Wildlife in the garden - Indian summer?

richard carr

richard carr

Western Thunderer
There are a few more bird pictures here

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Birds in the garden and nearby

Here are few recent bird photos, the Parakeets are back eating all my apples. The Green woodpeckers appeared on Saturday. The blackbird is here most of the time. The goldfinch I saw down near the canal where I often walk the dogs.
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simond

simond

Western Thunderer
I know the ASA rightly had some hard words about it, but I did like the Woodpecker Cider advert featuring a punk woodpecker “spending some time out of its tree”. It may not have been wise but it was creative…
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
We have dogs... big dogs... dogs who do not understand about garden plants. I have built raised flower beds to try to deter our dogs and those beds have sides which are about 14" above ground level so I was most surprised with events last night whilst watering the beds. A "moving" plant caught my attention and as I sprayed closer to that plant there was a rush as a wild animal moved to avoid the water spray. Here is a photo taken by my Good Lady, in the rain and at about 8/45.

IMG_0568 web.jpg


I think that the subject of the photo is a Common Frog... any better suggestions?

What puzzles me about finding a frog in our garden is that there is no open water within 1/2 mile so how come the frog is here? Can these amphibians exist without easy access to water? Ought I to be providing water in a dish?

regards, Graham
 
daifly

daifly

Western Thunderer
Dog Star said:
I think that the subject of the photo is a Common Frog... any better suggestions?
What puzzles me about finding a frog in our garden is that there is no open water within 1/2 mile so how come the frog is here? Can these amphibians exist without easy access to water? Ought I to be providing water in a dish?
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A ditch, a neighbour's pond, anything like that would be sufficient - they don't need a lake. I often find them in the garden borders and there's no obvious watery home for some distance. They just need to keep their skin moist. They only actually need water for somewhere to breed.
Dave
 
daifly

daifly

Western Thunderer
I found a muntjack deer wandering round our back garden a couple of months ago. Living in the country, they are regular visitors to the open front garden where they enjoy the buds off my roses etc. (They are like goats when it comes to food.)
However, my back garden is fully fenced with wooden fencing 5 to 6 feet high. I went to open one of the gates to give it an easy path out but it was not happy with me being around and just took off, jumping over a 5ft high section (it's an 8ft drop on the other side) like it was stepping over a matchstick! All too quick for a photo.
Dave
 
steve50

steve50

Western Thunderer
daifly said:
I found a muntjack deer wandering round our back garden a couple of months ago. Living in the country, they are regular visitors to the open front garden where they enjoy the buds off my roses etc. (They are like goats when it comes to food.)
However, my back garden is fully fenced with wooden fencing 5 to 6 feet high. I went to open one of the gates to give it an easy path out but it was not happy with me being around and just took off, jumping over a 5ft high section (it's an 8ft drop on the other side) like it was stepping over a matchstick! All too quick for a photo.
Dave
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I got one that is a real problem, it was nice to see at first as I always thought they were shy and elusive, not so with Munchy! He happily eats everything in site with me working a few feet away in the garden! I ushered him out of my back garden and he went through a small gap between garages that I didn't even know existed, blocked that so hopefully he cant get to the back garden any more, I've had to concede defeat with the front! I'm in suburbia too, think he wandered in from a local country park a mile or so away, just hope he doesn't bring any mates!
 
oldravendale

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
daifly said:
A ditch, a neighbour's pond, anything like that would be sufficient - they don't need a lake. I often find them in the garden borders and there's no obvious watery home for some distance. They just need to keep their skin moist. They only actually need water for somewhere to breed.
Dave
Click to expand...
A bucket will do. A neighbour arrived in our garden last week with a bucket full of rotting leaves but within which were a couple of lovely common frogs. We tend to be the repository for such things as we have a pond, but as Dave says, they only need the pond for breeding. In fact, when we tipped them out of the bucket they went into the nearest undergrowth rather than the pond.

Mrs D saw the first baby frog this year from the pond today. Achievement!!

Brian
 
K

King Crab

Western Thunderer
My daughter keeps finding undernourished hedgehogs. We take them to a lady who runs a shelter for them. Sometimes she just runs out of space and she will ask us to look after it for the winter. So after a couple of injections we take them home, and then release them in the spring.

They have all had completely different characters. From greedy pigs happy to get their nose in the trough, to suspicious and wary fighters.

Here is a picture of my daughter saying a last goodbye to 'Spike'. Always a sad moment....

PeterSpike 2153.jpg
 
oldravendale

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Quite right, Dave. Fortunately our neighbours got there in time. However, I've been surprised in the past to see the sort of heights frogs can climb. Nonetheless, buckets are not to be recommended.

Brian
 
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