I hope it didn't burn its claws, poor thing. You should have blown on it for him.
Most exciting thing we've had was a Sparrowhawk, clearing out some woodpigeons.
I worry about her. Haven't seen her for a while, but the b****y woodpigeons remain in force.

If you ever get to the South Island of NZ Orcs I would recommend not having a barbeque at Arthurs Pass.

The Keas (NZ naive parrots) will suss out any food and do their level best to scrounge anything edible that isn't nailed down, and have a good go at anything that is human protected as well.

They are real masters of their craft!     

QuoteI hope it didn't burn its claws, poor thing. You should have blown on it for him.
Most exciting thing we've had was a Sparrowhawk, clearing out some woodpigeons.
I worry about her. Haven't seen her for a while, but the b****y woodpigeons remain in force.

Don't mind 'woodies'.We only see one or two..It's the feral flying rats that annoy us. There are over twenty squatting in the barn.
Oh, for a Sparrowhawk!!!

QuoteMrs Orcs and I decided to have our tea outside on the patio. Spicy hot chicken wings and salad. I ate the boring salad first, then started on the Chicken wings. They were very nice, Well the first two were. Just as I was about to reach for the third, something swooped between us brushing its wings on both of us, and snatched the rest of the chicken off my plate. - It was a red Tailed Kite.

Thieving Bars**rd!!!!!

   

Good effort that Kite! ❤️

Not seen it...but there's almost certainly a badger (or more) wandering around the fields at night.
Quite a few 'scrapes' in one field.Just like badgers mkae.

Be nice to see it/them...and it'd be nice if they didn't poop so much, 'cos the dogs like rolling in it.
Kitchen towels on standby.    

(I suppose it could be aliens that weren't very good at crop circles.)

My dawg is just the same! Dive and roll

Up here in Glasgow we have one last dry week before summer ends.

The mass of sunflowers I planted form March are nearing their end.
They attracted bees and butterflies during their flowering.
For the last two weeks, a band of great-tits have been stripping the seeds form the drying and dying flower heads.

I can stand close to the sunflowers and watch the birds at work, undeterred by my presence.

I've cut sufficient for next year's crop.
The birds are welcome to the rest.

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on Yesterday at 09:47:11 PMI've cut sufficient for next year's crop.
The birds are welcome to the rest.

Well done that man.   

Our front lawn is testament to a local badger - the lawn has got scrapes all over it now 🙂. It's possible it's a fox (of which we always have one or more wandering around mainly at night) but I doubt it. 

Edward

QuoteOur front lawn is testament to a local badger - the lawn has got scrapes all over it now 🙂. It's possible it's a fox (of which we always have one or more wandering around mainly at night) but I doubt it. 

Edward

A fox will usually make a scrape in a sheltered corner or under a hedge.

They do most of their scraping in Spring when cubs are due.

A vixen will establish three sites, and pick a primary.
The reserves are get-out options if the initial one is disturbed.

Loving the sunflower news

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on Today at 09:22:05 AMA vixen will establish three sites, and pick a primary.
The reserves are get-out options if the initial one is disturbed.

One for the machine gun, one for the observer, one to fall back to?

Nearly stood on a badger once.
Literally my next step would have been on its head. We both froze eyes locked for what felt like eternity but I guess was just over a second. Long enough to work out any move would be a bad idea. So I looked away and looked back down - gone, grey backside bounding along through the half grown wheat heading for the hedge line. I put my foot down. I have never felt so relieved in all my life. On reflection a lovely moment but I could have probably lived without it.

Badgers - story from Bruche long time ago. A GMP officer driving down Piccadilly Manchester hitting a badger, Put Badger in back of car. Corse it was only stunned and came round before they got back to station. Result - one wrecked car interior