ED Nature Watch

[Domme_Jay]

I saw a jersey Tiger Moth today.

Does anyone know why this beatle (is it a small stag beetle?) is covered in these?

They sem to be small mites or are they off spring?

Many thanks

J

[SteveT]

I have never seen soooo many hover flies in the garden as I have this year,

this is very good as their offspring eat green and black fly.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

D_J - horrid photos! Apparently the mites have some sort of symbiotic relationship with the beetle and see off some bigger nasties. Have a Google - equally nasty photos to be seen.

[SteveT]

The plums are getting ready and the green gages aren't far off now either.

The japanese wineberry is about finished now, and the last of the goosegogs about to go too.

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[Domme_Jay]

I've contacted someone at the wildlife centre for further info, which I will share.

Symbiotic relationship sounds good to me!

J

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> D_J - horrid photos! Apparently the mites have

> some sort of symbiotic relationship with the

> beetle and see off some bigger nasties. Have a

> Google - equally nasty photos to be seen.

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[cate]

Karrie

Nice picture. Is that a wee bee on the right?

How are your 'leaks' doing?

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[sophiesofa]

This is a bit disgusting so don't read on if you don't want to!

Has anyone else found very very small curly poos? I climbed down into our front garden today to do a bit of a clean up and near the exit of a drain pipe from the roof was a huge pile of hundreds of tiny curled brown poos. They look about the right size to have come from rats but they are curled so I have no idea what they can be from. Any ideas? Please help, it's grossing me out.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Snail poo.

[sophiesofa]

Ooh yay thank you so much - I can cope with snails!

[SteveT]

Had my first tomatoes today, they were still slightly orange so not at their sweetest yet.

[Sue]

Bloody birds are demolishing fat balls and seed like no tomorrow, have decided not to let them have any more till they've eaten all the peanuts :)

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[sophiesofa]

Karrie Wrote:

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> A 'rat' crossed my path today in the Park by

> Sainsbury's. Is this bad luck, or good luck? Good

> luck I suppose that it's nowhere near my flat. I

> think it was on its way to sainsbury's to do some

> shoplifting :))

I saw it too at about 3 or so crossing the path coming away from sainsburys. I know there are rats everywhere in London but they still scare me to death. I think I might email sainsburys and ask them to investigate under their bushes.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Don't get cats then Ss. My cats kindly brought one into the house yesterday. I managed to chase them out of the house but had to pick up a decapitated rat a little later. Do you know how big rat livers are?

[sophiesofa]

Ew decapitated rat. I don't want to picture a rat liver because I just ate a lovely roast that I would like to stay in my belly for a while longer! I think I need to live in a bubble somewhere.

[Nero]

I saw a rat scurry into Goodrich School about five weeks ago. It was BIG and fast and seemed to like the gutters.

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[david_carnell]

On a nicer note, whilst strolling up by Sydenham Hill Station yesterday I spotted a peacock. It was just wandering around the street and then into someone's front garden. Having watched/followed it for some minutes it did the a most un-peacock like thing and flew onto the roof. Quite impressive, mind you. I have pictures on my phone I shall attempt to upload later in the day.

[sophiesofa]

He was carrying some edam and crackers and looking for a good picnic spot.

[SteveT]

The rain finally falls to give the garden a good soaking and not before time.

It will help all the fruits and veg to grow and swell.

I traded some of my organic runner beans which I had a glut of for scrambled eggs at Homemade yesterday,

which was very convenient and delicious.

[Alec John Moore]

Glad to hear about that. Did you have to haggle over the barter? I wonder if they would take blackberries for coffee and a croissant?

[louisiana]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> On a nicer note, whilst strolling up by Sydenham

> Hill Station yesterday I spotted a peacock. It was

> just wandering around the street and then into

> someone's front garden. Having watched/followed it

> for some minutes it did the a most un-peacock like

> thing and flew onto the roof. Quite impressive,

> mind you. I have pictures on my phone I shall

> attempt to upload later in the day.

That'll be one of the peacocks that escaped from Tracy Thier's place on Sydenham Hill.