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Post by alphawolf on Jun 2, 2015 20:18:09 GMT
So I live in the suburbs with many different kinds of birds and animals. Now I plan on discovering the nocturnal life of the garden, I plan on buying a tent and just stay there waiting and watching. Any further development ideas do you have such as food...There is defiantly a resident fox and tawny owl, but I just want to further discover more. 
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Post by htcdude on Jun 3, 2015 9:00:53 GMT
Trail cams might be a good idea to see if any bigger mammals are around, at least you can keep that running every night and just stake out if something appears.
Putting out a light and a white sheet might get you some moths\beetles and things if you're after smaller stuff.
Nige
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 3, 2015 20:04:04 GMT
Have you had any luck seeing your fox yet, Alphawolf? I remember you mentioning various things you'd tried to do to tempt him into your garden. It might help if we knew more about the layout of your garden... how big is it, are there large established trees or shrubs, or is there a pond? Is it fenced, and if so, can things like hedgehogs still get through it? If you could upload a few photos of it, it might give us a better idea of how to advise you as to where to set up your tent and things like that. I had a look online, and this was about the only useful article I could find... it has a tip about covering the end of your torch with red cellophane to lessen its visibility to animals. www.wildlifegardener.co.uk/wildlife-watching-night.html |
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Post by lizb on Jun 3, 2015 21:03:14 GMT
A fox came into my garden last night and peered through the French doors at the TV while we were watChing Springwatch last night!
more seriously, food ideas include peanuts' (lots of animals and birds like) food for hedgehogs (?), fruit (eg pieces of Apple) etc. My badger liked digging up my potatoes and carrots and chomped into them but ignored the ones I left out specially.
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 3, 2015 21:17:25 GMT
Yeah I did catch a few glances of him running through the same road every dusk. I will take a picture of my garden but it has many mature trees (beech) and a large patch of bush with hollies and everything. The garden is quite big, and I guess hedgehogs do pass through. The issue is we are moving house in a few weeks so I really want to see all the wildlife I possibly can.
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Post by lizb on Jun 4, 2015 8:03:32 GMT
I would start off with earlier suggestion of hanging a white sheet (over a clothes line?) with a light behind it. After it gets dark that will attract all sorts of insects quite quickly. This weekend is forecast fine so should be good. The insects in their turn will attract other things.
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 4, 2015 19:26:42 GMT
Ok guys, just pitched a tent. Will place a bowl of cat food and watch the night, got a led torch with red cellphone. Any further tips.
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 4, 2015 21:40:37 GMT
I can't think of anything else...other than I hope you're warmly dressed and have a flask of tea! Good luck- I hope you see something interesting. Let us know tomorrow how you got on. |
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 4, 2015 21:52:27 GMT
Hmm,,,Has been 45 minutes and nothing, How long should you expect before something happens: 3 hours. I'am so mad doing this in gcse exam period  |
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 4, 2015 22:36:31 GMT
Oh I nearly passed out, Was just laying in my tent listnign when I heard snapping twigs and deep breathing near me. I panicked and jumped out and there was nothing ;( Do you think that was a badger, It was like very deep breathing.
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 5, 2015 7:58:59 GMT
Ok then heard that mysterious sound a second time, but nothing else. Also the apples and cat food has bot been touched. I doubt it that there isn't any mammals in the neighbourhood as I have seen a badger sett. Do you think the deep breathing was a badger?
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 5, 2015 8:44:51 GMT
Would a badger be able to access your garden? (do you have fences or hedges that would allow an animal that size to get in?) Since nothing was touched, whatever it was knew you were there...they either weren't hungry but were curious as to why a tent had suddenly materialised in the garden  or they were too wary once they realised there was someone IN the tent. It could have been a fox having a sniff around...maybe a neighbourhood cat? Since you said you've seen a badger sett, it might well have been one. If you do an over-night watch again, (and this would have to be done on a dry, windless night) you could put your dish of catfood in the centre of a paved patio area or in the middle of a large paving stone with a light dusting of flour all around it... then you could get some tracks of whatever it might have been. |
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 5, 2015 10:17:46 GMT
Ok so here are some photos to paint a picture of the scene of my neighbourhood, there is definitely a resident vixen here.
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Post by alphawolf on Jun 5, 2015 12:10:04 GMT
Lol I must be blind ;( Just discovered that cat food has been eaten and the apples have gnawed on. There are a pair of resident rats living in the bushes above. Is it that? |
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 5, 2015 19:31:46 GMT
Those look more like gouge marks than teeth, I think. Every day I stake half an apple out alongside the garden path, (to keep squirrels from dragging them away) I skewer it down into the soil with a wooden chopstick for the blackbirds...they love apples. I think that might be who has had a go at your apple piece there. Here is a photo I posted at WAB last year... the birds can clean them out completely in about a day or two.   |
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or they were too wary once they realised there was someone IN the tent. 
