Non human visitors & residents of SE23

Great pics, love the one of the fox. Got a few pics like that of my own, foxes that don’t even move when approached.

2 Likes

And the famous Honor Oak Tiger is sometimes on the prowl.

7 Likes

I think the woodpecker holidays next door to me - they are birdlovers and we have a glorious variety

2 Likes

yes, all those here too (I do love the busy little birds). As you say, the Magpies are a pain. I was trying to work out what was destroying the climbing rose, then this morning saw the Magpies pecking at it. They’re obviously eating the aphids (yay!) but sadly a young rose shoot is not strong enough to take their weight so they keep tearing them off (boo!).

The funniest thing is when we get a three way battle in the garden between foxes, squirrels and the crows - they’re all brazen around here. Sadly I’ve not captured it on camera to document the gang warfare.

1 Like

The wrens make a nest every year in the underside of our rather lovely Juliet balcony. The kitchen door opens beneath and we are often treated to the ear splitting sound of the mama wren enticing her fledglings out.

This year, they all fell out of the nest and died when no bigger than half my little finger, with tiny tufts of down on their heads. No idea what happened, but there was a grim clearing up job to do. Seven in total.

To cheer you up, here’s one of my robins, and a very fine and glossy false widow spider.


4 Likes

6 posts were split to a new topic: Beautiful Moths of SE23

Being on the books of a PR agency as willing to talk about hedgehogs - it follows a chain of events which started with one being found dying in Dacres Wood last year - I’ve had someone from the Japanese public broadcaster NHK round recently. This morning he took away a memory card from a camera which he’d left by a hedgehog hole I’d constructed in a fence - apparently there had been 21 triggers, but he didn’t have his laptop to view them then and there.

I suspect if one had been of a hedgehog, he’d have told me by now, but if one was, you can be sure I will be sharing it here!

1 Like

I’ve not seen a hedgehog since I lived in Kent about 30 years ago. Would love to know if there were any locally, though I suspect the combination of South Circular and huge urban fox population locally makes that unlikely

We had one in the garden a few years ago running around like a mad thing. It died with what looked like a flea infestation. Poor thing.

I had a family of hedgehogs living in my garden a few years ago - the mum was massive & sounded like she was running around with high heels on, the dad was normal size and after they got very comfortable showing themselves any time of the day a couple of very small ones appeared.

My kids & neighbours kids used to come in to feed them & loved it & the hedgehogs loved Sunday’s as they got left over meat from roast.

I’m not big on nature so not sure if I fed them the right things but they were happy for the few months they lived in my garden & were very comfortable with sitting & being given food from all that did in that environment obviously being quiet & careful.

Must say this was a pretty awesome experience!

1 Like

This little rascal thinks it owns MY garden …

4 Likes

Tiger moths are gorgeous. And often out and about during the day, so easier to see than some.

We have a vixen and her three young cubs as regular evening visitors at the moment. If any of our puppy’s toys are left outside in the evening they are likely to get appropriated. Cue sound of his favourite squeaky toy getting fainter and fainter as it is carried away across the neighbourhood…

1 Like

It’s not so much the South Circular that will be a problem, as any barriers to their range - e.g . garden fences without gaps, which is what this was all about

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/01021/c5bc2bec-9917-11e5_1021943c.jpg

Story here

Foxes aren’t a problem - in fact, indirectly I think they help, because there are some kind hearted souls who leave out food for foxes, which actually gets eaten by hedgehogs. When the guy from NHK was around, looking for places to capture hedgehogs on film, he very much wanted to know of any neighbour feeding foxes.

2 Likes

:tired_face: don’t trigger me, Tim! :wink:

https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/551917

PS. In the spirit of maintaining positivity in this forum, this will be the only post from me on the subject of fox feeders

1 Like

Meanwhile, we are setting up a rescue mission here for Henry the pup’s favourite toy, which we can see just over the the fence with several other of his toys, at the entrance to the foxes’ den. We can’t quite work out what house the other garden belongs too (curving road behind) so may just discretely hop the fence and back again. These homeless canines, coming into our cities and stealing our puppies’ toys. Disgraceful.

@anon5422159 I remember that one :joy:

2 Likes

Wildlife in the neighbours back garden

Snail Patch for my Gnome.

2 Likes

BOOM! Was there an outcome?

1 Like

Has anyone else seen dragonflies (or damsel flies - I can’t tell the difference) in the area? I saw one a few weeks ago over front gardens on Perry Rise and earlier this week there was one over my back garden (near junction of Perry Rise/Vale). I assume it/they are coming from the Pool River about 1km away, or possibly the ponds at Dacres Wood.

The London Wildlife Trust website has a link for reporting sightings:

http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/dragonfly-detectives?gclid=CKz3oLmuvM4CFYYp0wodRaMPmA

and also for reporting sightings of stag beetles, kestrels and owls.

Which reminds me, has anyone heard about the Peregrine Falcons in Lewisham town centre? I thought I saw a bird of prey on the Citibank building one evening last week and I’ve just Googled and there is in fact a purpose-built nest box for Peregrine Falcons on the roof, so it must have been either one of the parents or the fledglings that I saw. I was at the bus stop outside the police station and apparently that is a good place to view them from:

1 Like

We get very large dragonflies. Also tiny frogs. There are several foxes using our garden as a place to sun themselves, though I think the den is next door. I feel honored whenever they’re in the garden. Have never seen a hedgehog, unfortunately.