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  • #182
    dobman88
    Registered Users Posts: 6,461 ✭✭✭dobman88


    Didnt particularly want to start a thread for this question but...

    There is a hedgehog in the back garden. Built up area. First time we've had one in. Dogs found him when they took far too much interest around the gate. He is under the gate, not stuck, seems quite happy. Dogs are indoor dogs anyway so wont be out for the night.

    Anything I should do? Or just leave him to it?


  • #183
    bfa1509
    Registered Users Posts: 1,022 ✭✭✭bfa1509


    I notice a lot of people mentioning swallows here. They are one of the few birds that I hate! (maybe second to magpies or a grumpy goose)

    They invade everywhere and leave a big mess...


  • #184
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,823 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    dobman88 wrote: »
    Didnt particularly want to start a thread for this question but...

    There is a hedgehog in the back garden. Built up area. First time we've had one in. Dogs found him when they took far too much interest around the gate. He is under the gate, not stuck, seems quite happy. Dogs are indoor dogs anyway so wont be out for the night.

    Anything I should do? Or just leave him to it?
    Assuming he isn't injured then leave him to it. It's probably gone now anyhow but may be back. Could he be living in your garden?


  • #185
    Silent Running
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Silent Running


    bfa1509 wrote: »
    I notice a lot of people mentioning swallows here. They are one of the few birds that I hate! (maybe second to magpies or a grumpy goose)

    They invade everywhere and leave a big mess...

    I love swallows. I guard against the mess by putting tarps under where they nest and then give them a quick pressure wash off at the end of the season.

    For me, the reward is the beautiful, graceful flight of this bird. The aerobatics are something else when chicks are flight training. I could watch them for hours. Nothing says Summer to me like a sky full of swallows


  • #186
    vistafinder
    Registered Users Posts: 619 ✭✭✭vistafinder


    Rows Grower wrote: »
    As the cuckoo flies it's only a few miles from where I am in south Kerry to west Cork. I heard him about 3pm so hope it wasn't the same one as I get a great kick out of randomly hearing him when I'm gardening.

    Ahh your safe enough. Im a good distance from the kerry border. There is a couple singing here every year. Love hearing them. What a sound


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  • #187
    Yester
    Registered Users Posts: 1,496 ✭✭✭Yester


    I don't think we are going to have swallows this year. They did arrive about a week ago and found their nest in the shed as usual, but left again quiet quickly. While they were here they did pick a fight with the local crows and I think they may have bitten off more than they could handle. There is only a small gap of a couple of inches over the door of the shed where they have the nest and for the first time ever I saw a crow go in there. There was barely enough room for him but he managed to wiggle his way in.

    Just now I saw a swallow pass over the garden and the crows were after him straight away. Hopefully they manage to sort this dispute out. I may need to find someone with experience in Bird Law.


  • #188
    Silent Running
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Silent Running


    Yester wrote: »
    I don't think we are going to have swallows this year. They did arrive about a week ago and found their nest in the shed as usual, but left again quiet quickly. While they were here they did pick a fight with the local crows and I think they may have bitten off more than they could handle. There is only a small gap of a couple of inches over the door of the shed where they have the nest and for the first time ever I saw a crow go in there. There was barely enough room for him but he managed to wiggle his way in.

    Just now I saw a swallow pass over the garden and the crows were after him straight away. Hopefully they manage to sort this dispute out. I may need to find someone with experience in Bird Law.

    This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. They arrived and checked out their lodgings, then vanished for over a week, but now they're back and installed in their old spot.

    They're well able to handle Crows, Just yesterday I saw them driving some kind of bird of prey from their patch, I wasn't close enough to identify it. They give the Magpies hell too.

    They also give the local feral cats a hard time, swooping at them. The local tom cowers when they're having a go at him.


  • #189
    dobman88
    Registered Users Posts: 6,461 ✭✭✭dobman88


    Seth Brundle wrote: »
    Assuming he isn't injured then leave him to it. It's probably gone now anyhow but may be back. Could he be living in your garden?

    Yeah, he was gone when the missus went to check before going to bed last night. I suppose he could be living there. He would have access behind and to the side of the shed where the dogs can't get to and he looked fine where he was last night. Tucked under the gate but in a way he could hardly be seen and the dogs couldn't get at him.

    Will keep an eye out for him, he seemed grand but since I've never seen one around before I was just wondering should I be doing anything like leaving food/water or whatever.


  • #190
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,823 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    dobman88 wrote: »
    Yeah, he was gone when the missus went to check before going to bed last night. I suppose he could be living there. He would have access behind and to the side of the shed where the dogs can't get to and he looked fine where he was last night. Tucked under the gate but in a way he could hardly be seen and the dogs couldn't get at him.

    Will keep an eye out for him, he seemed grand but since I've never seen one around before I was just wondering should I be doing anything like leaving food/water or whatever.
    He probably has everything he needs. Possibly no harm in leaving out a shallow clean bowl of water.
    One point though - absolutely no milk!


