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Spent the day at RHS Wisley with my brother in law, last time we were there we watched a tree creeper but this time the most exotic birds were a jay and a heron.


The plan was to purchase a new plum tree (Opal) as the Victoria in the garden is well past her best.

I have tried the Opal plums and they have a better flavour and are juicier than the Vics.


Victoria tended to deliver in three year cycles but latterly it had become less reliable and as I had pruned it, limed it, fed it, and watered it regularly, it still would not produce the goods, so it was time to go.


?40 lighter in pocket I left with my new plum tree, to be planted at the earliest, but as I have back trouble again, I must hire someone who can handle a spade.

"Re the ducklings at Peckham Rye, there was no sign of them on Sunday afternoon - are they still there?"


Sadly, no. The day after I first saw them, there was one left. It survived for a couple of days, and then there were none -- a bit like a rather gruesome child's nursery rhyme.

I've heard of a Siskin and know what it looks like but I've never seen one. Here's a pic:


http://garden-birds.co.uk/birds/images/siskin1.jpg


Sue: It's the one with orangey red berries. Down the road, someone has a pyrancantha hedge out front with the yellowy orange berries. It doesn't seem to get raided so I figured that might be a less popular colour, having said that, the birds seem to spurn them both.

sheilarose Wrote:

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

> "Re the ducklings at Peckham Rye, there was no

> sign of them on Sunday afternoon - are they still

> there?"

>

> Sadly, no. The day after I first saw them, there

> was one left. It survived for a couple of days,

> and then there were none -- a bit like a rather

> gruesome child's nursery rhyme.


xxxxxxxx


Oh dear. But maybe that's why ducks have (usually) relatively big broods - to ensure a couple still left to grow up :-S

Just found this by Googling - I didn't even know you could get red pyrancantha berries!


3. WILDLIFE LOVE IT


Birds especially appreciate Pyracantha shrubs. To them, the red berries are a delicacy, especially in winter, when the ground is frozen, and other food is hard to come by.


Note, however, that gourmet birds are picky and have their favourites. Most prefer red pyracantha berries. They'll eat the orange ones next, and the yellow ones only when they're really hungry.


You may want to consider this when choosing your firethorn variety.

Or hedgehog perhaps, Steve - though, yeh, fox more likely. Anything L leave out which doesn't get polished off by the feathered ones, gets polished off by the furred. A hedgehog was spotted in the garden a couple of years ago by a friend, but I never saw it and haven't since. Be lovely to think they were around.


Mine is the red pyracantha. I chose it because it was supposed to be a good wildlife plant, it's just failed to attract any attention so far. Then again, this is the first year it's produced. Interesting point about it being popular later on. It's quite possible a bit of frost changes the texture and flavour somewhat too, making them more tasty.

  • 2 weeks later...
The Aquarius foxes are very timid, luckily, so they don't try and enter through the catflap. I did have someone else's tea towel and a kiddies ball on the lawn one morning. I left them there and each morning they'd moved to a different part of the garden. Foxes are very playful. Didn't expect them to go for the veg though.

We saw a kingfisher in Peckham Rye Park a couple of years ago, darting back and forth up the brook and finally settling on a tree for a good ten minutes. We just stood and stared, spellbound, while passersby walked on oblivious. Wonderful to see one so close to home!




The Minkey Wrote:

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

> Not seen it, but what a good idea. I've only ever

> seen a kingfisher once in this country, down by

> Beverley Brook in Richmond Park.

It is highly unscientific, but my impression of ED autumn colour this year (vide the comment on the plethora of berries) is that it is more vivid and vibrant, particularly the reds, than I can recently recall. This may be because more acers etc. are now planted in roads and front gardens but even then I can remember these being quite disappointing in the past. Some roads have an almost New England air about them, particularly when the sun catches the leaves.

Penguin68 Wrote:

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

> It is highly unscientific, but my impression of ED autumn colour this year (vide the comment on the

> plethora of berries) is that it is more vivid and vibrant, particularly the reds, than I can recently recall.


I know what you mean. I'd also say that recording a detailed observation of an impression, along with any reservations, is itself a quintessentially scientific act.

Well, in that case, I conducted a rigorous experiment at Peckham Rye today.


Reds are definitely this season's colours: crab apples, yew berries, rosehips were in abundance. Poor Hatty will just have to be unfashionable this autumn.


BTW, why are yew berries so seductive? I always want to cram a handful into my mouth.

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