Wildlife in the garden - Indian summer?
- Thread starter Dog Star
- Start date
Richard Gawler
Western Thunderer
I found a hedgehog in my garden at dusk on Saturday. I was amazed, this is my first in my 20+ years here.
I am told, they eat cat food? If this is true then he can join the queue. I was "adopted" by my neighbour's cat soon after they arrived here, and I put out food for him. He isn't like a normal cat; he attracts birds to the garden because they can sit on the fence and chatter above him. He sits there looking clueless. The magpies eat his food, and stray cats eat his food. Maybe the hedgehog too. I do hope the little thing stays around a while.
I am told, they eat cat food? If this is true then he can join the queue. I was "adopted" by my neighbour's cat soon after they arrived here, and I put out food for him. He isn't like a normal cat; he attracts birds to the garden because they can sit on the fence and chatter above him. He sits there looking clueless. The magpies eat his food, and stray cats eat his food. Maybe the hedgehog too. I do hope the little thing stays around a while.
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
The packaging for the dry Hedgehog food that I put out each night says that cats and dogs like to eat the nuggets/crumbs... and that the food is not a risk to their dietary needs. Add to that, in our garden I have seen Blackbirds and Magpies clearing up food debris each morning - seems fair to me because the Hedgehogs like to eat the Sunflower hearts that fall from the bird feeders.
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
Hi Pete,
While I know very little about Swifts so I wouldn't disagree with you on that and I am glad to have it confirmed as being a Swift as that's what we thought it was but couldn't be sure.
Our experience of hedgehogs doesn't seem to indicate that being out in daylight is any indication of distress.
Far from it in fact, we had two permanent hedgehog residents for a couple of years and in the height of summer they could be seen regularly out and about at around 4pm. If they were in any kind of distress they would have moved on rather than continuing to live in our hog houses.
I rather suspect that it's one of those urban myths which the Internet has made into 'fact'.
They will certainly eat cat food. Also a very wide variety of other foods. Bread in milk was the traditional food put out for hedgehogs but I believe is not really suitable as they can’t digest the milk. I’m not sure, but cat food may even be the currently recommended option if you wish to feed them.
I thought it was a swift, but where you found it is really odd. Swifts cannot take off from the ground as their legs are too short. They have to launch from height. If you do find one on the ground, it will need help. They just don’t land on the ground in normal circumstances.
I’m not an ornithologist. Could it have been something other than a swift?
JimG
Western Thunderer
Our local hedgehog rescue charity takes dog food. I delivered a box of tinned wet dog food to them after my old dog passed away.
Jim.
Nick C
Western Thunderer
We would like to do something to attract hedgehogs, as we've not seen much sign of them this year - but we're concerned that putting out food might also encourage rats, as we're in an urban area. Any suggestions?
(on a similar note, any suggestions for making a rat-proof compost bin would also be gratefully accepted!)
(on a similar note, any suggestions for making a rat-proof compost bin would also be gratefully accepted!)
Lancastrian
Western Thunderer
Not in my garden, but a large number of damselflies are around at the moment. I believe this is an Emporer (Anex Imperator).
Ian
Ian
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Those are super pictures Ian. Dragonflies are one of the most engaging creatures and just by coincidence this happened in our pond yesterday.
We just missed it emerging from the pupa but saw it climb to the top of the stem for the wings to harden before flying away. I've yet to identify the species (most of ours are emperors - this is smaller than an emperor and the wrong colour) but it's a beautiful thing to witness.
Brian
We just missed it emerging from the pupa but saw it climb to the top of the stem for the wings to harden before flying away. I've yet to identify the species (most of ours are emperors - this is smaller than an emperor and the wrong colour) but it's a beautiful thing to witness.
Brian
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
The wing geometry and structure is absolutely extraordinary on these fabulous creatures!
Here are some lucky shots of a basking Southern Hawker, taken a few years ago, but just couldn't resist putting them up here to show.
Pete.
Here are some lucky shots of a basking Southern Hawker, taken a few years ago, but just couldn't resist putting them up here to show.
Pete.
Osgood
Western Thunderer
Talented photographers with decent tackle look away now.
An intimate scene this morning in the back garden of a fawn and mother grooming each other.
They are regular overnighters, a mother and two fawns also visit occasionally.
The youngster is very inquisitive but so skittish - keeps approaching the window and as soon as it sees movement zips back to the safety of mum.
The mobile phone was well out of its comfort zone (around 20 metres through glass) - this the best it could manage:
So having enjoyed the view through a (very) small pair of binoculars, I wondered if bodging the two together might yield something better.
With more time and an extra hand I might have been able to play with binocular focus to improve the shot but I didn't think it came out too badly?
An intimate scene this morning in the back garden of a fawn and mother grooming each other.
They are regular overnighters, a mother and two fawns also visit occasionally.
The youngster is very inquisitive but so skittish - keeps approaching the window and as soon as it sees movement zips back to the safety of mum.
