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sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 6929
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 7:23 am Post subject:

That is excellent news DPack and well worth a party.

I set up my squizzer trap yesterday, so here's hoping.

I put a builders bucket in the ground, down at the allotment to create a natural, little pond. Went down yesterday and found this guy trapped in it. I have now filled it with water (I was just letting the rain do it) and put in an escape route for anything else that may venture in. I was very excited though.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 7:36 am Post subject:
a slate on two bricks covered with earth, leave a hole as a doorway, that will make a fine hall for that young un. best slug catchers work at night, and many need a nice place to snooze through winter ponds should always have a ladder

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 6929
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 7:40 am Post subject:
Thanks DPack, I'll get that built this weekend. How cool is that going to look!!!! I know and I was just being lazy waiting for the rain to fill it. Thank goodness I went down yesterday.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 10:31 am Post subject:

a comfy hall is a neat way to reduce the slimy hoard, just don't give it your car keys, they have form for poor driving

ace wee critters, and they can be quite friendly if they know you as harmless and useful

a gift such as a brandling or other small tasty invertebrate is often well-received

the one i knew best was the runt of 4 from 7 'poles, he was with me for 3 years in a tank until he was big enough to have a chance at the "born free" thing
the other three went to the wild in july

the allotment one was ace, huge and good at managing the slimy hoard

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 6929
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 11:22 am Post subject:
Well I was hoping by putting a small pond in there that I would attract some frogs/toads, just to help with the slugs. I do hope he sticks around for a few years. Should I build the house near the pond or will anywhere do?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 12:01 pm Post subject:
a quiet place out of the sun

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 20 12:19 pm Post subject:

ps unless it is very dry they only go in the water to breed, they eat terrestrials mostly but a few aerials get munched if they are careless and it is quick

my familiar mr to strangers but good old toady to me was rather partial to indian stick insects, i am fairly competent at breeding them so i had lots and each instar is a perfect size for growing young phibs, one to five there is a size that is just right for dinner

probably not many on your allotment but a resident will probably have the odd flying pest as well as the slimy ones.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 12606

Posted: Fri Sep 11, 20 7:38 am Post subject:
The added advantage with toads is that they are compatible with newts if they decide to take up residence in your pond. The toadpoles seem to taste as nasty as the adults, so the newts leave them alone.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Sep 11, 20 4:56 pm Post subject:
i have put the seed n mealworm feeder back popular move now i need to work out how to do this in low light for a while

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 12606

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 20 7:40 am Post subject:

Glad that youngii is home. I assume the both the birds and he are glad of the food. We look forward to pictures.

There are fungi appearing in the wood, and some of the leaves are turning. Ash trees are dropping leaves, but hard to tell whether they are because of ash die back or autumn. A bit early for autumn, but ash does lose its leaves earlier than most trees, and it has been quite dry, so that could be why the autumn colours are appearing a bit early. Should be quite intense this year.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 20 9:27 am Post subject:

the birds are back(tweed has been hand fed slyly)

dik, the new dik was first but as he has picked a fight with the sparrows i guess his happy days will be short.

justin and mrs justin said hello, i have a suspicion that tweed is not only their handmaid but might be his mistress as well.
i cannot quite work out whose chick tweed 2 is

it might be the tweed genes are in his line cos i am fairly sure tweed and justin are from the same nest but one clutch apart

sparrow dynamics is interesting

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 6929
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 20 5:33 pm Post subject:
We were out on a walk today and there was lots of leaves on the ground, in an autumnal way. Such promiscuity in Yorkshire. On our walk today, Mrs C spotted this. It was a biggie, about 3 inches long. Does anyone know what it may turn into?

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 7147
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 20 5:59 pm Post subject:
Elephant Hawkmoth I can't see what is on but I think it likes Rosebay willow herb

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 6929
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 20 7:29 am Post subject:
Thank you GZ. I don't think it was on that in the photo but there was plenty around.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 39263
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 20 7:33 am Post subject:
yep and they do, but they will grow to pupation stage on other plants huge moths and very pretty i had one as a pet when i was about 7, call of the wild was spectacular, they can fly even though the engineering looks impossible

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