ED Nature Watch

[Mabaker]

https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/   

The big butterfly watch is here . From now until 4th August if you can find 15 minutes of your time to observe and record any butterflies you see in your garden, park or anywhere else. A fun activity to do with the kids. The website has a handy id chart. You can can do a 15 minute watch as many times as you like. This information is really helpful in knowing how to help our butterflies. Even if you don't see any, they need that information too. Good luck  🤞

[IlonaM]

'RHS asks for gardeners’ successes and failures to plan for changing climate

Charity wants to know how climate crisis is affecting plants and what UK gardeners are doing to mitigate effects'

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jul/31/rhs-gardeners-successes-failures-plan-changing-climate-uk

Direct link to survey (closes 15 October): https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/articles/climate-change-gardening-survey

[Nigello]

Two dragonflies chasing and eating (?) flying ants on Saturday early evening, not near any water, near Goodrich School. 

[first mate]

How have people dealt, or not, with the huge amount of slugs this year. Has anyone else noticed plants being eaten that would normally be untouched? Is this down to a new type of slug or just competition for food as so many more of them?

[Sue]

2 hours ago, first mate said:

How have people dealt, or not, with the huge amount of slugs this year. Has anyone else noticed plants being eaten that would normally be untouched? Is this down to a new type of slug or just competition for food as so many more of them?

My Acanthus mollis is eaten to the ground, apart from the flower spikes.

I have just left them to it, on the basis that if they are eating this they aren't eating anything else. Anyway, pigeons have trampled over most of my plants 😭 leaving an expanse of bare earth beneath the bird feeders.

I don't use slug pellets any more. I did mean to try beer traps, but I kept forgetting. I hope the frogs will eat the slugs, but the slugs seem to be winning.

The attached pic of a slug hospital made me laugh a lot 😂 I don't know the poster, it was shared by someone else.

Edited August 16, 2024 by Sue

[first mate]

I do not use slug pellets either and, like you, keep forgetting beer traps. I had hoped that foxes etc would have a feast, especially on a rainy night when the lawn is literally carpeted with slugs. Suspect these city foxes prefer stuff in the bins etc...

[LJC56]

3 hours ago, first mate said:

How have people dealt, or not, with the huge amount of slugs this year. Has anyone else noticed plants being eaten that would normally be untouched? Is this down to a new type of slug or just competition for food as so many more of them?

Yes, indeed. The most bizarre thing, never seen before, is them climbing up into the roses, 2 metres or more, to eat the blooms (not the leaves).

[first mate]

We need a biologist or even a paper to explain.

[Lynne]

A small bird of prey came and sat on a TV aerial in Crawthew Rd. I couldn't see it's colouring distinctly. Smaller than a pigeon, bigger than a blackbird. Sparrowhawk>?

[Sue]

3 hours ago, Lynne said:

A small bird of prey came and sat on a TV aerial in Crawthew Rd. I couldn't see it's colouring distinctly. Smaller than a pigeon, bigger than a blackbird. Sparrowhawk>?

Years ago, I used to get loads of starlings in my garden, until one day one was carried off - in great and noisy distress -  by a bird of prey. I realised what was happening too late to do anything about it, though not sure what I could have done anyway.

After that, not a single starling came back to the garden.  Ever.

I get loads of sparrows now. So I hope this bird doesn't get one of "my" sparrows and all the other sparrows disappear, as I'm only round the corner from Crawthew Road 😢

Edited August 23, 2024 by Sue

[IlonaM]

I had a similar incident the other day, but with a parakeet taken by a small bird of prey. I have never heard such a loud and extended cacophony of screaming birds in my life, not just parakeets but also crows etc.. It seemed to go on for ages. I don't know if the bird of prey kept his prey or not, but he ended up on a branch being watched over by a crow (photo attached). They stayed like that for 20 minutes or so until the bird of prey dropped down. It hasn't put off the parakeets.

Edited August 23, 2024 by IlonaM

[Nigello]

I think it’s a sparrow hawk. I had one swoop on a pigeon which managed to flee. Is your hawk near to Dunstans/Goodrich, Ilona? Maybe it’s the same one as at Crawthew. 

[IlonaM]

23 minutes ago, Nigello said:

I think it’s a sparrow hawk. I had one swoop on a pigeon which managed to flee. Is your hawk near to Dunstans/Goodrich, Ilona? Maybe it’s the same one as at Crawthew. 

I have had sparrowhawks before, but this one seemed smaller - maybe a juvenile? I am at the Horniman/South Circular end of Underhill. Lots of trees and below the Horniman, so great territory.

[Sue]

If you are at home and are able to, please put water out for our lovely local birds ❤️

[Lynne]

25 rooks(?) in a tree on CP Rd.I don't remember this many in the past?

[Nigello]

I see lots of them in DP but not elsewhere, where crows rule the roost. 

[Jenijenjen]

Saw my first daffodil this morning 

[Sue]

I've just seen a wren in my garden ❤️

I haven't seen one there for years, though of course it may have been there, just hiding.

Unfortunately it seems I may  have left it too late to cut back my thug of a Holboellia.

I just googled (re the wren, not the Holboellia)  but I'm still unsure. I don't want to drive the wren away if it's about to build a nest in there (or has one already).

Can anyone who knows more about wrens than me advise?

Also, as the Holboellia flowers have a wonderful scent later on, I probably should have cut it back after it flowered last year 🙄

[jazzer]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wren

[Sue]

13 minutes ago, jazzer said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wren

Thanks, I had googled! 

  There is loads of info online, but I just wondered if anyone locally had more specific knowledge.

It looks like it's probably too early for it to nest, but nevertheless I don't want to drive it away, as I like having birds in my garden!

[Penguin68]

Male wrens build multiple nests to attract a mate, so don't worry if you see a nest built which isn't used. Doesn't mean the wren is dead, just that the jenny wren was picky. 

[malumbu]

Wren is most abundant bird in the UK but not a garden visitor.  I've seen one on the garden, but if you are quiet on the horniman pathetic you may see several flying out of the hedgerow.

[Sue]

16 minutes ago, malumbu said:

Wren is most abundant bird in the UK but not a garden visitor.  I've seen one on the garden, but if you are quiet on the horniman pathetic you may see several flying out of the hedgerow.

Horniman pathetic?!

Realise it's predictive text, but not sure what you meant?

[malumbu]

ho ho, I should have gone to spec savers 😵‍💫, the path along the Horniman nature reserve/disused railway line.

[malumbu]

Got loads of frogspawn.  Don't have that much success as can't keep it in the pond as the newts eat it.  I took the first clump out yesterday and put it in a bucket with netting on top.  The loads more appeared.,...

Last year I kept it like this and then transferred to some large plant saucers when they were near to walking onto land.  Had to top up the water, provide shade as they will have cooked in the sunshine, and fed with boiled cabbage, kale or other green stuff. I got a few froglets.  two or three years ago I picked up some spawn from someone in SE22 who had a whole nursery, numerous ponds, in their back garden.

Never seen any baby newts or spawn, maybe have ten or more, but I know they go roaming.