The mobile phone was well out of its comfort zone (around 20 metres through glass) - this the best it could manage:
So having enjoyed the view through a (very) small pair of binoculars, I wondered if bodging the two together might yield something better.
With more time and an extra hand I might have been able to play with binocular focus to improve the shot but I didn't think it came out too badly?
Not really wildlife in the garden — wildlife in the house.
Specifically, our porch, in the roof. A colony of bats has moved in during the last few weeks. We have tentatively identified them as brown long-eared bats. I have counted 20 leaving in the evening in just 10 minutes or so but there are certainly many more in total.
I don’t have the appropriate camera equipment but, using the phone, one just getting up this evening (first photo) and then airborne (blurred, second photo).
(Look at the back edge of the grey metal sheeting that forms part of the roof covering — you can see one arm/wing and the head)
Specifically, our porch, in the roof. A colony of bats has moved in during the last few weeks. We have tentatively identified them as brown long-eared bats. I have counted 20 leaving in the evening in just 10 minutes or so but there are certainly many more in total.
I don’t have the appropriate camera equipment but, using the phone, one just getting up this evening (first photo) and then airborne (blurred, second photo).
(Look at the back edge of the grey metal sheeting that forms part of the roof covering — you can see one arm/wing and the head)
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
This year has seen much more Barn owl activity than the last couple of years, leading us to believe that this year they have chicks again.
The photos below were taken at 9:30 am after a hard night's hunting. It sat on the post for the best part of half an hour before going back into the nest.
The photos below were taken at 9:30 am after a hard night's hunting. It sat on the post for the best part of half an hour before going back into the nest.
simond
Western Thunderer
Weird
On our side path on Sunday last weekend - it was a warm day
I believe it’s a hawk moth caterpillar. Big - 10mm across, and maybe 80mm long. And with a threatening big spike thing at the tail end!
And a seriously bad attitude if you touched it, it thrashed around quite startlingly.
On our side path on Sunday last weekend - it was a warm day
I believe it’s a hawk moth caterpillar. Big - 10mm across, and maybe 80mm long. And with a threatening big spike thing at the tail end!
And a seriously bad attitude if you touched it, it thrashed around quite startlingly.
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
That is Privet Hawk caterpillar, looking for somewhere to dig a deep hole (usually at least six inches down) and pupate!
The fist one we reared remained in it's comatose state for three years before emerging! When it's wings had dried sufficiently by the evening, we put it outside on our Privet hedge - and it was still there the following morning... only with a rather splendid male attached! As soon as he had finished his business and flew off, she (as it rather obviously turned out) started laying her eggs!
We kept some and raised a batch!
Great fun!
If anyone wonders just how big those caterpillars get:
An absolutely remarkable rate of growth too...
From around 1.5mm freshly unfurled from the egg - to that size in less than a month! The nearest equivalent would be that of a human baby growing to the size of an adult Blue Whale in a similar amount of time!!
Amazing!
Pete.
The fist one we reared remained in it's comatose state for three years before emerging! When it's wings had dried sufficiently by the evening, we put it outside on our Privet hedge - and it was still there the following morning... only with a rather splendid male attached! As soon as he had finished his business and flew off, she (as it rather obviously turned out) started laying her eggs!
We kept some and raised a batch!
Great fun!
If anyone wonders just how big those caterpillars get:
An absolutely remarkable rate of growth too...
From around 1.5mm freshly unfurled from the egg - to that size in less than a month! The nearest equivalent would be that of a human baby growing to the size of an adult Blue Whale in a similar amount of time!!
Amazing!
Pete.
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
No Simon, the spike thing is not dangerous at all, but presumably nature designed it to look as if it is! It fooled you didn't it?! 
Bearing in mind that evolution dictates that everything has a specific purpose, I cannot for the life of me work out why these caterpillars have such ornate - and quite beautiful markings along their flanks...
Apologies that the image is slightly out of focus, but I was photographing the animal's feet, and trying to capture the tiny little hairs around its "velcro" pads! (Never mind NASA, sometimes we think we are so clever at inventing stuff - but it had been done well before we came along!)
I do have plenty of better pictures, but they are on a CD... "somewhere"!
Pete.
PS., By the way, I nearly forgot to mention that these beasties, although usually found feeding on Privet, they also have a taste for Lilac.
Bearing in mind that evolution dictates that everything has a specific purpose, I cannot for the life of me work out why these caterpillars have such ornate - and quite beautiful markings along their flanks...
Apologies that the image is slightly out of focus, but I was photographing the animal's feet, and trying to capture the tiny little hairs around its "velcro" pads! (Never mind NASA, sometimes we think we are so clever at inventing stuff - but it had been done well before we came along!)
I do have plenty of better pictures, but they are on a CD... "somewhere"!
Pete.
PS., By the way, I nearly forgot to mention that these beasties, although usually found feeding on Privet, they also have a taste for Lilac.