h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sun.20th April 08
Weather: Mild and breezy but rain most of the day

Last night there was no sign of of wildlife activity until 1.45am when the dish had been opened and pretty much emptied. No sign of life though.

7.15am Four wood pigeons were mooching round the garden cleaning up seeds. Then I noticed two extra, only they weren’t pigeons, they were Stock doves. A pair by the look of it. Whether they are the same ones we get each year or others I don’t know, but it was nice to see them again.

Three squirrels eventually chased them all away, then a blackbird appeared along with a robin. Two bullfinches were swinging on the feeders, and blue s great tits and long tailed tits were everywhere. A collared dove took up residence on a feeder, and the nuthatch was flitting from one to another. A coal tit dropped in several times too. Ginger was on the prowl, but a lovely walked through and back again without so much as looking at the birds!

The female woodpecker came at 1.04pm and again at 5.35pm chasing off starlings in the process.I went outside to cover the bird table and there was a wood pigeon on line posts and fence posts like ‘lookout’ sentries.

Mon. 21st April 08
Weather; Dry, mild and breezy with occasional sunny spells.

Last night we saw no badgers or foxes, but something came after 12.15am. At 4.05am the brick was off, the lid too, and I believe the badger had come first, as the brick and lid were in the normal place, but then the fox came and dragged the dish in to the border at the side of the garden Perhaps she wanted to see if there was any food underneath

This morning the woodpecker came at 7.45am and the birds were flitting in and out all day though never many at a time. The magpies are a bit of a nuisance, swooping in and flying out again just to frighten the other birds it seems. I think it fancies itself as a sparrowhawk in disguise.

As I type the birds are singing merrily although it is getting dark. It has been nice to have windows open without freezing.

Back tomorrow. Off for a and something to munch - I am very tonight



Websailor

Tue.22nd April 08
Weather: Mild and sunny all day. Lovely.

There was no sign of any visitors when I went to at 11.30pm but at 1.50am the dish was open and the badger had clearly been and gone. However, at 6am the table was tipped over too, so I reckon we had a second visitor.

The birds were out and about early, singing loudly and feeding, A magpie came and attacked the lid on the bird table, so I went out and removed it, topping up at the same time.

By 10.15am most of the birds had paid their first visit and the female woodpecker arrived. Disgusted at finding no accessible peanut cake she hammered seven bells out of the peanuts in the holder. When she left a nuthatch dived in to benefit from the bits she had dropped. The woodpecker returned at 12,05pm for lunch and again at 5.15pm for tea

In the meantime McWebbie’s Diner played host to squirrels, two s, five wood pigeons and a collared dove. Blue, great and long tailed s flitted in and out and a pair of bullfinches spent a lot of time on the feeders. A pair of blackbirds and a robin were joined by three starlings. At the moment most of the birds are not observing mealtimes and are feeding all day long , so no count can be accurate.

We have no sign of any youngsters yet, but I have some mealworms, of varying sizes, that I have bred myself which will go down well once they start feeding babies. I wish I had the space to breed more, as they are quite fascinating and absolutely no trouble. They do it all themselves!



Websailor

An interesting five minutes yesterday watching a Magpie and a Squirell with a piece of Pizza.
There is a trimmed tree trunk in my garden around 15 feet in air in small tree conveniently situated in front of dustbins.
A Squirell(s) has taken to regularly eating its scavenged food from bins there, yesterday it had a rather tasty chicken thigh in batter, today it was Pizza and it was happily chomping away and a pesky Magpie started to sneak up on it from behind and try to get at food. It always came from behind, no hero here, and at one point even pecked the squirells back! Most of the time the Squirell saw it coming and simply made a small movement towards Magpie and it ran away. After eating Pizza it went and Magpie was left with just scraps, and rightly too! This went on for quite some time and possibly was repeated 15 times. I have also noticed that what I thought was a small yappy dogs bark recently is actually a Magpie..
.
Jay wise in the garden I am really pleased to see that I seem to have a pair now everyday who might be making a nest in fir type trees forming a very tall hedge. I had a young fledgling Jay in garden last year which was fantastic which was even at one point on handle bars of my very own pushbike!
In general there is the usual visitors and nothing out of ordinary to report. I keep refiling the water bowl which Squirells seem to use the most, I expect all that Pizza is making them dry! I am pleased that the Great Spotted Woopeckers are now regulars in this area and can hear one drumming now, they seem to like the oak trees for grubs, etc in my garden. Sadly the trees are starting to fill with new leaves now so like SusanDoris I shall have to brush up on bird calls! I have realised recently that a surprising small number of types of birds are responsible for the sometimes overwhelming bird noise in morning and evenings as each type can change the way it calls/sings to a surprising degree.
I have noticed that Blackbirds are a quite dominant bird in my garden singing wise in volume and repeating songs, however they are prefferable to the screaming Parakeets, around 10, who have made a permenant home in oak tree to other side of my flats.

