Wildlife Corner

[Stanley]

Sounds good. If anyone sees some could they snaffle some for me please?

[Tizer]

Another easy one that the bees love is the herb marjoram. Hyssop is another but it might not like the lower temperatures in Barlick. All these are low growing and easy to pull out if you tire of them or they get too scruffy. Thyme is another. Being herbs used in the kitchen you often find them for sale growing in small pots in greengrocers' shops.

[PanBiker]

Regarding bees, Can't remember if I mentioned it elsewhere. After the swarming season our Jack has ended up with three hives now. He has bought a centrifuge and is having a go at honey production. Not on a big scale, he's coming for tea tonight so I will get an update.

[Stanley]

I used to help my dad and it was good fun if a bit messy! Jack might be tidier than we were.

[Tizer]

Did you see the news story the other day about a large number of hives being stolen from a farm in the night?

[Stanley]

No, but it doesn't surprise me. Nothing is safe today. See David's Oxford Street story this morning.....

[Tizer]

This was the bee hive story...
`Fourteen hives, thousands of bees stolen near Llangollen' LINK

[Stanley]

I noted this statement....
North Wales Police believe they were probably taken at night by someone with knowledge of beekeeping from Mynydd y Garth, near Llangollen, Denbighshire.
I think that's a fairly safe assumption!

[Wendyf]

Probably more suited to gardening than wildlife but never mind. This is a plant that has appeared on the roadside verge higher up than us, so well over 1000ft. A request for info on Facebook has identified it as Weld or Dyers Weed, a plant that produces yellow dye and green when combined with woad.

PXL_20230806_092739376.jpg

[Stanley]

I've heard of that in connection with something else......

[Tizer]

Here's a short fun video to brighten up your day. Sit back and enjoy it!
Water bears - tardigrades

[Tripps]

I don't think It's any coincidence that after watching Tizer's recommended video, I get this tardigrades fed to me when I look at Youtube.

I wonder what that is supposed to achieve?

[Stanley]

Interesting video Pater. Now I sit back and wait for Youtube to target me!
I'll let you know David....

[Tripps]

I'll let you know David....

Putting my more charitable hat on - it could be seen as Google noting my interest in the subject and helping me. How do I tell them that I now have sufficient knowledge of tardigrades to last a lifetime. By the way it's Italian for slow stepping.

**********

I had a major change of routine yesterday, and at my new destination I saw (just a quick glimpse) of what looked like a black squirrel. A later Google search shows that it probably was black, and this is the area of the country to see them. I'll try for a picture next time.

[Stanley]

I have nothing to report David. Youtube are not feeding me tardigrade info.
As for how to get rid of influences like that, go into your history and delete it every now and again. It starts you off on a clean slate plus subscriptions so you don't lose anything valuable....

[Tizer]

And in Firefox set it to delete all cookies every time you shut it down. Then set the permanent exceptions such as those you trust (eg. OGFB) or need for security (eg. your bank etc).

[Tripps]

quick glimpse) of what looked like a black squirrel. A later Google search shows that it probably was black, and this is the area of the country to see them. I'll try for a picture next time.

Went again yesterday, and clearly saw two black squirrels. Chance of a photo would be about zero - as they were a bit camera shy. They were very attractive, if a bit skinny, but very agile too.

[Tizer]

On a local walk in a park recently we saw a cat stalking a squirrel on the grass. The squirrel seemed quite nonchalant about the cat's presence. But when the cat made a dash forward it was left behind by the bounding squirrel which reached a tree and disappeared above. As the cat was watching for the squirrel again a large gull dived at it and almost managed to grab it from the ground! Nature, red in tooth and claw.

[Tripps]

Noted that the Buddleia was in flower again. It is cut down to nothing every year - look at the size of it now.!

More by good fortune than intent the photo captured a Red Admiral butterfly. Look closely.
Is the middle of October bit late for such a sighting?

Red admiral October.jpg

[Wendyf]

There are Red Admirals about here as well Tripps, its quite common to see them into November.

[Cathy]

Some heartwarming pics of pregnant female animals, except the seahorses.
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I thought they were sweet. Love the Beluga Whale.

[Stanley]

I always think us blokes got a bit of a let-off when we were excused the pregnancy bit....... !

[Tizer]

There are Red Admirals about here as well Tripps, its quite common to see them into November.

We're seeing them too. Many of our flowering shrubs are still in flower and there are fat bumble bees about. Mahonia's flower in winter and ours are already full of of yellow flowers. Winter-flowering jasmine is in bud. Japanese maples have had glorious autumn colours but the strong stormy winds have now blown away most of their leaves, except for one tree that hides behind a conifer. The best colours of all were displayed by our Cotinus coggyria `Golden Spirit', it was like looking into a blazing wood fire, all red, orange, gold. It's a small tree and great for ordinary back gardens or, like ours, grown in a pot on the patio just outside the kitchen window. This is from a photo from the web ...

[Stanley]

Reading that Peter makes me realise how much poorer my life is by not having green fingers!

[Tizer]

No green fingers needed for the Cotinus. Stick it in a pot larger than the one it came in, adding extra fresh soil around it. Water it regularly at first while it gets its roots settled then leave it alone except for watering in dry weather.

Some easy wildlife plants for your garden would be herbs such as thyme, marjoram, hyssop all of which the bees love and they need no tending.