Wildlife - wot you got?

[SueA]

I've just been watching a leaf cutter bee make a lace doily out of my azalea in the back garden. Someone else has mentioned watching one before on the grapevine but this is the first time I have ever seen one in action. It flew around the bush testing all the leaves until it found one it liked, nibbled out a neat disc, carried it to the nearby fence where it held it while it had a wash & brush up & repositioned the leaf, then flew off with it returning a couple of minutes later to repeat the process. I first noticed it flying round with the leaf- it looked like a honey bee on a magic carpet! Attaching some pics. of it.

[pigletwillie]

We have a stack of unocupied nest boxes in the rear garden but I was nicely suprised yesterday when painting next doors bay window that I have blackbirds nesting in our wisteria.

[Lozzie]

Typical. You build them homes, but they prefer to live in your plants! Hehe! Who knows? Maybe if you'r lucky, you'll be having some chicks soon. I bet it would be interesting to watch them growing up.

SueA, those are some lovely pictures you have of leaf cutter bees. I think there are a few of those living around my place. Recently I've noticed that somebody had been cutting nearly perfect circles out of the leaves on my rose plants.

Yesterday was the black ant's breeding flight in my area. The air was full of them. Later that evening, the pavements were covered in queen ants and males worn out from... well, you get the picture! I was tempted to pick one of the queens up and put her in an ant farm. I'm sure it would have been interesting...

[SueA]

I bet it is leaf cutter bees Lozzie, they're supposed to love rose leaves & sometimes even the petals but mine had just nibbled a nearby rose then a couple of raspberry leaves before deciding the azalea was best!

[smallblueplanet]

The last piccy of the leaf-cutter bee looks like its surfing!!! Good shot Sue.

[bramble]

Update on my hedgehog.

Went out yesterday to check on the hedgehog and she was gone. Went out this morning to tidy up the border and there she was with three new babies. Can't believe we have these in our garden. Anyone any advice about how to care for them. What should i leave out for the babies. Will i leave milk or water. Glad of any advice.

[pumpkintime]

We live in a large town and don't get an awful lot - we also have 4 cats so sometimes we find out what is living locally when the cats bring back a dead or nearly dead specimen

Lots of frogs - a few cabbage whites the last few weeks and all the normal birds. One of the cats did bring back a bird that was a bit smaller than a thrush with yellow feathers in its wings the other day, it might have been a domestic bird that had escaped.

[SueA]

Congratulations on the new babies Bramble.
Leave out water (not milk , it gives them an upset stomach) & a dish of cat or dog food (not fish type-upset stomach again) in the same place every day (probably evening) so that the mother doesn't have to go far for food. You can buy special hedgehog food called Spike's Food from pet shops etc. if you want to give them exactly the right balanced diet.
Really jealous!

[bramble]

Thanks for that Sue A. Am absolutely delighted. We came home from holidays about three weeks ago to find the hedgehog had taken up residence. We assumed it was because my daughter was leaving food out for our two cats while we were away and also because we have two fountains running in the garden. When i went out this morning coulod'nt quite believe what i was seeing. They are so cute. Took some pics but don['t know if they are any good yet. Will try to post the best ones
Once again, many thanks. Gabrielle.

[Lozzie]

Aaaw. Congratulations on your spikey little bundles of joy! Yeah, it would be best to give them water rather than milk. At the moment, they get plenty of that from their mother.

[wellie]

lots and lots of birdies

we have shed loads of birds of all flavours wich is superb plus my cat and of course the trousers.

[bramble]

Just to let everyone know. My hedgehog family are thriving. Out under the bushes in the sun this morning sniffing around in the ground and pushing and shoving each other. amother and babies eating cat food and drinking the water from the dishes we continue to leae them. Tonight my husband was leaving their feed and they ate from the dish as he was holding it. Unfortunately it was too dark to take a pic but i will keep trying.
Gabrielle.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

this wasnt in my garden, but taking the kids to school the other day, we saw a hare sitting in the sun by the side of the road! I was so excited - seen them lots in Ireland, but NEVER seen one in England before. have also seen owls in the vicinity recently.

[bramble]

Yes, hares are plentiful in Ireland. There are loads of hares in the grass by the runway at Dublin Airport.

[dinky_doo]

on our over grown patch we have tons of grass hoppers never seen so many for a long time even got loads in the garden