The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[southhamster]

Was out for a walk around Brockholes Nature Reserve just outside of Preston yesterday afternoon and this little mouse (I think it's a Wood Mouse) decided to join us just by the bench we were sat on by a bird feeding area. It was totally unfazed by us and we could move around on the bench to watch it:

 

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Lovely little thing. Yes, probably a woodmouse as they are white underneath. we see them quite a lot here.

[elsiegee40]

There's a reasonable stretch of grass adjoining the side of my house with access road next to it. We are within a couple of hundred yards of a common. Yesterday, whilst mowing and clearing some dropped Bramley's, I noticed several patches of what I believe to be deer droppings.

Q1 - would deer eat Bramley apples or would they be grazing the grass - there's plenty more on the common where deer a regularly seen.

Q2 - what recommendation would you make for rapidly (i.e. probably an Amazon Prime order) setting up a camera capture some footage. I have a fence, fence post, shed and house wall that would provide a suitable fixing point and it would most likely be within WiFi range.

 

Deer will definitely eat Bramley apples.

 

I use a Ring security camera. Blink ones work well as well. I unscrewed the base from the ring camera and attached it to a camera spike so I can easily move it round

[HarryMonkey]

Hmmm, never thought of putting it in a plantpot. I use a mini tripod which is ok but I do end up kicking it over now and again.

[Ditto]

Thanks for the input on video capture. Interesting that the suggestions are from general domestic security suppliers rather than than trail cams. Is that purely because the world has moved away from the trail cams or that they usually have a camouflage requirement. I probably don't need it to be camouflage, but equally I don't want it standing out to passers-by - which there are very few as it a cul-de-sac of 9 houses. I also not there seems to be a push to solar solutions to boost battery life - I don't think I'll be needing that.

[elsiegee40]

The picture quality is so much better using a security camera. Also there’s no flash needed. And there’s much less faff viewing the images on the security camera as it’s on your phone or tablet.

 

Dark flash trail cameras cost a fortune and all trail cameras eat batteries.

 

My Ring security camera has a rechargeable battery (I keep a spare so I can just swap the batteries over)

 

When you set it up, ignore their recommended settings which are aimed at seeing people and avoiding triggering by small mammals.

[6Foot2]

Link: Hedgehog rescued from drain in Cambridge - BBC News

 

A large 900g male hedgehog had a lucky escape after he was rescued from an uncovered drain outside a home.

 

The resident of the Cambridge property tried to free him with a towel for some time but eventually phoned an animal charity to ask for help.

 

The spikey creature was rescued and is now doing well at a hedgehog rescue centre.

 

Heather's Hedgehog Hostel, in Chatteris, said people should make sure drains have sufficient coverings.

 

Sarah Long, 27 who lives in Barnwell, North Cambridge, got a surprise when she went to get her bike for her daily commute.

 

She saw what she thought was a large hedgehog wedged into her kitchen drain outside her home.

 

"I tried for about 20 minutes to pull him out using a towel - he was moving but didn't make a sound," she said.

 

"Me and my housemate were freaking out trying to release him, but he wouldn't shift.

 

"I didn't want to stress him out too much, so I phoned a local animal rescue centre and they were tied up and sent a message out to a hedgehog hospital in Fenland who said they would quickly come out."

 

Ms Long said she had not seen any other hedgehogs for years in her area and was really surprised to find one stuck down a drain.

 

"I had to go off to work and was worried about him all morning until I got a call at around 10:00 BST to say he was safe - I was very happy," she added.

 

"My landlord has put a chunky piece of wood over the drain hole now to stop it happening again and a new cover is coming soon".

 

A spokesperson for Heather's Hedgehog Hostel in Chatteris said: "We were asked if we could rescue a hedgehog trapped in a drain in Cambridge. One of my volunteers, Helen White, was able to assist.

 

"She managed to wriggle him out with some difficulty as he was wedged in. It was so tight he has lost some of the spines on his head."

 

They added: "We have called him "Drainy" and he was 968g. We have given him fluids as he was dehydrated, a faecal test has shown a roundworm problem which we are now treating.

 

"We would stress and ask that people are mindful that drains are properly covered as many hedgehogs drown when stuck in them."

 

Make sure your drains have covers, everyone!

 

[Andrew_C]

I see no badger?

[elsiegee40]

I see no badger?

 

Correct link for a badger slurping slugs in our garden last night

[6Foot2]

[6Foot2]

Link: Gardeners urged 'never' to put Halloween decoration in your garden - Mirror Online

 

One of the best things about Halloween, aside from the costumes and parties, is decorating your house and garden to get it looking its spooky best. But there’s one popular item that is often used in Halloween decorations that experts are pleading with people to leave out of their décor this year.

 

Maria Kincaid, head ornithologist at FeatherSnap is begging for people to step away from the fake cobwebs as they can cause serious damage to the environment. The fake webs can easily entangle birds, particularly smaller species like robins and wrens.

 

“Once they get stuck, it’s really difficult for them to escape. The clingy nature of these webs makes it easy for their wings to get caught, leading to exhaustion, injury, or worse,” Kincaid said.

 

“Insects can also become trapped in the cobwebs. As birds already struggle with food resources at this time of year, this may deprive them of one of their main food sources.”

