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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44397
Location: yes

Posted: Mon May 12, 25 11:26 am Post subject:

this morning i counted flora spp in the alley, 5 metres linear gives about 15
plus the 5 that grow over the walls from the otherside gardens

the equivalent of over a century of natural establishment, the alkanet even had a couple of small bees
a helping hand with seeds is often effective

ditto the mouse castle flora

chris is brushing and pressure washing the yard, a few mins letting the machine cool has given 2 male blackbirds a chance for an eat all you can worm buffet

2 boys feeding in the same place probably indicates a lack of easy catch fresh worms elsewhere, it has been dry and they are deep unless i water them or move things

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Tue May 13, 25 6:01 am Post subject:
You seem to have quite a bit of flora for the situation. Every time I do any work in the garden the robins are usually there immediately. They haven't got as tame as some I have had, but we get along all right. I know they employ people to help them find bugs as they are always in attendance when we are gardening.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Tue May 13, 25 6:01 am Post subject:
You seem to have quite a bit of flora for the situation. Every time I do any work in the garden the robins are usually there immediately. They haven't got as tame as some I have had, but we get along all right. I know they employ people to help them find bugs as they are always in attendance when we are gardening.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Sat May 17, 25 7:05 am Post subject:
We have bluetits in the nest box on the back wall again. It is very exposed this year because all the greenery has gone upwards, so didn't think they would be there. Down side is I can't sit on the patio without disturbing them and they seem to be feeding young, so patio out for me at the moment.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44397
Location: yes

Posted: Sat May 17, 25 1:17 pm Post subject:

the daws and sparrows trust me, not hand feeders, yet, but they will feed with me very close to them

your bluetits might accept you if they get used to you being near their nest
try letting them know you are the critter providing dried mealworms and water

the nest box being exposed to direct sun would be more of a problem than a slow human
the swerve a treat if they want to get past you, you peering into the hole in front of the nest is considered rude and can result in considerable aggression

the invertebrates are better represented than they were, a few bees of assorted spp, a small well dressed daytime moth(i have no idea what type), aphids at last(most "gardeners would feel differently to me")

the low level funnelwebs , not native considering my schmidt rating of 4, the long term neurological damage is still ongoing
probably the australian version which has a bad reputation, they look very similar but i do not want to catch one for an up close look

they were no bother until the garden makeover destroyed their main housing

at a guess they are settlers and very capable of breeding round here

on a similar theme, the terrace argentinian ants were eradicated a few years back

i do still find a few and i have not tracked them back to the nests

re flora, the pavement cracks etc at the front held over 25 floral spp in 25 M

over a year the spp count is over 30

many are medicinal and or good for wildlife
a few could be food in extremis

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Sun May 18, 25 7:58 am Post subject:

We don't sit out there very often Dpack, so am a stranger when I try. I don't want to risk the nest at this delicate stage, so will just pass through. Judging by the stickiness over rather a lot, there is no lack of aphids here, and lots of other invertebrates. Saw a small butterfly in the woods yesterday, but it had wandered off before I had a chance to look properly. Might be a small copper, although there is another one I think, but can't remember which.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44397
Location: yes

Posted: Sun May 25, 25 9:18 am Post subject:

a daw shouted

Quote:

surfs up dudes

they have been playing in the gusty wind for the last hour or so

and getting blown off perches

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9245
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sun May 25, 25 2:52 pm Post subject:
Just been down to Galloway this morning...the red kites are definitely playing on the wind...what they can do just by tweaking the tail angle is impressive

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Mon May 26, 25 8:41 am Post subject:
Buzzards do that too. They are both very impressive that way. Also amazing how buzzards can soar through the trees by just slight movements of tail and wings. We see kites in the open round our way and buzzards in the woods.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9245
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Mon May 26, 25 12:23 pm Post subject:
I remember watching goshawks through trees..they make buzzards look clumsy ðŸ˜„

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Tue May 27, 25 6:33 am Post subject:
I think we may have a goshawk in the woods, but never seen it, only the way it lays out the feathers of its prey.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16508

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 25 7:51 am Post subject:
A keen dormouse surveyor has put 50 dormouse boxes out in the woods, and we did the first inspection yesterday. No dormice but a few woodlice, the odd earwig and one hornet. Not sure if the hornet was thinking of setting up home, but when released out of the top it flew away quite happily. Luckily I found it as I am not bothered by them; one of the others is.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44397
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 25 9:42 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

I think we may have a goshawk in the woods, but never seen it, only the way it lays out the feathers of its prey.

table manners can be very diagnostic

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9245
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 25 9:57 am Post subject:

Looking out of the upstairs windows this morning on my slightly scruffy garden...in the back, a horde of at least twenty sparrows lining up on the washing line while a small rabble of starlings deal with the seeds fallen from the bird feeder...flying up as a fat pigeon walks over...and a pair of collar doves sit snuggled up together on the polytunnel frame...

At the front a couple of LBJs are going for last year's seed heads in one corner, and blackbirds and starlings have started on the first berries ln the hedge/ meadow half and poking at the lawn on the cut grass side.

Jackdaws and gulls seem to be sitting tight elsewhere..it is rather windy!

On the downhill side to me....a tidy garden, half slabs half lawn with some plants in pots at the back....and at the front chippings and some plant pots and a couple of shrubs......and no birds atall.....

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44397
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 25 10:54 am Post subject:

yep, nature is "untidy" but it is alive

the birds here ignore me, often i do not notice them feeding within reach if i am playing with plants etc

the current mr sammison is undecided about me, if he has not seen me he is ok with within reach, at a few M he is unconcerned and listens to my greetings to him

i get the feeling he might have a sight issue, not that much of a problem for critters that live under ground and follow scent trails over ground

the daws are comfortable with me 2 couple of M away, they know i do water and pasty crimps and meat and worms and tings
they are very territorial against the other 50 or so of the local flock

the all live and work together but job demarcation that would shame a 1970s car factory is non negociable

they have grown up a lot since they entered my life down the chimney

young daws is treated like all the others

the woody does look very like fat walter from years back and the new mr black(where is mrs brown?) is very busy shopping for the family

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