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spuggies and jackdaws and hedgehogs and frogs


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Seen my first swallows of the year this lunchtime and a dead badger on the road to work this morning ?

"Freedom without socialism is privilege and injustice, socialism without freedom is slavery and brutality" - Mikhail Bakunin

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  • 2 weeks later...

After spotting a limping ' sonic ' the night before last , I caught him last night , off to the vets today and unfortunately his leg is broke and needs to come off , kinda creepy as 4 days ago I watched the channel 5 show ' Saving Britain's Hedgehogs ' based on Brian Mays rescue centre on his estate , where they had a hog that needed it's leg amputating 

About 15 years ago on Coronation at the character Fred Elliott had squirrels in his attic , 2 days later so did I , ' spooky ' 

Going to have to check all through the garden , or the ' dump ' as it more resembles tonight to make sure there isn't some hoglets waiting for their mum to come home 

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On 01/05/2019 at 22:07, GUBRATS said:

Yesterday evening at about 9pm I was sat at my computer reading comments on this forum , looked up and out of the window - lo and behold - ' Marble ' , the cat from across the cul de sac eating the bloody hedgehogs food , just spotted the little get again tonight , going to have to sort out something to stop it getting to it 

Marble needs to be taken care of.....I know a moggy called Claws who will rough him up for a saucer of milk and a bag of catnip?

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4 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

After spotting a limping ' sonic ' the night before last , I caught him last night , off to the vets today and unfortunately his leg is broke and needs to come off , kinda creepy as 4 days ago I watched the channel 5 show ' Saving Britain's Hedgehogs ' based on Brian Mays rescue centre on his estate , where they had a hog that needed it's leg amputating 

About 15 years ago on Coronation at the character Fred Elliott had squirrels in his attic , 2 days later so did I , ' spooky ' 

Going to have to check all through the garden , or the ' dump ' as it more resembles tonight to make sure there isn't some hoglets waiting for their mum to come home 

Well 3 hours of ripping the ' dump ' to bits , no signs of anything hedgehog related 

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On 15/05/2019 at 17:03, GUBRATS said:

After spotting a limping ' sonic ' the night before last , I caught him last night , off to the vets today and unfortunately his leg is broke and needs to come off , kinda creepy as 4 days ago I watched the channel 5 show ' Saving Britain's Hedgehogs ' based on Brian Mays rescue centre on his estate , where they had a hog that needed it's leg amputating 

About 15 years ago on Coronation at the character Fred Elliott had squirrels in his attic , 2 days later so did I , ' spooky ' 

Going to have to check all through the garden , or the ' dump ' as it more resembles tonight to make sure there isn't some hoglets waiting for their mum to come home 

Just an update on ' sonic ' for he is a ' he '. Operation a success , he's now the fastest 3 legged hedgehog around , but he won't be returning to my garden , once his recuperation is complete at Lowton hedgehog Rescue , Irene who runs it will be taking him to Norton Priory where he'll have 3 acres to ' run ' about in with plenty of other disabled Hogs in the walled garden 

Quite funny when my dad took him to the vets yesterday , he's sat there waiting with this red box on his knee with others with their dogs and cats , when asked what was in the box " skunk " he replied , their faces were a picture ? apparently 

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On 02/05/2019 at 18:49, DavidM said:

Cats either side of me . Detest the sly odious  creatures . Especially when you’re a bird lover . And they always wanna do their business in your garden . I got a cat repellent thing on amazon and one was sitting on it .

on the happier side I finally got my pal Reggie robin to eat from my hand yesterday after much training 

We had issues with cats deciding to sleep ( and test their claws ) on the roof of the wife's convertible , so we bought an ultrasonic cat repellent , worked fine , even used it to displace the squirrels from my attic before blocking up the hole they used to get up there 

As for robins , love em , last night when searching the garden I had one bathing in an upturned lid less than 6 feet away , they're always the first in when anything is disturbed looking for food 

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4 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

We had issues with cats deciding to sleep ( and test their claws ) on the roof of the wife's convertible , so we bought an ultrasonic cat repellent , worked fine , even used it to displace the squirrels from my attic before blocking up the hole they used to get up there 

