Wildlife - wot you got?

[FoxHillGardener]

Alice

Maybe they're hiding out there somewhere - I could hardly claim to be a particularly tidy gardener! I'll listen out for snoring in future

[Shortie]

Shortie - I'd be interested to see what repsonse you get about the rehoming.

They gave me a number for our local one in Enfield. Not sure where you're based but if you're interested I'll PM you their webpage to contact them? Other wise I'll let you know when I hear back (only emailed them yesterday)

[FoxHillGardener]

PM? what's that then?

and I'm based south of the river, I mean, sarf of the river

[Alice]

A PM is a Private Message. I Know - we all talk in alphabets these days. Drives my husband mad. He's like those Grumpy Old Men you see on TV. I think he recognised himself quite well and was reassured to know he was not the only one who felt the 21st century was running from him. My sister says I should watch Grumpy Old Women as I would recognise myself there !

[SueA]

Hi Foxhill, a PM is a private message which you can send to another member on the vine without it showing up on the forum. You click on the members list, find the person you want to contact click on them & then on private messages.I take it the baby hedgehog in the pic. isn't in your garden then as you say you don't see any? The only time I've seen any is when I've been out slug hunting at night & heard a snuffling sound before getting a dirty look from a hedgehog whose supper I've been pinching!

[Shortie]

PM? what's that then?

and I'm based south of the river, I mean, sarf of the river

Ah, Enfield's no good to you then.... But I can always let you know and if you're interested I could ask them for a number your side of the mud?

[plot 11 pam]

we've had a brood of blue tits in the hollow concrete posts on our patio. Undercover and totally dry its a favourite and has been used for the past five years.

[andrewo]

I will never use nets again to keep off cats, a few mornings ago I found a poor frog caught in one (can never tell if they are frogs or toads). Fortunately, I went out before the sun really got hot, at first I thought a cat had s**t in the nets but when I discovered it was a frog, I was really upset -however it was still alive! I had to use some scissors to cut it loose, praying it wouldn't move, the legs were tricky and it's neck was being throttled by the plastic (reminiscent of swans being strangled on plastic beer can holders) BUT I got it free, watered it and put it somewhere shady and they live!

I now have a frog, lacewings, bees galore (they love my borage), ladybirds, sadly I have seen no butterflies this year other than cabbage whites, robins, tits, starlings, jackdaws, wood pigeons, beetles and drunk men from the Whit Walk Band Contest who decided to urinate in a berberis bush and are now caught painfully.

[sewer rat]

Andrewo
Frogs have wet looking smooth skin and they hop and are not unattractive, quite athletic looking animals. Toads on the other hand have a dry rough textured skin (hence the warts tales) and tend to be crawlers rather than hoppers and not exactly built for speed

[FoxHillGardener]

Thanks all, PM = private message. Isn't this technology stuff clever?

SueA, sadly the picture's not from my garden, if only it was

Ah, Enfield's no good to you then.... But I can always let you know and if you're interested I could ask them for a number your side of the mud?

Thanks Shortie, I'd be interested to hear your progress, too.

[Shortie]

Still not heard back

When I get back home I might see if there's a number I can call instead..

[FoxHillGardener]

Saw a great big stag beetle on the pavement on my way home from the station the other afternoon. Very impressive looking thing. I've looked them up and discovered it's only the males with the "antlers" and I've seen females in my garden - I'd not realised they were stags beetles since they don't have the "antlers".

I've logged them on here http://www.stagbeetlehelpline.co.uk/ which also has some good pictures - the grubs are particularly ugly looking things!

[Birdie Wife]

Talking of stags, the red deer around here are looking magnificent, proper russety red coats after their spring moult, and all the lads with their antlers in velvet, looking very dashing indeed!

Midgey city too though! Often hard to do more than a couple of minutes in the garden before running inside. Ack.

[JennieAtkinson]

Like you Birdie Wife, three wonderful WIND FREE days, but the midgies urgh !

Wrapped scarves around my head and neck but they still manage to get through. Must have looked a sight OH did ask if I was doing SAS gardening!

[Alice]

I believe the British Army uses the Avon product Skin So Soft as a midge repellant (no joking) and heard other people say they use it too. Might be worth a try.
I'm managing to keep the roe deer out of the garden (thank goodness) but can see them out in the woods. A doe and 2 little bambies, not much bigger than cats with long legs, still with their speckles on and meeping for mummy when she's gone too long. They are just gorgeous, and I NEVER want to see them in my garden again !