What have you noticed in your garden during the lockdown?

ExMachina1000 · 31-05-2020 11:40pm

There is a nightly visit from a fox. I was feeding him on the sly for a while. He has no fear now and will just sit and wait for food. Lovely animal

appledrop · 31-05-2020 11:47pm

catrat12 wrote: »

Another thing I have noticed the last few days is at least 2 or 3 birds flying into the windows surely must be to do with strong sunshine hitting the window and reflecting

It's common at this time of year as often its the feedings that haven't worked out yet that they are windows.

Mickeroo · 01-06-2020 8:24am

Noticed loads of moths around the flowers the last few nights. It's like about an hour before dark there's a change of shift between them and the bees at the mo. Place was thronging with them yesterday evening. Not sure what type they are.

watlantic · 01-06-2020 11:44am

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Are you in Ireland? Have to say I haven't seen a lizard here, but that's not to say they don't habitate here either, I don't know.

...yep, you rarely see them. I'm in Ireland alright, close to Westport, Co.Mayo and have reported the sighting to the IWT.

Mickeroo · 01-06-2020 1:13pm

Just saw a hummingbird hawk-moth in the back garden :eek:

whelzer · 01-06-2020 1:34pm

Tons of frogs at night in the garden here in Dublin. The last few years planting pollinator friendly flowers also starting to pay off. Lots of bees, very few butterflies so far.

Had 3 goldfinches a few days ago, picking at dandelion heads that I left, first time I seen them in the garden - spotted them in next doors tree last night.

Usual smattering of garden birds, great & blue tits, robins, wren, blackbird, wood pigeons, ring neck doves and cheeky corivds.

John_Rambo · 01-06-2020 10:33pm

Lots of mosquitoes this year, much more than last year. Local park and river borders not being strimmed, dense growth including widlfowers in areas that are normally manicured. I'm not complaining though, the massive increase increase in wildlife is welcome.

whelzer · 02-06-2020 7:17pm

Kinda related to my initial post, (and others might find it useful) I have taken it upon myself to learn how to identify all our bees (starting with the ones in my garden) during lock down.

Am using resources from here: https://pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/id-guides/

They are great.

fryup · 02-06-2020 11:15pm

New Home wrote: »

Third visit from the hedgehog a few minutes ago.

take a photo

New Home · 02-06-2020 11:42pm

fryup wrote: »

take a photo

Visit n. 4.

I interrupted his/her dinner and the flash wasn't appreciated either, hence the grumpy, scrunched-up face. The state of his/her mouth, though!

fryup · 08-06-2020 9:57am

^^^^^^^^

are you living in an urban or rural area?

New Home · 08-06-2020 10:09am

Semi-rural.

fryup · 08-06-2020 11:00pm

and this is your first time seeing them in your garden?

New Home · 08-06-2020 11:10pm

This year is, yes. In this specific garden. They might have been there all along, I'm not sure, but this looks nice and healthy and in good shape, so I'd say it's been around a while. The place I was before this was more rural and I would regularly see them and rescue the young underweight ones at the start of winter.

fryup · 08-06-2020 11:21pm

never had one in my garden and i'm in a rural area

wonder is there a way of attracting them?

New Home · 08-06-2020 11:32pm

If they're in your area and you leave out cat food, they'll soon find it. The only issue is to stop rats from finding it first...

SnowyMuckish · 08-06-2020 11:59pm

fryup wrote: »

never had one in my garden and i'm in a rural area :(wonder is there a way of attracting them?

I built a log pile years ago when we first moved in to our house, I forgot about it and it became covered over with grass. After a few years I noticed a track worn into it and wondered what was using it. I got such a shock when I discovered them. Since then we built a few hog houses. Tutorials are easily found on YouTube.

What I don’t have and am planning for the future is a pond with a shallow entrance. Once the children are old enough it’ll get done!

New Home · 09-06-2020 12:11am

Make sure you leave a way out of it for any animal that might fall into it! (the pond, I mean)

blackplum123 · 09-06-2020 8:43pm

Lucky to have these two together at the feeders. Eurasian Jay and woodpecker.
Can't post photo right way up .

Arequipa · 10-06-2020 8:58am

I know we have Jays in Ireland...

But do we have woodpeckers here too?
I thought they were only in the Uk..

