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Post by rowanberry on Mar 24, 2021 10:53:10 GMT
The roosting box we made several years ago came down in a storm last year, (actually the fence panel it was attached to came down and took the box with it.) It sat on the ground under the hedge over the winter and one day I realised the woodmice had colonised it. We've been having so many cats coming at night trying to hunt frogs, (the cat-proofing is getting out of hand  ) that I thought the newly established Mouse Manor might also be in need of fortifications. A new ground-feeder guardian arrived from the RSPB shop a few days ago, and now the Manor House is well-barricaded.  An old rubber floor mat provides extra rain-proofing, and the unsightly wire on top keeps the moggies from standing on it. They aren't visible, but two steel garden stakes have been driven into the ground on either side and the cage is wired to these- hopefully that, along with four tent pegs and the rocks around the edges should keep foxes from turning it over. If you look closely at the photo, there's a mouse peering out from the left side of the house.   05 Roosting Box now Mouse Manor by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr |
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Post by Psamathe on Mar 24, 2021 13:06:59 GMT
Looks good but a question. My hedgerow/ditch has a reasonable population of woodmice and they seem at reasonable levels - more closer to next door farm building (holding foodstuff) but not OTT population.
But the other week I put food out in hedgehog box in case they were awake and I was shocked by the number of mice. The hedgehog box is close to the house and other side of fence from (different) next door log pile beside their house (fence has plenty of space at bottom and gaps for hedgehogs though neighbour has blocked many). And they are at ludicrous numbers and being close to house only predators are likely local cats.
Several years ago feeding sunflower hearts "my" Goldfinch populations went totally daft, hundreds. They'd be eating a large feeder full of sunflower hearts every day and I'd be getting through a £30 / 20Kg bag of sunflower hearts each month - all something I'd artificially created through feeding. And I suspect the mouse population close to my house is artificially created thanks to next door's wood pile (which is not a good environment for over-wintering as it's burnt through to nothing over the winter so hibernating insects/vertebrates are not going to survive).
When helping the wildlife how does one balance natural populations vs artificial imbalance?
Ian
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Post by rowanberry on Mar 25, 2021 10:09:16 GMT
In a way, it's the same with my pond. Last year there were so many frogs attempting to spawn it was completely OTT. However, I honestly think this is because there are so few natural or wildlife-friendly ponds left. Next door's pond was filled in last year; the stream in the woods near us is so polluted nothing can live in it, and what few backgarden ponds there are tend to be for koi carp. I've read there are entire, vast rivers in America that are now empty of fish due to fertiliser run-off, and things aren't much better here- this article from last year says that "ALL English rivers have failed to meet quality tests for pollution amid concerns over the scale of sewage discharges and agricultural and industrial chemicals entering the water system." www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/17/rivers-in-england-fail-pollution-tests-due-to-sewage-and-chemicalsWe can all end up with falsely elevated concentrations of wildlife in our gardens, because they are becoming so desperate for something to eat, a safe place to live, or somewhere to build their nests. If we look at the bigger picture, the decimation of habitats and environments throughout the world is leaving too many animals teetering on the brink of being wiped out. We constantly hear about how insect populations are plummeting, and every year more and more species become extinct. Last summer I also ended up with crazy numbers of goldfinches, and the sparrows are getting more numerous by the day- but often when we've been out in the countryside camping we've not seen a single sparrow. The intensive methods of farming mean there are now vast acres of single crops, and so a lot of birds move into town and garden birdfeeders as a last resort. It might LOOK as though there's a lot of them, but overall they are struggling.  So, when fifty frogs throng to my pond, I do go out of my way to make sure they at least stand a chance. Yes, there's too many of them- but maybe when we stupid humans wipe ourselves out perhaps the descendants of my frogs, my woodmice, or your goldfinches will survive us. Keeping fingers crossed for them, anyway! |
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) that I thought the newly established Mouse Manor might also be in need of fortifications.
An old rubber floor mat provides extra rain-proofing, and the unsightly wire on top keeps the moggies from standing on it. 
