Grandads Garden Wildlife - The 2015 Season

[Horus]

Nice picture Grandad, typical female always posing

[LovelyLadyLux]

Cool photo of Mrs Fox. Getting very confident she is going to be fed!

Any signs of the albino squirrels?

[Grandad]

No sign of any albino squirrels LLL. And I made 4 new nest boxes, some bluetits and great tits took up residence in two of them but then left so no success there or anything else to report so far this year.

The only happy note is that I now have the confidence of one of the two vixens. If she is nearby she comes to my call. Could have done with a selfie stick this evening, I didn't even have time to scrape her supper off the plate before she was down looking for food for the cubs. i just hope that she will soon bring them and show them where to go for their supper.



PS: This was with the X10 and she was wary of me holding an arm in the air thinking it was threatening.

[Kiya]

Awe she really does look wary but great she comes this close

[Horus]

Great picture Grandad, can you not set your camera up on a tripod with a remote?

[LovelyLadyLux]

Great photo Grandad. She definitely does have a wary look in her eye. She is definitely getting a good bowl of food

I was hoping to have my own garden all set up by now but I don't know where the time goes. I still don't even have all the gardens planted yet. Not enough hours in the day right now.

The hummingbirds are going through a cup of nectar approximately every 3 days. I'm not sure that is a record but they definitely love to flock the feeder and battle each other to keep it as theirs.

[Grandad]

Yes she is only wary because I am holding my arm in the air with the camera. Any raised arm they see as a threat. She normally comes along very boldly without any fear. The other vixen is much more timid.

Horus that was my intention last evening and I had the tripod there but she appeared when I took the food out to my workshop for later so I had to take the opportunity.

Now LLL, we keep hearing about your hummers but when are we going to see some evidence?

[LovelyLadyLux]

I'll be getting some evidence soon - of the hummers that is.

[LovelyLadyLux]

The evidence of the hummers......





Was sitting outside on the back deck today with the camera trying to get a good photo of the hummingbirds as they buzzed about. GEEZ they can come and go fast. I was trying to get one of them mid-air hovering but just wasn't fast enough to get them in my sights and snap a photo so I waited 'til they sat on the perch for a drink. They're quite cheeky and will buzz you and hover and look right at you when they're wanting on the feeder.

Quite a few dragon flies out there today too. I think these guys are juveniles as we definitely have lots more bigger ones. These little guys were buzzing the back deck too.



I'm only including this photo as I was able to get this guys shadow underneath and he or she reminded me of a helicopter.



These guys were out there too. I put up a wasp trap that essentially captures 'em and drowns them. I hope they leave the humming bird feeders alone cause if too many wasps come around they'll drive the humming birds away.

[Grandad]

Lovely pictures LLL and the first one was well worth the wait.

OK; now I believe you as you have provided the evidence

No doubt you heard about the swarm of mayflies in Pennsylvania the other day causing road accidents and a bridge to be closed. That must have been something to behold.......but NOT to drive through

[LovelyLadyLux]

Actually I haven't heard anything about mayflies in Pennsylvania. That must've been some swarm if one couldn't drive through them. All the TV has had on here is news about the mass shooting (now being defined as a hate crime) in the black church in North Carolina.

[Grandad]

I am really surprised you didn't get the mayfly story. We saw pictures of the swarm and it would be impossible to drive through them. Apparently motorcyclists were most affected with many involved in accidents.

We have also had detailed coverage of the shooting and now Obama is asking American people to rethink their attitude to gun ownership.......like pushing water up hill I think.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Sadly and unfortunately this latest atrocious shooting by a white young man gunning down innocent black people in church is again going to spark off riots, protests, looting and the age old dilemma re: gun control will rear its head.

We don't have guns here in Canada other than hunting rifles and even those are encouraged to be kept at the RCMP offices. There are also really strict controls surrounding how and where guns are kept. We also don't have near the violence either but I can't say recently that it hasn't crossed my mind - IF we were invaded we're sitting ducks with NO ability to protect ourselves. Any groups like ISIS could very easily 'capture' us so to speak and we'd have to capitulate as none of us have anything other than maybe a sharp steak knife with which to defend.

I get the theory that RESPONSIBLE gun owners are RESPONSIBLE and their guns are not being fired off willy nilly all over the place BUT seems these same guns keep falling into the hands of the criminals, sickos and crazies who are intent on gunning down innocent people.

I'd be quite surprised if Obama didn't accept mega $$$ bucks from the gun lobby group but I guess he can now 'dis' them as he doesn't need them to fund future campaigns. The entire issue of guns is very difficult for some politicians because their campaign funds come from this group.

Nothing at all I've seen on the news re: the Pennsylvania swarm.

[Grandad]

It's a sad old world Wednesday night a few doors from us, the students decided to celebrate their degrees with a party. Party got gatecrashed, 3 got stabbed, one serious flown to London hospital, two treated locally. Violence and aggression are all around us.

On a lighter note, I have now seen one of the cubs so hopefully mum will let them come down on the bank. Keen to know how many we have. The one I saw is nearly as big as mum already

[Grandad]

Still waiting patiently But last evening I gave them a rabbit to practice their wild 'kils' on so hopefully they got some new tastes..

[Ruby Slippers]

Where did the rabbit come from, Grandad?

[Grandad]

My son in law shoots rabbits RS and I asked him to let me have one intact (not gutted) so the foxes could work for their supper instead of having it on a plate.

(I actually had 4 and put them out so that they all got a share)

[LovelyLadyLux]

How long did it take her (the momma fox) to nip away with the rabbit? From the photo(s) it looks like she basically nipped out, grabbed and ran but maybe it was a bit longer.

Definitely a good idea making 'em work for the food. Good learning lesson UNLESS they learned to look pathetic and hang about hoping you'll cough up with another delicious meal!

[Horus]

Did they come back for a pudding (AKA Jam Sandwiches?)

[Ruby Slippers]

My son in law shoots rabbits RS and I asked him to let me have one intact (not gutted) so the foxes could work for their supper instead of having it on a plate.

(I actually had 4 and put them out so that they all got a share)

Grandad, that is a criminal waste! I love rabbit in all forms, but the prices are exorbitant! Next time he shoots some, think of me - not the foxes, please?