Friday 29 December 2017

NOT MUCH FESTIVE SPIRIT FROM THE LOCAL CATS

The Christmas apples left in the garden have been largely untouched, which means the local birds are either finding food not too hard to come by.

The fat snacks are going down quite well, but the ones in the garden are going much slower than the ones in the trees opposite the garden.

I have noticed a couple of cats skulking nearby recently and I think this is putting the birds of coming into the garden and feeding.

It’s time the cat scaring patrols were stepped up, because living in the countryside is all about immersing in the wildlife and way of life, not having too many local domestic cats ruining it for you and the wildlife.

My feeling on domestic cats are well known; I don’t hate them, but I hate what they do to our local wildlife.

In other news Christmas brought the garden a new abode – a ladybird hotel.


This has been located in one of the only available places in the garden that’s suitable and will hopefully provide a good place for ladybirds and other insects to shelter.


However, given the amount of wildlife friendly devices in the garden and the loitering cats reducing visits, I think it’s time I found a new bigger garden to maintain as a wildlife haven.

Friday 22 December 2017

CHRISTMAS CALM?

As we head towards Christmas and festive celebrations, there’s been another exciting development for the garden wildlife.

There’s been another new bird seen flying through the garden, a quick flash of blue and it was gone – a kingfisher.

Now the pond (small that is was) has long gone, but there is a small stream next to the garden which has small fish in, plus a pond nearby.

Whether it’s fishing in either or both is unknown, but it must be in the area for some reason and feeding seems the reasonable explanation.

It’s only been seen once, so there will be numerous eyes watching over the coming weeks for a winter flash of blue flying by.

Not much else to report, apart from the garden birds making use of the free handouts, particularly in the recent really cold snap.

Will the mild weather continue over Christmas and into 2018, or will winter have a dastardly plan for the weather?

Time will tell, but the local birds, and small mammals will be well catered for as their winter food supplies remain sparse.

Thursday 7 December 2017

READY FOR WINTER?

In a couple of weeks’ time I’ll look back at the year in images, charting the garden and house through the seasons.

This is something that’s featured on this blog for a couple of years now and it’s interesting to see the differences between each year.

By the time the reflection post comes on, it may well include an image or two with snow in; highly doubtful given the low height above sea level the garden is.

There’s not been much activity around the garden, aside from the usual visitors of blue tits, robins, house sparrows and dunnocks.

Not many blackbirds have been seen and other birds are still to regularly visit the garden during this early period of winter.

However, one bird that has flirted with the garden is the redwing.

In flocks of less than 20, they’ve visited the areas around the garden on a couple of occasions, but stay mainly up the lane in bigger bushes and trees that offer more shelter and more berries!

One exciting development was earlier this week, with the brief sighting of a barn owl next to the garden.

It appeared against the light of next door’s outside light and is the first one I’ve seen in about seven or eight years.

This news takes into context the seemingly reduction on cats in neighbouring houses and, though while still too numerous, the sighting of the owl is hopefully a good sign about natural prey for the barn and tawny owls, which had not been seen or heard around the garden for a number of years.


Let’s hope the local little owl population comes back too!