”

 

Ultimately, it seems we need to be cleverer about feeding birds. Rather than simply hanging a feeder with some peanuts, fat balls or a generic seed mix, we should be looking first at where we live – are we urban, suburban or rural?

 

Next, consider which species are likely to visit our gardens and which need our help, and then what food we’re actually leaving out. There are other considerations, too.

 

“People leave food for birds which then attracts rats; so they might then poison the rats, and that poison will end up in the bodies of crows and other scavengers.”

 

As a wildlife gardener and author of four books on the subject, I always recommend creating habitats first: grow plants that caterpillars, aphids and other invertebrates feed on, which provide a natural source of food for their predators, including birds but also hedgehogs, amphibians and other insects. Plant berrying shrubs as an annual source of autumn food, and let seeds develop on plants such as knapweed and teasel. Let areas of grass grow long to provide flowers, seed and shelter. Dig a pond, create log and leaf piles, make an open compost heap. All of these things are better for wildlife in the long term; supplementary feeding works only if you remember to top up your feeders.

 

Thanks to the garden habitats I’ve created, I see house sparrows taking seed from my meadow grasses, goldfinches picking apart knapweed seed heads, and starlings feeding grubs from my lawn to their young. I live one block from the high street in one of the most populated parts of the country. So habitat creation works.

 

Asked if we should stop feeding birds altogether, Dr Lees says no. “It’s early days and we need more research before we tell people to stop feeding, but it’s clear that feeding birds has both positive and negative effects.”

 

Dr Lees does, however, think less dominant species could benefit from supplementary feeding stations being removed from nature reserves, where habitats are already intact.

 

Things to remember when feeding birds

 

1. Think about what, where and how you feed. Are you replacing food that is scarce due to habitat loss in your area, or are you creating additional resources for more dominant species?

 

2. Consider cutting back on peanuts, and scatter small amounts of seed on the ground for a wider variety of species.

 

3. Clean your bird feeders – don’t let them become agents of diseases and viruses that can kill birds.

 

4. Continue to provide fresh water for garden birds, including a bird bath.

 

5. Grow natural sources of food, including native shrubs and trees. According to Dr Lees, marsh tits seem to be particularly fond of honeysuckle berries and (European) spindle fruit.

[Andrew_C]

Large cat. My sister had that issue in a London terrace. After several months of visits from pest control the agent took pity on them and told him all he could do was move them to a neighbour's house, then next month he would visit the neighbours and move them back again... [emoji17]

Hah! We have two, one brings mice in, the lets them go, the other sleeps. There is a cat next door too.

 

So far, it seems the incursion is limited to the lofts.

[6Foot2]

This wasn't wildlife in the UK (Hope that's OK?)

 

Link: Israeli photographer captures unique bird spoon image - BBC News

 

 

An Israeli wildlife photographer has captured a remarkable momentary image of a flock of birds forming the shape of a spoon with a heap of sugar.

 

The illusion happened during what is known as a murmuration, where thousands of starlings fly and swoop in clusters.

 

Albert Keshet also snapped what appeared to be the spoon bending, posting it on social media.

 

The images caught the attention of famed Israeli spoon bender Uri Geller, who has framed them in his museum.

 

Mr Keshet took the images when he went on an early morning excursion to a spot in the northern Jordan Valley to photograph wild plants and birds.

 

"When I was in the valley looking for birds, I met the flocks of starlings. I stayed there for about five or six hours, watching and following them in order to capture some beautiful pictures," he told the BBC.

 

"At one point they began to ascend to the sky and began the dance of starlings. To my huge surprise, in the space of only about five seconds the starlings formed the shape of the spoon. They held it for a few seconds then the shape changed to a bent spoon - just like the one Uri Geller is famous for!

 

"In the 10 years that I have been travelling and taking photos, this is one of the most amazing pictures of starlings I have ever taken!"

 

After posting the images on social media, Mr Keshet was flooded with messages from people expressing amazement.

 

Among them was Uri Geller, who is renowned for bending spoons apparently with the power of his mind. He called it a "phenomenal unique never again moment", and a "natural gift" for his 75th birthday just days earlier.

 

The self-described "mystifier" and psychic has placed the blown-up images in his recently opened museum in Jaffa, in southern Tel Aviv.

 

[elsiegee40]

Please get Hedgehog Holes (about the size of a CD) installed in your fences if you are, like us, getting them repaired following the recent storms. This is a huge opportunity to make a difference for wildlife.

