28/2/11: Shooting the garden Fox

Shot with a camera, of course .... Another 'apologies' for the quality job, as these pictures were taken with the mobile phone cam through a double-glazed window, and then enlarged a bit, affecting both crispness and contrast.

Anyway, here's the current 'owner' of this Barnehurst manor, always a rather well-fed looking individual. It's come very close to me when I've been out in the garden, but that's been when it was intent on taking its usual route around the place and I'd been standing there already. I think if I'd gone out of the back door on this occasion to try and get a closer view it would have run away.

9-16/11/10: Barnehurst garden update

9/11 - Wood Mouse in the compost heap

10/11 - Pine Ladybird (Exochomus quadripustulatus) in a gap between some stacked flower pots

12/11 - adult Common Frog active in the drizzle

14/11 - adult Common Frog active

15/11 - the current 'Fox in residence' (by which I mean my garden is part of its territory, though it doesn't have a den here) was around at dusk again, and this time came closer than ever - about 2 feet away from my feet as it followed its chosen route without bothering too much about my presence

The current 'Robin in residence' (maybe an incomer, maybe one of the three that were around a while ago) is also a lot bolder than the Robins of old here, and will often come within a foot and a half. If I'm working on the compost heap or repotting plants outside, it will quickly come and have a look then, if there aren't any titbits to be had it sensibly flies off to get about its business elsewhere.

16/11 - the first hard frost (although I admit I might have missed a previous one, being none too keen on getting up 'early')

5/4/10: High speed fox chase

Two adult foxes were chasing each other at a very high speed, more like domestic dogs, on the Grasmere allotments this afternoon .

6 - 9/1/10: Redwings come closer as Fox gets bolder

On the 8th one, possibly two Redwings were in a Sycamore in the next garden west of mine. A Dunnock was in the Forsythia at the top of the garden. The Collared Doves have been conspicuous by their unusually low profile of late, but today one was sat in the large Horse Chestnut just down the hill. Rather worryingly, the binocular view revealed a number of long splits in the bark, which at some points was peeling away very badly in large sections. I wonder if it's the dreaded canker. My ultimate concern is that when big trees like this are taken down around here, they are replaced only with small species, if at all. There is a tall Eucalyptus beyond, and a number of others in the area, but I've looked a few times and the birds don't seem to use them for some reason - even just for perching in.

I heard what I thought might be a Chiff-chaff a little way away, but couldn't see it and am not competent on birdsong yet.

On the 9th 9 Redwings were in a Willow in a back garden of a house on the grassed square off Colyers Lane, near to Erith School's playing field. All of a sudden these and approximately 14 other birds took to the air from more hidden shrubbery, and I'm assuming they were all members of this species.

A Heron flew very low over my head on Northumberland Way, giving an excellent binocular view.

There always seem to be a number of Gulls riding the wind in the vicinity, if for no other reason than they enjoy flying. If I could get my head around identifying them I might be able to add a couple more species to my local list .......

The latest Fox to 'adopt' the back garden has got bolder as it's got colder, and has been out and about in daylight a lot. On the 6th it came round the far end of the compost heap without realising I was there. It stopped in its tracks, but was more intent on watching something in the lower part of the garden than running off, although it eventually thought better of it and retreated. On the 8th it came up the steps past the Holly before noticing I was working by my big greenhouse. This time it stopped momentarily, then decided I was no threat and climbed up behind the cordon fruit trees, snuffling the ground only 6 feet from me before nonchalantly carrying on with its perambulations. I could be wrong, but as far as I've seen, whichever individual has come in over the years has tended to stick to pretty much the same route round the garden at this sort of time of day. This one looks very healthy, although the latest close view did reveal a dark horse-shoe shape on the left flank, which could be down to fighting I guess.

4 + 5/1/10: More Bexleyheath and Barnehurst birds.

4/1/10

There were 5 House Sparrows in the Rhododendron and Juniper in my garden, a species that although still fairly common in the area tends to be seen on house roofs and guttering.

A wander through Bursted Wood en route to Bexleyheath Broadway didn't turn up much, but the low winter sun certainly highlights the subtle colours of the tree trunks at this time of year. Even the Wood Pigeons, sitting high up in the trees, now looked a more exotic pinky buff in the golden glow.

There were 35 Starlings in a tree between St. Audrey Av. and Francis Av, 10 more in a tree behind the garage at the junction of Francis Av. and Long Lane, and 62 in trees along the boundary of the Bexleyheath School field east of Belvedere Rd. and north of Upland Rd.

13 Wood Pigeons were sat in a modest-sized tree 'behind' 'The Yacht' public House, and east of Hyde Rd.

On the way home a young Fox was seen after dark on the raised grass/shrub bed in the centre of Mason Close, Bexleyheath.

5/1/10

There were 3 Redwings (and probably 6 - others were seen flying away from a distance) using the upper branches of a large Beech at the junction of Barnehurst Av., and Barnehurst Close as a base from which to go to and fro.

10/8/09: Barnehurst foxes - up close and personal

On the 9th, I was fiddling about at one end of the triple compost bins when I heard a rustling. Looking up, there was 'black-topped tail' standing on top of the lid of the far bin in broad daylight, and only a few feet away.

Tonight, just as I was going out into the front garden after dark to look for moths on the Buddleia, I saw a fox heading down the road. It didn't appear at the next gap in the wall, and I could hear some quiet cat-like mewing. So I crept up to the gate. There were two of them grooming themselves in the middle of the street, 6-7' distant, blissfully unaware of my presence.

14/15/16 July - critters in the garden

Late in the morning of the 14th, the near-resident Fox (of which there are several in the vicinity), was nonchalantly wandering about on the lawn. Disturbed, it took up position at the top of the steps to the upper level, and good views were had through a small telescope. It's their home, and the human inhabitants are just a minor nuisance. Certainly nothing for them to be bothered about very much.

There was a Small White and a Comma butterfly in the front garden.

On the 15th Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood were seen. And a newly-emerged froglet.

A couple of Rhododendron Leafhoppers (Graphocephala fennahi) - originally a native of the USA - were spotted. Good photos here:

http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/homoptera/Cicadellidae/Graphocephala_fennahi.html

On the 16th a Grey Squirrel ran along the outside windowsill as I sat at my computer by the window.

A Large White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood were seen.

A Dock Squashbug (Coreus marginatus) was found on a Rhubarb plant (a dock relative).