Wildlife Garden

[Madelinew]

Every time I look in my wildlife garden there is something new to see. I've got my scope permanently trained on a blackbird nest where I can clearly see 3 chicks less than a week old. I've been helping the parents chase off the magpies and jays. I wouldn't normally as I do feel that nature should be left to its own devices in these situations. However, I've been watching this nest closely from the point of laying through incubation and am not going to be robbed (yet again) of the chance to see 'my' babies fledge! Plus the activities in this nest have got my whole family interested and that's a definite first! The magpies and jays can go and raid somewhere else!

Bird feeders are all very busy. I keep hearing the foxes at night and there is evidence of Badgers. There is plenty of Hedgehog scat around the garden and when digging over a bed recently, I had to move 3 slowworms.

My pond is full of froglets who are sunning themselves on lily pads. The newts are hiding beneath the wretched algae. Dragonflies, damselflies.

I'm in heaven

And today, I nodded off in the hammock under the apple tree. When I opened my eyes, a siskin was sitting right above me on a branch looking straight at me. It's the first time I've seen a siskin here in the 18 months since I moved in.

Plus the bonus of being in the hammock was that I got to see just how much birdlife was in the tree. From my house, you can only see a small amount. It was packed - and very noisy.

Ain't life great!

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

Ain't life great!

sure is

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

Every time I look there is something new to see. I've got my scope permanently trained on a blackbird nest where I can clearly see 3 chicks less than a week old. I've been helping the parents chase off the magpies and jays. I wouldn't normally as I do feel that nature should be left to its own devices in these situations. However, I've been watching this nest closely from the point of laying through incubation and am not going to be robbed (yet again) of the chance to see 'my' babies fledge! Plus the activities in this nest have got my whole family interested and that's a definite first! The magpies and jays can go and raid somewhere else!

Bird feeders are all very busy. I keep hearing the foxes at night and there is evidence of Badgers. There is plenty of Hedgehog scat around the garden and when digging over a bed recently, I had to move 3 slowworms.

My pond is full of froglets who are sunning themselves on lily pads. The newts are hiding beneath the wretched algae. Dragonflies, damselflies.

I'm in heaven

And today, I nodded off in the hammock under the apple tree. When I opened my eyes, a siskin was sitting right above me on a branch looking straight at me. It's the first time I've seen a siskin here in the 18 months since I moved in.

Plus the bonus of being in the hammock was that I got to see just how much birdlife was in the tree. From my house, you can only see a small amount. It was packed - and very noisy.

Ain't life great!

It sounds idyllic!

I'm sure if i attach a old curtain or bedsheet to the cherry tree and next doors fence i could make myself a hammock

then again....

[shei111]

We cant ask for better sheila

[witham]

We have a busy garden and also out-buildings, think there's been so many outside nests wrecked by crows etc that they're all moving inside

[Madelinew]

Originally Posted by Bouncytigger

It sounds idyllic!

I'm sure if i attach a old curtain or bedsheet to the cherry tree and next doors fence i could make myself a hammock

then again....

I can just see the faces on my neighbours as their fence collapses beneath my weight should I try that one!!!!!

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

I can just see the faces on my neighbours as their fence collapses beneath my weight should I try that one!!!!!

lol

same here

Actually MANY A TRUE WORD SPOKE IN JEST

If this weather keeps up i might just stay out in the garden all night and see what crawls and creeps round my garden in the dead of night

I'd love to know maybe i might stop another Hedgehog DROWNING IN MY POND!!!!

[lincs lass]

Sounds like heaven. I love Sunday nights here as when you go into the garden late evening you don't hear cars on the A52. It's very quiet and so still.
The sun has been shining here all day (and still is) the birds have been busy, I have been clearing behind the greenhouse and something was cross with me as it kept chattering. I think it was the vole. (or one of the many in the garden)

[Madelinew]

I admit I'm tempted to spend the night in my hammock. Once my eyes were adjusted to night vision, I'm sure I'd see loads. Might take a mossie net tho!

And stone next door's security light out of use. The only good thing that does is bring in the bats to feed on the insect life it attracts. Bit fed up with it lighting up the whole neighbourhood every time a moggie walks across their garden at 2 in the morning. We're not exactly the burglary capital of the world here on the Isle of Wight...

[demicav]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

Every time I look there is something new to see. I've got my scope permanently trained on a blackbird nest where I can clearly see 3 chicks less than a week old. I've been helping the parents chase off the magpies and jays. I wouldn't normally as I do feel that nature should be left to its own devices in these situations. However, I've been watching this nest closely from the point of laying through incubation and am not going to be robbed (yet again) of the chance to see 'my' babies fledge! Plus the activities in this nest have got my whole family interested and that's a definite first! The magpies and jays can go and raid somewhere else!