 

It’s not just wildlife that fake cobwebs endanger. As they’re made from plastic, many of them end up in landfill and people usually just re-buy them the following year, repeating the cycle.

 

“Many people buy Halloween decorations like cobwebs every year instead of reusing them, leading to excessive plastic waste in landfills, which is terrible for the environment. Due to their lightness, these decorations can easily be blown away, littering local areas.”

 

If you want to decorate safely and in an environmentally friendly way there are a few things you can add to your house which the animals will thank you for. Kincaid recommends using pumpkins or twigs and branches as decoration.

 

“Pumpkins, gourds, and dried leaves make excellent alternatives. Even better, after Halloween, pumpkins can be cut up and left out as food for birds and small mammals.

 

“Just make sure the pumpkins aren’t bleached before offering them as food.”

 

Kincaid also suggests bundling together twigs and branches to create a DIY broomstick.

 

“A loose pile of twigs can serve as shelter for small creatures such as insects, amphibians, and even small mammals like hedgehogs. Birds may use them as perches, and as the twigs break down, they enrich the soil, promoting a healthier garden ecosystem.”

[Andrew_C]

A lovely picture of a blackbird. It is somewhere underneath the Sparrowhawk.

 

 

No idea why the pic isn't uploading from phone. App wopuldn't let me in at all, full site claimed it was working... Size - but I thought the site offered re-size if it is too big?

 

Edited November 20, 2024 by Andrew_C

[LeMarchand]

Had a coal tit(?) trying to get into my office most of the day. He'll fly off for a bit and then come back and try again. A bit worried he'll hurt himself on the glass.

[6Foot2]

Had a coal tit(?) trying to get into my office most of the day. He'll fly off for a bit and then come back and try again. A bit worried he'll hurt himself on the glass.

 

Stick an image on the inside of the window to demonstrate that "there is an obstacle here"

 

Or, perhaps, ramp it up a little by including a coal tit deterrent...

 

[LeMarchand]

I've tried putting laptop bags against the glass. Time for the printer!

[elsiegee40]

Had a coal tit(?) trying to get into my office most of the day. He'll fly off for a bit and then come back and try again. A bit worried he'll hurt himself on the glass.

 

We have had the same problem with both a starling and a dunnock in the last few years.

 

It’s their reflection that the bird is attacking. Less usual at this time of year, it’s normally a breeding season problem.

 

I used a printed photo of a perched peregrine blu-taked inside the window to persuade them to desist.

[LeMarchand]

Thanks folks. Getting dark now; have tried the pic above and will try a photo tomorrow if no luck.

[LeMarchand]

He's also having a go at himself on the North-facing windows in the same courtyard as well. Hawk pictures only semi-successful: he still has a "fight" then notices the "hawk" and flies off!

[6Foot2]

He's also having a go at himself on the North-facing windows in the same courtyard as well. Hawk pictures only semi-successful: he still has a "fight" then notices the "hawk" and flies off!

 

Need more hawks!

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Had a coal tit(?) trying to get into my office most of the day. He'll fly off for a bit and then come back and try again. A bit worried he'll hurt himself on the glass.

 

That's no way to refer to the person who brings your fuel. Everyone's got to earn a living. Show them where the bunker is and leave them a Kit Kat as thanks for the delivery

[6Foot2]

Link: Wisdom: World's oldest known wild bird lays egg at '74' - BBC News

 

The world's oldest known wild bird has laid an egg at the approximate age of 74, US biologists say.

 

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was filmed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge in the Pacific Ocean with her latest partner looking after the egg.

 

Members of the species usually only live for 12-40 years, but Wisdom was tagged in 1956 when she was about five.

 

Her last offspring hatched in 2021. She is thought to have had more than 30 chicks in her lifetime.

 

The USFWS said on X that Wisdom was with a new partner this year and that her previous partner Akeakamai had not been seen for several years.

 

The species generally mates for life but she is already thought to have outlived at least three mates.

 

Jon Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at the refuge, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Wisdom was one of two to three million Laysan albatrosses who travel to Midway to breed.

 

He said biologists were unaware of any other birds even close to her age, the oldest being 45.

 

"It's really been remarkable," he said. "Wisdom seems to pique the interest of people across the world. We wait each year with bated breath for her return."

 

He said Wisdom still appeared to have the energy and instincts to raise another chick, and that there was a 70-80% chance of the egg hatching.

 

Albatross parents share incubation duties and, once the chick hatches, feeding duties.

 

Wisdom was first identified and tagged in 1956 after laying an egg. Laysan albatrosses are not known to breed before the age of five.

 

Midway Atoll is part of the Hawaiian archipelago but does not fall within the US state of Hawaii and is described as an unincorporated territory of the US.

 

The wildlife refuge is home to the largest colony of albatross in the world.

[FN-GM]

This Possum didn’t seem to care I was knocking about. Just sat there watching me!

 

[HarryMonkey]

We have a camera in the garden, mainly to monitor our cat.

 

This was taken around ten past six this morning.

 

We don't have a ginger cat

 

[FN-GM]

A Praying Mantis at the in laws.

 

[FN-GM]

Another Possum keeping an eye on things.

 

[FN-GM]

A venomous Red Back (also known as the Australia Black Widow) in the shed.