Country File

[Heedless Horseman]

I thought that I would open up this topic for those with interest in the countryside, Garden and outdoors in general.
Mant topics are possible, but suggestions could include :
Country Do's and Don'ts, Birds, plants and wildlife both garden and in the British outdoors, activities, shows , rural history... LOTS out there!

[jimduncanuk]

I know this is under 'Chat & News' but I expect it to be chat and news about Pendraken, toy soldiers and the hobby in general.

I have a garden, in fact I am digging in it this afternoon but I don't expect to chat about it on a toy soldier forum.

Jim

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Fraid it will be of little interest to me, in the late 60's I developed very bad hayfever so lost interest in gardening.

[flamingpig0]

Why not - I know sweet FA about the countryside so it might be a good thing.

Mind you when I get depressed - I always end up watching this youtube channel to cheer up.



https://www.youtube.com/c/SaveAFox/about

[Heedless Horseman]

I know this is under 'Chat & News' but I expect it to be chat and news about Pendraken, toy soldiers and the hobby in general.

I have a garden, in fact I am digging in it this afternoon but I don't expect to chat about it on a toy soldier forum.

Jim

Jiim. Chat and News is under Non-Wargaming Discussion.... as is Fun Stuff. People post much varied stuff in these sections. Doesn't mean that games/military stuff cannot be put there, but the Forum has so many boards for such. If posts just put into Blather...etc, they would be swallowed up, so thought a separate Topic might be of interest to some members.
If it does not work out, it can be killed.
Scorching day in Newcastle! Take care with the digging!

[Heedless Horseman]

Hedgehogs...Look After Them!
In the current warm, dry spell, Hedgehogs may become dehydrated if clean water sources not available. Put out a shallow bowl of clean water... BUT NOT MILK, which can give them 'the runs!' Bowl not so deep that a youngling cannot climb out.
Most nights, recently, have seen more than one having a good 'slurp'! Usually, a fair bit of their fluids come from Slugs, etc. but haven't seen many around... unless the Hogs ate them!
If you want to feed your hedgepigs, recommendation seems to be MEATY Cat food... (NOT Fish). Ours happily chomp ant the broken up Dog Meat that is also there for the Foxes. They can BOTH be seen, unconcernedly, munching from bowls within a foot or so!
Sometimes a bit of research pays off! I HAD thought that Mealworms could be a 'treat'... but from an article, in large quantities, can cause problems... just as well I looked!

Several sites deal with Hog care. Here is just one:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/07/what-hedgehogs-eat/

Be careful with strimmers, mowers and bonfires. An FB 'Wildlife Rescue ' posted several pics of Hedgehogsafter strimmer incidents.. some survived.
As far as 'shelter' and Hibernation goes... couple of years ago, I put out 2 old washing up bowls with doors cut in and some 'Rabbit Hay' from a supermarket...no idea if used, but last Autumn, I 'went the whole Hog' and bought 3 'good quality Hogloos'... for a price! Stuffed them under bushes in sheltered spots. Haven't checked for evidince of use... but there do seem to be several hegepigs of varying sizes, trundling around, setting off the lights and guzzling,/slurping! Also bought a couple as EARLY Xmas presents in the Autumn!

They will probably have Fleas/ Ticks... so so not handle Hog or Bedding without care... and they can be 'messy little ****! However, I am very glad to see them around.

[jimduncanuk]

Scorching day in Newcastle! Take care with the digging!

Thanks for that Heedless but there are too many distractions on this premier wargames forum.

As it happens the reason I am digging today is to reach the rats nest which has appeared in my back garden next to my wargames hut. I can't stop them visiting the garden but I can stop them gaining access to the said hut. Last year I had to wire grid off the base of the hut to keep the little bastards rodents away from my figures. Now they are tunneling in from another corner.

I have bagged and bucketed about 200 KG of soil which might be about one fifth of what needs to go. Now I know what trench warfare was like.

[Steve J]

I saw a Red Kite here today on the Eastern outskirts of Bristol which is a first . I seen them near to Jct 18 of the M4, but it's taken some time for them to spread just a little further West. Hopefully we'll get to see them more often, which would be nice.

[Heedless Horseman]

Thanks for that Heedless but there are too many distractions on this premier wargames forum.

As it happens the reason I am digging today is to reach the rats nest which has appeared in my back garden next to my wargames hut. I can't stop them visiting the garden but I can stop them gaining access to the said hut. Last year I had to wire grid off the base of the hut to keep the little bastards rodents away from my figures. Now they are tunneling in from another corner.

I have bagged and bucketed about 200 KG of soil which might be about one fifth of what needs to go. Now I know what trench warfare was like.

Rats and me do NOT get along! A cage 'live trap' can be Horrifyingly effective.. 5 juveniles/'babies' in one go... but then ... what... ?  
Strangely, don't mind Mice... so far, Mice don't seem to get into the house... but, sadly, Cat 'LOVES' them!  

[Big Insect]

Where have all the Ladybirds gone?

As a lad I planted Board Bean on a patch of my dad's allotment - and used to get fine crops from a February sowing - but now they are usually decimated by the bloody black-fly.
I remember seeing the small black ladybird lava all over the beans as a kid - chomping away on the blackfly pest - but now there are hardly any.
In fact the only ladybirds I now see are the ones that I find - doomed to die - wandering around the house in winter having been 'woken' from hibernation by the central heating coming on.

I've had to resort to either planting my Board Beans in October (& protecting them from the flying rats - pigeons)  or spraying them with potatoes water, as that is about as close to a none toxic insecticide as I can get. Apparently it clogs up the aphids spiracles (breathing holes) and they suffocate (an old country trick) but not sure if it has same effect on ladybird lava  (hope not) !!!

[Raider4]

Where have all the Ladybirds gone?

Insects in general. I remember driving down to the south coast ~30 years ago on warm summer days, and when you got there your front number plate and windscreen would be covered in the splattered bodies of dead "things". Now, hardly any.

[Orcs]

Red Kites were released in the area some years ago, we now have lots. Apparently they have not spread out as expected du to people feeding them

[Orcs]

Not seen a hedgehog round here for years.

We do see from our bedroom window in addition to a big variety of birds:-

Deer both fallow and Muntjack
Foxes
Badger in garden - probably why no Hedgehogs
Horses - i know they are not wild, but nice to see in fields
Various birds of prey

[sunjester]

Red Kites were released in the children's some years ago, we now have lots. Apparently they have not spread out as expected du to people feeding them

Probably all the children they are eating!

[Big Insect]

Thanks for that Heedless but there are too many distractions on this premier wargames forum.

As it happens the reason I am digging today is to reach the rats nest which has appeared in my back garden next to my wargames hut. I can't stop them visiting the garden but I can stop them gaining access to the said hut. Last year I had to wire grid off the base of the hut to keep the little bastards rodents away from my figures. Now they are tunneling in from another corner.

I have bagged and bucketed about 200 KG of soil which might be about one fifth of what needs to go. Now I know what trench warfare was like.

As a suggestion  (maybe a bit late) - see if there is anybody locally with ferrets or trained polecats. Not only will they go under the shed and through all the rat tunnels hunting & killing their prey - but as they travel they leave a very strong scent that rats & other vermin can smell (but wont waft up into your wargames hut) and so put the little buggers rodents from returning in a hurry.
It might just save you all that back breaking work and it is usually not that expensive.
We have a chap associated with our allotments who seems to do the job for fun, some beer money and the occasional spare surplus marrow (or whatever is in season).
*apparently he is still allowed to operate during the pandemic (as he was classified as 'pest control').

Just a thought