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Wildife around your pond
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Posted by dampflippers Tyne & Wear UK (My Page) on Thu, Apr 27, 06 at 6:11
Does your pond get used by other wildlife? Blackbirds are currently stealing mud to line their nests.
I have hedgehogs, but don't know if they actually drink from the pond.
Talking of hedgehogs- do you know that numbers are declining? There is a survey you could do (link below). Please all do it even if you don't have hedgehogs visiting your garden, as negative sightings are useful too. |
Here is a link that might be useful: hedgehog survey
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Wildife around your pond
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I get lots of birds who love to shower in the waterfall, today a blackcap visited (the first I've seen), I also have yellowhammers and a tiny goldcrest as well as the usual garden visitors. I love watching the starlings as the bathe communally, with up to 5 at once. I have grey squirrels who visit the garden and they often stop for a drink. I have seen a heron in the garden, but I have no fish in the pond, so haven't seen it recently.
I looked under the rock that my two frogs were living under today and there are now 5 frogs of varying sizes.
We had a hedgehog in the garden last year but I haven't seen it so far this year. I registered it on the website and hopefully I'll see it this year again. |
RE: Wildife around your pond
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| It is amazing the birdlife that can come by--besides the usual garden birds, we've had nuthatches, goldcrests, wrens, grey wagtails, and the kingfisher. Mammal wise it is mice and squirrels, and part of me longs for a hedgehog, but as we live on a corner of a road, I'm rather glad we don't! I have a fantasy of rigging up puzzles for the squirrels, and all they have on websites is squirrel feeders on a bungie cord which looks like squirrel torture rather than squirrel fun! Oh! and the bats!! They come by at a particular time in the evening. One evening I was outside and one flew so clsoe I could feel a wing beat against my cheek! |
RE: Wildife around your pond
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I get more pests than wildlife.
A Fox, a Heron and a family of Magpies which seem to keep the birds away. We have a visit from a squirrell and whilst digging up the flower bed, uncovered one of its hordes of peanuts!
We get occasional Blackbirds Bluetits and Sparrows, thats all.
Around My pond in Salford I conducted a survey about 10 years ago and 15 species visited in one day. These included Great Tit, Coal Tit, Wren, Robin, Greenfinch Mistle and Song Thrush.
Dave |
RE: Wildife around your pond
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| I believe the decline in small birds and songbirds is because of grey squirrels and magpies. The former rag every nest they can get their destructive little hands on in my garden. The latter rip baby birds out of their nests. I haven't seen a pair of songthrushes for about seven years now. Best £35 I ever spent was on a squirrel trap. I've now caught 19 and they have all been taken on a trip to pastures new, (no, not that great peanut factory in the sky!) and are happily playing around a large park which shall remain nameless. And, yes, I do know I'm very naughty doing this, but hey, who cares... At least my birds are able to rear their babies at last.
Big Kid |
RE: Wildife around your pond
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| A couple of weeks ago a sparrowhawk had a prolonged bath in the pond. It landed in one place, then went to the watercress corner but not deep enough, then it tried to land on my floating pottery frog- but too wobbly. Then it paused for a while on the floating solar fountain, before finding a bath site. It sat preening for quite a while.....but this was also very handy for the bird table..... |
RE: Wildife around your pond
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| Wow! What a sight that must have been! |
RE: Wildife around your pond
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| I went out tonight with a torch, as recommended, as I did last night when I saw 5 frogs at the pond, however, tonight not a frog was in sight, but, I was a little startled by a hedgehog, although very pleased to see it. |
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