As for robins , love em , last night when searching the garden I had one bathing in an upturned lid less than 6 feet away , they're always the first in when anything is disturbed looking for food 

Reggie don’t wait he just asks ...666F0570-6CDE-4CE8-9480-68A2123975FD.thumb.jpeg.cbb8fec43e08064c807d9c273f79bc8e.jpeg

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Sorry people it's me again , been burning an old tree stump and shifting loads of creeping ivy all over the garden , in the process disturbed a wrens nest with youngsters in it against the tree , screwed one of the dogs old ' popped ' balls underneath it , will have to hope the parents keep feeding them 

All happening to me ATM 

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4 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

Sorry people it's me again , been burning an old tree stump and shifting loads of creeping ivy all over the garden , in the process disturbed a wrens nest with youngsters in it against the tree , screwed one of the dogs old ' popped ' balls underneath it , will have to hope the parents keep feeding them 

All happening to me ATM 

Gutted , just checked , looks like the magpies have had them , bstards 

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On 25/04/2019 at 18:45, Leeds Wire said:

We've not had long tailed t_its in our garden for maybe 10 years but there's a family now nesting in our beech hedge. They are gorgeous.

How did the nest come on ? Found 3 nests in the wild , one nest ripped up , 2 others deserted the nest , hope you had better luck .

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6 hours ago, ivans82 said:

How did the nest come on ? Found 3 nests in the wild , one nest ripped up , 2 others deserted the nest , hope you had better luck .

I can't see the nest in the thick hedge and I've not seen the birds for a few days now ?

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47 minutes ago, Leeds Wire said:

I can't see the nest in the thick hedge and I've not seen the birds for a few days now ?

give it a couple of weeks , make sure the young have flown , and take a good look at the nest it`s a work of art .

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Unfortunately sonic my 3 legged hedgehog didn't make it , lungworm apparently , since we've seen at least 2 regular visitors , just now been watching our bigger hog chasing the smaller one round the patio for 30 minutes , hopefully some ' hoglets on the way in a few weeks 

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On 21/05/2019 at 11:33, Leeds Wire said:

I can't see the nest in the thick hedge and I've not seen the birds for a few days now ?

Went up to the cottage last weekend and the entire front window (large) was smashed in...glass all over  the place.

Door was still locked so I went in and it came at me claws first...I slammed the door to collect myself.

Interior was a mess with glass everywhere and everything broken...manure everywhere, over everything.  

I went back in with the broom and left the two doors open...i meant business but it quickly scurried past me and out the door...a giant wild turkey!

What a mess!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turkey_leg_labeled.png

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey_leg_labeled.png

Turkey_leg_labeled.png

B0012364.jpg

Edited by Kayakman
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2 hours ago, Kayakman said:

Went up to the cottage last weekend and the entire front window (large) was smashed in...glass all over  the place.

Door was still locked so I went in and it came at me claws first...I slammed the door to collect myself.

Interior was a mess with glass everywhere and everything broken...manure everywhere, over everything.  

I went back in with the broom and left the two doors open...i meant business but it quickly scurried past me and out the door...a giant wild turkey!

What a mess!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turkey_leg_labeled.png

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey_leg_labeled.png

Turkey_leg_labeled.png

B0012364.jpg

Tart 

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1 hour ago, GUBRATS said:

Tart 

Hey...those claws and spurs are like razor blades man...many an innocent has been mangled and badly cut by a wild turkey...they are a large dangerous bird!  I like eating them...best just to breast them out and take the legs...leave the rest for the coyotes.

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It's just been that time of year when my family's house - a conversion of a typical, 19th century, red-brick, Non-Conformist chapel - plays host for about ten days to some bats.

They are, specifically, serotine bats.  These are large, by British standards, with bodies about the size of a starling and a wingspan of over a foot.

Their numbers build up and then decline to zero, all in a matter of days.  I sit in the garden and count them out each evening at dusk, from a whole at the apex of the eaves, at one of the gable ends.  This year the figures emerging each night were as follows:-

Thursday, 23rd May - 9

24th May - 10

25th May - 19

26th May - 22

27th May - 33

28th May - 42

29th May - 2

30th May - 34

31st May - 24

Saturday, 1st June - 4

2nd June - 0

Where have they come from, or were they already in the roof-space?  Don't know!  If they are gathering and then moving on, where to?  Don't know!  And why?  Well, one theory put to me is that they are females, who gather together before moving on elsewhere for their maternity roost over the summer months.

