Animal-life in our gardens and surrounds 2018

[Maggi Young]

Today we can only see the female and one of the males!
cheers
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Raising a family can be very hungry work!

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Well one suitor is getting very familiar with spidey!
But the other is still around!
Suitor #1 make a quick getaway!
But both are still there ..... at the moment
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Let's move on from scary spiders, shall we?
Here's a little visitor I discovered in our laundry last night!
This is apparently a little marbled scorpion, Lychas marmoreus.
The pics were taken while it was in a jar. I wanted to take a pic of it on the ground when it was released (far from the house!) but it was pretty quickly out of sight!
cheers
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[ian mcdonald]

Quite a busy day in the garden today. The birds seem to be pairing up, with wood pigeon, robin and blackbirds collecting nest material. There were two goldcrests catching midges near the ivy (an uncommon visitor). I have been feeding mice in the garden for several years. There used to be wood-mice but the latest ones are house mice. Grey squirrels are always here. I have seen them scale house walls where stone chippings have been applied. Two song thrushes were in a tree, with one singing. I don,t think there is more wildlife, because we see more in our gardens. I think this is the result of "developers" destroying the countryside and wildlife habitats.



Goldcrest.



Robin.



Goldfinch.

[ian mcdonald]

It has been dull and fairly cold today but spring is not far off.



House mouse.



Grey squirrel.



Song thrush.

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New Holland Honey-eaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) seem to enjoy Zauschneria flowers - despite being told that we need native flowers to keep them fed!
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A few more pics of the New Holland Honey-eaters
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The common garden skink - Lampropholis guichenoti - is definitely common in our garden!
Often seen with stubby tails because they will drop their tails when in danger, later regrowing them slowly,
cheers
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[ian mcdonald]

Holly blues, Celastrina argiolus, are in the garden. The first of this year.



How nice it is to sit in the back garden with a cup of tea and listen to the songs of house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and lawnmowers.

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Rosellas - Platycercus elegans - are beautiful birds but  wish they would leave us some fruit!
The juveniles are greenish coloured
cheers
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[ian mcdonald]

During the hot weather it is good to remember that wildlife need water to drink and water to bath in. Even a small dish is useful, as this blackbird demonstrates.

[Maggi Young]

This photo is from Ian the Christie Kind, who says ...."  Our friendly couple Pied wagtail have nested again in our Hepatica glasshouse very pleased to to share."

[GordonT]

I wish there was a way to attach an mp4 file, to share with everyone. Martin and I took a short minute long video last night (nothing really to look at, just took it for the soundscape). At twilight and beyond, our ponds become a symphony of singing frogs and toads. The ponds support at least seven species of amphibians. Right now, the soundscape is dominated by 'Spring Peepers' (Pseudacris crucifer), and 'American Toads' (Bufo americanus). Later on, the Bullfrogs will add their thrumming to the chorus. There have already been a few nights when the singing was so loud, I had to shut the window in order to get to sleep, but their songs are music to my ears. (I posted the video to the SRGC facebook page, hopefully that will work!)

[Maggi Young]

 I hope that  the video can be seen  via this link .... (and heard too, as  Gordon points out  in the next post! )

or this one....

https://www.facebook.com/ScottishRockGC/?hc_ref=ARRtKiZU8Sf41WiZLSySliM1JZT0EokaXE4sLS2jJQbnnghJD7WjonpPk3VXyXqwods         

[GordonT]

More so  heard! I hope everyone who checks it out, turns up their speakers.

When we first expanded the old overgrown and silted in pond, the ensuing silence was deafening.It is a joy to hear the first peepers of Spring.

Many thanks, Maggi, for adding the links.