local wildlife (fur,feathers and beasties)

[Stubby]

9 hours ago, AJStrees said:

Yes mate think so. Thanks for watching. 👍 he/she saw me before he made the catch and ran into the woods. 

She by the looks . My spaniel does mousing if you stop and talk to someone .

[Johnboysevern]

Had a spiny visitor to our woodland first time we have seen one there but welcome one!

https://youtu.be/3fLdngJfjnY?si=LaC0QCHBKAIrZVsR

[sime42]

Anyone know much about Badgers? We've had one, (or some?), visiting the garden sporadically over the last few years. It's not been a problem until recently, they're welcome to it. These last few months though it's been wreaking havoc in one particular area. It looks more like the ground has been turned over by pigs or boar.

 

I can't think what they're after, but assume it's food of some type. That area has a lot of Lords and Ladies, always been there not planted. I wonder if Badgers like to eat the tubers. Anyone got any ideas?

 

 

[Stere]

Quote

The underground tubers are very starchy. In fact, the tubers of A. maculatum produced Portland starch, which was used in creating stiff ruffs worn in the 16th century. All this starch means they are sometimes dug up by badgers and rabbits, so if necessary cover with netting or cloches, until the leaves are established.

 

 

Seems you are right also good for starching ruffs!  🙂

Edited January 23, 2024 by Stere

[Doug Tait]

Worms?

[Anno]

Can't work out if they are snaffle holes for feeding or latrine pits - any evidence of crapping?

Brocks can be very persistant if they find a decent food source and they will eat tubers and rhizomes, but equally dig up golf courses for leatherjacket / beetle larvae

When worming they wait for a decent rainfall then hoover them up like sphagetti!

[Doug Tait]

7 minutes ago, Anno said:

Can't work out if they are snaffle holes for feeding or latrine pits - any evidence of crapping?

Brocks can be very persistant if they find a decent food source and they will eat tubers and rhizomes, but equally dig up golf courses for leatherjacket / beetle larvae

When worming they wait for a decent rainfall then hoover them up like sphagetti!

 

Had a great bit of footage on an old phone. Was aware of badger in my mates paddock late one night, I got round in front of it, lay down with the headtorch on and filmed it approaching/feeding. Only a few metres away facing me it pulled a couple of worms out and sucked them in like spaghetti, was great!

[Stubby]

2 hours ago, Anno said:

Can't work out if they are snaffle holes for feeding or latrine pits - any evidence of crapping?

Brocks can be very persistant if they find a decent food source and they will eat tubers and rhizomes, but equally dig up golf courses for leatherjacket / beetle larvae

When worming they wait for a decent rainfall then hoover them up like sphagetti!

Don't think they are poo pits . They are usually a much neater sorta D shaped depression .

[sime42]

3 hours ago, Doug Tait said:

Worms?

I don't think so. There's worms all over the place so I don't know why they'd just concentrate on one little area.

[sime42]

3 hours ago, Anno said:

Can't work out if they are snaffle holes for feeding or latrine pits - any evidence of crapping?

Brocks can be very persistant if they find a decent food source and they will eat tubers and rhizomes, but equally dig up golf courses for leatherjacket / beetle larvae

When worming they wait for a decent rainfall then hoover them up like sphagetti!

 

Interesting idea, I'd not considered Brocks toilet. Cheers. Not in this case though I think. I've not seen any crap there, not anywhere. It must be snaffle holes, nice term 👍. I guess there's plenty of the Lords and Ladies in that patch as they're there every year and steadily increasing.