Fauna Archives - Helpful Colin

Dog Fouling Statistics

Preface

This post just brings to light matters which become obvious when calculations are made regarding the number of deposits dogs can make in their lifetimes. It doesn’t discuss dog fouling statistics regarding quantity as would be expected if weight measurements had been taken.

Introduction

I have a dog and live in England where the law compels everyone to remove their dogs mess from public places. This includes private land where the public have access. See Controlling your dog in public – 4. Dog fouling and Law & Your Environment – Dog Fouling.

As a dog owner I know it isn’t possible to pick up every mess a dog makes. Why? Dogs are not obliged to be on a lead everywhere so sometimes they defecate and it goes unnoticed. Such as:

in the dark at night where perhaps a dog should always be on a lead,
in deep snow where it melts through and then the snow falls in on top,
amongst autumn leaves which are the same colour,
in undergrowth which is difficult to penetrate (fortunately undergrowth guards a mess from others passing by).

This brings me to the point of this post:

What proportion of a dogs mess should the owner endeavour to pick up knowing they can’t meet a 100% target?

When I first considered this question I thought maybe 99% might be OK. Then I did some calculations.

I Found A Common Toad Hiding Behind My Shed

Introduction

During the 39 years I’ve lived at this house I have seen several frogs and toads passing through the garden. I was never able to say any actually lived here. Well now (6^th October 2017) I’ve found a Common Toad hiding behind my shed and living here.

Note: This Common Toad₁ is also known as a European Toad₁.

Give Dog Tablets Wrapped In Pastrami

Introduction

If you have ever tried to give medicine to an animal you’ll appreciate how hard it can be to give dog tablets to a dog. Our dog Leo (a Border Collie) is required to take two worming tablets every three months. These are large as tablets go. Large enough to be shaped like a bone. My wife offered one to him. He sniffed it and walked away.

Why aren’t they supplied inside some meaty treat to encourage a dog to just woof them down?

Pine Martens Are Saving The Red Squirrel

Introduction

I found an article in The Telegraph entitled, “Red squirrels are fighting back against the greys, experts claim.” It implies pine martens are saving the red squirrel as well as a grey squirrel trapping program. That was introduced to reduce the grey population and give the reds a chance of survival.

The red squirrel shown in the featured image was seen in Doxford, Northumberland.

Pine Martens To The Rescue

Pine Marten Are Saving The Red Squirrel — A Scottish Pine Marten

Apparently predatory pine martens are saving the red squirrel (see image above) as they are inclined to eat grey squirrels which they find nice and plump. The pine marten can catch the grey because they move slowly. This has been found in a study of red squirrels in Northern Ireland where the pine marten isn’t so rare as first thought.

Goldfinches Eating Nyjer Seed? Yes

Cleaning My Feeder

Spring 2014 is on the way and I want to see goldfinches eating nyjer seed again. So after a wet winter I have cleaned my bird feeders. I’ve only had a Nyjer Seed feeder for two years and have kept it out during both winters. I might not do that next winter since the rain soaks into them through the feeding holes and ruins the Nyjer seeds below the top perches of the feeder. Some start to grow, the rest rot and go mouldy. Any goldfinches that come along can’t eat the seed and in the end it’s just wasted. Above the perches it stays dry so it can be salvaged. In my case I separated the good seed and made sure it was dry by spreading it out on a dustpan in the sunshine.

I completely dismantled my feeders for mixed seed and nyjer seed and washed all the parts in soapy water and then reassembled them when dry.

Here is a good article about feeding nyjer seed to goldfinches from East Lansing, Michigan, USA.

Continue reading “Goldfinches Eating Nyjer Seed? Yes”

Fieldfares Visited Alvaston Derby In January 2013

Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris – a member of the thrush family.

When Fieldfares visited Alvaston Derby I was ready with my camera.

On 22nd January 2013 Fieldfares visited Alvaston Derby where I saw them. First I saw them in my garden and later in a tree overhanging my friend’s garden across the road in the same street. Of course I don’t know that they were the same pair of birds in both gardens.

Fieldfares migrate to England in winter from northern Europe but this was my first sighting of them. It was a bad winter with a fair amount of snow in early 2013 so I’m sure they came looking for food.

I Held a Young Goldfinch Today. It Was Stunning.

Introduction

What a wonderful experience. I wish I had taken a photo. I looked out of my lounge window and a young goldfinch was resting on my patio within 0.5m of the window. It didn’t attempt to fly off so I went outside. I knelt down on the ground and got within 0.5m of it. It was trying to sleep with its head resting over its back. Its wings were neatly folded so I thought it looked OK and not damaged.

Continue reading “I Held a Young Goldfinch Today. It Was Stunning.”

My New Bird Bath

My Old Bird Bath

For some while I have been using a white rectangular butcher’s meat tray as a bird bath during freezing winter months and dry summer months when birds need access to fresh water. It has rested either on the ground, or on a garden seat, or on top of a large Victorian plant pot when the summer flowers have died back. The stark whiteness of the tray and the depth of water (10cm) have, I think, put birds off. The only ones I have seen using it have been occasional blackbirds. Also I feel they need it near the ground but not actually on it.

Continue reading “My New Bird Bath”

Northumberland Wildlife – Red Squirrel Included

There was plenty of Northumberland wildlife – Red Squirrel included – near Doxford Cottages this May (2012). I have seen the following within 6m of my living room: Brown Rat, Red Squirrel, male & female Great Spotted Woodpecker, male & female Chaffinch, male Robin, Blue tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Green-finch, Nuthatch, Wood Pigeon, Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Sparrow, male & female Pheasant, male Blackbird.

All these creatures have been attracted by a peanut feeder, wild bird seed feeder and a squirrel feeding box. The birds, and brown rat, that can’t feed from the bird feeders (and those that can) have been attracted by the fallout from the feeders on the ground beneath.

Continue reading “Northumberland Wildlife – Red Squirrel Included”

Goldfinches Feeding In My Garden

Introduction

I can’t tell you how pleased I am to have goldfinches feeding in my garden regularly now I have erected a nyjer seed feeder. See this one in my feature image.

A friend across the road has goldfinches feeding regularly but I never have. Why? They never had anything to feed on in my garden. So I bought this expensive feeder, which holds fine nyjer seeds, from the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) together with some seed.

Here is a good article about goldfinches feeding on nyjer seed from East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Continue reading “Goldfinches Feeding In My Garden”