Pictures of Wildlife.

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by Drew5233, Apr 18, 2010.

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  1. Quarterfinal

    Quarterfinal Well-Known Member

    Saw this on the kitchen window, initially thinking it was a piece of vegetation - actually a plume moth (approx 3cm across); it had flown off by the time I got a better camera:
    upload_2022-10-16_19-20-5.jpeg
     
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  2. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    Our faithful Murphy often alerts us to Mr Fox’s presence when he wanders out into the garden at night for a, ahem, constitutional. Out I dash with my torch in case it’s bugglers that I will need to valiantly grapple with and, instead, usually catch the flash of vulpine eyes shining bright in its beam - two of them out there t’other night, not phased at all by my heroic presence.

    Plenty of worm casts now on the lawn, ran over many when I gave it a mow on Friday. Colder now but enough rain around to keep the ground fairly soft still. Mower accounted for most of the fallen leaves but there’s another coating of them already. The front drive remains fairly clear at present but it won’t be long before there’s heaps there as we face a park and when the wind blows off that, as it always does this time of year, the drive turns into a leaf mountain (one of my least favourite jobs of the year).

    Hope the Husky is ok, she’s a beauty.
     
  3. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    Never seen one of these before - most elegant looking, like a long legged fox but, I dare say, a sight more powerful.
     
  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer Pearl Harbor Myth Buster

    They rule the Pampas.
     
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  5. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    "They rule the Pampas"
    This one rules me.
    Yes Wobbler she is ok I think.
    She was fine today making a nuisance of herself while I was clearing the under growth in the garden. The foxes have dug a hole so I implemented Plan "D" and filled it in. Followed by clearing all the cover under the Leylandii to prevent any though of them moving in. Its a mild night and just stopped raining. She is having trouble settling. She doesn't like to be more than 20 degrees at night its just got down to 19 in the lounge so we are in with a chance here in the study I might be in bed by 2am.
    If I go to bed she will yap and wake everyone up so I am here until she drops off to sleep
    The vet says she has arthritis and canine dementia. They won't put her to sleep as she is still mobile although we don't go for walks anymore as she sags after a few hundred yards so we let her wander round the garden in the daytime.
    If the foxes are back we will be in for a restless night. The trail cam is out again to see if they are here and to check if Spike the Hedgehog is around. Its time he was back sorting his house out.
    He was last seen a few weeks ago mating in a neighbour's garden.
    He is back in the garden its 02.21 just chased a fox off that was stalking him although if it tries to grab him it should come off worse. He's been here for four years and used to them.
    Now I know why Millie isn't sleeping.
    See what the camera recorded tomorrow. One of my sons has just got up so relief is on the way.

    Edit 0830 Monday morning: The fox is a pest it won't go away for long. I was throwing things at it but it wouldn't go away. Best result was when I hissed at it from a few feet away. Left my youngest in charge. Came down at 0730 because Millie was yelling. My older son got up & went to work at 8 am so here I am with the boss getting my breakfast. Looks like I've got a war on with a fox. The camera took one shot of a fox's tail and packed up.
    Now have two holes to fill in and some large plant pots to stand back up.
    What a night.

    A lady across the road had a similar problem last year. She is disabled so relatives put up a plastic fox proof fence that they couldn't climb. The vixen dug three holes under it on all three sides to get through to other gardens.
    There are dozens of the things since they started building 1000 houses on the old Municipal golf course.
    The farmers can shoot them but we can't. The new residents (mostly from London it seems) chuck out their McDonalds and KFC from their cars, so the foxes do well.

    See photos: A few hours last night a fox dug this. It's trying to make a set to live in. Second hole under way as an escape route.
    Going to try burying garlic and chilli in the holes and fill them in. My daughter sent me a link from Gardners World how to deter foxes but it babbles on about how nice they are. No they aren't its MY family garden but my dog is old! The neighbour who has a family of foxes in his garden has two Welsh Collies, that didn't put them off.
    This is a war of attrition between wild animals and the human race. They only know one way and that is whatever it takes to win (read that somewhere else).
     

