Nature and stuff

[Easydrinker]

Apologies if this offends any Touchy,Feely people.
It has a happy ending.
Every year I trap Magpies, and kill them, to save our own free range duck and cluck eggs from being robbed, and to to assist the local songbird population.
Totally struggling this year to catch a Mappie call bird by using eggs as bait.
Bait eggs taken, with or without the trap being sprung.
Finally set up a camera.
The pics. aren't good.

IMAG0019.JPG

But it seems we have a Pine Marten that pops by every night at around 11.30.
Cheeky fecker seems to know it is on camera.
It now gets fed 2 eggs a night, trap removed, same location.
We currently have ground nesting birds sitting on eggs and chicks free ranging.
Keeping the Marten happy and fed is just a checks and balances, insurance type thing.
Magpies are a common vermin, Pine Martens a rare and highly protected animal in the UK.
And how feckin' cool is it to have one decide to predate your homestead?

Robert.

[phantom]

Brilliant. Suggests that "things eco" must be getting better in your neck of the woods Robert.

Especially when considering the stats that were churned out when I saw a mention about PM"s a couple of weeks back (might have been on Country File), that alluded to habitat loss, pesticides and poisons, etc etc.

Don't forget it might cost you a few more eggs if Mrs Pine Martin arrives on the scene too

[Mash]

Excellent news.
I have seriously considered re-introducing weasels to control the rabbit population explosion we are suffering.

We seem to be running a wildlife park here.

We expect more photos of your newly adopted little fella.

[Jennysgin]

IMAG0019.JPG
But it seems we have a Pine Marten that pops by every night at around 11.30.
Cheeky fecker seems to know it is on camera.
It now gets fed 2 eggs a night, trap removed, same location.
We currently have ground nesting birds sitting on eggs and chicks free ranging.
Keeping the Marten happy and fed is just a checks and balances, insurance type thing.
Magpies are a common vermin, Pine Martens a rare and highly protected animal in the UK.
And how feckin' cool is it to have one decide to predate your homestead?

Robert.

That is pretty cool! Have you had pine martins before?

[Easydrinker]

Not to my Knowledge Jenny.
But over the last winter they felled acres of 40-50 year old spruce on the next door farm.
The farm across the road is due to do the same at the end of this month.
It will be many years before the new trees that they have to replant, by regulation, become anything worth calling home.
We could simply be an island in the stream.

Robert.

[Easydrinker]

Excellent news.
I have seriously considered re-introducing weasels to control the rabbit population explosion we are suffering.

We seem to be running a wildlife park here.

We expect more photos of your newly adopted little fella.

Pics are on hold for a while as the camera is FCUK'd
Here is the chap? watching me put the ducks away for the night, a few of nights ago

IMAG0029.JPG

Having eaten his eggs, maybe the ducks were off the nenu?
New camera on route, we think a Barn Owl has moved in.
And it goes on,
Down on Jollity farm.

Robert,

[gaza the instructor]

We have some six foot long lounge lizards around here. When its
dark all you can see is teeth and eyes.

[Easydrinker]

Ya daft bugger!
Thanks for the smile.

Robert.

[Easydrinker]

We have some six foot long lounge lizards around here. When its
dark all you can see is teeth and eyes.

Are you sure that is not the Mrs. rolling around the floor full of Gin?

Robert.

[Mash]

Totally struggling this year to catch a Mappie call bird by using eggs as bait.

Have you tried vermin as bait? Magpies like carrion.

[Easydrinker]

Last Sunday we were supplied with a call bird, which caught the resident pair in an hour.
They have gone on to be call birds for two other Larsen users.
Today I heard Magpies in the distance,
Our call bird is now living on the cats leavings, and may get them.

Robert.

[Mash]

I always find an outcomer does the deed. Perhaps a terratory thing.

[Easydrinker]

Two eggs a night, shell and all, lifted from this raised bed, sown with mushroom spores.
Each egg lifted and removed takes around 10 minutes.
No mess.

DSCF0298.JPG

Robert.

[Mash]

I am going to have to use a trail camera to find my rabbits. They are getting out of hand.

[gaza the instructor]

My Uncle had bunnies tattooed onto his bald head.
From a distance they looked like hairs.

[Easydrinker]

You get no better, but I did laff out loud at that one.

Robert.

[Easydrinker]

I am going to have to use a trail camera to find my rabbits. They are getting out of hand.

Sadly, we have so few rabbits it is not worth the time to go out and shoot them.
I am considering building an old style warren, and farming them.

Opposite problem to yours

Robert.

[gaza the instructor]

Do you plant them head first ED ? How often do you water?

[Mash]

Nicely done that man

[Easydrinker]

Just catch a few live ones, throw them into your enclosure, and let them breed like ....
rabbits

Robert.

[gaza the instructor]

They do like a bit of breeding them thar Rabbits.

[Easydrinker]

xactly!

Robert.

[Mash]

Don't get me started on f. Rabbits

[phantom]

Well the rabbits understand what we're putting up with more than many realise.

The drop off in their numbers in recent years is because they've been experiencing a pandemic. It's a mutation of the original "rabbit haemorrhagic disease", think "those in the know" have been referring to it as RHD2. Just that we only see the drop in numbers because they die underground (bleeding from any orifice).

They are starting to recover and even I've been seeing more (still not as many but..........)

[Mash]

To be fair I am sure that they have added to the growth in buzzards we see.

Just so frustrating that they eat like foxes (just destroy stuff and then not eat it).