The Animals Went in Two by Two...
- racheljbielby
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
May brought a deluge of animal visitors and a veritable cornucopia of colours to the garden.
We had two very inexperienced squirrels - presumably this year's brood as they had comically large feet and tiny heads. They are definitely not Sassy's offspring as she doesn't care for them at all and will routinely chase them away. In true young squirrel fashion, they are doing their best to explore the world and get stuck into/onto everything...
In [what I assume is] retaliation for removing the peanut feeder overnight [due to mice getting in] and being less than punctual about putting it out again in the morning; or perhaps just due to sheer vindictiveness on their part - a certain squirrel has been chewing up the sandbags by the pond and running off with the hemp! I caught one of them in the act and chased them off!
The peanut feeder is likely entering it's last few weeks as it has been getting thoroughly abused by all manner of wildlife. The mice have taken it upon themselves to chew through the wooden sides to get to the peanuts inside [again this is an assumption, I've not watched them]. God knows why when most of them can nip up inside the feeder itself...they've also decided to chew the corner - where approximately three pieces of wood overlap...thus they have successfully selected the least accessible access point.
Meanwhile the magpies have discovered they can dislodge a small stick holding the base of the perspex sheet in place, meaning they can then lift the perspex and scoffle the nuts that way. Unfortunately the pigeons have also cottoned on to this technique...as well as the wood pigeons and the crows. All the while, the foxes regularly drag its contents over the garden...although this individual has a slightly more gentle approach...
Following on from the discovery of having a fox cub visiting, it would be a massive understatement to say we were delighted to see this footage a few nights later!
The cubs are becoming frequent visitors - either by themselves or with a parent [appears to be 'Chunky' and 'Skinny']. Whilst absolutely adorable, I do feel they may be the culprits who have been knocking over my pot plants...
Other peanut enthusiasts are the mice - of whom we have been seeing several of [outside by the back door]. I made the unfortunate discovery [below centre] in the garage one morning when going to restock the peanut feeder. Not only had they got into the peanuts - but they had chewed a perfect hole in a 1/2 inch thick plastic tub to get there. Talk about determination! All three individuals were released back into the wild [i.e. the back garden]; and the contaminated peanuts were segregated from the 'clean' ones.
A few days later, as we were running low on peanuts I put the 'mouse-scented' ones in the feeder. The squirrels didn't seem to mind the smell at all; but the foxes absolutely refused to eat them!
We've been getting quite a few hedgehog sightings in the early evening [5.30pm onwards] - this is common for this time of year as there are so few hours of darkness! They also seem to come out earlier if it's been particularly warm during the day. Some hogs need to be re-educated into what constitutes 'healthy' food [above, centre].
Look away if you're not into awesome invertebrate! These guys were some of the first to visit the pond and I am super psyched about them! I feel their common name, rat-tailed maggots, gives them really bad press - as they are actually super cool. They are the aquatic larvae of different species of hover flies. The 'tail' is actually a telescopic breathing tube - which enables them to inhabit different depths of the pond. I discovered there was a whole nursery of these guys on the seagrass matting [see below, left].
*Note: yes we also have midge/mosquito larvae - but this is NOT a big deal. In the process of ponds becoming established and mature, they go through several cycles where the nutrient levels fluctuate. In newer ponds, the nutrient level is quite high which means for a time, the water appears somewhat stagnant - which is when you see hover fly and midge larvae. It is worth bearing in mind that this is nature [and therefore in a constant state of flux] and just like an aquatic fish tank - the water and nutrient levels eventually sort themselves out. Also worth mentioning that midge larvae feature in all food chains/webs and are a vital source of food for different creatures. DO NOT be tempted to put a pond pump in to clear the water - it will vacuum up all the little beasties - which is kind of cruel.
Cool wee find on our oak tree! This is [I think] a Red-Pea Gall, formed by the Cynips divisa gall wasp. Basically the gall wasp injects certain chemicals into a leaf vein, which creates a small micro habitat for the wasps larvae to live in and eat. Aside from the initial chemical rush it doesn't harm the tree at all.
I'll finish up this blog edition with a perfectly placed ladybird in the centre of lupin leaves...
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