March Wildlife Challenge 2016

[Grandad]

I will kick off the new months thread for our wildlife stories and pictures for March.
Just realised I should have kept my badger video until today. He came 3 times last night and I am hoping he will bring more of the family.
Am re-siting the camera because with the closer image I miss things going on outside of the camera field. Either that or, get another camera...

[Horus]

We need you to get more cameras Grandad

[Jayway]

Exactly how many cameras do you have at the moment Grandad ???

[Grandad]

Exactly how many cameras do you have at the moment Grandad ???

I have 8 Jay including 2 mobiles, 2 tablets, 1 trail, and 3 digital. But I AM joking, I know what you mean.

I only have the one trail camera, a Christmas pressie. I would quite like a second one but to get best use I would have to position it near an area where people walk their dogs and I think it would soon be stolen. As long as I continue to put out food I expect to get the regular local wildlife with the one camera. My main aim is to see the cubs early when the parents take them out at night when they are about 8 weeks old. That should be May/June.

Just a bit of fun

[Horus]

Thats my problem in buying a trail camera, leaving it in some remote place where someone could steal it

I mentioned the other day about a cafe on stilts over a small pond around the lake we sometimes visit.

The stilt supports for the cafe


It has a wide outside seating area that allows you views of the lake


Nice to sit here in this elevated position and look at the wildlife


Dogwood brightening up the lake side walk


One of the breeding Swans


A female Mallard being chatted up by three males

[Grandad]

That is a really nice place H Don't have anywhere like that hereabouts unfortunately
Looks like I will have to move up your way I can't even boast about the weather here today, same as yours.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Lovely photos Grandad and a good idea to add 'stories' about wildlife too. February was a bit of a bust wildlife-wise here as I just didn't have time to get outside on those few nice days.

I'm voting you get another camera for the night life shots! They're super interesting and I'm hoping you'll get more of the badger

Although I have an Eco park behind me I'm nervous my cam wouldn't last any time at all as just too many walkers go by it and I think it would also go walkabout. Am counting on your photos to continue with lots of interesting creatures

Great photos H and that looks like a really interesting place. Lovely photos of swans and hopefully Mrs Mallard will pick a suitable suitor.

The Dogwoods are the trees with red bark?

[Horus]

@ Grandad, yes we do have some nice places if you seek them out and quite a few are maintained by the local council. The only downside is that with all the funding cuts you worry about them being properly maintained. I was at another one in another county yesterday (but no camera) it was an old 'sand quarry' that resulted in a very deep lake being formed as it flooded. Local residents set up a trust and the ex owners and the National Lottery gave the trust a grant to maintain it, it now hosts a lot of wildlife, nature trails and water sports like kayaking and there is a small cafe and toilets. I usually pop a donation in the box as it costs the trust £30,000 per year to maintain and they only have an income of £20,000 so it helps with the shortfall. Sadly from one side I have started to see signs of encroachment with very expensive properties with 'lake views' being built, so eventually the rich and affluent will no doubt eventually take it all.

Believe it or not there is a thriving village near to me that has at its centre a beautiful big lake, but I doubt if more than a handful of the many thousands who live there know of, never mind actually seen it, because it is completely surrounded by high end properties with their gardens all backing on to the lake. There is one tiny spot, if you know where that is, no wider than 10 feet with no actual access to the lake where the average peasant can see the lake that resides in the centre of their village, a travesty in my opinion.

@ LLL, yes the dogwood is a shrub rather than a tree and it always has a red stem and nice green leaves in the Summer, although in Winter the red is more vibrant and certainly adds a bit of Winter colour.

[Kiya]

Lovely Pictures H & like Grandad don't have any places like that here .

[Grandad]

Solid proof at last......Missy is definitely pregnant

[Horus]

Definately having pups Grandad keep those sarnies comming and the pictures (nice image by the way)

[LovelyLadyLux]

That definitely confirms pregnancy Wonder how many? And I wonder if the daughter will also be turning out a litter? Definitely has a nice coat and a lovely colour.

[Grandad]

Definately having pups Grandad keep those sarnies comming and the pictures (nice image by the way)

Cheers H I was sitting inside the back door which is fully glazed so she could see me clearly. It was 6pm and I switched on the sentry light. I think she is about 10 days from giving birth, next sign, she will lose the fur around her nipples. She has 6, all extending so that could mean a large litter.

[Kiya]

Awe! look forward to seeing the little ones

[LovelyLadyLux]

Me too - can't wait to see them

[Grandad]

Squirrels always amaze me with their ability to solve puzzles, usually by trying every option.

I had to make a wire mesh ball to keep the squirrels out of my mixed bird seed feeder. Without it they just raked out all the seed in seconds. The cap of the feeder DID just lift up but as they soon sussed that I put two small connectors on the wire that I could secure with the screws (pieces from choc block connector that you will recognise H). I replenished the container yesterday PM and nipped the screws with a screw driver.

This is what I saw early this PM. Not only has the squirrel found a way to loosen the screws but he has actually removed the one screw in each block altogether and was then nibbling the plastic away so that he could reach the seed.



Do you think we could (or should) train squirrels to do repetitive tasks like assembling cameras and mobile phones

[LovelyLadyLux]

You definitely seem to have genius squirrels there Grandad! Seems he was pretty determined to get into the seed and make his fortune in sunflower seeds Wish you still have the albino ones but there always could be another one one day. Am sure that recessive gene is just waiting to pop out again.

I have squirrels out back but only a couple and they're pretty elusive. I think they're getting sufficient off the big pine trees that they don't bother trying for anything else. They would be cute to watch.

If squirrels can figure out that much they probably would be good at assembling a line of products. They're probably work for peanuts too

[Horus]

I like it Grandad smart Squirrel, maybe he has a little screwdriver set.

[Grandad]

As I said I think they try every option, in this case if they shake it enough, the screwws will loosen. And yes, LLL, they will do anything for peanuts.

[Kiya]

Clever little squirrel