[Ditto]

Excellent set of bird and nest cams - https://www.birdfood.co.uk/webcams

 

Just had a quick look - Barn Owl having a deep preen. Garden Webcam fun too - 1 minute in and great pictures of Robin, Chaffinch and a variety of tits. There's an egg to be seem too! Have fun.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Ditto

[6Foot2]

This wasn't wildlife in the UK (Hope that's OK?)

 

Link: Israeli photographer captures unique bird spoon image - BBC News

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]64087[/ATTACH]...

 

Another murmuration, this time suggestive of a whale, has been photographed:

 

Link: Lancashire starlings form swirling whale-shaped murmuration - BBC News

 

 

 

Thousands of starlings were captured in a "breathtaking" whale-shaped aerial display by an amateur photographer.

 

Birdwatcher David Cousins, 61, spotted the murmuration at the Leighton Moss nature reserve near the Lancashire village of Silverdale.

 

Murmurations form when large numbers of starlings, which are now rare, fly together as they wake and before they roost during colder months.

 

Wendy Bartlam, who also witnessed the spectacle, said it was "gobsmacking".

 

Starling numbers have rapidly declined since the 1970s and they are currently on the red list of endangered birds.

 

The birds often come together and "perform aerial acrobatics" to confuse predators and to keep warm in the colder weather, the RSPB said.

 

Mr Cousins, who works in agriculture in Kendal, Cumbria, said he had followed the flock's movements across winter.

 

The birdwatcher said a peregrine falcon and marsh harriers had forced the group into a tight formation.

 

"Sunday night was a particularly large murmuration," he said.

 

"The flock flew into a swirling mass of liquid motion which caused it to have a sea mammal or fish shape."

 

Mr Cousins said he was "delighted" with the photographs he took on Sunday.

[LeMarchand]

We spotted a hedgehog in our garden for the first time for years last night. S/he was big - and fast!

[E_G_R2]

Had my first Hedgehog (that I've seen), didn't look too big so put some extra food down and will be buying another bag this weekend to put out regularly in my feeding station.

[bald_pig]

We spotted a hedgehog in our garden for the first time for years last night. S/he was big - and fast!

 

Was it blue by any chance?

 

[elsiegee40]

We have at least 4 now. They emerged on the 11th March

 

And our camera box blue tit started nest-building last weekend

[elsiegee40]

Had my first Hedgehog (that I've seen), didn't look too big so put some extra food down and will be buying another bag this weekend to put out regularly in my feeding station.

 

The best food is actually cat or kitten biscuits.

 

The content of hedgehog foods is not regulated and many brands contain things that are actually harmful.

 

Mealworms, peanuts and sunflower hearts are high in phosphorus which causes Metabolic Bone Disease in hedgehogs. This is usually fatal and we see too many hedgehogs with it in rescues.

 

Added honey and sugars cause tooth decay and again we get too many with this. They also have to be put to sleep of it’s severe.

 

All rescues feed cat food to their hedgehogs. There’s nothing harmful and it’s cheaper too!

 

Dog food is less good because of its lower protein content.

 

I use Sainsbury’s own brand or Tesco own brand kitten biscuits. £1.35 for 1kg.

Edited March 16, 2022 by elsiegee40

[E_G_R2]

I've always used the Brambles brand which I've seen endorsed by the likes of the RSPCA and other rescue organisations. If you told me otherwise i'd change.

[elsiegee40]

I've always used the Brambles brand which I've seen endorsed by the likes of the RSPCA and other rescue organisations. If you told me otherwise i'd change.

 

I just looked at the ingredients and both the tinned and crunchy are fine. The biscuits are pictured in the second picture I posted as being on the good list. [emoji4]

Edited March 17, 2022 by elsiegee40

[E_G_R2]

I shall try both

[elsiegee40]

Three hedgehogs in one feed station tonight with surprisingly little fighting.

 

Our biggest visitor was in the other feed station and we have at least one smaller visitor so that makes 5 visiting so far.

Edited March 19, 2022 by elsiegee40

[elsiegee40]

I counted at least 20 ticks on this poor hedgehog. A few isn’t a problem, but when they’re this numerous there is likely to be something else going on healthwise.

 

It’s now in our newspaper recycling box for the night (I have had them scratch through cardboard in a night) and will be off to the rescue in the morning.

 

[elsiegee40]

Cat uses hedgehog for scratching