ED Nature Watch

[derbyean]

The black thorn is flowering, they have white blossom and a large example in Barry rd which always suggests that spring is here.

[Sue]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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

> How cruel of you Sue. Replace it immediately with

> half a dozen of ED's finest organic ones!

>

xxxxxxx

If s/he continues to dig up my bulbs and disturb the rest of my carefully planted stuff, I shall not be replacing it with eggs, organic or not, I shall be replacing it with either very pointy things or peppercorms :))

[derbyean]

1000 hooray!

I have almost come to the end of my bucket of fat balls,

according to the experts we are supposed to feed the birds all through the year now.

[The Minkey]

Wow - that's an enormous amount of fatballs, Jean. I feed the birds all through the year and get well rewarded when they turn up with all their youngsters. Apart from the flock of starling fledglings that were guided in by a couple of adults one year who stayed just long enough to show them where the food was before making a quick getaway.

Mekon: I'm so jealous. Never seen a waxwing.

[derbyean]

A milestone day in the garden, the first chaffinch I have ever seen here came and pecked around beneath the last of the fat balls.

Which was nice for me, but not liked by the pair of robins who consider it their rite to clean up the ground below the peanut feeders and the fat balls.

They tried unsuccessfully to drive him out, but pickings were far too rich to give up without a fight and the chaffinch is a bit bigger and heavier, so he was not going to be intimidated by a couple of robins.

I wonder if he will one day be metricated, and be called a chaff25millimetre, sometimes inches still work better!

[Groucho]

I saw a pigeon this morning.

[derbyean]

I ate one!

[derbyean]

I observed one of the flock of sparrows that have eaten their way through a tub of fat balls,

collecting dry strands of grass and rushing into one of the boxes with it,

so they are nesting and spring has sprung.

[The Minkey]

I gave the shed mouse the shock of its life when I got the mower out this morning. It's a beautiful day out there :-)

[bandwagonesque]

Hi, am wanting some spawn or tadpoles for my pond. It is perfect for little frogs with low sides, over handing rocks and plenty of surrounding plants.

If anyone has to much i'll gladly pop around with a bucket!

thanks,

Mat

0785 5423587

[Sue]

Perigee full moon tonight folks, first for eighteen years, and a clear night.

Dawson heights anyone?

[Ann]

bandwagonesque Wrote:

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

> Hi, am wanting some spawn or tadpoles for my pond.

> It is perfect for little frogs with low sides,

> over handing rocks and plenty of surrounding

> plants.

> If anyone has to much i'll gladly pop around with

> a bucket!

>

> thanks,

>

> Mat

> 0785 5423587

See lousmith's post earlier in this thread, not very far up. He has a fantastic pond/frog sanctuary in his back garden. I took up his kind offer of frogspawn who are doing nicely in a tank in our back garden.

[henryb]

We've had couple of frogs making sweet love in our pond for last few weeks - they finally stopped this weekend. I haven't spotted any spawn yet but I haven't poked around for it.

It was more exciting than I think should probably admit on a public forum and I am glad they got there themselves as I would have been in dilemma about transferring and the risk of spreading disease and so on.

The pond was in the garden when we bought the house so I don't know if it will be successful or what is in there already. It is quite small - 1m by 30 cm

Does anyone have any advice on things we can go do to help them along. It is quite bare around the edge and the surface is mostly covered in what looks like tiny Frogbit no other larger plants as far as I can see.

[fatfightersforever]

As a new pond owner I've got lots of frogs (look like they're doing tantric things!) and a newt but hardly any plants yet. Anyone know what to put in and where to get them from? Thanks for all great pond tips so far!

[lousmith]

Hi fatfightersforever, I can sort out a couple of modest native 'seed' plants which will proliferate and be beneficial (good for newt egg laying) PM me if you are interestewd. Lou

interest-ed

[sallyfran]

Slightly outside ED, but looked out of the window of the Quaker Meeting House in Forest Hill last week to see a sparrowhawk finishing the remains of a pigeon.

Also, (back to ED), had several garden visits from coal tits this year, for the first time as far as I know.

[lousmith]

Hurrah! for coal tits. See quite a few long-tailed tits in mine, and the occasional sparrow hawk, wheedling around Dawson heights.

[claus3600]

@lousmith

Do you have any frogspawn left?

If so please text me on 0779 1749 270 or e-mail on [email protected]

Carlos

[lousmith]

Just saw a handsome, but pesky Magpie flying on to my roof with an adult Robin hanging lifeless from its beak. Didn't see whether it had killed it or not, but it shocked me as I thought they only took baby and fledgeling birds.

[Sue]

Oh no :-S

[Sue]

Lousmith, I think you kindly offered me some frogspawn, but I can't find the post.

I've been given some frog and toadspawn now, and am rushing out excitedly every morning to see if there's been any change !

I decided not to sink the tub into the ground because I'd probably have to move it again when I redesign my garden, so it's just sitting on top of the ground - I've provided a pile of stones inside the tub and a "bridge" onto solid land, so hopefully things will be able to find their way out .......

[OliviaDee]

i had two beautiful birds in my garden today. finch size and shape so i'm guessing some kind of finch... with bright red skull caps and big flashes on yellow on their wings. anyone know what they are?

[pinkhalf]

Goldfinch?

[OliviaDee]

i don't think so. not enough gold? do gold finches have red heads? (that page is missing out of my ancient little observer's book of birds) hence the post...

[pinkhalf]

Yes they have a black white and red cap, with flashes of gold on the wings.

http://www.birdfood.co.uk/images/fact_files/goldfinch_01.jpg