Topic: Strangers in our garden

[gazza1960]

Had an interesting week watching these 2 slow worms doing what nature intended in our pooo filled compo bin,i now haven't topped
it off anymore as they seem to come out mid morning and stay entwined for ages......lucky beggers.







Then today weve had a lovely Eyed Hawk Moth hiding amoungst the branches on our Gooseberry bush.
You can see the eyes in the 1st picky as I showered him in water when watering the garden and his eyes on his under wings lit up in surprize.....hes still out there now.....ill see if hes out there later after dark when I go on slug patrol.

its fun,this garden lark.

Gazza

[Silverleaf]

Slow worms, awesome! I've never seen one, but I'd love some in my garden. Great picture. :)

[juju]

The worms look gross EEEK!!!!! are you making a horror movie.!!!!!!!!

[Jayb]

Great pictures Gaz 

[Digeroo]

We used to have loads of slow worms in the garden when I was a child, I have not seen one for years.  Oh god I am getting old it must be nearly 50 years ago.

Being lizards they loose their tails if you pull them.

Looks like you are enjoying the move to the countryside.   

I had a pair of scarlet tiger moths on my beans yesterday morning.  So pretty. 

[Silverleaf]

I wonder how you attract slow worms to your garden?

[walker]

better than not having one though isn't it Walker

[artichoke]

I see slow worms several times a year on both sites, luckily. There is a "family" of four living in a bag of manure at the moment, and yes, one of them has a ragged edge instead of a tail. I think they are beautiful creatures, and I take the manure out very carefully, in spite of which they wriggle desperately. I also find them in the compost bins and piles. I dig compost out quite gently now, after accidentally denting one with a spade.

[galina]

Digeroo, 

Slow worms are lizards?  Well I never knew that!. 

Gazza, super pictures.  Hawk moths with lights in their eyes when startled?  Didn't know that either.

  

[gazza1960]

Maybe I should explain it better Galina......

In the first picture if you look at the side of the body on the under wind you can see a bit of blue......hopefully.....when the moth is startled it shows it's under wings and they have
What appear to be a set of eyes with blue and red on the top....it's supposed to scare away the birds....I only noticed,it as I sprayed the gooseberry bush the moth displayed it's wing eyes to me as I guess it saw me as a threat.

Yes indeed if you examine the slow worms up close you can still see where the limbs would have been but now it's just a little mark on the skin....fascinating creatures .

[galina]

Maybe I should explain it better Galina......

In the first picture if you look at the side of the body on the under wind you can see a bit of blue......hopefully.....when the moth is startled it shows it's under wings and they have
What appear to be a set of eyes with blue and red on the top....it's supposed to scare away the birds....I only noticed,it as I sprayed the gooseberry bush the moth displayed it's wing eyes to me as I guess it saw me as a threat.

Yes indeed if you examine the slow worms up close you can still see where the limbs would have been but now it's just a little mark on the skin....fascinating creatures .

Thank you Gazza, for explaining.

I thought it was a bit like glow-worms that can switch on and off.  It's the angle of the wings that show this lovely blue spot (or not).   

[pumkinlover]

I wonder how you attract slow worms to your garden?

Warmth, like a compost or manure heap, and dry

[gazza1960]

Latest additions to the back garden (sorry no piccies yet)..........

Mum & Jude are sitting outside and a full grown Adder slinked its way along the bottom of the fence a well timed move and shreek
got me outside but it had already disappeared under the Rhoddies ...shame as they are beautiful creatures .

Of course the chat was....whats it doing here......after the baby birds on the ground says I.......well yesterday Jude and I are sitting
in the garden and a Lizard albeit only about 4 inches long scuttled across the stone slabs and shot into the grass......
......so that's what the snake is after says I.....!!!!!!!!!!.....Possibly

meantime the Badgers are gradually moving there entrances further along the back fence.....more chicken wire I guess.

still badgers snakes,and now lizards whats next.

Gazza