wildlife in the suburbs

[aquilegia]

I had a very wildlife-filled day yesterday.

One of my 'pet' toads had made a little nest for himself in the top of the compost bin. He looked very cosy!

Saw mum and baby fox emerge in the evening for a bit of hunting training. They were rumaging through the junk in the car park you can see from our kitchen window. Baby was copying everything mum did, but kept scaring himself when he 'killed' the traffic cone and it tried to attack him back (ie - moved towards him when he pulled it). It was lovely to watch!

After we'd filled the pond (see my thread in Ponds section), two pigeons, or one pigeon twice, had a drink from it during the evening. Mr Aqui threw out some bread crumbs and this morning on my way to open the greenhouse, I disturbed a male blackbird with a beak full of crumbs and a little sparrow hopping about getting breakfast.

I'm sure the pond is going to be a success with the real locals!

[eileen]

Aqui you are soooo lucky seeing the foxes. I live in the country and hardly ever see one!!!

I've really enjoy my garden to the full now that we have our ponds. It makes all the difference to wildlife doesn't it?

I love to watch the birds bathing and drinking and have even watched 'my' hedgehog fishing for taddies when they were around.

Eileen.

[derbex]

We were at mum-in-laws over the weekend, sunny Camberley, and a fox came into the garden for a kip on the lawn! When disturned (s)he just moved off to a nearby flowerbed -it must have been there for several hours. It was the biggest I've seen too

[Wicker]

We have foxes regularly on our site, they stroll thru, stop and stare a bit and carry on their well worn path thru a narrow gap on to what used to be a railway line but is now a walkway/cycle path.  We have them at nighttime round our flats as well - all pretty city central.

[aquilegia]

It was just such a priviledge to watch these wild animals, even ones that can be pests like foxes and pigeons.

Again last night, when I was out watering the garden, a pigeon landed on the fence, staring at the pond. It was obviously thirsty, but scared because I was there. I stood very still and after a while, it flew down, landing by the pond, looked at me for a while, before waddling round to the water's edge. It then took about six long drinks of water, nervously looking around between sips and then flew off again.

I love my pond!

[Les_Woof]

Foxes are great.

We also have some that stroll through our lottie.  Before we got the plots up and running there was a well worn trail running diagonally through the site, now however we have inadvertantly cut their path up so to get our veg patches on it.

Before we planted things they used to walk over the seed beds and you could see their tracks still following the line of the original fox path.

I was looking out over the plot last night and out he came on his usuall path but then as he got to the plots which are now planted, he walked on the paths created in between the beds....

I had to have a little chuckle it was so strange to see him do that.

Late at night you can hear them yapping and crying to each other.

Take care

les

[Jesse]

We live in a new housing estate but one of our boundaries is a hedgerow. The wildlife use the hedgerow as a "highway" and we have lots of creatures coming into our garden. A little while ago we had a deer in our garden, see picutre.

[Mrs Ava]

I am always suprised when I see a large wild animal.  Have to remind myself that these creatures roam our countryside.  Love seeing foxes from afar as I am frightened of dogs, but hate to see what they do to chooks and the such.  

[Plocket]

Hi! I have to admit that I am not a great fan of foxes - I used to live in London where they tended to be scavingers upsetting bins. Now I much prefer smaller wildlife, and am pleased that a number of birds regularly come to the feeders I have put out. I would like to encourage hedgehogs but I have a walled garden so access wouldn't be too easy for them.