Wildlife & Gardens

I'd say if it was badgers @Sting would probably hear them: they can make a hell of a racket.

Interesting what you say about badger/fox interaction. We used to have a sizeable badger population near us but I haven't seen any for a long while. I had assumed that the foxes - which we see very regularly - had driven them away but that doesn't tally with what you say here.

Oh, and PS: setts.

 

Mrs Lloyd and I have a similar domestic arrangement

 

Are you the fox or the badger?

 

Am currently sitting in a hide near Rausu, on Hokkaido, the remote northern Japanese island. I’m waiting for a blakiston’s fish-owl (largest owl in the world) to appear and catch fish in a small pool outside a rickety old lodge on a stream, so I can photo it. We are staying in the lodge tonight. No bed, just mattress on the floor. Been waiting >90 mins so far. Its 8.25pm….it’s late…!!

 

Here you go. I found this pic of a blakiston’s fish-owl in a small pool on the internet for you. You can pack up and get down the disco now

 

No snow but the same pool i’m watching right now and probably the same owl.
And it’s ****ing late now !!!!!!!

 

Why don't you just ask Blakiston if you can have a look at his owl?

 

Think he’s dead now m8, he named it in 1883. Since then his owls have clearly lost all sense of discipline.
Apparently 2 or 3 come. The First 7-8pm here. Second about 1am. Third about 3am.
Well it’s now 10.08pm and nothing so far

 

Wiv da angles. rip b-dogg .

Did you know that owls are the thickest of all the birds of prey? Proper dunces.

 

They certainly don’t understand timetables !

 

And that birdwatchers are the thickest of all holidaymakers?

Drink some sake and get to bed you pranny.

 

So having booked this night a year ago as part of this trip for the only chance to ever see the worlds biggest owl, I should throw the towel in for the sake of an extra 3-4 hours sleep ?
Had the same issue bear watching on the Finland/Russian border last June. No bloody bears turned up !
Drank the sake 4 hours ago. It’s not helping now….
Ps need a pee but I just know what will happen if I leave for 60 seconds !

 

Yep.

"Give yourself a break".

 

How big is “the world’s biggest owl”? (I’ll be disappointed if it’s not as big as a house.)

 

If it bothers to turn up I’ll let you know .
midnight here now and I’m getting a tad impatient, esp given I’m up and out at 4.45 am tomorrow, sorry, today.
Bigger than a barn owl but smaller than an ostrich I’m told.

 

F*** me, are you still sitting there?!

 

Yep!
My logic is that a month from now it won’t make any difference to me whether I’ve had 5 or zero hours sleep tonight. Of course I may have zero hours sleep and still see bugger all ….but at least I will have given it my best shot.

 

Are you sure the owl didn’t turn up and piss off while you were writing one of your posts?

 

. Yes. 4 other hardened Japanese souls are here for the long haul (many have given up and headed off).

 

Perhaps the owl pulled an “all dayer” yesterday while keeping an eye out for gullible tourists and is now sleeping it off?

 

2am - fantastic views of 2 birds ! Will post a couple of photos in a day or so when I’ve recovered and edited !!

off to bed before getting up at 4.45 !!

 

Yeah, Photoshop is your friend.

 

....."the largest owl on the planet" may not look huge, but that fish it has caught is about a metre long....

 

Your patience was rewarded. You must be well pleased.
Nice shots. Which one are you going to use at the tattoo parlour?

 

Outstanding Tut!

Last night as I was putting out the hog biscuits and nuts a young fox ran past, mouth crammed with chicken wings!

 

Not a sentence you will see too often

 

Thanks IBB - the 2 owls were there for 10 mins and I took 460 photos....almost one a second !
PS who has the job of mincing up all the hogs and making them into biscuits ?

 

Thanks. I think probably this one on my right buttock...

 

Our foxes must get used to being fed after dark again now we are home. Our cat sitter feeds them during daylight while we are away and puts a flowerpot over the food to stop the magpies eating it. The magpies know it's there but can't figure out how to get at it despite lots of investigation. It took the foxes a while to work it out. Lots of prowling round and then tentatively touching the pot. Now they just pick it up, put it down 5 feet away, and tuck in !

 

Genuine question - why would you feed foxes? Don't they get enough sustenance in the wild?

 

There are so many urban foxes now,why wouldn't they if they are hunted in the countryside?

So no I don't think there is sufficient food for them.

 

Same reason people feed birds, maybe ? People who love nature 1/want to see nature in their gardens, and 2/ want to feel that they are helping wild animals whether or not it's "a treat" or "life-saving" for the creatures concerned. I get a great sense of enjoyment watching the fox(es) come out from the bushes and eat what I've put out, glancing at me every 10 seconds or so, just to check I've not moved. I doubt they would starve if I stopped, I just like to feel the connection.

 

But birds do go short of food, at least in winter. I'm not clear that foxes do.

Anyway, just keep the bastards off my plants.

 

You'd be surprised. Worms make up a big chunk of a foxes diet and are in short supply in frostly periods over winter. Frogs have hibernated. Mice have largely hibernated. Less cover to ambush rabbits/squirrels etc. Higher energy burn that needs to be fuelled. Winter can be tough for foxes too...

 

But don't they just raid dustbins instead?