Bird feeders are all very busy. I keep hearing the foxes at night and there is evidence of Badgers. There is plenty of Hedgehog scat around the garden and when digging over a bed recently, I had to move 3 slowworms.

My pond is full of froglets who are sunning themselves on lily pads. The newts are hiding beneath the wretched algae. Dragonflies, damselflies.

I'm in heaven

And today, I nodded off in the hammock under the apple tree. When I opened my eyes, a siskin was sitting right above me on a branch looking straight at me. It's the first time I've seen a siskin here in the 18 months since I moved in.

Plus the bonus of being in the hammock was that I got to see just how much birdlife was in the tree. From my house, you can only see a small amount. It was packed - and very noisy.

Ain't life great!

Sounds like heaven, I agree. Your garden is certainly full of life. Wonderful.

[witham]

You are lucky, I've not got a hammock, we've got pleanty of mature trees but not spaced right, I've got two acorns and a ball of string though so I should be sorted in about 100 yrs time

[Madelinew]

Originally Posted by witham

You are lucky, I've not got a hammock, we've got pleanty of mature trees but not spaced right, I've got two acorns and a ball of string though so I should be sorted in about 100 yrs time

Excellent image! I can just see you sat there working out knots into a vague hammock shape as the tree grows beside you in a Life of Plants speeded up kind of way

At my previous house, we had a tree about the right distance from the house and my husband drilled the wall and set a bolt in there for me to put one end of the hammock in and I was able to reach the tree from there. I was delighted when we moved here to find a leylandi exactly the right distance from the apple tree. Leylandi is coming down soon but I'm leaving a stump tall enough to support the hammock.

[Madelinew]

Perhaps you could plant a couple of eucalyptus or other fast grower with a view to suspending a hammock in the future........

[shei111]

Hello I had a summer house put up feb this year it was the best thing ive ever bought, its 8 X 6 2 large opening doors and a side window weve got it posioned in the middle of the garden 9 feet away from the bird feeding stations , I can also see the fishpond . inside I have a small 3 seater and 1 armchair a radio a tv a heater and a fan and all the electric sockets for the outside lights and fish pond. Today I put up 2 shelves to house my books I spend quite a lot of time in there with my garden and bird books and the 2 yorkies, just love looking out watching the wildlife with a cup of tea well several really I do have a little nap sometimes and oh so peaceful what more do I want, well nothing im blissfully happy. sheila

[ellen h]

Originally Posted by shei111

Hello I had a summer house put up feb this year it was the best thing ive ever bought, its 8 X 6 2 large opening doors and a side window weve got it posioned in the middle of the garden 9 feet away from the bird feeding stations , I can also see the fishpond . inside I have a small 3 seater and 1 armchair a radio a tv a heater and a fan and all the electric sockets for the outside lights and fish pond. Today I put up 2 shelves to house my books I spend quite a lot of time in there with my garden and bird books and the 2 yorkies, just love looking out watching the wildlife with a cup of tea well several really I do have a little nap sometimes and oh so peaceful what more do I want, well nothing im blissfully happy. sheila

When can I move in!! Ellen

[shei111]

Originally Posted by ellen h

When can I move in!! Ellen

Hello Ellen Yes its lovely to sit in peace just watching the garden grow and wildlife that come. We say we ought to sell the bungalow and move into the "hut" we spend more time in there, mind you when I was a child both my grandfathers use to sit in there sheds alot sheila

[tufftie]

They all sound great and a hammock would be lovely..with a mossi net I seem to spend lots of time sitting on my doorstep watching the wildlife and listening to the stream

[ellen h]

When I sit on my doorstep I can hear the humming of a car going by,a distant chainsaw and if I'm lucky a high flying plane!!
No seriously a lot of birds do visit my garden,even a sparrowhawk pops in for his supper too-its taken 2 doves,1 sparrow and tried for a starling only my mother who happened to be watching shooed at it!!
I have also seen a tiny mouse climb down the fence to a bird feeder and nibble at the seeds.I have been trying to photograph it but it is so quick.
A frog or two,toadie who lives under the shed and a fine specimen of a slowworm(which I think came from next doors jungle!)completes the wildlife in my garden-not forgetting the insects and spiders of course.Talking of spiders mustn't forget Horace who lives in my car wing mirror........
Ellen