A

Alun · 10-06-2020 9:18am

Arequipa wrote: »

I know we have Jays in Ireland...

But do we have woodpeckers here too?
I thought they were only in the Uk..

A

They're recent colonizers, mainly in the east of the country. Apparently they flew over from Wales where numbers had increased to a level where they were becoming a bit overcrowded. I haven't seen one myself, but someone I know in Greystones has one visiting her feeders in her garden. They even bred apparently.

From what I've read they were present here in the past, but disappeared due to forest clearances in the 17th century.

OpenYourEyes · 10-06-2020 12:04pm

Just to add to what Alun said, Great SPotted Woodpeckers have been here for around 12 years now and are breeding in 12+ counties and have been recorded in a few more, with a population probably in excess of 150 pairs at the moment.

Arequipa · 10-06-2020 2:21pm

Ah that is interesting.
It would be nice to see them.

I like the Irish countryside, but I feel we lack native deciduous forest... I travelled through the Uk last summer and noticed they have a lot more native woodland...

A

magicbastarder · 10-06-2020 2:23pm

that's one of the issues, they generally prefer dead standing wood and we don't have much of that here.

fryup · 10-06-2020 5:45pm

Mickeroo wrote: »

Noticed loads of moths around the flowers the last few nights. It's like about an hour before dark there's a change of shift between them and the bees at the mo. Place was thronging with them yesterday evening. Not sure what type they are.

Mickeroo wrote: »

Just saw a hummingbird hawk-moth in the back garden :eek:

i was watching Springwatch last week and they used a white blanket and a torch to attract moths....is that all you have to do? will they still be there in the morning if i left it out over night

kildare lad · 10-06-2020 6:07pm

Arequipa wrote: »

Ah that is interesting.
It would be nice to see them.

I like the Irish countryside, but I feel we lack native deciduous forest... I travelled through the Uk last summer and noticed they have a lot more native woodland...

A

We have the lowest percentage of native woodland in all of Europe , 1% I think it is . The government ****e on about climate change and carbon tax and yet you'd think they should be actively planting more permanent forestry to offset carbon emissions . Ive family that live over the west , as you drive across the country all it is greenfield's everywhere , the only forestry you see is the non native trees. As a friend of mine said it's like a green desert

Dr Turk Turkelton · 10-06-2020 7:11pm

Just came across this lad in the boot, anyone have any idea what it is? My first thought was that it was a June bug like we used see in the States but doesn't seem like it on closer inspection.

Alun · 10-06-2020 8:06pm

Looks like a great diving beetle.

http://www.gardenofireland.com/great_diving_beetle.php

Not sure how he managed to get into your boot though!

Dr Turk Turkelton · 10-06-2020 8:15pm

Alun wrote: »

Looks like a great diving beetle.

http://www.gardenofireland.com/great_diving_beetle.php

Not sure how he managed to get into your boot though!

Thanks for that Alun.
In fairness he might be a great diver but obviously not a great navigator- the Boyne is about 300 yards the other way from me!

Alun · 10-06-2020 8:18pm

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

Thanks for that Alun.
In fairness he might be a great diver but obviously not a great navigator- the Boyne is about 300 yards the other way from me!

Probably on the lookout for a new home and took a wrong turn

Here's a nice article about them ..

https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/2016/11/05/news/take-on-nature-close-encounter-with-a-lost-great-diving-beetle-766982/

John_Rambo · 10-06-2020 10:53pm

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

Thanks for that Alun.
In fairness he might be a great diver but obviously not a great navigator- the Boyne is about 300 yards the other way from me!

Nice, you live that close to the amazing Boyne.

Mickeroo · 11-06-2020 12:21pm

fryup wrote: »

i was watching Springwatch last week and they used a white blanket and a torch to attract moths....is that all you have to do? will they still be there in the morning if i left it out over night

Not sure, never tried anything like that myself. I presume that's if you want to start recording hat species you have.

We have lots of flowers in the back garden, a Cat Mint plant in particular seems to be very popular with everyone including bees, hoverflies, moths and cats!

SnowyMuckish · 11-06-2020 4:31pm

They say evening scented flowers are great for attracting them to your garden.

appledrop · 11-06-2020 6:27pm

Really enjoyed all the fledglings this year in garden. Sparrows, starlings(not as fond of these as nested in our roof!), a goldfinch, a really adorable Robin + the cutest of all blue tits!

