ED Nature Watch

[CPRoadBigLunch]

What does one do about predators? Two magpies in the garden - lots of anxiety (cue massive twittering outburst) among the smaller birds. And the tortoise-shell cat from a few doors down has taken to hiding in the shrubbery near the bird feeder!

[Sue]

Become a hedgehog champion!

http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/?dm_i=PAJ,1HK1Q,ADDSRZ,51YQK,1

Sorry CPRBL, this is not a solution to garden predators .... someone just emailed me the info so I'm posting it here before I forget :)

[Chocky]

Are there any frog experts out there? We saw frogs and froglets in the Sexby Gardens fountain in Peckham Rye Park on Sunday. Worried that the fountain wall is too steep for them to get out. I've emailed Southwark Parks and Friends of Peckham Rye but no reponse.

[Sue]

Chocky Wrote:

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> Worried that the

> fountain wall is too steep for them to get out.

xxxxxxx

I'm not a frog expert, and I can't remember what the fountain is like, but could you get a piece of wood of appropriate length and prop it against the wall so they can climb up it?

But I have been amazed in the past at how frogs can clamber up things, so I wouldn't worry too much :)

[reetpetite]

Has anyone noticed how few geese there are on Peckham Rye pond ? Didn't seem to be many ducks either..did see 2 large fish basking in the sun on the surface looked like carp .

Also saw a woodpecker this morning in the park.

[Sue]

reetpetite Wrote:

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> Has anyone noticed how few geese there are on

> Peckham Rye pond ?

xxxxxxx

They're probably all busy ripping up the grass :))

[mlteenie]

spotted a pair of red kites circling pretty high up above our garden this evening.

I just spent the weekend visiting a friend in Bucks and they are practically like pigeons there but I have never seen them in town.

Has anyone else seen them around here?

[Chocky]

Chocky Wrote:

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> Are there any frog experts out there? We saw frogs

> and froglets in the Sexby Gardens fountain in

> Peckham Rye Park on Sunday. Worried that the

> fountain wall is too steep for them to get out.

> I've emailed Southwark Parks and Friends of

> Peckham Rye but no reponse.

Thanks to Sue for your reassurance!

Someone,kindly, has managed to put a hefty slab of stone in the fountain so even the tiddlers will be able to get out.

[Sue]

Oh dear.

I fear my reassurance was not well founded.

Last week I left a watering can half full of water in the garden overnight (at my daughter's) and in the morning there was a very bloated dead frog in it - presumably he had jumped in and then been unable to get out (though a slightly different situation as obviously in a watering can most of the top is closed off apart from the hole in the middle).

Sorry, frog.

[minder]

chuff, if the stag beetles have set up in your garden, then leave them there. Don't try to move them.

I've had stag beetles in my garden for a few years now but they're harmless so why worry.

[chuff]

Hi Minder

I'm very likely to be moving soon and the garden will get a drastic makeover. I feel rather protective towards them and I doubt the new owners would worry too much about maintaining their habitat. They were fighting last night

[lousmith]

Cool video. I guess the adults can fend for themselves. There is a sort of log pile in the wildlife garden centre in Marsden Road where the grubs would at least be protected from burning!

[fl0wer]

There is also a corner of the Horniman Museum garden devoted to wildlife, if that's nearer for you to reach.

On the topic of wildlife it is an offence to disturb it especially during the breeding cycle.

A 'drastic makeover' would be a disaster for your biodiversity, unless you get someone skilled it will just be the usual, scoured back to minimalism - like nature's something we revere on TV instead.

[chuff]

After reading about logs being taken from woodlands for firewood, I'd rather move them to a secure nature reserve. Have been told about the one by Maxted Road and I know there is a large one in Devonshire Road in Forest Hill. The logs they live/eat in are large, 6ft long each one and 8 of them in total.

The life cycle is 7 years for a stag beetle and most of that is the grub stage. Not sure there would be a safe time to move them?

If all goes to plan, I will be moving around September time but whatever the new owners decide to do with the garden is out of my hands, that's why I'd like to move them, so they have a chance somewhere else.

[reetpetite]

You could take them to the Community wild life garden in Peckham Rye park ,they have the ideal habitat set up for stag beetles.

[fl0wer]

Following my sighting of a kestrel locally, a friend recommended I add it to the survey http://www.kestrelcount.org/

...and while I am writing, if you have a minute please link to the Plantlife wildflower survey here => http://www.plantlife.org.uk/things_to_do/wildflowers_count/,

this time of year usually great for botany especially once the sun's brought a few things into bloom.

[Sue]

fl0wer Wrote:

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>> ...and while I am writing, if you have a minute

> please read my other post/link to the Plantlife

> wildflower survey, this time of year usually great

> for botany especially once the sun's brought a few

> things into bloom.

xxxxxxx

That'll be before Southwark Council (I presume) have sprayed into oblivion all the lovely wild flowers along the edges of the pavements and in the street tree pits. GRRRRRRR. :(

[fl0wer]

Seen yesterday, exquisite tiny Mint Moth, Pyrausta aurata. Territory an area of front doorsteps with herbs in crates & pots.

[yeknomyeknom]

Has anyone noticed way more flies than normal? Also wood lice.

[mark88]

Greater spotted woodpecker in our garden on Underhill, he loves feeding late in the day after the Magpies have gone away.

[fl0wer]

yeknomyeknom Yesterday, 09:16PM said:

Has anyone noticed way more flies than normal? Also wood lice.

Yes. The weather conditions make a 'boom', after weeks of shortage. It is often the way with insects.

Many other creatures will line up to take advantage of sudden generous supplies, e.g. am hopeful for recovering numbers of amphibians, small mammals & insectivorous birds whose young need to feed just now. I heard that a swallow can gather 3,000 mosquitoes in a single day.

[Sue]

Don't know about flies, but saw the first flying ant earlier in the week, yuk yuk yuk :(

[ruffers]

mark88 Wrote:

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> Greater spotted woodpecker in our garden on

> Underhill, he loves feeding late in the day after

> the Magpies have gone away.

What may well be one of his offspring just flew into our patio doors and collapsed on the floor looking stunned and confused (or crushed and devalued, who knows?). Once he'd got his wits together he flew off and found a safe spot in a tree though so panic over.

[Dearheart]

I'm looking forward to seeing the little bats that come out in the evenings! If only I could take a picture.

[minder]

What a great photo of the woodpecker in action. I have a jay that only comes out after the magpies have flown. I know the jay belongs to the crow family but it's still good to see.

Have a photo of it somewhere.