Wildlife - wot you got?

[valmarg]

what a beauty! My mother would've packed her bags and moved house if she found one in her garden!

I saw one in our garden a few days ago near the pond. Considering my husband as an absolute pobia for snakes, I daren't tell him. Particularly as he is in charge of the pumps, etc in the pond. I suppose it is illegal to kill them. Not that I would dream of doing it. I know they are harmless, you all know they are harmless, but how do you get this through to someone that has a phobia against them.

I just hope it never puts it's head above the parapet when my husband is around!!

valmarg

[Lozzie]

I suppose it is illegal to kill them.

You're right. According to http://www.arkive.com,

This species [Natrix Natrix]is fully protected against being sold, injured or killed in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. One main aim of the conservation strategy for this species is to educate people about the grass snake, and to encourage them to tolerate its presence.

Two subspecies of them, Natrix natrix ssp. cetti and Natrix natrix ssp. schweizeri are on the Red List as critically endangered species.

[Shortie]

Lozzie, I couldn't seem to get into the link. I've reattached below - was this the one?

http://www.iucnredlist.org/

Sorry, it may have just ben my computer!

[Lozzie]

Oops! Sorry about that. I typed the address wrong. Yes, that is the website I was trying to link to. My bad!

[SueA]

Valmarg, my O.H. doesn't like snakes either. When we were on holiday in Morocco once years ago before we married, a snake charmer came into our hotel to perform & threw a load of snakes onto the floor in front of us & my O.H. tucked his legs up & held an empty beer bottle at the ready in case one came near us. Wasn't too happy myself but thought they mustn't be poisonous or he wouldn't let them out! I prefer them in the open where either I can run away or they can!

[Sunbeam]

Snakes I can handle - spider's are my 'nasties' BUT I am getting better since I had my son - I don't want him thinking mummy is a complete woos! I smile and tell him what a lovely spider it is - making sure that I am between the spider and the nearest exit at all times!!

Re grass snakes - we saw one swimming in an old disused ford last month - I've never seen one in the wild either before!

[Shortie]

I smile and tell him what a lovely spider it is

Sorry Sunbeam, you made me chuckle! Remonded me of when my little boy went up to my Mum with a worm and asked her to hold it. Until then I had no idea she disliked them. She handled it pretty wel though.
What mad me chuckle wa that it reminded me that to make him take it back, she asked him to sing a song to it, meaning 'there's a worm at the bottom of my garden'. It worked, my boy took the work back, and promptly sang it 'twinkle, twinkle'!

[Slug]

Does anyone have any Humming Bird Hawk Moth's in their garden? I saw one in the front garden yesterday - it was taking nectar from my lavender, then the hebe.

I had no idea what it was when I first saw it because I couldn't believe 1) It was a moth out in broad daylight (bright sunshine too!), 2) It looked and flew like a mini humming bird and 3) It had the most enormous tongue thingy (don't know the technical term for the bit they suck the nectar up with!!).

I'm now intrigued as I've never seen one before and until yesterday I had no idea they even existed!! Are they common? If so, where?

Has anyone else seen them this year? I thought it was soooo cool

[SueA]

Know what you mean Slug. I saw one for the first time about 3 years ago, then the year after then none last year or this so far, I hope they come back as they're fantastic & so unusual. The ones in my garden were on the lavender like yours & on the pinks, the first time I saw one I ran inside & grabbed my camera, I'm attaching a photo but don't know if you will be able to see the moth, it's on the middle pink, but the wings blur as they are 'humming' so fast. I don't know how common they are in Ireland where you are but they seem to be more common in southern areas & I was quite surprised to see one up here in Manchester but I suppose like most things with climate change they are moving higher up the country.

[smallblueplanet]

Saw one last week (before the weather broke) on the lavender, they seem to adore the stuff. First time I saw one was in France on lavender bushes which were absolutely covered with them. I took some photos but all you can really see is the lavender!

Good attempt Sue!

[SueA]

That was my best one SBP, I got lots of others with just pinks in the photo where just as I pressed the button the little devil flew to the next flower!

[Slug]

SueA - your photo is exactly like the one in my garden! I read somewhere yesterday on the internet (yes.... I'm getting obsessed and now googling about moths!) that they have very good memories and often go back to the same flower every day at the same time!

Problem is that it was in the afternoon on Sunday - might have to take some time off work eh to catch another glimpse

[FoxHillGardener]

I saw one for the first time here in London last year on red valerian. It was systematically going round every little flower.

I remember seeing something on one of those David Attenbrough programmes that when they've feed on a particular flower in those huge clusters, they mark it with something that only shows up in ultra violet light - which they can see in. This means they don't waste time and energy going back to a flower they've already fed on . By filming it in UV we could see it too. Clever little chaps

[Birdie Wife]

They're brilliant, aren't they? I saw one down in Wales at the garden centre at Bodnant in June. The RSPB get a few calls this time of year with excited people telling us they saw a humming bird in their garden!

[SueA]

Slug, not sure the ones in my garden had read about themselves on 'Google' as I saw one only once & the other on 2 occassions & never again! Would love them to come back. The first time I saw one I was torn between running in to get my camera & banging on my neighbour's door as she is quite into birds & butterflies etc.(the camera won as I thought she might think I was mad!)