ED Nature Watch

[Sue]

Erm, now I have two foxes.

Possibly there were always two foxes, but I only saw one of them at a time ....

[reetpetite]

There was a dead goose in the Peckham Rye lake this morning, hope it was a 'natural' killing and no one had taken a pop at it.

[helena handbasket]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Can anyone explain why a blue tit would peck at

> paint on my bathroom window sill?

>

> I thought there might be insects there, but it

> (and other birds) appear to be actually stripping

> the paint :-S

>

> And they are well provided for with peanuts and

> fat balls, as well!

>

> Also - something has made off with a whole net of

> birdseed which was hanging on a branch - plus the

> metal hook it was hanging from!! Surely a squirrel

> couldn't do that?? It's all completely

> disappeared!

>

> :-S

Bloody squirrels........ rats in cute outfits, that's what I say!

[Sue]

At the risk of being a total bore, I just wish to share that I have seen neither of "my" foxes since Thursday morning and I miss them :-$

And Helena H - :))

[SteveT]

That's cos' they're out........ doin' it..........lucky little fuxes

[Sue]

What, 24/7?

:))

Seriously (before this thread gets lounged or worse) why would two foxes be sleeping happily in my garden then disappear?

edited to say: My garden in East Dulwich, that is ....

[SteveT]

They will be looking for a place to sprog at this time of year.

If you want them to stay next time, dig a hole 2 ft by 2 ft by 2ft and cover over with a bunch of twigs.

[Sue]

But they both seemed very young foxes themselves - a work colleague reckoned they would be siblings? And surely that size hole wouldn't hold a family of foxes, and surely they would dig the holes themselves??

Not that I'm doubting you, you understand :)

[Mscrawthew]

I have seen the 2 young foxes quite a few times in and around Archdale/Frogley Road. I would say definately the same young foxes that have been in Sue`s garden. What worries me is the fact that they don`t seem to be to frightend of cars or Humans. I drove down Archdale at 8.30pm last Wednesday and one of them was sitting in the road and the other on the pavement near bye. I drove slowly expecting them to run but we just sat looking at each other for about 5 minutes until another car came flying up in the other direction. They are absolutely beautiful.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Watch out for those foxes - they'll be morris dancing next.

[Sue]

:))

They've got taste then!

:)-D

[SteveT]

The foxtrot perhaps.

[Sue]

Foxes haven't come back :-S

But I have seen huge bumblebees around my Mahonia japonica (flowering) - in this weather?!

And this morning I looked out of my kitchen window and saw a very small animal (not a bird, not a squirrel) running along a large stem of a rambling rose towards the garden wall - it was so fast and I was so bleary eyed I didn't catch what it was.

Do mice do that?

[Moos]

Was it a badger?

[Sue]

You must be as pissed as me :))

Edited to add: The clue is in the words "very small"

[Moos]

I am feeling a bit random, yes.

I just liked the idea of it being a badger.

[Sue]

Sadly not. It would have been black and white/white and black and fallen off the stem PDQ.

[rgutsell]

HI all

Here is what I know about bumble bees being out and about this late in the year.

They are "social" insects like honey bees, but their nests only consist of very small numbers. In the nest, only one or two will be actively foraging etc at any one time. Bees that emerge late in the year, will eventually attempt to "hibernate" (they go into "diapause") by finding a place to settle down, sometimes in the nest, but often alone. Quite often this is in the undergrowth of a grassy area. If they survive the winter (a big if...) they will emerge in the early spring, but they won't last long. What a life...first yer born...then yer work ard...then you die. Bumble bees actually do work themselves to death; their wings etc are ragged with use at the end.

Maybe a bee expert could give us more info.

rn gutsell

[Sue]

Blimey, poor bees :-S

[SteveT]

Had a pair of longtailed tits visit the garden but didn't get involved with the peanut feeder.

There is a pair of blackbirds that visit and the male has some white feathers on his back, so more of a pied blackbird.

[Sue]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Had a pair of longtailed tits visit the garden but

> didn't get involved with the peanut feeder.

>

>xxxxxxxxx

Hey I'm so jealous, have never had longtailed tits in London, used to get them a lot when I lived in Oundle, plus a whole family of woodpeckers came to the garden :)

Do you live near a wood?

[ruthmct]

We get long-tailed tits occasionally, usually arriving in a gourp of about 5 to raid the bird feeders, then they disappear for a month or so. We live on the border of East Dulwich, almost into Forest Hill.

Ruth

[PeckhamRose]

The scaffolding's come down off the block - the plants and the birdfeeders and boxes are going up. The birdfeeders are squirrel proof, but we also have some 'fat' balls in a hanger thing.

This morning we saw all the usual blue tits but also a WREN and of course some noisy green parrots/parakeets get stuck in to the fat balls. It was a delight to see the wren! They don't eat from birdfeeders but they'll go through the plants for insects and so on. Sometimes we see woodpeckers at our birdfeeder too. We live on the hill between the park and the cemetery, so there's plenty of wildlife all round.

[Sue]

I used to have a wren living in my garden, but sadly, like the foxes, it has gone :-S

[SteveT]

Sue wrote:- Do you live near a wood?

No, but there are some big trees in near by gardens.

The only time the long tailed tits come into the garden is during harsh winter weather, and it is a fleeting visit.