wildlife

[MarcR]

Marc, have you any photos. of the Elk etc?

Ian,

Due to the physical effects of aging, I find it nearly impossible to use a camera.

[ruweiss]

Crazy weather- after some very welcome heavy rainfalls we had a warm afternoon
with 26°C. The hornets in the bird nesting box were still rather active.

[Vinny 123]

The hornets in the bird nesting box were still rather active.

No frost so far?
We had a frost of 2-3 degrees C around 3 weeks ago, though none since. That will have seen the last of the workers off here - only queens over-winter.

I have to say that I adore hornets - such a beautiful gingery-brown and yellow. It is always a great treat to see them slowly making their way through open woodland - so large and slow and a characteristic colour that is easily followed as they go about their business. They are also remarkably placid, despite so much folklore to the contrary.

[ArnoldT]

Vinny

I agree, wish they had a better  image among folks.  They are the best pest control creatures out there.

[ruweiss]

We had no frost until now, but don' know how long the mild weather
lasts. We always enjoy the presence of hornets in our meadowgarden,
and never had any bad experiences with these interesting insects.

[brianw]

We are getting back to something like normal, here in my garden in the Chilterns. 3 male pheasants and 1 female this morning. Most we have seen since spring. 3 partridges last week for a short time. All are very twitchy still though; not used to me yet. Woodpecker on the feeder most days.
On the Thames a few days ago, no winter migrants in evidence; just Swans, Cormorants and odd ducks and gulls.

[fermi de Sousa]

A recent visitor to our garden and capable of wreaking havoc is the Black or Swamp Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor.
We don't mind it eating the windfall apples but get annoyed when it pulls down branches to feed, often breaking them in the process
cheers
fermi

[brianw]

Much as I accept wildlife around eg. pheasants, squirrels, and sometimes muntjac, they take their toll on the plants. I fence one small area to keep my Erythronium flowers from the bigger pests but each year I lose flowers from crocus in rough (lawn) grass areas. An American website suggests C. tommasinianus and its hybrids are less prone to squirrel damage, although I have not noticed this. Anyone have knowledge of this selective crocus control? Not sure what all my various crocus flowers are or if they are selectively eaten. The bulbs themselves seem to be left alone so far. Nothing seems to eat daffodils, eranthis, snowdrops but muscari and cyclamen are grazed.

[ian mcdonald]

In my last garden C. tommasinianus was planted as a small group. They appeared all over the back garden within a few years and even made it to the front garden on their own. They are in the front garden at my new house and are spread all over the borders. They are just coming into flower now.

[Jeffnz]

Fermi\
Is the photo of a black wallaby?

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi\
Is the photo of a black wallaby?

Yes! Do you want it?

[Knud]

Anyone have knowledge of this selective crocus control? Not sure what all my various crocus flowers are or if they are selectively eaten.

Brian, I wouldn't claim to have knowledge on the topic, but do have some frustrating experience of crocus being eaten by roe deer. It seems they eat them all, but especially, I feel, the ones I have few of. Except one, the one in the picture below and which I got as C. chrysanthus Fuscotintus. It appears early, the flower is always preceded by very pointed leaves and I have wondered if the sequence of 'leaves first' is a protection against grazing, the animals noses senstive to being pricked by the leaves? The flower in the middle of the picture is probably living dangerously, sticking its head up so high.

Luckily, we haven't had deer in the garden the last few years. The last time, all the crocuses that were up flowers first, like those in the second picture (C. gargaricus (?) and C. tommasinianus), were grazed to the ground, or down to the top of their appearing leaves.

Knud

[ArnoldT]

I can add a bit of my own experience.  I plant 500 common Crocus in a lawn area and our local squirrels have decided to eat only the non yellow ones preferentially.

This isn't a scientific observation but most of the non yellow Crocus are gone and yellow have increased.

Could it be something to do with the color rendition of the predators?

[partisangardener]

Maybe there is a difference in taste?

[MarcR]

Hi Roma

You could try this product and it's totally environmentally friendly www.grazers.co.uk

I've used it here on the farm against rabbits but you can also use it for deer, pigeons voles & mice.

Growild,

Thank you for sharing this!