Neighbours & Friends

[Barney]

What's Happening In Your Garden? (The Wildlife Thread)
Just what it says!

[Barney]

I'm having to be very careful when walking into the Secret Garden just now, as the frogs are out on the side of the pond / on the path. Most of them take a flying leap and splosh straight back into the water, but one 'just sits and looks'. The other day, I almost trod on him, because he was at the bottom of the step!

There's a very bedraggled Mrs Blackbird in the garden, too. I've never seen one in such a bad way, with her breast feathers all stuck out and some of her wing feathers buckled back. It looks as though she's been in a cat fight.The amazing thing is that she can still fly, and is still around a week after I first saw her.

On Friday, I was in our bedroom and could hear a tremendous racket from outside. When I looked, two sparrow parents were sitting at the top of the cotoneaster, mouths full of food, yelling at the top of their voices. I think they'd lost their baby! Suddenly, Mum flew off and came back with an empty beak, and then Dad did the same. Phew!

[Lynn]

Talking of frogs we found one round the back and it was perfectly formed but looked like a cardboard cut out, obviously dead but it couldn't have been squashed as it was in pristine shape, apart from being flat that is.

I have a couple of sparrows visiting the feed table, I am pleased as last year I never saw one. Loads of Goldfinches around the Niger feeders and I have just been watching one lone adult Starling feeding it's brood of five! No wonder the peanut cake is being devoured so fast.

Yesterday I also had a visit from what looked like a coal tit and came really close to the window of the kitchen, it certainly wasn't a young bird but looked 'roughed up' if you know what I mean. I haven't seen it since.

I hope your blackbird survives.

[CHAMPION99]

We have a really nice Blackbird who sits on top of our tallest tree that sings a really really nice song in the evening. When he's not there, there's usually a pigeon in his place! The blackbird we have named (after a lot of debate), Benny (after Benny Hill ). The two pigeons who fight over the bread we throw on the garage roof have always been called Peter and Penelope and they are married. I think they have kids.

[Lynn]

I now have regular visits from two bluetits! They obviously decided not to nest here this year but I am going to re-site the nest box later on in the autumn. A greenfinch occasionally stops for a meal as do sparrows, which pleases me as they are declining rapidly in numbers. The baby starlings, can feed themselves and one in particular is quite aggressive, chasing even the older birds off and pecked at a sparrow the other day! This one is a real glutton and frequently guards the food table by just sitting there.

Much to John’s distaste the frogs are around and one jumped out of his way the other morning so he needed consoling. John I mean, not the frog. The squirrel constantly raids the peanut cake, as do the magpies, I tend to chase off the magpies so the other birds can get a look in.

Champs:

Quote:

We have a really nice Blackbird who sits on top of our tallest tree that sings a really really nice song in the evening. When he's not there, there's usually a pigeon in his place! The blackbird we have named (after a lot of debate), Benny (after Benny Hill I dunno). The two pigeons who fight over the bread we throw on the garage roof have always been called Peter and Penelope and they are married. Laugh I think they have kids. Laugh

Looks like your enjoying the wildlife coming into your garden as well Champs, I love the names!

[CHAMPION99]

Lynn @ May 30th 2008, 06:18 wrote:

Looks like your enjoying the wildlife coming into your garden as well Champs, I love the names!

We also have Henry the Heron, who we've only seen once and Simon the Salamander in our pond who I haven't seen since we put him in there with the other fish.

[Barney]

While polishing the dining room table on Monday, I was chatting with T-A about the bedraggled Mrs Blackbird, as she was in the garden, looking slightly better. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the cat from next door pounced on her and began to bat her about! I yelled and dived out of the patio doors, and Smyn disappeared over the fence. I think Mrs Blackbird flew off across the garden and over the back fence. She left behind three long feathers. I haven't seen her since.

One day this week, there was a starling on the table, feeding six babies! We've seen baby sparrows, too, and a baby greenfinch.

T-A came in this afternoon to report that there were seven adults frogs sitting at the side of The Puddle, and he wanted to know why. They do this when the weather is warm, but I've never seen seven out of the pond all at once.

I went round later to clear the blanket weed, and there were several 'plops' as I stepped down, but one just didn't move, even when I was clearing right next to him. I splashed him with some water, to be sure he was still alive, and was glad that he moved slightly.

[CHAMPION99]

Wow! Were the baby starlings just sitting on the table with their mum?

[Barney]

Champs, they make loads of noise, which has to be heard to be believed. Today there were baby starlings everywhere, including one who was learning to feed for itself, with supplements from a parent.

[CHAMPION99]

Aww! That's really cute! Thanks.

[Lynn]

These two baby Goldfinches were not happy today as the parents wouldn’t feed them and at one point there was a major scuffle going off in the bushes between all of them. They don’t look underfed so it must be normal then.

Soo cute though

[Barney]

Baby goldies!

The parents have to stop feeding at some point, to encourage their chicks to fend for themselves.

[Jojo]

I saw a little fluffy head poking out of Henrietta's nest this morning...

[Barney]

G'day on this sopping, soaking, seriously wet Tuesday morning. Mr T is not impressed, but it didn't stop S (next door's cat) from attacking the tall bird table for two baby sparrows. They, plus parent, escaped, and S hearing my angry shout, disappeared over the fence.

[Lynn]

Phew! I enjoy this time of year but it's always a worry that our feline friends find such easy targets.

I suppose what I am posting is loosely classed as a wildlife topic.

I had to nip into the hardware shop this morning and while browsing round this woman tapped me on the shoulder, said ‘excuse me’ and ‘have I ever heard of mothballs for keeping cats off the garden’? ‘New one on me’ I replied and pointed them out to her over in the far corner. She came back rather quickly and said ‘They won’t do at all, it says they are for moths’! Needless to say I couldn’t help her on that one.