[scrapemedic]

We had a fox at work that the cleaners started feeding polish sausage, which is a terrible thing to feed foxes as its causes diarrhoea! Any rate, that aside, it had mange so I found a website that provided the cure which you put on honey'ed bread and left around the neighbourhood. The good thing about treating foxes for mange is not only do they benefit from it, but, the local canines are less likely to catch it from the foxes if the foxes don't have it, so its good for your pooches.

I guess it figured out that it was me that was feeding it and it got to the point when it would come out if I called. We would sit there at two in the morning, me and Bluebell the fox, watching the stars, him niping at me cigarettte smoke. Occasionally it would come up and sniff my knee. Too tame, in the end I had to catch it and it went to an animal sancturary.

They are great creatures, horribly and incorrectly vilified. They have behaviour more like cats than dogs. One arched its back sideways on at my cat one afternoon, to which the cat just laughed and sat there and watched the fox. But yes, you shouldn't feed them or try to befriend them. Though its hard, there is one round here which stops and looks up for a while if I bang the window; he is obviously not scared.

Driving around at night, like I do, I see them everywhere. apparently there one sitting outside Morrisons the other morning, not sure if it was waiting for the shop to open, but it was as bold as brass. i suspect they are taking full advantage of the warmer winter, getting a head start on breeding.


P.S. I still have pelagoniums in the garden which should by all rights have died in the frost, and should not be flowering at all, which they are.

[Dave K]

A couple of dwarf purple irises now flowering and this small mauve flower that I have no idea what it is ( with lobed leaves - and snowdrops for scale! )

[Nigel Bolton]

There are many arguments for and against feeding wild animals. However, I used to feed badgers by placing unsalted peanuts on my back doorstep when I lived near Southampton and then watched tham out of the living room window. They were not bothered by the kitchen ligh, and indeed one evening, I left the kitchen door open and one came inside very briefly.

In parts of the US, feeding bears has created a massive problem, as they will now break into cars of there is food left inside.

My alimentary canal has never reacted adversely to ingesting Polish sausages, but I guess I am not a fox.

N.

[skanky]

We have a fox that sometimes sleeps in our garden. There's enough woods round here for them to still be mainly rural.

Snowdrops have recently appeared in neighbour's garden (don't get (m)any in ours). In Malvern they were out at Christmas.

[skanky]

First blossom appearing. Some on a young cherry further down our road, and some more on a bush that I don't know the name of.

[Pete Roberts]

Palacefields, Runcorn.

Despite the very cold weather, I saw daffodils blooming yesterday but didn't see any snowdrops. Looks like Imbolc could be living up to its reputation as the beginning of Spring.

Pete

[Halo]

Just having a clear out of the pond and preparing for the return of the frogs. It wasn't too bad as it was dredged last year but needed the surface pond weed clearing out. Trimming the edges and removing the dead stuff proved to be quite difficult because numerous seven-spot ladybirds were sluggishly crawling about on the reeds, and quite a few falling onto the pond needed a rescue mission.

[Flatlander]

@local nature reserve, 19/02:

Coltsfoot in flower
A Hawthorn with the odd leaf out (am suspicious about the origin of the hawthorns on this site as they do leaf very early)

[Halo]

I saw a clump of red dead nettle in flower at the weekend though it flowers for a long time and can begin as early as Ferbuary. One or two flowers on the variegated sort in gardens also. Only scattered leaves on the hawthorns here too.

[Dave K]

As far as wild plants go it's all looking very dormant around here, though I haven't really gone outside the town centre. The shoots of cow parsley which sprung up weeks ago don't seem to have been affected by the recent hard frosts and snow, they still look healthy and some are about 15cm high now. Haven't seen any lesser celandine about at all.

[Foxy2]

Foxy2, on 04 December 2011 - 12:50, said:

I wanted to say that the pipistrelle bast are still active in the evenings here. See them regularly and saw them on 2nd december about 4.30pm flying up and down the lane at dusk.

Bats were active again on the evening of the 16th Feb. Thats quite a short dormancy isn't it? First frogspawn arrived in the pond about a week ago and frogs still very active and the heap of frogspawn is now very big.

Edit: Some hazel catkins have been in full flower since the end of January. Most still not yet flowering though.

This post has been edited by Foxy2: 21 February 2012 - 16:02

[Dave K]

Had a bit of a wander this morning; new leaf growth seen for cow parsley as previously mentioned, dead nettles, lesser celandine and even cleavers (stickywilly) but nothing seems to be remotely near flowering yet. Plenty of birdlife but no insects (did see a bumble bee in the garden earlier this week though).

As for garden plants, I have masses of snowdrops and crocuses plus purple flag iris and dwarf purple irises with a single plant of grape hyacinths in bloom. No blossoming daffodils anywhere in sight though a short variety (daffs or narcissus I can't tell) in the sunless north facing garden - rather curiously - are most advanced with flower heads now visible.

[Dave K]

Haven't spent much time in the garden until today, but for first time this year I have seen a few honey bees exploring the winter honeysuckle and crocuses.

here we are, honey bee on a snowdrop

This post has been edited by Big Dave's Gusset: 23 February 2012 - 11:03

[Halo]

The main emphasis seems to be ladybirds so far, numerous about. I seem to recall there were loads last year, and these have carried over. A little more activity in the pond today, one or two frogs, water boatman, and and several small pond skaters. New growth appearing, marsh marigold, yellow flag, and the yellow skunk cabbage which had planted itself a few years ago and has been growing ever since. A pair of buzzards flew over this afternoon.

[Pete Roberts]

Noticed the snowdrops were in full bloom on this sunny, springlike day. Only problem was that in some parts of Runcorn the daffodils had already bloomed a couple weeks earlier.

Pete

[Nigel Bolton]

First wasp seen today. Managed to drown itself in the water butt sometime today, as was not in there yesterday.

N.

[scrapemedic]

Dwarf daffs in bloom on the allotment and saw loads of little ladybirds too.

[Dave K]

One day's warmth and sunshine has stirred a few lesser celandine to start flowering today here.

For reference (hotlink, not my pic) this is what they look like - gardeners hate them as they are invasive!)

[akkan]

Saw a bumble bee and a couple of ladybirds today. There's a big diference in the growth of the daffs in my front (east facing, and frozen for a couple of days when it snowed) garden and back (west) facing - the ones at the back are flowering, the ones at the front are just poking their leaves above the ground. The red kites which have been flying around individually over the winter now seem to be flying in pairs.

A few weeks ago (before the recent cold) when I was out coppicing there were plenty of ladybirds and a couple of hawthorn shield bugs too.

[Paul Corfield]

Blue Tits started nest building in our bird box today. In and out the box every few seconds this morning. Seems a bit early but I guess the warmer weather has triggered things. Noticed a lot more bird activity in general this week compared to last week.

Paul.