Wildlife Corner

[Cathy]

I guess the finger is in the pic to show just how tiny Hummingbird’s are. Plenty wouldn’t realise.

[Stanley]

I would have thought it could spook the humming bird Cathy....

[Tizer]

`Big Butterfly Count: Sightings worryingly low, say UK conservationists' LINK
I can confirm that butterfly numbers are shockingly low where we live in Taunton, Somerset. Yet there's an abundance of trees, shrubs and perennial plants. The local council has always been good at planting and maintaining the public gardens and other areas. In our part of town most of the houses are 50 or more years old and have gardens well stocked with mature shrubs and trees. We should be heaving with butterflies and other insects but now we're lucky if we've seen one butterfly a day in our garden and then it's usually a common white. Now and then we've seen a lonely blue, comma, red admiral, painted lady...but that's it. Even buddleias here rarely get visited by a butterfly. Something is seriously wrong in our environment.

In the last few years we've seen fewer and fewer birds too. There used be a good variety of bird species about but not now. There's more pigeons and gulls than any other bird species.

[Gloria]

We still gets lots of butterflies, and a good variety as well.

[Stanley]

I think that on the whole I have seen less of everything but that's largely a product of the fact that I don't go anywhere!

[MickBrett]

Due to it being so dry of late here I've been making sure to fill up my wildlife drinking water bowls, mainly for the birds to drink and bathe in.
Other creatures are also taking the opportunity to get a cold drink. Here's a racoon enjoys a swift one at Mick's all night bar and pool

[Stanley]

Nice one Mick! I remember when I first went to Minnesota I was warned to avoid the Raccoons as many of them were rabid. I haven't any idea if that was true or not.....

[MickBrett]

Yes, I have heard that too, Stanley. They only seem to be around when I'm tucked up in bed although I did see my cat chase one off the property once at around 10.00pm.

Looks like I need to get a bigger water bowl....

[Stanley]

Lovely Mick! You are being a good friend to the animals.....

[Tizer]

We need more of this here in the UK. Many of the old ponds have been filled in and marshy areas and streams have been drained or piped. I remember how, as a child, we had lots of places were frogs and newts were abundant...
`Conservation: Explosion in frog numbers after mass pond digging' LINK
`Switzerland has reversed the decline of more than half of endangered frogs, toads and newts in one region, research finds. After conservationists dug hundreds of new ponds in the canton of Aargau, amphibian numbers significantly increased. The European tree frog population in particular "exploded", scientists say. Scientists hope this method could be used globally as pond building is simple and effective.'..

[MickBrett]

Possum. These are common visitors to our garden.

[Stanley]

Another grateful customer Mick!
Peter, on the one hand we are told what a good thing for wildlife the ponds are and on the other we are warned that stagnant water breeds mosquitoes and with climate warming this has to be avoided!

[MickBrett]

What on earth is this?
Oh, hang on, it's my cat, Minnie

[Stanley]

Hunting mice from the look of it...... (And we think they are domesticated....)

[Tizer]

We've heard plenty in the UK about bird flu affecting poultry and news reports of a die off of gulls in Cornwall and gannets in Scotland but I'm surprised nothing is being reported about wild birds in general. Here in Taunton in the last month we've seen our wild bird population almost disappear completely. I used to complain about the hordes of urban gulls and feral pigeons but now we see only the odd one now and then. In such large numbers they had become a pest but now all the other birds have disappeared from our gardens and the open spaces in and around the town. Our bird feeder is sitting there full of their favourite sunflower seeds but no birds come and it remains full. When we walk alongside the farmers' fields there are no birds in the fields or in the hedges. In one of the hedges the other day I heard a chiffchaff call but it must be lonely. It's all very sad, to be surrounded by silence as if the world had stopped.

On the Inside Science programme they discussed the tragic fall in bird numbers due to bird flu. They also spoke to an expert on the virus and she said that other animals have been infected, notably a fox. Transmission from bird to mammal is worrying so the virologists are keeping an eye on the virus and behind the scenes they're preparing in case they have to make a vaccine for humans.

[Cathy]

Tize that report is so sad, I couldn’t imagine not having birds around. Hopefully it will all get back to normal.

[Stanley]

It bothers me also Cathy. I suppose there have been downturns before and recoveries. The sooner it happens here the better.

[Tripps]

Perhaps it has stemmed the invasion of the Red Billed Leiothrix as forecast as recently as June in the Mail.

I'd have thought that Brexit might have given us some protection against this invasion of foreign birds, but what do you expect with Priti Patel in charge? Must say though, that they look attractive in a flashy continental sort of way, and I'd get quite excited if I found some in my garden.

[Stanley]

Perhaps our new Cerberus will be able to do better David. I'd certainly get excited if I saw one anywhere near Graham Towers.

[Tizer]

I must not have been paying attention - Tripps has popped in via the back door!

[Tripps]

'Sneaked' rather than 'popped' I'd say - into the Cloisters.

I'm still working on a program of 'intensive convalescence' . It may take some time. Bear with me. . . .

I just googled the situation and I think the odd post may be helpful to the mood.

[Tizer]

Good!

[Stanley]

That's good to hear David. Take it easy and give us the benefit of your wit when you can spare the time....

[Tripps]

Back to wildlife - I mentioned the lack of birds yesterday to my young lad (North of London M25 ish - and he said he had loads of birds of many varieties in his garden. He's mainly working from home from his large shed and has a bird feeder outside the window. "Two blue tits feeding now". Says they get through a kilo of seed in no time.
That's good.

[Tizer]

That's what it was like here - until about a month ago. Since then very few birds at all, even pigeons and gulls which used to be a pest because of their numbers. I can't see any explanation other than bird flu.