Wildlife -Winter 2008

[Michael J Campbell]

Anthony,that's the colour they are on the Christmas cards.

[mark smyth]

Anthony are you joking?

[Anthony Darby]

Me, a joker? Never. I was just wondering if they were as bright in Antrim, Batman. The are quite dull around here, but then I'd have to see them when the sun is out. Perhaps this year, as we are not going away, so I'm unlikely to miss that day?

[mark smyth]

The one that was in and on my hand this morning was the same. There is one at worked I have trained to come to my hand for cheese. Today It had sneaked in when no-one was looking and was fluttering against the window.

[Maggi Young]

Jo, did Rafiki get out on her own or had  you to stage a rescue? Her pride will be dented either way. Our pond always has a cover of duckweed in summer and dimwitted visiting dogs sometimes try to cross it....sometimes when I am shooing unwelcome feline visitors they too have not noticed that there is water beneath  Mea culpa for taking delight in it, but they are nver harmed.
I have a  young cocker spaniel who I have as a "day boarder"  at times.... I am rather worried about her and the iced pond......the smell of a pond-dunked spaniel is truly 'orrible!


 Michael's Robin has obviously been into town and picked up a new suit in the Sales...he's really set up to charm the girls in that outfit! He must think that spring is not too far away. I hope he's right!

[Carol Shaw]

The robins in our garden are just as bright as the one in Michael's pix. and have already started to become very territorial - they always look so much drabber in summer

[Jo]

Luckily no rescue needed, and I did laugh a lot. She was very embarrassed.

We have leeches, newts and in summer grass snakes in the pond. Fortunately she didn't fall prey to any of them. This was the demise of one of our toads, a very sticky end.

[mark smyth]

wrong way round stupid snake. I see it choose a healthy female toad

[Michael J Campbell]

I have removed the offending pictures of the Robin to avoid any further embarrassment

[Anthony Darby]

They were fantastic photos with such vivid colours. 

Is that a squashed strawberry I see in the grass snake/toad pic?

[Maggi Young]

I have removed the offending pictures of the Robin to avoid any further embarrassment

I don't know why you did that, Michael, they were super pictures of a Robin looking at his/her very best.

[Jo]

No Anthony, snakes don't like strawberries

[Anthony Darby]

No Anthony, snakes don't like strawberries

OK Jo, so that means that someone has splatted the toad.

[ranunculus]

It's an airbag, Anthony ... 

[Jo]

wrong way round stupid snake. I see it choose a healthy female toad

I see what you mean Mark, you reckon the 'strawberry' is an egg mass. I had just assumed it was blood and air.

The snake couldn't move while it swallowed the toad so it was easy to photograph. Except it was too sad to watch the expression on the toads face as it disappeared. I went back about half an hour later and the snake was just wriggling off into the flower bed with a big lump half way down its length.

We get a lot of little ones in the greenhouse and potting shed and I've even had a big one terrorizing the cat in the conservatory. They make a scratchy sound as they move over the slabs, weird.