Just sent off for some new binos. I have some which I bought as literally just going off for a holiday, by Praktica, which like their cameras in general are quite good but not fantastic, but at only £40 were not expensive.
The ones I have ordered are Bushnell Natureview Plus 10x40 at £99 which is a little cheaper than most places.
Although not a small amount of money, to get top of range ones your talking of easily £600+ some even around £1200! I'm hoping for a small amount of improvement in sharpness with new ones and Bushnell in general aren't too bad at making binoculars
At £99 I won't worry too much about carrying them around or breaking them, something much more expensive would worry me as often drop bag on floor of bang it into trees, etc.
.
I tried a cheaper telescope once around £200 once but differance between that and the more expensive telescopes around £600 I have looked through was too great. besides a telescope isn't really suitable for me as enjoy walking around and although I occasionally look at waterbirds, the main use for a scope due to distances, it would hardly ever be used so a waste of money.

How extraordinary!!
.
For a full 5 mins at 7.15pm in full daylight I have just watched a bat fly around feeding.
Now bats aren't rare here, my regulars started flying outside my window a month ago, but my usual ones seem smaller and stay close to my flat window in my garden. This one was larger than a Sparrow and outside my garden and in daylight. I knew what it was right away due to wing flap speed and when it dived the characteristic wing shape showed. I tried to get binos on it but could see little as aginst light and brown.
Fantastic!!

Lucky you. I could go round and the corner at dusk and probably see some but it is not a place to be in the evening on your own unfortunately. I have seen one fly over on a nice summer evening but not of a year or two.

Websailor

I was just leaving your house at dusk Websailer and I didn't see any...... what am I supposed to be looking for, only read this post .

Nigel

dear - you should know you come round often enough!!

Websailor

Wed .22nd April 08
Weather: Rain early but warm and sunny all day.

Last night there was no sign of activity until I checked at 1.20am when the dished had been opened.

This morning the magpie was finishing off what was left in the dish and the birds were happily feeding so I didn’t do the tables till later.

I’ve had a horrible day with little chance to birdwatch , but they have been very busy judging by all the singing and the dropping levels in the feeders, at last three inches gone in both feeders and the peanuts are disappearing fast too.

The female woodpecker came at 6.45pm making do with peanuts as I have no more peanut cakes, and would be reluctant to put them out in such warm weather.

Hope to do better tomorrow.



Websailor

A294833 and I thought he was real

Good news; Logie has made it back to her nest in Scotland. Bad news; two other females have moved in because she was late. Tough old life being an Osprey.

I have two geckos facing off on the window of my office Either courting or fighting...

No hotel room should be without a gecko, great flying thingies eaters.

Prof. 'Fraid you lost me there


WA,
Thanks for the news about Logie. Will she oust the others do you think, or are they too settled in?

Frenchbean, how sweet. I hope WA is right and they eat up all the creepy flying thingies.


Websailor

Thu. 23rd April 08
Weather: Sunny spells, heavy showers

Last night the fox appeared briefly at 8.30pm while it was still light and just after I had put the food out, but in the blink of an eye it disappeared Maybe it saw Ginger sitting on the patio watching everything that moved The birds had gone to roost so I left him there in case anything else appeared to take his fancy, a like a furry thing

Some time between 10.50 and 11.50pm the dish was done, very quietly, as I had the window open I shall have to get the sensor in and renew the battery and set it up again. I don’t seem to be getting the vibes this year, maybe because I am so tired.

Today it has been sunshine and heavy showers all day, verging on hail sometimes, but at least the promised thunder didn’t materialise. I didn’t put much food out as it was getting soaked. I decided to let them clean up what was there, and make do with natural food. Soggy wet seed and cereal goes mouldy very quickly in this weather and then it’s wasted. And it is way too expensive now to throw away

Magpies, wood pigeons, a collared dove, two bullfinches and several blue and great s joined a nuthatch, a robin and a blackbird to clean up and by tonight there wasn’t much left. The starlings and the woodpecker are a bit peeved that there was no peanut cake but they will get over it

Only one squirrel came today, probably because they don’t like the rain any more than the s. I wouldn’t like a wet fur coat I couldn’t take off either.

Back tomorrow,

Websailor

the Story I wrote, is now in that "fiction section" of hootoo, my humour again"I thought he was real"

oops! forgot Webbie - mailit's for Wednesday

Geckos eat mozzies, moths, cockroaches and all manner of unpleasant beasties They are a Frenchbean's Friend

Logie, the Osprey, has seen off her two rivals and is re-established on her nest with her mate. Well done Logie.