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    Last edited: Oct 17, 2022
  6. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Filled in the holes dug by the Fox last night. Top layer is as was but if they dig down they will meet Chillie and Garlic mixed into the soil (the main contents of Fox Deterrent).
    On top of the ordinary soil is a friend and nature expert's secret weapon. We peed on it to overpower the scent of the Foxes. Let's see if that works.
    Fancy a pee party in your garden?
     
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  7. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    Had a few run ins with the foxes lately, especially after recently planting a row of Red Robin shrubs a few weeks back. The foxes were digging all around them, presumably because they could smell the fish, blood and bone fertiliser I’d put into each hole on the advice of the experts - had to be that as Murphy was very interested too as we were planting them, almost jumping into the hole, the smell is undoubtedly most alluring to them.

    I swiftly got fed up with this repeat morning crime scene and have now put rocks and stones around each plant. I had to completely denude the alpine rockery to do it, but needs must. Thirteen bushes equals a lot of rocks etc, even some spare bricks I had. It’s done the trick now, although last week I discovered they’d managed to shift the stones round one of the plants and dug it all up again. Bastards!

    Prior to ShrubGate, the foxes had been digging under the fence at the rear of the garden, which wasn’t great as our garden is higher than that which backs onto it, so my attempts to refill the gaps ended mostly with the earth just tumbling down into the neighbour’s again. When I managed to get it looking half decent again, the next Morisot was back to square one. Reply I ended up having to take most of the logs I had around my compost heap and line the ground along that fence, plus some heavy slabs as the blighters could still roll some of the lighter logs away. It’s worked but I can’t say it’s pretty to look at.

    Last night Murphy sounded the alarm shortly after he’d wandered out and foxy was there between the line of shrubs and the fence. It ran up the garden but then stopped and tried to stare me out as I directed my torch in its direction - bold little buggers aren’t they, and it didn’t move at all until I slowly advanced on it. Of course, you go back in, you go to bed and they own the night, don’t they, so not an easy battle to win. I’m hoping they’ll just lose interest in the shrubs eventually, I’m not experiencing any more damage at the moment. I don’t think I’ll pee on the area though - Mrs Wobbler might not approve and I’m still awaiting sentencing for the last time :D

    To be fair, I’m sure Murphy probably pees over their pee, they then hit back and so it goes…

    I do get some “presents” left on the patio overnight from time to time, which I’m certain is the fox cocking a snook at me!

    Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always thought them a beautiful animal but I’m fast falling out of love with them, which I find a bit of a shame really. I guess they do what they do out of instinct, I’m sure they don’t set out to vandalise with any malice aforethought, but it’s bloody annoying (although those gifts on the patio reek of forward planning - plus another kind of reek).

    Very sorry to read of Millie’s dementia diagnosis, awful, just awful. I guess we don’t really think of animals suffering from it, I’d never considered it before, but I, as I’m sure so many members here have also experienced with family members, know what a terrible thing it is.

    DE2BE1A1-90D0-4EC8-8CC6-436BDC2B454D.jpeg

    A suspect (artist’s impression):

    E28F6FAB-1CCB-4F48-B13B-421674CFAFEE.jpeg
     
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  8. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Might be the end of the road this week (how many times have we thought that). Last night she tried to get up needing a poo up but couldn't and ended up pooing all over herself and the carpets.
    A dreadful mess to clean up but we did. One of my lads ended up hosing her down on the patio while I held her, on a cold dark night. She wandered about yawning but after eating a bit of food (her normal supper) she went to sleep. She is still lying where she was left last night so we wait to see what transpires. The family will carry on supporting her and the vet will keep charging for medication but having grown up with a father who was, in his early life, a drayman with Shire Horses and whose family were west country farmers, It's not my choice of action.

    They wouldn't have been sympathetic to Foxes either!
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2022
  9. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    So very sorry to hear this, mate.

    The wife and I have said Murphy will be our last as we have said very sad and heartbreaking farewells too many times to too many wonderful animals - nay, friends, family, which is what they are. Whether we will stick to this down the line, we can’t say, but hopefully we will have Murphy awhile yet, although he is now 9.

