Hi there,
Ive just moved into a new house and i'm amazed at the variety of wildlife just out side my own back door.
My borrowed bird book tells me i've seen Treecreepers, a Jay and Grey Wagtails, not to mention the Blue Tits and squirrels.
Mr Poppylamb tells me when he's in the garden having his late night ciggie he reguarly sees a rather beefy hedgehog squeezing under the shed.
I'm chuffed to bits to have all this going on so close and wondered what other peoples experiences were.

Treecreepers?! Fantastic, how lucky! :D

I have the usual in the way of birds, probably only the Sparrows are now unusual and perhaps even the starlings as both have declined a lot in recent years.
I've just moved recently and am very happy that we have swifts here too as I knew I'd miss them screaming in the summer months. As I'm only a hop, skip and jump from Meersbrook Park I get a fair variety of birds and am hoping to start getting the more unusual birds visiting - still yet to see a Robin although I have seen them nearby.
We had our first Squirrel visit today and he stayed around a good half an hour eating everything, I knew we have woodmice too but I haven't seen them just evidence of them.

I'm just watching a wood pigeon defend the feeder from two Magpies, now if only the feeder wasn't empty already because the pigeon scoffed it all, meanwhile a bluetit watches over them :D

not much at home as we only have a yard - get sparrows, magpies and next doors cat.

At the allotment however, see loads of different birds (and a regular little robin visitor). Get foxes, rats :gag: , voles, mice, frogs, all sorts of spiders and bugs, damselflies and loads of pond life.

I was amazed the other evening to see the most beautiful barn owl float down to rest on top of the greenhouse in the garden. We've got a family of blackbirds nesting in the bottom hedge and have regular visits from starlings and sparrows. Also had a couple of bats fly past too. We're not far from a country park so also get canadian geese honking overhead enroute, not to mention the cock that wakes me up every morning at 3am and the donkey that then starts braying from the nearby farm. Wouldn't change it for the world:)

We have a family of squirrels (4 babies) loads of sparrow families, two families of ring-necked doves. I've seen a song thrush and a male and female blackbird (but not seen any baby ones yet). We have a family of bluetits nesting next door flitting in and out of their box. I've seen a fox now and again, although not for a couple of weeks.... and before the weather turned, my ceanothus was alive with bumble bees :D

In My Meersbrook garden as well as the more common birds I've seen a greater-spotted woodpecker, coal tits, goldcrests, black caps, loads of tawny owls and a green parakeet (presumably escaped and probably not looking forward to a long life). Sheffield is brilliant for bird and other wildlife thanks to the woods, street trees and untidy 'waste' ground. Long may it be like that.

Wrens are supposedly a common bird but I only ever see a couple in my garden which is strange because it has oudles of native hedges and the neighbourhood is otherwise over run with all sorts of wildlife. Has anyone else gots loads of wrens?

We have the neighbours stinking pidgeons that keep missing their own home and crashing into our garden.

On a happy note, we have a lovely little Robin that comes in each day.

I watched a sparrowhawk hunting over/in our garden yesterday. We also have baby starlings and a baby blackbird now.
According to my bird book, it's a mistle thrush not a song thrush we have. There are also two stripey brown birds, a little bigger than sparrows, but not sure what they are yet.

I'm learning lol

Here at Hillsboro' I have the river at the end of my small garden. Regularly see bats, great tits, blue tits, long-tailed tits the occasional goldfinch or two...Saw a goldcrest a couple of months ago too and occasionally see a dipper flying low over the water.
I caught a lovely brown trout of about a pound a couple of weeks ago too.
All in all it's a great place to see some grand wildlife.



low carbon - yes occasional wrens, but not often.

Oooh, Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Woodpeckers, I look forward to seeing them... And the Blackcaps of course :D

I had two Wrens in Crookes over winter that were very grateful for my meal worms, but they migrated back in March. I haven't seen any here yet but I only moved a month ago. The birds are slowly building up now and Collared Doves are the latest to join the line of visitors.

I've been trying to attract Goldfinches but my nyger feeder smashed in the strong winds last week...

We have a family of squirrels (4 babies) loads of sparrow families, two families of ring-necked doves. I've seen a song thrush and a male and female blackbird (but not seen any baby ones yet). We have a family of bluetits nesting next door flitting in and out of their box. I've seen a fox now and again, although not for a couple of weeks.... and before the weather turned, my ceanothus was alive with bumble bees :D

Have you seen your squirrel babies ?
I'm really looking forward to seeing our resident squirrel couples offspring, what are young squirrels called any way, squirrelettes, squirts :hihi: ?
Haven't seen our blue tits for a while hopefully they will be brooding thier chicks. Would be nice to have our own Sheff Forum Spring/garden Watch.

Oooh, Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Woodpeckers, I look forward to seeing them... And the Blackcaps of course :D

I had two Wrens in Crookes over winter that were very grateful for my meal worms, but they migrated back in March. I haven't seen any here yet but I only moved a month ago. The birds are slowly building up now and Collared Doves are the latest to join the line of visitors.

