A young Fox cub was seen by my Mother last night on Moorside road opposite the Holy Rood Church. It attempted to cross the road a couple of times before giving up and trotting down the path of one of the houses which backs on to Nevitts field.
A Hedgehog surprised me by leaving its box in my garden rather early this evening at 18.05. It walked over to where I was sitting while eating my tea and had a drink out of the cats old water bowl. I shared some of my meal and it ate a good amount of chicken, bacon and pasta and then turned its nose up at some peanuts that I put out
Also seen; 2 Peacock butterflies Large Bumble Bee checking out one of my old bird boxes which I leave on the patio for them. Wasp Lacewing Mining bee [ I think] Usual frogs and one Toad around the pond.
Two Pipistrelle bats over and a Hedgehog in my garden this evening. Also 3 Pipistrelle bats seen flying around Deans pond on Deans road Swinton at 19.30.
Two Hedgehogs visited my garden earlier this evening, probably the two that survived Winter by staying in my garden hog boxes. They have both started to put some weight back on especially the smaller one which was all skin and spikes when it first emerged from the box.
I have had to remove more frog spawn this evening as both ponds are full of the stuff. The cats old water bowl, 2 water filled flower pots and a waterlogged area of my garden were also full of spawn. As there are at least 12 females still to deposit their eggs it looks like I will be taking another load to the local pond this weekend. .
I found two in my bird bath today! I'll let them finish then put it in the pond.
-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Wednesday 7th of March 2012 08:26:22 PM
It was very upsetting about losing my little mate, she is now buried in the garden along with all the other wildlife that I have found injured or dying over the years.
There are a couple of exits from my pond of which I have seen Hedgehogs use when they have fallen in. Mice always seem to drown or succumb to the cold.
I have had to remove more frog spawn this evening as both ponds are full of the stuff. The cats old water bowl, 2 water filled flower pots and a waterlogged area of my garden were also full of spawn. As there are at least 12 females still to deposit their eggs it looks like I will be taking another load to the local pond this weekend.
The good news is that I have two large female Toads and one small male in the garden tonight. So he is going to have to work hard over the next couple of evenings.
Sadly my 17 year old cat had to be put to sleep a couple of weeks ago so the Mice in my garden think that all their birthdays have come at once, there were 3 under the feeders and 2 more under the bird table picking up any dropped seeds and taking them back to the hog boxes where they have took up residence this Winter. One mouse has fallen in the pond and drowned, this also happened about 8 years ago and my large Koi swallowed it whole.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your pet Dave...
Regarding the Mice, have you something in your pond ? That a Mouse or Hedgehog could crawl up and out to freedom, should they fall in ?? Plank of wood eg...
Over 100 frogs in my pond earlier this evening with at least 30 females full of spawn. No Toads or Newts seen. I removed nearly 30l of spawn and relocated it to a local pond nearby
I've just spent a good hour earlier this evening standing in my garden getting as wet as the Frogs. Over 70 counted in my main fish pond and also11 more in the smaller wildlife pond. There are many more frogs, mainly young males out hunting in the garden or going under the fence visiting the neighbours frogs next door. I found a female Smooth newt walking in the grass heading towards the main pond. This is the only time of the year when I'm lucky enough to find a newt in my garden they just seem to disappear for the rest of the year. The fish are in a state of panic as the frogs tend to grab anything that moves while in their amorous state.
One of the Hedgehogs went on walkabout last night and did not come back while the other hog came out of its box and ignored the peanuts that I had put out and went foraging in the undergrowth and is now in another neighbours garden.
Sadly my 17 year old cat had to be put to sleep a couple of weeks ago so the Mice in my garden think that all their birthdays have come at once, there were 3 under the feeders and 2 more under the bird table picking up any dropped seeds and taking them back to the hog boxes where they have took up residence this Winter. One other mouse has fallen in the pond and drowned, this also happened about 8 years ago and my large Koi swallowed it whole.
Total of 46 Frogs with their heads up and splashing about my garden pond this evening including 11 pairs coupled up. Numbers should increase now that I have lifted some of my fence base panels up an inch so frogs in the surrounding gardens can visit through the gap.
A Fox was seen by my neighbour this afternoon. He found it sleeping under some rigid plastic panels in the small gap between his shed and fence. It was last seen jumping into my garden but there is no sign of it now
Also I have just noticed at least 6 pairs of frogs coupled up at the bottom of my pond Not long now to Spring.
A Fox was very vocal last night, calling from one of my neighbours gardens. I put some food out hoping that it would come into my garden but the food was still there this morning.
The Frogs in my garden pond are starting to get more active now, I have just counted 11 moving about on the bottom and 2 more sticking their heads out on the surface. One of the Hedgehogs has gone on a walkabout, either last night or earlier this evening leaving the 4 Mice also in the box to fend for themselves. The hog in the other box is still asleep with 5 mice for company happily eating his peanuts.
The colder weather due this weekend will probably stop this activity for a while but Spring is not far off
Interesting to find four Slugs around my garden tonight. Also one of the Hedgehogs has woke up and had a meal of Cat food and sunflower hearts, its not moved out of the box but is just peeping out of the entrance
Had a pair of foxes in the front garden on Friday night/ Saturday morning about 2.30am. We were disturbed by the security light being activated. The foxes didn't seem to be upset by the light.
I checked both Hedgehog boxes in my garden this afternoon. One hog in each box and they were both fast asleep. Also in each box was a family of Mice, 6 in one box and 4 in the other.
Last thursday morning at 6am had a fox came out of the passageway at the top of the drive and strolled casually down the middle of the road towards the dell.
I now have two Hedgehogs staying in my garden, one in each hog box. The Hedgehog I mentioned in my previous post is doing OK, I am putting food in the entrance to its box and it has been eating it mainly early evening then going back to sleep.
The second hog is a bit on the small size and is possibly one of this years young. It also tends to stay in the box only coming to the entrance to have a meal. When I got home from work this afternoon at 4.30pm it was eating fallen Sunflower hearts from under my bird feeders so I gave it a quick check up and a meal.
As the evenings get colder I will be making sure that both hogs are not disturbed as I want them settled before they hibernate. Its still a good idea to make sure that there is always some food just placed inside the entrance hole which I will check or replace each day over Winter.
The hedgehog that I mentioned in my last post has been visiting my garden most nights so it has given me a chance to fatten it up before hibernation. At 4pm this afternoon it was collecting leaves and grass and was enlarging an old nest in one of my hog boxes. I gave the hog a meal and also checked its weight [ 805gms] so it should have enough fat reserves to survive Winter.
If your having a bonfire over the next couple of days please check it over first before lighting it, many hogs use woodpiles for shelter.
A very wet and hungry Hedgehog in my garden tonight at 7.05pm. A bit on the small size so I picked it up and gave it a check up. Its face and teeth were ok and its spines seemed in good condition. Apart from missing a toe on one of its rear feet it looked happy enough.
I gave it some cat food, cooked chicken and peanuts which it spent 10 minutes eating. I also found a couple of large worms on the path which I cut up into smaller pieces but the hog totally ignored them so my Koi have had a snack instead
The hog also ignored both my Hedgehog boxes and it is now resting in a hole under my patio
so the Mice in my garden think that all their birthdays have come at once, there were 3 under the feeders and 2 more under the bird table picking up any dropped seeds and taking them back to the hog boxes where they have took up residence this Winter. One mouse has fallen in the pond and drowned, this also happened about 8 years ago and my large Koi swallowed it whole.