Wildlife September 2011

[Olga Bondareva]

I suspect Olga means badly injured.... the little bird inthe photo has a couple of large chunks out of it already....

Yes, thanks Maggi.

Lesley I thought a lot when first saw cat’s games with bird. You are so right about monsters…
Dogs differ of course. And they don’t walk at neighbour’s gardens. 

[Anthony Darby]

Lions are in their native habitat killing their natural food. Cats are alien and as such should never be allowed to set foot outside a house! How many bird, and other, species have been made extinct by alien animals such as cats!?

[David Nicholson]

Lions are in their native habitat killing their natural food. Cats are alien and as such should never be allowed to set foot outside a house! How many bird, and other, species have been made extinct by alien animals such as cats!?

Surely hunting is in their genes? They can catch what they like as far as I'm concerned as long as the natural end to the consumption of whatever isn't deposited in my garden.

[scatigaz]

     Has anyone seen a September Swift? My last was one on the 5th.

[Anthony Darby]

Lions are in their native habitat killing their natural food. Cats are alien and as such should never be allowed to set foot outside a house! How many bird, and other, species have been made extinct by alien animals such as cats!?

Surely hunting is in their genes?

Exactly, so they should be restricted to hunting plastic toys indoors. The only outdoor cats in the UK should be the Scottish wild cats. In New Zealand, the Kiwi has lost much of its range because of feral (is there any other kind?) cats. Several bush wrens have been made extinct by introduced cats.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm no great fan of cats but to keep them inside at all times would be as cruel as keeping children inside forever. It can't be done. Again, it must be humans who are to blame for domesticating the cat in the first place, not the cats who do their natural thing.

[Anthony Darby]

Cats can quite easily become accustomed to life indoors. My mum had Siamese that were indoor cats. Try letting a ragdoll outside! Alas Scottish tabbies are destroying the Scottish wildcat gene pool too! If your dog roamed the neighborhood you would soon have the full force of the law on you. Why should cats be any different? Perhaps what I saw written above and below the characters on a NZ car number plate sums up cats and dogs: "dogs have owners; cats have staff".

[mark smyth]

only 400 Scottish wild cats left. There are more tigers and pandas! Cats should be banned within 100 miles of wild cat populations

[Maggi Young]

I know several folk with perfectly content and well adjusted indoor cats.

[angie]

Looking out of my window the sky is full of swallows, must have been a good year for them. I have never seen so much before. I wandering if that's them getting ready to go. wish I could fly away and leave winter behind 

Angie

[Anthony Darby]

We have a spare room Angie.

[angie]

Anthony don't tempt me. 

Angie

[Anthony Darby]

The invite stands.

[angie]

Anthony how long can l stay in New-Zealand before they would throw me out.

Anthony I have started to worry about my Cypripediums that I got from you. The leaves have all died down.
I worry that they won't come threw the winter. I know they are tuff but they are so special plants that I can't help worry. My husband laughs he says I worry more about them than him, how right he is 

Angie

[Anthony Darby]

Don't worry. The leaves will die down and you will have next years buds ready for the spring. Don't pamper them. They are as tough as old boots. My pots just stood out in all weathers. As long as they don't dry out they'll be fine. If you carefully move some medium away from the stems with your fingers you should see the buds. Don't cut the old stems, but you can pull them later, if they give?