I've been trying to attract Goldfinches but my nyger feeder smashed in the strong winds last week...

Wysseri,

I live near to Meersbrook Park and have 4 Goldfinches regularly using my garden:) . They never visit my feeders, though they sometimes hang on to the teasels in the wind. What they use everyday is my water bath made out of an upturned rubber dustbin lid. I've surounded it with chicken wire to stop the cats using it as a hunting ground.

Maybe if you try a water bath you'll get them and lots of other birds using it (blackbirds and sparrows also have a good splash around). If you do make sure cats can't ambush our feathered friends whilst they splas their wingpits. Hope you see some soon. I think their numbers are increasing so good chance...

Have you seen your squirrel babies ?
I'm really looking forward to seeing our resident squirrel couples offspring, what are young squirrels called any way, squirrelettes, squirts :hihi: ?
Haven't seen our blue tits for a while hopefully they will be brooding thier chicks. Would be nice to have our own Sheff Forum Spring/garden Watch.

Apparently, google tells me baby squirrles are called 'babies or infants when in the nest, then for the first year called juveniles, after that, just squirrels' but to be honest, I prefer 'Squirts' :hihi:

but they're not afraid of me, I've got some lovely close-up shots as I was filling up their food bowl, one was eating out of it :D Yesterday all 4 babies were on the table with their mum, the only differences were the size (but not much smaller to be honest) and their tails aren't as thick :D

my squirrel pix if you're interested clicky (http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r156/MortalAngels/Garden/)

Whats the best thing to feed squirrels and hedgehogs? I've tried dried sweetcorn for the squirrels but don't know if they liked it or not as they didn't get chance to try it before the greedy wood pigeons came lumbering along and scoffed the lot.
Not sure wether to feed the hedgehog as I'd quite like him to sort out my slug and snail population.Don't want him to fill up on tasty treats and bypass the slugs!

well if anything I think canned dog food is best for hogs, but the squirrels eat nuts, seeds, grain, and fruit. By far their favorite food would be nuts, followed by sunflower seeds. They also eat bird eggs, but this is a last resort. When natural food is scarce, they will eat anything they can find....including fast food!

Foxes are regular visitors to my jungle, oh sorry! garden. A picture of one here (http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k265/SteveSheff/FOX86.jpg)

well if anything I think canned dog food is best for hogs, but the squirrels eat nuts, seeds, grain, and fruit. By far their favorite food would be nuts, followed by sunflower seeds.

I agree with this - but make sure the dog food isn't a fish based one. You can also buy special hedgehog food from good pet shops. It's called "Spike's Dinner" but it is pricey and they like the dog food just as much!

Wildlife in the garden is so wonderful. I've seen 27 different varieties of bird since we moved here. Bats, foxes, a stoat, frogs, hedgehogs and on one memorable occasion last year, a badger!!!

But.... I'm very jealous of your treecreepers!

Spent ages on sunday watching two naughty squirrels emptying the nut bird feeder. Backwards and forwards they went and were not satisfied till they'd done the lot and got them safely stashed somewhere. Can't keep filling that up every day though it would cost a fortune. And the poor birds now have no nuts left for them.

Get a squirrel-proof feeder. They are quite expensive but some of them do work. I had several increasingly expensive feeders wrecked by otherwise tolerated squirrels. So I bought a really expensive one and have taken great pleasure in watching them trying to get in - unsuccessfully.

I've had some Blue tits fledging this weekend... One of which managed to get into my Kitchen :o

Here it is waiting for mum and dad, it refused to go into the honeysuckle and opted for the feeding dish instead on the feeding station :loopy:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Dipodil/Spring/bluetit.jpg

I'm not holding out much hope for it, it was just too tame... Never a good thing :(

I've had some Blue tits fledging this weekend... One of which managed to get into my Kitchen :o

Here it is waiting for mum and dad, it refused to go into the honeysuckle and opted for the feeding dish instead on the feeding station :loopy:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Dipodil/Spring/bluetit.jpg

I'm not holding out much hope for it, it was just too tame... Never a good thing :(

Thats a very clear photo Wysseri, isnt it ?

Yup, it's taken with a nice big macro lens :D

Get a squirrel-proof feeder. They are quite expensive but some of them do work. I had several increasingly expensive feeders wrecked by otherwise tolerated squirrels. So I bought a really expensive one and have taken great pleasure in watching them trying to get in - unsuccessfully.

Ooh what kind of feeder is it? I've been waging war on the thieving squirrels for a long time, I don't mind them scoffing the bread and scraps I throw out on the lawn but the food in the feeder is for the birds!

Apart the legions of squirrels, in our garden we see a lot of woodpigeons, magpies, jackdaws, blue tits, sparrows etc. There's a couple of collared doves who drop in regularly and once or twice I've seen coal tits and jays. We also get frogs and foxes and I once saw a hedgehog and my son reckons he saw a rabbit a few days ago, he said it looked like a wild one and not someone's escaped pet. Last year we had a toad living in the garage for a few days then it moved on, and a few years ago we had bats roosting in the attic eaves.

