wildlife

[cohan]

Trond-- I always like seeing hares-- a luxury, I guess, since they rarely (only one spring so far) show any interest in the garden...
are there a  lot of free range sheep- I guess that's at the mountain cabin? they must have a big impact on the flora?

I can't really say about the number of insects-- my gardens are bigger and more diverse than they have ever been on this property, so there is a lot of habitat and food for a wide range, plus I've learned a tiny bit more about several types, so my awareness, noticing and photographing of them is more than ever. So I would say the number and variety is very high, with annual variations-- [eg this year has been a very low year for wasps (the big, noticeable species, we also have many tiny ones) whereas last year was extremely high- they like dry weather, at least at certain times]-- but I really can't comment on longer term statistics. This year has also been extreme for mosquitoes, and there has also been a very high number of dragonflies (though I have not noticed many damsels...) -- due to the wet year, of course.

[Roma]

A miserable wet day here today.  I don't like the rabbits eating my plants but do like to watch them from the window.  These two were sitting there grooming before 1 pm then sat looking miserable.  They moved over to the tree and stayed there grooming or looking miserable till I went out about 4.30 and one ran off when I tried to get closer.  The other one is still sitting there after 7 pm.  They are well camouflaged against a tree.

[Roma]

Don't know who did this to my Canna but must have bitten through when the leaf was still rolled up

[Maggi Young]

Don't know who did this to my Canna but must have bitten through when the leaf was still rolled up

Seems even the  leaf munchers  are  taking  up creative  hobbies  during  lockdown!

[cohan]

Don't know who did this to my Canna but must have bitten through when the leaf was still rolled up

Reminds me of the time many years ago, when a number of my Agaves-indoors-- were turning up with odd marks on the leaves.. in my case it ended up being a mischievous nephew......

[cohan]

A miserable wet day here today.  I don't like the rabbits eating my plants but do like to watch them from the window.  These two were sitting there grooming before 1 pm then sat looking miserable.  They moved over to the tree and stayed there grooming or looking miserable till I went out about 4.30 and one ran off when I tried to get closer.  The other one is still sitting there after 7 pm.  They are well camouflaged against a tree.

Only snowshoe hares here, so it is funny to see yours with such small ears guess they were hoping for improved weather..

[brianw]

Pheasants just outside the kitchen window today, between Showers.
2 young on the left, female adults on the right
young.
The only remaining young from this years nest(s). 2 or 3 nests in 3 adjacent gardens, reduced by the local Red Kytes, Buzzards, Sparrow Hawks, or Foxes. A typical nest here has ~12 eggs, so not a good survival rate. The most we saw at any one time was 11 chicks.

[Tomte]

I know that  squirrels and other rodents may be enthusiastic bulb diggers at times, but has anyone had experience with foxes unearthing bulbs? A rather young fox seems to have settled in the neighbourhood and after some recent groundwork in the garden I repeatedly found narcissus and corydalis bulbs dug up (but not eaten) in the morning after the fox came by. I have to admit this is only guessing so far and eyewitness evidence is still lacking, but has anyone heard of this?

[Maggi Young]

I have  certainly  heard  of  foxes  digging  in areas  where  blood fish and  bone  meal has  been used.

[brianw]

I get the Crow family and pheasants sometimes digging in loose soil/sand bed for bulbs and chafer grubs. I find deer prints in the sand bed and signs of digging but don't know what they are looking for. I get a fox sometimes but have no evidence of them digging for anything specific. The pheasants have dust baths on dry soil/bark etc. and disturb anything under or nearby. They managed to fill up a number of white colchicum blooms this week with soil. The pheasants eat flowers in spring, eg. erythroniums, and passiflora growing tips, but generally leave crocus alone.

[Roma]

Found this chap galloping up the drive today.
Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar

[Roma]

Lucky I'm not scared of spiders.  On the bedroom carpet the other night when I switched on the light.

[fermi de Sousa]

Lucky I'm not scared of spiders.  On the bedroom carpet the other night when I switched on the light.

and I raised you one scorpion!

This is about 1& 1/2 lifesize!
cheers
fermi

[Roma]

You win, Fermi.  I wouldn't want one of those in my bedroom.  Luckily none of our British spiders are venomous.

[fermi de Sousa]

You win, Fermi.  I wouldn't want one of those in my bedroom.  Luckily none of our British spiders are venomous.

Fortunately it wasn't in the bedroom - just in the corridor on the way to the loo!
They had to withdraw an episode of "Peppa Pig" here because Papa Pig was telling Peppa that spiders are harmless which is of course not true of some Aussie spiders!
On a more pleasant note here's a Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea) which settled on a post long enough for me to get a pic
cheers
fermi