  • #191
    Silent Running
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Silent Running


    Seth Brundle wrote: »
    He probably has everything he needs. Possibly no harm in leaving out a shallow clean bowl of water.
    One point though - absolutely no milk!

    This, and don't put any pet food out for them that might contain fish.

    The dogs won't be able to do any harm, unless the Hedgehog is injured. The only thing that can unroll them is a badger. The dogs won't think it's fun when they get spiked.


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  • #192
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,343 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    The dogs can still injure them if they bite them or hit them with their paws, I wouldn't risk it, even though the dogs would get hurt, too.


  • #193
    Tiercel Dave
    Registered Users Posts: 797 ✭✭✭Tiercel Dave


    Cuckoo made it to East Galway yesterday, the 19th about noon....


  • #194
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,823 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Saw my first swallows of the year at Ferrans Lock on the Royal Canal (just west of Kilcock). Lovely to see them as they swooped down over the water.


  • #195
    Goldfinch8
    Registered Users Posts: 529 ✭✭✭Goldfinch8


    Just heard the cuckoo for the first time this year and it sounds even sweeter on such a lovely spring afternoon.
    Central Mayo.


  • #196
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,631 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Goldfinch8 wrote: »
    Just heard the cuckoo for the first time this year and it sounds even sweeter on such a lovely spring afternoon.
    Central Mayo.

    RU near Snugboro just outside Castlebar?? Some density of Cuckoos there most summers!!


  • #197
    Goldfinch8
    Registered Users Posts: 529 ✭✭✭Goldfinch8


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    RU near Snugboro just outside Castlebar?? Some density of Cuckoos there most summers!!
    I am out the Ballyvary direction Birdnuts so not too far away from Snugboro as the cuckoo flies!
    I initially felt that there was a lot more cuckoos about than is the norm last April and May in our own locality. The more I thought about it however, it was probably due to the fact that I was at home during the first lockdown and consequently I could spend a lot more time out in the garden than usual. The good weather last spring also allowed for a lot more opportunities to do things outside and I certainly heard a lot of cuckoos. In fact I recall one particular bird regularly calling in a field across the road from my garden and I could hear it becoming more and more hoarse as the days went by until it's call was barely audible in the end. That was the first time that I had noticed something like that.
    It is still good to hear though that they seem to be more than holding their own in places such as you have mentioned.


  • #198
    OldRio
    Registered Users Posts: 5,915 ✭✭✭OldRio


    Heard the Willow warbler in full song. The Cuckoo is very late this year. Very few Swallow at the moment.
    Co. Leitrim


  • #199
    feartuath
    Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭feartuath


    Cuckoo has arrived.


  • #200
    OldRio
    Registered Users Posts: 5,915 ✭✭✭OldRio


    Just checked the horses and the call of the Cuckoo in the background. Delighted.
    Leitrim.


  • #201
    Curiousness99
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭Curiousness99


    All quiet up the dublins hills on the cuckoo front and the swallows are very sparse


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  • #202
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,823 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    I saw some swallows today around Lyons & Boston hills and also on the other side of the N7 on Slade hill.


  • #203
    Loyal Lady
    Registered Users Posts: 153 ✭✭Loyal Lady


    feartuath wrote: »
    Cuckoo has arrived.

    Here too (Limerick). Made my (yester)day.


  • #204
    vistafinder
    Registered Users Posts: 619 ✭✭✭vistafinder


    Grasshopper Warbler heard while out walking the dog late yesterday evening.


  • #205
    deadlybuzzman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,874 ✭✭✭deadlybuzzman


    I heard 1 very talkative cuckoo a few times yesterday by Lough Talt in Sligo


  • #206
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,343 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    I heard my first swallow of the year yesterday. It have a feeling they might have been around before now, but I'm not sure the notes I heard last weekend were enough of a chattering to be certain it was them.


  • #207
    Curiousness99
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭Curiousness99


    Heard the cuckoo in the glencree valley in Wicklow earlier today, hopefully one will make it across the border into the Dublin hills over the next week or so; so I can hear it from the garden


  • #208
    TitianGerm
    Registered Users Posts: 27,789 ✭✭✭✭TitianGerm


    Anyone have any idea what this little fella is? He's been in our garden the last few days but never saw him before this year.


  • #209
    Tiercel Dave
    Registered Users Posts: 797 ✭✭✭Tiercel Dave


    TitianGerm wrote: »
    Anyone have any idea what this little fella is? He's been in our garden the last few days but never saw him before this year.

    Male Bullfinch.....


  • #210
    TitianGerm
    Registered Users Posts: 27,789 ✭✭✭✭TitianGerm


    Tiercel Dave wrote: »
    Male Bullfinch.....

    Thank you for that. We've had robins, thrushes, blackbirds and blue tits but that's the first bullfinch.

    We do have a pheasant in the garden the odd day as he lives in the field beside us. There are two Buzzards nesting in the field as well.


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  • #211
    Ish66
    Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭Ish66


    No Swifts spotted in Dublin yet. Over a week late ?


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