    Murph guarding our perimeter:

    DEE6B988-5104-4904-AC05-DB6D9AA1E8A1.jpeg
     
  10. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    The family have two main worries, our granddaughter aged 2 currently on remission with Leukaemia and Millie.
    Both are currently fine.
    Millie woke up looking for her breakfast half an hour ago so we are off shopping leaving her with our youngest son aged 24 (the night manager).
    It seems that canine dementia does not affect appetite, not yet anyway.
    The aftermath is another matter.
    (Photo from our family file)
     

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  11. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    After two nights the digging seems to have stopped. They sniff and walk away, so it looks to be successful.
    We poured some of the luscious liquid (no Chillie or Garlic in this) on the concrete where they always poo, All clear this morning.
    Millie is getting confused, she is probably thinking "Where have I smelt that before?"
    Hope we don't get incontinent and start another cycle of events indoors.
     

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    Last edited: Oct 19, 2022
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  12. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    A Twist in the tale, I found a whole mouse in a fox dropping at the other end of the garden. They are definitely eating Mice as they have disappeared since Family Fox arrived in the area.
    Was the fox chasing a mouse and not Spike. Was the fox digging out a mouse from the hole under the trees?

    Careful what you wish for with nature.
     
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  13. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    Think they own the place - found this a couple of days back when I checked the early hours Ring camera over our porch. I had to admire his/her chutzpah to be honest.

    07360CEE-D2A9-4C53-B644-5A6C832E9C5B.jpeg 1B23CF8F-FC75-42E1-B304-F69B7F3E6DF5.jpeg
     
  14. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Trail Cam has packed up again seems susceptible to mist/moisture. Li batteries went flat two nights running but recharged ok. It's been very wet with heavy rain from time to time. Its 01.18 and 13 degrees with a mist forming. Millie has been outside for a pee and is now dozing off. My son is awake on his computer so I'm off to bed. He will make sure she is ok.

    The night before last a young Fox lay down under a bush clearly in sight of our patio doors watching us. Millie the Husky took no notice, so it went to sleep for a couple of hours before wandering off. The young ones often wait alone for the family to return from a foraging tour. We often get the Vixen calling to them to go home before dawn or even come to collect them if it's getting near daylight. You have to admire their family loyalty.
    Tonight, I didn't put the camera out. Millie became agitated so I let her out. She made for the gate at the side of the house. A few minutes later a new small, very fast hedgehog appeared on the lawn having come in under the side gate. Millie seems mystified by them and just stares in disbelief.
    The Family Fox are over the road from our estate like a herd of grazing cattle on the very wide grass verge. I guess its McDonalds or KFC night.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2022
  15. Quarterfinal

    Quarterfinal Well-Known Member

    The collective noun for herons is a 'siege', which seems very fitting:

    upload_2022-10-22_18-13-42.jpeg

    Below the ramparts of Dundrum Castle. Perhaps humming 'No Egrets'? Sorry.
     
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  16. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Never seen so many Heron at one time! We used to get the odd one or two on the river Anker or the lakes formed by mining subsidence, often flying over our house.
    They cleaned out our goldfish pond years ago, we changed it to a wildlife pond but they took the frogs, so we filled it all in. Now we have hedgehogs and foxes.
     
  17. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  18. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    #1257 Above: looks like a Buzzard there is an area near Bassetts Pole (Sutton Coldfield) near the A38 called Buzzard Valley. Haven't seen so many this year but I haven't walked my Husky since June so not seen so much wildlife.
    Whilst an opportunistic bird of prey they are also a carrion eater.
    They wheel high in the sky and are sometimes hassled by crows.
    They are known to take small rabbits and drop them from a great height onto large flat factory roofs in the area.
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2022
  19. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    The hedgerow soft berries must be over as the foxes are back in the gardens again.
    Sleepless nights as the dog complains. Huskies don't bark very often but they yap and talk to you at times.
    She must hear them although the camera microphone can't pick them up and we can't hear anything only the fences rattle as they come and go.
    My son has been "treating" the fences (see previous postings) so we will see if that helps.
    Towards dawn we can hear the vixens calling them back home.
    No Hedgehogs yet though.
     

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    Last edited: Oct 27, 2022
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  20. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    was South Wales
     

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