The noise of the blue tits is unreal! I discovered them one morning when hanging out clothes as I was worried about all the noise at bottom of garden. So cute.

SnowyMuckish · 12-06-2020 9:38pm

I left a little nettle patch in my garden this year. I noticed these little things on them this evening. They almost look like caterpillars, maybe some of the more knowledgeable posters would know what they are?

New Home · 12-06-2020 10:55pm

Buds, flowers, seeds? Not bugs, anyway.

Edit - sorry, I've just realised you meant the yellow thingy...

Tiercel Dave · 12-06-2020 11:31pm

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

I left a little nettle patch in my garden this year. I noticed these little things on them this evening. They almost look like caterpillars, maybe some of the more knowledgeable posters would know what they are?

It's a form of Rust Fungus.....

NIMAN · 12-06-2020 11:43pm

Stood for a few minutes tonight and watched the house martins flying mad around the house and general area.
I assume they are playing with each other? Maybe about 15 or so I counted at any one time, although hard to count them as they move so fast.

Tiercel Dave · 12-06-2020 11:44pm

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

That’s really cool how it makes itself look like caterpillars. Thanks Dave

Puccinia urticata

https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/647071/yellow-growth-on-sting-nettle

blackplum123 · 14-06-2020 1:30pm

blackplum123 wrote: »

Lucky to have these two together at the feeders. Eurasian Jay and woodpecker.
Can't post photo right way up .

It arrived back with its baby this morning . Great to watch...

appledrop · 14-06-2020 3:44pm

blackplum123 wrote: »

It arrived back with its baby this morning . Great to watch...

Oh wow amazing. I have never seen a Jay or woodpecker in garden. Are you living in Wicklow?

Dempo1 · 14-06-2020 3:50pm

This chap came for a visit

blackplum123 · 14-06-2020 4:48pm

appledrop wrote: »

Oh wow amazing. I have never seen a Jay or woodpecker in garden. Are you living in Wicklow?

Live down near the meetings of the waters ,near Avoca village.
Only here 6 months , so its magic to see all these new birds.

jay0109 · 21-06-2020 11:32am

3 fox cubs appeared in the garden in suburban Dublin yesterday soaking up the sun!
I knew there was 1 in the very near area as I'd seen it early in the mornings with its mother. But 3...never seen anything like this before in the flesh

Xcellor · 21-06-2020 11:56am

Disturbed the following when I mowed my moss. Put a plant pot over it and checked today and theyve rebuilt.

madalig12 · 21-06-2020 11:57am

A frog in my kids paddle pool and a hare at me mother in laws.

New Home · 21-06-2020 12:13pm

jay0109 wrote: »

3 fox cubs appeared in the garden in suburban Dublin yesterday soaking up the sun!
I knew there was 1 in the very near area as I'd seen it early in the mornings with its mother. But 3...never seen anything like this before in the flesh

Xcellor wrote: »

Disturbed the following when I mowed my moss. Put a plant pot over it and checked today and theyve rebuilt.

madalig12 wrote: »

A frog in my kids paddle pool and a hare at me mother in laws.

Love it, love it, love it!

Ulmus · 21-06-2020 12:30pm

jay0109 wrote: »

3 fox cubs appeared in the garden in suburban Dublin yesterday soaking up the sun!
I knew there was 1 in the very near area as I'd seen it early in the mornings with its mother. But 3...never seen anything like this before in the flesh

Those fox cubs look like they could have sarcoptic mange which will kill them if left untreated. Loss of hair with patches of bare skin is the main symptom. I used to get medication in liquid form from a Dublin vet to treat local urban foxes with mange but they stopped issuing it to me as the animal had to be treated on their premises. Instead I bought it online from an Irish supplier. You have to be careful to reduce the dosage, inserted into mince. There is a herbal remedy which I tried once but it didn't work. Keep an eye on the foxes.

jay0109 · 21-06-2020 1:19pm

The 3 cubs are back again now. They sure do a lot of scratching!
Not sure how I feel about leaving out mince and feeding wild animals like that. Not sure I even want them 15 yards from my back door!

New Home · 21-06-2020 1:29pm

You'd be helping them get better, what's wrong with that? It'd be on a temporary basis only and I'm pretty sure dog food would do just as well.

What have you noticed in your garden during the lockdown?

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