Wild Wednesday

[MrsH]

That's wildlife not wild weather as it's very still, fairly clear but actually a bit chilly here this morning.

I was having difficulty getting to sleep and at about 1.30am heard scuffling and squealing outside so I looked out of the window and saw a badger on the drive! scuffling with something under my car. OH woke up (well he did when I nudged him ) and we watched from the bedroom window before the badger sensed us and shuffled off down the drive and away.

We went outside as we were a bit worried that Jason was out but it was a hedgehog the badger had been pestering, it was rolled up in a ball beside my car. Jason came when we called but was quite unruffled so I don't think he'd been bothered by our visitor. I think a badger could do quite a bit of damage to a cat but I'm not sure. I looked up the road and there was a dog fox and a vixen staring back at me only about 15 metres away!

This is a normal suburban estate with small to medium sized gardens so this was quite a lot of wildlife in one go!

The rest of today won't be half so exciting! Enjoy your day everyone.

[angieh]

How exciting MrsH! I have seen a fox in our garden, but only once and we fairly regularly get pheasants, but never a badger. Used to get hedgehogs, but haven't seen one for ages, which is a real pity as they are lovely creatures. Glad that Jason was OK. I am sure that a badger could seriously hurt a cat just with a swipe of a heavily armed paw, but I don't know if any such incidents have been recorded. Something to Google in a spare moment perhaps?

It is very grey here and gloomy this morning. Not much else going on, general chores.

Don't forget quiz tonight peeps! Hope to see a whole host of players ...................

[calismum]

Hi all - working from home this morning as car in garage. Just waiting for OH to give me lift in.

Glad the badger wasn't after a cat Mrs H. We get a load of wildlife up here but never seen a badger.

One of my new hens laid the most massive egg this morning. Complete with wrinkles - looks strange. Going to have it as omelette for lunch.

Not much else to report - see you at quiz later? Come and join - you might like it!!!!

[Shelley123]

Afternoon all, what an exciting day MrsH, how lovely to see so much wildlife.
Hope you enjoy your wrinkly egg ? CM
Angie sorry wont make the quiz tonight, unfortunately my yoga session has been changed from fri to wed and i do feel i need to go. It finishes at 8.30 so i may bob in to say hello. I will miss it.
Back from Tesco, Tom, Jerry and Malaika all helped me unpack
Just of to walk Malaika now whilst we have a rain free slot

[yola]

I'm exhausted today. Slept very badly, awoke sweating buckets and having a panic attack. Just managed to calm myself down and Sebi decided to climb into bed. Despite many requests he continued to wriggle and wallop me on the head with his arm so I told him to go back to his bed. Massive tantrum erupted; woke everyone - and I couldn't get back to sleep. Feeling very shaky as a result.

It's been raining on and off here which is a shame a the boys have been taken to an activity day at a local park. I need to get some flowers/wine for their holiday care lady - she's been minding Domi since he was 2 and tomorrow is their last day of holiday care Cakes for all the kids too.

Not sure if I'll make the quiz - am dog tired and stressed at the moment.

[dandysmom]

Hi people. Cloudy and warmer today, 27 C (80 F), bad t'storm last night with heavy rain. The roof leak which was supposedly repaired a week or do ago is back ... testy e-mail to the roofer. Bah! To the market, got gin, no real news.

How exciting, MrsH! Glad Jason is OK, Living in the City, albeit bear the woods, I've actually had lots of wildlife: foxes, raccoons, rabbits, opossums and two young deer! Never seen a badger, and we don''t have hedgehogs, sadly.

Sorry you had a bad night, Yola, it's been really stressful for you lately. Maybe the quiz might relax you a little....???? Will miss you, Shelley, but enjoy your yoga. CM, never seen a "wrinkled" egg Wish you'd taken a pic.

See some of you at the quiz, have a good day, all.

[PoshPuss]

Good afternoon all!

I'm late signing in since we have Tom here with us for the week and we've been shopping and cleaning out the aviary. All Ceri's birds have gone now so we got stuck in yesterday and today too. We've taken out all the indoor perches and wooden struts, so need to transport all that to the tip, badly birdsoiled so can't be reused but may be recycled at the main depot. All the rest has been bagged up and put out as refuse ( sawdust chippings, birdpoo etc)

The accessories, feeders, dishes etc are being given away to other budge/bird keepers; all I've asked for is that they can choose to donate to the Stroke Association.

Off to make our evening meal now, roast chicken piri piri, boiled new spuds, salsa and coleslaw. My peas are nearly ripe for picking can't wait to taste my own stuff. Will def. plant more next year, beans too

[MrsH]

PP that must have been very upsetting clearing out the aviary. I do hope the other bird people make a donation to the Stroke Association, they must be a great support to families affected by these cruel events.

I've been googling badgers and it seems unlikely for a badger to attack a cat as a cat is too agile and can easily avoid it. Phew! that's good news then

Poor hedgehogs though, they regularly get eaten by badgers and although they can curl up into their familiar prickly ball, the badger has a way of uncurling it, exposing the soft belly and eating it, leaving the prickly "shell" behind. Gruesome! We haven't seen any prickly leftover skin in the garden so maybe the badger didn't come back to finish our hedgehog off!

[angieh]

Oh poor hedgehogs - I didn't know that MrsH! Hope the little prickly ball you found actually had a live creature inside. Red in tooth and claw obviously where you live!

[Kim]

How exciting Mrs H - I love to watch wildlife. We used to have 2 regular foxy visitors and a couple of years ago on holiday in The Lakes we watched a family of badgers feeding outside the door of our cottage every evening!!

Poor you Yola. hope you are feeling better soon. xx