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I spoke too soon. Just seen three ?youngish sparrowhawks in the DH grounds. There's also a young fox that seems to have made it its patch. Regularly just sits in the open, washing and preening itself, or just observing, in between spells of sniffing around and investigating the place.
  • 2 weeks later...

Dodo1 Wrote:

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> For some reason we seem to be getting alot of Stag

> Beetles (well three). Any reason why?


They're really common around these parts. SE London is known as a stag beetle area. In a hot summer I have them running around on the pavement outside my house in dozens.

I've had an onslaught of Jersey Tiger moths trying to get into the kitchen. Very difficult to get them out again without damage (with a colander and some persistence!)

When they're not flying in through the window, they're resting on the glass outside.

These day-flying moths are apparently found in Channel Islands, Isle of Wight, Devon, Dorset...and South London!


A very attractive creature:

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=2067

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=824

Anyone know why the lakes in Peckham Park have been particularly green in the last few days?


I noticed that some of the minnows (or whatever they are) have what I think is an egg on their tail. Anyone know their breeding habits?



Tried a blackberry today - too tart still. Another couple of weeks and they should be ready. There are lots of elderberries ripening and a mulberry tree that looks promising.

I have two peanut feeders which get dominated by a blue tit family to the most part, until the sparrow family muscle them out of the way, they hang around for a few minutes, then the great tits move in on the sparrows, and take over for the next few minutes and then disappear. The blue tits are back in minutes to take back their rightful place.


This pattern repeats itself so I was wondering if the great tits follow the sparrows throughout their lives, feeding almost parasitically on the sparrows. I have no evidence to support this theory, merely observation and speculation.

We get something similar here, but have more feeders up - seeds and nuts - so it all gets complicated. The bluetits turn up mobhanded - sometimes as many as 12 - but don't longer long. Great tits, finches and sparrows all take turns but there seems little obvious bullying...

SimonM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We get something similar here, but have more

> feeders up - seeds and nuts - so it all gets

> complicated. The bluetits turn up mobhanded -

> sometimes as many as 12 - but don't longer long.

> Great tits, finches and sparrows all take turns

> but there seems little obvious bullying...



Except for the nuthatch that turned up on Sunday and proceeded to chase all the tits off the big feeder!


RuthM

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