Critters in my garden

Discussion in 'How's It Growing?' started by Margot, Nov 20, 2020.

  1. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Something I especially enjoy when working in my garden is to discover an unexpected 'critter' or other type of life sharing the same space in its own way.

    Here are just a few of the co-habitants in my garden . . . some I've only ever seen once. There are so many others I've not been able to photograph or identify.
     

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  2. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I have one more 'critter' to add to my collection (above) as of tonight - a little brown bat. They are known to live in this area but are not common. Despite the fact that we put up a fancy bat house and separate bachelors' quarters several years ago, we seldom see them anymore.

    Finding a little brown bat tonight is the good news - I'm sure there are plenty of tasty spiders and insects still in the garden for him or her to eat. The bad news is that this particular little brown bat is in our house somewhere. We have no idea how or why it came in. The problem now is getting it out. Our house is small but has very high ceilings and, except for the bathrooms and one bedroom, everything is open. Confining the bat in one room is impossible. And besides that, we can't even find it. We dimmed the lights and opened most of the windows and doors - until the temperature dropped to 12C. We have no idea what to do next.
     

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  3. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    Margot, how do you know that the bat is in your house? This time of year I would expect bats to be looking for places to hibernate, and that wouldn't be in a heated room. They're more likely to be in an attic or under the eaves (between soffits and roof).
     
  4. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    My husband saw it clearly. Then we watched it flying crazily around and around the living room. We quickly went around the house opening doors and windows and didn't see the bat after that so, hopefully, it flew out but it's hard to know for sure. We open the front door now and then to bring in wood for the fireplace (energy efficient) so I guess the bat may have been on one of the pieces of wood - but we think that's unlikely.

    There is no attic in this old house - just ceiling under roof but I guess it's not impossible that the bat could have been between the soffits and roof - still, it it were, why would it come into a warm house?
     
  5. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    Probably just checking it out while looking for a place to hibernate. An open door or window isn't much different from a cave entrance.
     
  6. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    That's true. I like the comparison of an open door to a cave entrance - if I could, I'd hibernate this winter too.
     
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  7. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    Here are some critters from our yard. Sorry for the fuzziness in a lot of them, they are snapshots from videos.
     

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  8. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    Our neighbors just sent us a video of a new addition to the wildlife in the area. An otter that we named Otto. (We give names to all animals in the vicinity). It was spotted again in the pond close by, eating a fish. Here are some snapshots from the video, a little fuzzy, sorry, but quite exciting for us in the neighborhood.
     

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  9. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Are they rare in Connecticut N ? I know where I live they are very naturalised but so difficult to spot.
     
  10. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    The first time I saw the word "critter", I wondered what it referred to, until I found out it was mainly north-American English ;0) -or is it ?...

    A friend of mine, a "brummie", tried his best to record this poem with the most BBC English pronunciation he could, but unfortunately, I lost the file after a computer crash. Here's an online version that might amuse some non-native speakers :

    Dearest creature in creation
    ...

    Here, the birds are all around, at least two dozens in my Prunus this afternoon, tits (the ones with a black cap), others small ones that I can't identify. There's also a couple of turtledoves that come back every year (I assume they're the same couple). They build their nest in my big Zelkova, but like pidgeons, their nests are, what's the English for "de bric et de broc" ? "Ragtag" ? "Messy"?... Anyway, a gust of wind a bit stronger than usual, and it falls down.
    Magpies too, beautiful birds but I don't like them around because they're predators and keep other smaller birds at bay.
     
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  11. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Definatly an American term. Not used here at all. But Tbh I like it !! Reminds me of a program I used to watch in the sixties, 'The Beverly Hillbillies', lol.
    Sounds like you have Coal Tits in your garden and Turtle doves how wonderful. I agree about Magpies, we have many Jays also that decimate the small bird population, even more so than domestic cats. Their screech first thing in the morning is something out of a horror film. Not pleasing to the ears at all.
     
  12. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    I haven't slept with the windows open so far, and when I got up this morning - 7:55 PM, my earlest record in weeks ;0) - I didn't hear the songs of the early bird that...

    Maybe the earth is too dry for them to catch worms, and they still feed on seeds. They probably need food, lots of proteins, to court and show "they will provide". :°)

    There are still a few fruit left on my various "crab-apples" used as a hedge, and seeds from the "lawn" I haven't mowed since... ^_^

    Couldn't do it today, the jerrycan was empty.
     
  13. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    Hi D, according to state data the “population is healthy and stable “. We just have not seen them in the area until now. I guess the population is growing... it’s a good thing.

    River Otter
     
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  14. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    Canadian term too (or North American as Alain mentioned), after all Margot started the thread..
     
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  15. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    I say, her Majesty the Queen should do someting about it.

    Joking apart, would you rather use: "a north-American-" or, "a northern American-" term? Or another term?
     
  16. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    For me the wildest experience was an encounter with a black bear in the yard. I know one is not supposed to run when they see it, but when I faced it less than 10 meters away from me in the yard, I ran in the house in record time...
     
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  17. Nik

    Nik Contributor

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    Hi Alain, I am not an expert in languages (English is not my native tongue..), but I suppose the hyphenated North-American sounds better to me. I get you are deeply involved in linguistics.
    I am a biochemist, so my language is scientifically precise (not necessarily grammatically). In normal everyday encounters I get by fluently, but sometimes I have to rely on my husband (born and raised in the US) to elucidate the intricacies of the English language...
     
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  18. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Neither am I, just trying to learn, to understand.
     
  19. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    That is great to hear N and I enjoyed the link very much. The River Itchen here in Hampshire where we walk every day is well known for Otters, the local village is actually called Otterbourne, but I haven't seen one early in the morning for several years. My wife was the last to see one when we were walking about 3 years ago, but I missed it. A lovely colony at our local zoological park though. It is a conservation zoo btw.
     
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  20. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Good morning, we had a visitor in our kitchen a few minutes ago and after helping it back into the garden, I took these photos. The Robins here are so very tame, that they are their own worst enemy tbh.
    Robin 195.JPG Robin 196.JPG Robin 197.JPG
     
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  21. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Now that Spring has arrived, we should expect to see more wildlife again in our gardens. A black bear is reported to be wandering around so I'm on the lookout.

    I was happy to find 3 tiny tree frogs lately and also the Alligator Lizard that's been out of sight for at least the past year and a half. I hope the water features persuade them to stay.

    Lots of deer are prowling around on the other side of the fence indiscriminately eating all the plants I like and leaving the invasives alone. I've attached a photo taken here about 10 years ago before we put a deer fence around about half the garden - half an acre of protected garden is plenty for me. The second photo shows the same view with plants growing unpruned by deer.

    For 2 bucks, I'd . . . build a fence.png For 2 bucks, 10 years later..JPG
    For 2 bucks, I'd - build a fence.
     
  22. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Don't know if that was intended, but it reminded me of an old Tex Avery cartoon picturing expressions like "stool pidgeon, mocking bird, etc." and there were also 2 bucks and 5 scents (skunks, polecats, moufettes,...)

    But a very romantic sight : here I just see cats and an occasional hedgehog.
     
  23. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Yes, intended - but there were far more than 2 bucks. It was their destructive rutting in October rather than munching on favourite plants that finally made our decision to put up a fence.
     
  24. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Sooooo much damage done at this time of the year.
     
  25. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    I recall, when we first came to Canada, that seeing a robin for the first time someone must have made mistake. The robins where I came from (Sussex) were just like yours D. The robins over here look to be at least twice the size and bigger than an English thrush.
     

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