Wildlife September 2010

[Lesley Cox]

Angie, I feel so angry at your fox story. Mankind's stupid and callous actions against wild - or domesticated - animals truly disgusts me.

Having said that I am also disgusted that a young man, 21 I think, or maybe 19, was this week in court given 9 months home detention for running down and killing an elderly woman on a pedestrian crossing, while he was texting on his mobile phone, now an illegal action, as it certainly should be. To my mind, killing someone while committing an illegal action should have a manslaughter charge attached.

[Maggi Young]

I have been distressed by the sorry tale of Angela's fox and like Lesley, I get quite furious about the feeble punishments meted out to those who cause death or mayhem  in their cars.... especially when they are doing something truly STUPID, like texting or speaking on their phones.... it INFURIATES me to see that..... and it is all too common. What are such incidents as the death of that woman but assault with a deadly weapon?
Should have put this in the moan, moan, moan thread.... it is one of my pet grumphs.

[TheOnionMan]

This furry white moth was on my deck this morning.  Does anyone know what it is?  Also, is the moth being parasitized?  From afar, the dark part on the back looked like a marking, but once seen in the enlarged closeup photo. it looks like parasites .

[TheOnionMan]

Another one, a pretty white and yellow moth (or is it a butterfly?) on an Allium.  Any ideas about what it is?

[Gerdk]

Mark, this seems to be a Small White (Pieris rapae) - common (and a pest) in Europe and introduced in North America.

Gerd

[David Lyttle]

Another one, a pretty white and yellow moth (or is it a butterfly?) on an Allium.  Any ideas about what it is?

Plenty of them here as well. They are a major pest on any brassicas. I once saw them on a mountain at about 1200 metres and wondered what they were doing there as there were no suitable food plants growing at that altitude. I realised they were being blown over the mountain from a paddock of turnips below. Enjoy them while they are still a novelty.

[mark smyth]

Mark I think your moth has a bat dropping on it

[mark smyth]

I think this went over peoples heads. Ireland has no moles, no little owls and woodpeckers are very rare

Do you want a giggle?

A shop in N Ireland is selling products to scare away moles  , woodpecker nest boxes  and little owl nest boxes   . The latter is the wrong design.

huh?

[Gail]

I think this went over peoples heads. Ireland has no moles, no little owls and woodpeckers are very rare

I certainly didn't realise that Mark - we get all three in our garden.

[Stephenb]

It's been a poor year for the more attractive migratory butterflies, not helped by the fact that mass mortality of Buddlejas last winter! However, this weekend two Red Admirals turned up (picture), lots of Silver Y moths and also a resident (but very rare here) Peacock butterfly.

[mark smyth]

all I have seen this year are tortoishells. No peacocks, red admirals or painted ladies

Gail do you have a nest box for your little owls? The one at work is half open but they actually nest in holes

[Lvandelft]

Another golfer seen this and had no alternative but to kill the fox.

What a dreadful story Angie. If I would have been the other golfer my next step would be



Or would this have been to cruel

[Armin]

Angie,
I deeply regret the unlucky destiny of your fox. But this sad end is what I feared already.
'The man' is a villian and a most dangerous one at that. The dimwits will never die out!

[Gail]

Gail do you have a nest box for your little owls? The one at work is half open but they actually nest in holes

We've put a nest box up for the little owls but so far they have ignored it, although it has been used by a family of starlings, twice by great tits and once by hornets!

[angie]

Angie,
I deeply regret the unlucky destiny of your fox. But this sad end is what I feared already.

I to feared that this fox wouldn't live long.

Luit I liked that golf swing ( or would this have been to cruel ) 

Angie