The one that works for me is the standard one with a plastic tube surrounded by a heavy duty wire cage that stops all but the most emaciated squirrels getting into. There are eight feeding stations.

They are pretty widely available, I tried to get one from an independent pet store but had to resort to Pets at home in Heeley Retail Park. I think it was about £20.

Ok I have up until this week loved seeing the baby squirrels playing in the garden...but not I'm not so sure having these fellas aound is such a good idea after all.

I caught one lil begger digging around in my containers yesterday, my poor white rose and my bedding looks awful :( I think I might have to get some chicken wire (do Wilko's sell it?).
They've also started stripping the bark from our newly planted trees :(

Welcome to the wonderful world of the grey squirrel :help:

If anyone wants a squirrel peanut feeder they can have mine. It has been ignored and the nuts have gone mouldy inside.

The wildlife in our front garden is of the antisocial variety which leaves its calling card (a lager can) in the early hours ...

why would anyone want to feed squirrels? They can fend for themselves and don't need any more encouragment

If anyone wants a squirrel peanut feeder they can have mine. It has been ignored and the nuts have gone mouldy inside.

The wildlife in our front garden is of the antisocial variety which leaves its calling card (a lager can) in the early hours ...

It's worth emptying the mouldy nuts out of the feeder Yellowrose - otherwise the birds can get a disease which can kill both them and their young.

All the gardens here are tightly fenced off so we dont even get hedgehogs in, but we get bats and birds and yesterday morning a Heron was eying my fish pond up.

I have the horrible feelign that Im going to be buying more fish soon...

Im not that interested in birds, but some of them are pretty little things so I might get a book and try to identify them, Id also like to know which species of bat we have fluttering around in the twilight.

pipistrelle are really common around the Sheffield area but I find identifying bats really difficult because they're always flying around.

Hold the front page! I think I just saw either a weasel or a stoat run across the bottom of the garden, is that possible? Do they live in cities? I've been googling like mad and I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

Hold the front page! I think I just saw either a weasel or a stoat run across the bottom of the garden, is that possible? Do they live in cities? I've been googling like mad and I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

When I lived on Holgate avenue I often saw them crossing the road to get form one field to the other, sometimes with three or four young uns following in a line.

Hold the front page! I think I just saw either a weasel or a stoat run across the bottom of the garden, is that possible? Do they live in cities? I've been googling like mad and I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

Yes, it's possible - I saw a weasel at Dam Flask a couple of weeks ago - Ok, not exactly city cente, but not far out.

Hold the front page! I think I just saw either a weasel or a stoat run across the bottom of the garden, is that possible? Do they live in cities? I've been googling like mad and I'm pretty sure that's what it was.
Yes i once saw a Stoat running about on a main road near Manor Top, and that was at midday.
I wont go in to detail about the difference between a Weasel and a Stoat, as say you have checked it out.
But you also get Polecat-Ferrets that are kept as pets, these are normally a lot lager than the latter.

It definitely wasn't a ferret or polecat, not big enough. It was maybe 12 inches long maximum, long thin gingery-brown animal that kind of bounced along the end of the garden then disappeared into the hedge ... All I learned from my research is that stoats have black-tipped tails and weasels don't, but I didn't see it in that much detail.

Re: my post number 16 in this thread (fox), i now seem to have a couple of newbies to the family ... Cubs (http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k265/SteveSheff/Gdncubs01.jpg) :)

They are just georgous, they don't seem to mind their photo taken either.

We get a lot of species of birds in our garden.. to date we have regular visits from: sparrows; black birds; starlings; song thrush; collared doves; blue tits and the odd wood pigeon. Other than that, our garden is fenced off therefore nothing much can get in apart from insects and bats.

Has anybody else noticed lack of bird song over past few weeks, is it all the rain ?
Heard one lonely blackbird having a good old warrble this afternoon made me realise , hadn't heard it for long while. It was lovely.

Has anybody else noticed lack of bird song over past few weeks, is it all the rain ?
Heard one lonely blackbird having a good old warrble this afternoon made me realise , hadn't heard it for long while. It was lovely.

Erm, I noticed the other day after the rain had stopped.... the place came alive with different whistles etc. Was a treat to hear!!!

I have sparrows, a pair of great tits a robin and a magpie at my bird table daily and a nest of sparrows in my roof

Oh yeah and lot of bats at night

Last night whilst sitting at the computer overlooking my jungle, i heard an Elephant knocking on the kitchen window.
So i opened the window and it flew inside ???
No not due to the effects of to much Lager ..... :D,
it was an Elephant Hawk-moth.
So out came the camera,
Elephant H.M. 01 (http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k265/SteveSheff/p.jpg)
Elephant H.M. 02 (http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k265/SteveSheff/p-1.jpg)