Tuesday 12 May 2020

Nature Notes


Warm weather encouraging both cats to stay out late so Thunderthighs's been wandering about with a face like a smacked arse as he can't settle unless they're both in.
Felix comes in around nine, but no sign of Teddy.
Eventually I go out on a snail hunt (1 snail) and whistle a lot.   
No Teddy.
Fester gets out of the bath and goes to the back and front door and calls (I don't know his state of undress Mrs Leftfooter I wasn't looking).
Still no Teddy.
I just went to the back door for another try and heard the most amazing snorting/coughing sound from the end of the garden.  Wonder if it's Teddy having a fit (shades of our previous cat Matilda and her labarynthitis).  Get my torch and scan the garden.  The sound continues and I notice the Japanese anemone foliage under the apple trees is actually shaking.  Shine a light under it and discover a HUGE hedgehog.  After some moments of illumination it stops snorting.  I turn around to come back in the house and who should be in my path but Teddy.  I'm assuming he'd been so fascinated by the hedgehog he didn't want to come in.  I also assume the hedgehog was after the bits of fat and crumbs etc falling out of the bird feeders (starlings are such messy eaters).  
Could also explain why I found only one snail.
We have 3 starlings regularly on the feeders.  Two get on and two don't.  There are regular feet and claw clashes.
This morning there was a magpie calmly eating rejected catfood off the tray whilst Felix sat below looking up at him.
A pair of woodpigeons like the reject cat-biscuits too.
And this afternoon a crow flew down and walked meaningfully towards the pond. 
Fearing for the tadpoles I ran out and shooed it off.

Mrs Leftfooter Smith Perish the thought!
MrsPH All going well then.  Like the sound of your giant hedgehog.  There is at least one in my ersatz hedgehog house but the noises sound like more than one - babies I hope only seen one adult so far.  Must finally get pond!
Dulcima Glad Teddy got back home - rescued from a sleepless night.
Miss Doozer So pleased we pass muster for the oinky hog ๐Ÿ˜

No comments:

Post a Comment