wildlife

[johnralphcarpenter]

The other beetle looks like a nettle weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus) or P. maculicornis. The former is around 10cm, and the latter, being the lesser of two weevils, is just a tad smaller.

10cm?

[Anthony Darby]

10cm?

Slip of the finger. 10mm. Another species it could be is Phyllobius argentatus, which is smaller at 6mm.

[KenC]

I give up!  Squirrels and gophers have eaten anything with a bulb.  Deer are eating anything with leaves.  Raccoons tipped out all seed pots.  Now this guy shows up to join the party.

[Maggi Young]

I give up!  Squirrels and gophers have eaten anything with a bulb.  Deer are eating anything with leaves.  Raccoons tipped out all seed pots.  Now this guy shows up to join the party.

Holy Moly!  That's a BIG problem!

[Tristan_He]

I give up!  Squirrels and gophers have eaten anything with a bulb.  Deer are eating anything with leaves.  Raccoons tipped out all seed pots.  Now this guy shows up to join the party.

I'm starting to feel grateful to only have to deal with slugs!

Perhaps you need a pet wolf...?

[Tristan_He]

PS Like the Primulas.

[Hoy]

I'm starting to feel grateful to only have to deal with slugs!

Perhaps you need a pet wolf...?

Oh no I'll take anything but slugs

I can tolerate deer, hares, different rodents and also an occasional moose/ European elk (at the mountain cabin) (and the neighbours' cats and dogs) but not slugs Not all slugs though, it is Arion vulgaris a recent immigrant which is the problem).

[brianw]

Does Vipers bugloss count as wildlife ? ;-)

When I returned from the Nargs conference to a very overgrown garden, a pheasant had nested in the rough grass area. I actually mowed over the nest before I saw the 2 eggs in a small hollow. Each day they increased in number until 6 eggs just a few days ago. She crept in under the long dry grass I added to disguise it a bit, and was not visible without standing over her. Yesterday they were all broken and empty shells. A gap dug out under the fence suggest a fox visited during the night. No sign of the hen since ;-(

[ian mcdonald]

It,s pretty wild around here Brian. During a survey all forms of natural history are recorded, native and alien, for posterity. As far as I understand, all forms of natural history come under the heading of wildlife. The Verbascum has been identified as V. speciosum.

[admin]

I splashed out on a 500MM f4 prime lens. Here are a few shots of my local ospreys

[Lesley Cox]

I give up!  Squirrels and gophers have eaten anything with a bulb.  Deer are eating anything with leaves.  Raccoons tipped out all seed pots.  Now this guy shows up to join the party.

Perhaps he's just come to see the garden. After all there can't be much left to eat. Sorry, I do sympathize, rabbits are my problem and free-range chooks.

[Lesley Cox]

Does Vipers bugloss count as wildlife ? ;-)

When I returned from the Nargs conference to a very overgrown garden, a pheasant had nested in the rough grass area. I actually mowed over the nest before I saw the 2 eggs in a small hollow. Each day they increased in number until 6 eggs just a few days ago. She crept in under the long dry grass I added to disguise it a bit, and was not visible without standing over her. Yesterday they were all broken and empty shells. A gap dug out under the fence suggest a fox visited during the night. No sign of the hen since ;-(

So no pheasant suppers for Brian? One of our chooks has taken to laying by the back porch in a nest of bearded iris and old Narcissus leaves which I've left for her, though I don't really want her just there. They have a house for night but prefer to perch in camellias! Anyway our Marley, darling dog that he is has discovered the pleasures of egg for breakfast and chases her off the nest as soon as she's laid and grabbing the warm egg. I've had to fence her nest off. She can hop over but Marley can't. Yet.

[David Lyttle]

I splashed out on a 500MM f4 prime lens. Here are a few shots of my local ospreys

Beautiful pictures; it should make the pain of parting with that amount of money go away.

[Maggi Young]

Fabulous photos, Fred - worth the expense I'm sure, as David said!  And will be loads of fun for you to work with in future -but I suppose now isn't a good time to ask you to lend me a fiver?   

[fermi de Sousa]

Possible conversation:
pic 1: what are we waiting for? Shouldn't we just jump into this garden?
pic 2: here comes Ted
pic 3: Ted says not to jump into fermi and Will's garden or they'll get mad!
pic 4: we're off then!
cheers
fermi