I've no idea why the number dropped so dramatically on 29th May.  The good news is that, at a time when there is concern for bat numbers of various species, the 28th May total of 42 is the largest for one evening in the five years we have lived here.

I'm glad to play host to them, albeit fleetingly, and look forward to next year!

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2 hours ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

It's just been that time of year when my family's house - a conversion of a typical, 19th century, red-brick, Non-Conformist chapel - plays host for about ten days to some bats.

They are, specifically, serotine bats.  These are large, by British standards, with bodies about the size of a starling and a wingspan of over a foot.

Their numbers build up and then decline to zero, all in a matter of days.  I sit in the garden and count them out each evening at dusk, from a whole at the apex of the eaves, at one of the gable ends.  This year the figures emerging each night were as follows:-

Thursday, 23rd May - 9

24th May - 10

25th May - 19

26th May - 22

27th May - 33

28th May - 42

29th May - 2

30th May - 34

31st May - 24

Saturday, 1st June - 4

2nd June - 0

Where have they come from, or were they already in the roof-space?  Don't know!  If they are gathering and then moving on, where to?  Don't know!  And why?  Well, one theory put to me is that they are females, who gather together before moving on elsewhere for their maternity roost over the summer months.

I've no idea why the number dropped so dramatically on 29th May.  The good news is that, at a time when there is concern for bat numbers of various species, the 28th May total of 42 is the largest for one evening in the five years we have lived here.

I'm glad to play host to them, albeit fleetingly, and look forward to next year!

Not seen any bats this year , worrying really , used to love watching them flying round me when walking the dog , assume I was disturbing the ' midges ' they feed on , just been watching two youngish ' sonics ' dancing round on the patio , very funny 

Will be building some hoghouses this week , might make a few Bat houses as well , see if we can encourage some locally 

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50 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Not seen any bats this year , worrying really , used to love watching them flying round me when walking the dog , assume I was disturbing the ' midges ' they feed on , just been watching two youngish ' sonics ' dancing round on the patio , very funny 

Will be building some hoghouses this week , might make a few Bat houses as well , see if we can encourage some locally 

Gubbers, weather conditions are a big factor in seeing them. Wind strength and rain have a big impact on the numbers of bats seen, young surviving etc. 

When outside on a stillish, warm evening, particularly following rain, stand still and watch the midges flying above you. Then watch the bats flying above your head to catch them.

 

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1 hour ago, GUBRATS said:

Not seen any bats this year , worrying really , used to love watching them flying round me when walking the dog , assume I was disturbing the ' midges ' they feed on , just been watching two youngish ' sonics ' dancing round on the patio , very funny 

Will be building some hoghouses this week , might make a few Bat houses as well , see if we can encourage some locally 

What design are you planning to use for the bat houses?

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21 hours ago, longboard said:

Gubbers, weather conditions are a big factor in seeing them. Wind strength and rain have a big impact on the numbers of bats seen, young surviving etc. 

When outside on a stillish, warm evening, particularly following rain, stand still and watch the midges flying above you. Then watch the bats flying above your head to catch them.

 

Had up to 6 flying round me in the past when walking the dog , but none this year 

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21 hours ago, Kayakman said:

What design are you planning to use for the bat houses?

Just going to follow the dimensions on the internet ,a slim box with a sloping roof and different heights inside and probably holes to let out heat , might put an extra ' layer ' and an air gap to reduce heat build up 

Plenty of bits of exterior ply left over from work to use 

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4 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Just going to follow the dimensions on the internet ,a slim box with a sloping roof and different heights inside and probably holes to let out heat , might put an extra ' layer ' and an air gap to reduce heat build up 

Plenty of bits of exterior ply left over from work to use 

But make sure the wood is dark painted or stained with a dark stain...bats like the heat in the morning to get going so placement is sort of important for morning sun.  Does your plan call for chicken wire or mesh wiring of any type?

Edited by Kayakman
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