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dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue May 21, 19 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

oops i just accidentally lamped 2 different mice a minute apart , up close and personal with a 3w led bike light, while i was conducting a cull of the slimey hoard

the slimey hoard ate my big boy stem so savage moider is sensible but lamping the sammisons like that feels dreadful

they had taken cover from my "gardening " but their cover needed checking for vermin, i did apologise .

sorry mice.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 19 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    


Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 19 5:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Went over to the west yesterday and noticed a lot of brown tailed moth on the hawthorns along the road side. Also went to Mottisfont, which is a superb place for roses, which are in flower at the moment and really superb. Some not yet in flower, so probably a few weeks to go before they are over.

They have rebuilt one of the walled gardens with beds of vegetables, a pergola and a few other things. The pergola was made by one of our coppice group members using chestnut, and they have bean sticks in place made of hazel from their own woods.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue May 28, 19 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

this happened a week ago , pup better etc

there may have been a peregrine hit on one of the ménage a trois of fat pigeons,

25ml of well oxygenated arterial blood ( it tasted like pigeon ) on the top of the recycling box i feed p's on.
as a splash it looked as though it came from above by a few feet


it could have been the dog having a gastro moment but even though he was poorly at the time we are fairly sure that was fresher than his last outside visit .
see description and flavour ,
imho it was not dog and especially not dog from either end of gastro which would not have got a taste test.

there was a flurry of wings but i did not see it as i was distracted

i cant call it for certain but it does seem plausible

owls at night and hawks by day , we must be getting something right

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 19 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

sparrows fine and numerous, they eat 1 1/2 kg of seeds a week + peanuts+mealworms+ assorted wildlife/vermin in the vegetation.

the bee flurry on the bramble flowers has started, the white tails that live in the attic over the street are dining as are a few randoms including what look very like "domestic " bees

this sort of area would be ideal for a stealth hive to take advantage of the variety of flowers and very little pesticide use

so far 5 spp bees this year and the bramble is just starting to open.

plenty of assorted spp ladybird larvae

among the avians there are quite a few with albino feathers worked into the traditional pattern. i half suspect this might be the pepper moth effect as they have better cammo than the traditionally garbed ones in this urban environment.

one family branch of the sparrow tribe has more white lines than a tory leadership contender

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 19 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Different individual than the one I saw last month, also on our property.


Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 19 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Turtle?

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 19 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes, it is a box turtle, so called because the plastron (lower shell) is hinged about 1/3 back. Turtle can pull head and legs in and close up the shell amazingly tight. Land dwelling. Brown eyes, so this is a female.

sgt.colon



Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.
PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 19 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

What a funky thing to have wandering around your garden. Nice picture JL

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Jun 13, 19 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

sparrow world is busy and interesting.

i recon to follow the family/extended family social and feeding activities requires a photo id book , there does seem to be a strong resemblance between some that are not parent and child but could be 2 clutches of siblings in mentor and pupil roles.

perhaps looking after little bro or sis from the next fledging is educational.
this needs study.

numbers are good this year but having them close and mingling with them more than last year does give opportunity to observe subtleties of behaviour

lots of ladybird 2 and 3 rd instar larvae which is handy to reduce the aphids on the well flowering bramble , apple graft and yum plants

there are quite a few small snails which don't do much garden harm, munchy ones are a bit rarer

worm report, lots , huge examples, several species

the sammisons are busy and some have set off on their adventures, 30 seconds to detect peanuts was impressive but at the mo they seem rather quiet and domestic compared to mouse wars

ps like the turtles, do they eat "vermin" in the veg patch?

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jun 13, 19 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

A quick look on Google suggests they eat "earthworms, snails, grubs, beetles, caterpillars, carrion, grasses, fallen fruit, berries, mushrooms and flowers. They will take a bite of anything that smells edible."

When I had a couple of non-native tortoises I fed them soaked dog kibble, leafy greens, fruit from cantaloupe to strawberries to banana etc. One really loved slugs and would come stumping over to chow down on them, getting their horny mouth all gooey slimy messy.

So they would eat the slugs but also the vegetables.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Thu Jun 13, 19 11:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The Turtle is a very spiritual being to the native peoples held in high regard.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Jun 14, 19 6:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Interesting to see them in their native habitat. The only things we get here are imported as we don't have any native ones at all.

Our wren is still nesting in the wheel arch of the kiln. Think it must be on the second brood by now. Saw it fly in again yesterday, and make its way towards the kiln another time. When we see it about we try to avoid that side of the kiln, but hard, as that is where the temperature sensors are.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Fri Jun 14, 19 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

eating slugs is fine but they would need to eat a lot of slugs to cover their own lettuce or cucumber stem rations
hey ho , not an ideal gardener's friend but rather charming.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sat Jun 15, 19 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The wren seems to have decided that we are wren friendly. We were sitting near the kiln yesterday as the automatic control has decided to fail at the moment, and the wren was feeding its young without any worries. It flew within a couple of feet of me on one occasion, choosing the route past me rather than the other way. Rather nice to see.

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