Nature

Anything goes! Use this forum to get to know each other.
User avatar
sixret
Posts: 4130
Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Nature

Post by sixret »

Love to read both your stories, Number 6 and Rob! I also love Rob's photo. Very peaceful. I love countryside! :D
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
User avatar
number 6
Posts: 4342
Joined: 11 Jun 2010, 17:12
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George/Jo
Location: Robin Hood Country

Re: Nature

Post by number 6 »

Rob Houghton wrote:Lovely! We always have grey squirrels and we feed them monkey nuts etc, and some become quite tame. Last year we had a squirrel who would come right up to the window and look in, with his paws on the ledge (actually its a door with glass right to the floor) and he would chatter and jump around, bobbing his head up and down comically as he looked in the window, to attract our attention! :lol: He used to take food out of my dad's fingers if he offered him a monkey nut. We don't have any that seem that bold and friendly this year though.
They're great characters & absolutely delightful to watch, especially when they are quite tame around you. I bet your dad was chuffed to bits to have such friendly Squirrels, Rob! :D
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Nature

Post by Rob Houghton »

number 6 wrote:
They're great characters & absolutely delightful to watch, especially when they are quite tame around you. I bet your dad was chuffed to bits to have such friendly Squirrels, Rob! :D
He was! :D I think he's a bit disappointed that the squirrels this year aren't so bold!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
floragord
Posts: 2322
Joined: 31 Jul 2013, 14:41
Favourite book/series: THE FARAWAY TREE SERIES
Favourite character: Silky
Location: Pembrokeshire "Little England Beyond Wales"

Re: Nature

Post by floragord »

We're lucky enough to live in deep country and regularly drop everything to watch pheasants coming to feed and drink at our bird table and bath as well as the "everyday" robins, bluetits and sparrows, occasional rabbits enjoying the grass, passing foxes (hopefully missing the rabbits...) and of course the cattle in the next field, the neighbours horses and distant geese cackling and turkeys gobbling on a farm across the hill (alas it goes quiet nearer Christmas...). Funnily enough we don't seem to get squirrels hereabouts :?
"Its a magic wood!" said Fanny suddenly.
User avatar
sixret
Posts: 4130
Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Nature

Post by sixret »

I love reading your description of countryside, Floragord! :D
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Nature

Post by Rob Houghton »

I also feel lucky, living where we do on the very edge of Birmingham - almost in Worcestershire - against the 'green belt' - with the canal at the bottom of our garden, we are often visited by animals.

Along with the squirrels we have so many birds of all kinds (including the odd sparrowhawk etc) and many foxes, which come for food that we put out in the wood near the canal. Then we have badgers sometimes, visiting the garden in search of peanuts, which they love. On the canal we have coots and moorhens and Canada geese, as well as swans and the usual ducks. Sometimes I've been lucky enough to see a king fisher. :D One thing we don't have right by us is pheasants - as they aren't bred for hunting near where we live - but further off about a mile up the lane we see plenty of them. :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Nature

Post by Rob Houghton »

I went into the garden this evening and 'our' hedgehog was there sniffing around, so I put out some cat food for him - which is what they like to eat. I always feel we need to look after hedgehogs these days, as their numbers are sadly dwindling in this country. Hope it has a mate somewhere, so we can get more hedgehogs next year, as we used to have two or three but only see one these days. :-(
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
number 6
Posts: 4342
Joined: 11 Jun 2010, 17:12
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George/Jo
Location: Robin Hood Country

Re: Nature

Post by number 6 »

Sounds like you're in a great location for Wildlife, Rob! You've got some lovely animals visiting your garden, too! Nice to hear you've got an hedgehog in your garden. Most people where I live have turned their gardens into concrete wastelands, where nothing grows & fences are so high that no hedgehogs can no longer wander from garden to garden. I can understand why hedgehogs have declined in recent years...loss of habitat! :cry:
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Nature

Post by Rob Houghton »

Yes - many gardens around by us have 'concrete wastelands' and high fences - so I think 'our' hedgehog comes to our garden because we still have the old style 'picket fence' type of fence that doesn't shut them out. :-D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
number 6
Posts: 4342
Joined: 11 Jun 2010, 17:12
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George/Jo
Location: Robin Hood Country

Re: Nature

Post by number 6 »

That's good to hear, Rob. I wish everyone was as thoughtful & returned to the old type fencing. It does make a hugh difference for the 'hogs'! I feed my prickly friend dog food or left over mince meat, along with some fresh water. Sometimes I'll re-hydrate dried meal worms as a treat in the Autumn/Winter months. :D
Milk & bread is very bad for hedgehogs, so I never feed them with these.
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Nature

Post by Courtenay »

Lovely to hear about the hedgehogs. I've never seen one in the wild, but earlier this year at the care home where I work, we had a visit from a wildlife carer who looks after hedgehogs that were born very late in the season and probably wouldn't build up enough body weight before winter to survive their hibernation. She cares for them over winter and releases them into the wild in spring. It was fascinating to learn all about them. She even brought one of her then-current charges for us to see and hold — so cute! :D If I have a home of my own one day here in the UK, I will definitely make sure to have hedgehog-friendly fencing if at all possible.
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
number 6
Posts: 4342
Joined: 11 Jun 2010, 17:12
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George/Jo
Location: Robin Hood Country

Re: Nature

Post by number 6 »

Great stuff, Courtenay! You're the kind of person that the Hedgehogs would love to adopt! You are really thinking positively about their habitat, & that is all it takes. I really hope you get your dream home sometime in the future & your garden is full of hedgehogs!!!!!! :D
User avatar
floragord
Posts: 2322
Joined: 31 Jul 2013, 14:41
Favourite book/series: THE FARAWAY TREE SERIES
Favourite character: Silky
Location: Pembrokeshire "Little England Beyond Wales"

Re: Nature

Post by floragord »

Thank you Sixret! We loved living on the seafront in Sussex and now enjoying country living! Its particularly special here at this time of year, with woodsmoke drifting, the changing colours of the trees, the scent of crysanthemums and the constant chuckle of water as the stream is very full after the recent rains! :D It must be lovely living by a canal at the edge of the green belt too, Rob, how fabulous to feed hedgehogs, they're delightful to watch, trundling along like little clockwork toys!
"Its a magic wood!" said Fanny suddenly.
User avatar
number 6
Posts: 4342
Joined: 11 Jun 2010, 17:12
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George/Jo
Location: Robin Hood Country

Re: Nature

Post by number 6 »

floragord wrote:the constant chuckle of water as the stream is very full after the recent rains! :D
I do like the sound of your stream, floragord! :D
User avatar
floragord
Posts: 2322
Joined: 31 Jul 2013, 14:41
Favourite book/series: THE FARAWAY TREE SERIES
Favourite character: Silky
Location: Pembrokeshire "Little England Beyond Wales"

Re: Nature

Post by floragord »

Thanks No 6! It's in full spate at present, lovely to listen to at night, something enchanting about the sound of running water!, and moonlight has been glittering on it the last few nights, very special :D

Some time on from the above!, I was filling buckets at the stream to top up our neighbouring horses' trough this morning and heard some rustling in the grass nearby. Going to have a peek I was amazed to find a dormouse 'nest', beautifully constructed and with various nuts and seeds tucked in the bottom - the resident dormouse looked up as though to say "what"? but didn't budge while I put the grass back, a lovely experience!
Last edited by floragord on 28 Aug 2018, 12:30, edited 1 time in total.
"Its a magic wood!" said Fanny suddenly.
Post Reply