The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[6Foot2]

While watering the plants in the garden today, I noticed that 5Foot2 has produced some fruit in one of the raised beds!

 

 

To be fair, strawberries are easy to grow, but there is still some satisfaction to be had from success. There are five varieties in that raised bed, and the plants went in earlier this year, so really they are still settling in.

 

I have sent the pictures off to 5Foot2.

 

🍓🍓

[HarryMonkey]

Had some success myself with strawberries in a small trough. Most pleasing after 10 years without a garden

[HarryMonkey]

I had this pop up on Facebook today ...

 

https://bighedgehogmap.org/holes-for-hedgehogs-home/map-hedgehog-sighting

[Ditto]

Last year for the first time ever, I grew cherry tomatoes in tomato bags. They were carefully tended and regular given tomato feed. A great crop was the result.

 

The old bags were cleared away, but in the gaps in the patio paving slabs, a few self-seeded. I just left them alone, almost weed like. This is the somewhat wild result.

 

 

Some are ripening on the vine, others I let ripen on the windowsill indoors. They taste just as good as the loving cared for ones, in fact they seem to have been less prone to splitting than last year.

[Dos_Box]

I still have red admiral butterflies in my garden. I suspect that they shall be gone very soon. And I've had flocks of martens and swallows flying south past my home office window all week but they seem to have possibly all gone now. Edited October 6, 2023 by Dos_Box

[elsiegee40]

At the rescue today I released our last Song Thrush and Blackbird babies of the season now that they’re all grown up. We still have a nest of 4 quite young House Martins that need to grow up fast and a baby Bullfinch that is just getting to grips with flying.

[Andrew_C]

Photos to follow, but the hogs are back, and at least one has moved into a hog-house. Our first tenant.

[6Foot2]

We cropped the corn that 5Foot2 grew as an experiment this year. I was a bit slow getting around to taking the photo, as by the time I was ready to take the photo, the corn was already bagged and in the fridge:

 

 

We got about 20 cobs in all, a few were quite small. 5Foot2 says she will try a different crop next year. No news yet on what that might be.

 

[HarryMonkey]

Had another visit from this little critter over the weekend. He/she has become a regular visitor now along with a friend. (I've since given them a different dish that they cant tip over).

 

[6Foot2]

 

If you’ve never added a flat rock to your birdbath, give it a try. Birds like to have a choice in the depth of their bath.

 

And, no, not that ⬇️ "Rock"

 

 

[6Foot2]

Link: 2023 Finalists :: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards - Conservation through Competition

 

[Dos_Box]

Link: 2023 Finalists :: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards - Conservation through Competition

 

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Love this one:

 

[elsiegee40]

Even though we’re keen birdwatchers, it’s very unusual for us to go out of our way to see a particular bird.

 

Today though we took a minor detour whilst en route to Buxton to see half a dozen Waxwings conveniently located outside a pub in the middle of Leek, Staffs.

 

It’s the first time we have seen them and we weren’t disappointed. They’re about the size of starlings and fly like them, but have a very distinctive call.

 

Typically 14 also turned up this morning just down the road from our home in Kent!

[Andrew_C]

We seem to be feeding more than just hogs...

 

 

Yeah, I know the date is wrong!

[Ditto]

Those spikes must be sharp

[elsiegee40]

Those spikes must be sharp

 

I have a video somewhere of a woodmouse finding out the hard way that hedeghogs were prickly. It didn’t succeed in stealing the cat biscuits on that occasion

[StevieM]

Those spikes must be sharp

With explosive tips judging by how far the rat flew backward!

[elsiegee40]

Five new species of soft furred hedgehogs discovered https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67780254

[6Foot2]

Link:

[Picture Post]

 

A murmuration of Starlings at Dysart, Lough Ennell, Westmeath

 

It took a few weeks to capture this particular shot, lots and lots of patience but the stars aligned last week and delighted with the result, probably my favourite non sporting image of 2023

 

 

By the same photographer:

 

 

Cool thing (wrong thread, I know) That was dad's home town.

 

[elsiegee40]

On Sunday we went to Elmley National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. We have become members and it never lets you down. It’s a haven for owls (Short Eared, Long Eared, Barn and Little can all be seen there) and Marsh Harriers (over a hundred roost there at the moment!). Brown Hares are easily seen and water voles can be spotted in summer

 

Our visit on Sunday included 3 of the 4 owl species, marsh harriers are so common you start ignoring them, a kingfisher, bearded tits and much more.

 

You can also stay there in one of their Shepherds Huts year round or a Bell Tent in summer.

 

Barn Owl

 

Kingfisher hunting on the estuary at hide tide. It had to hover like a kestrel as there were no suitable perches

 

Short Eared Owl

 

Long Eared Owl deep in the bushes next to the car park

[6Foot2]

 

[Ditto]

Just looking for someone to post the first picture of the year for an in bloom daffodil. I have some that I reckon are possibly within a week of bloom. Nothing abnormal though, proper outdoor one, nothing from an artificial setting

[sigma]

Just looking for someone to post the first picture of the year for an in bloom daffodil. I have some that I reckon are possibly within a week of bloom. Nothing abnormal though, proper outdoor one, nothing from an artificial setting

 

Will this do?

 

[Ditto]

Winner!

[LeMarchand]

 

This little thing was on our garden path last night. No-one anywhere nearby has a pond - though we have had a couple of little frogs in the back garden for years.