A random thread for the wildlife stuff - you know the drill

[Basil]

Actually, what are they?

[Wowbagger]

A type of aquatic worm also known as the Korean penis fish. Edible, apparently. They look even better on a video.

https://www.facebook.com/Food4inspiration/videos/535890453202075/

[hellymedic]

David is building an extension for his observatory. He popped in to the house for a couple of minutes to complain about some screws that have broken.
When he returned to his construction site, several cats, kittens and mice scurried away.

Mother cat has a collar and small tag but David has not approached her.
He suspects kittens (at least 4) are sheltering under observatory floorboards.

I don't really like the idea of feral cats on my patch but can't do very much. Should I contact Cat Protection?

[Mrs Pingu]

Yes, they may have a trap/neuter/release program.

Having said that if mother has a collar she doesn't sound very feral.

[Kim]

If the kittens are at the scurrying stage, there isn't going to be much time before they're too old to be properly socialised with humans, so they need to be caught sooner rather than later if they're to be given a home.  Even if they're too old, they'll need neutering, and they're only going to get harder to catch.

Probably a good idea to involve mum's owner.  Mum may cooperate and allow them to handle the kittens without additional fuss.

[hellymedic]

Yes, they may have a trap/neuter/release program.

Having said that if mother has a collar she doesn't sound very feral.

Suspect mother not feral but owners are unaware of progeny.

I don't think cats nesting under David's observatory is a desirable or desired situation, though it may help control the rodents!

[Steph]

A type of aquatic worm also known as the Korean penis fish. Edible, apparently. They look even better on a video.

https://www.facebook.com/Food4inspiration/videos/535890453202075/

I thought you meant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru

[menthel]

Buzzed by a bat walking home from the local shops. A bat! In New Malden! Whatever next???

[spesh]

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn, and all that...

https://qz.com/1077632/octlantis-is-a-just-discovered-underwater-city-engineered-by-octopuses/

[T42]

Helped a slowworm across the road this afternoon - its squiggle was getting it nowhere. First time I've touched a lizard in over 50 years.

Sounds like "seeing the elephant" - "arr, watch it, boy - oi've touched the lizard, oi 'ave".

[Pingu]

IMG_9950_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[hellymedic]

None of 'our' resident cats have shown up today.
Hope they are OK!
Croydon's cat killer has struck locally not long ago.

[hellymedic]

Cats returned at 2am Thursday.
HUGE cat helps itself to cat food around 3am.

Big Black Crow seems to like cat food...
...Magpie seems to take it too.
Sparrow has now helped itself.

[Pingu]

We're going to try to find out where Pumpkin has been finding extracurricular noms.


IMG_0061_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[hellymedic]

Attempt to rehome kitten with a friend has not been a total success. Kitten disappeared up chimney, dislodging stopping material and has not been positively sighted since.

New owners have put out cat food, which is being eaten but they are unsure as to consumer's identity.

[Pingu]

Tagged


IMG_0076_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

We're going to try to find out where Pumpkin has been finding extracurricular noms.


IMG_0061_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Feanor]

<Gazes in crystal ball>

The mists are clearing...
I see the cat re-appearing in a few days, belly full, minus the expensive GPS tracker...

[Pingu]

<Gazes in crystal ball>

The mists are clearing...
I see the cat re-appearing in a few days, belly full, minus the expensive GPS tracker...

Can you see the numbers for next week's lottery?

[hellymedic]

Red, red robin has just flown off with a chunk of adult cat food.

[Kim]

A massive swarm of shitehawks was sighted over Silly Oak earlier.  I'm not entirely sure why.  *nervous*

[matthew]

A massive swarm of shitehawks was sighted over Silly Oak earlier.  I'm not entirely sure why.  *nervous*

Are your bin men still on strike? Have the city council provided the students^[1] with wheelie bins yet?


[1] The whole time I was a student 2000-2007 the guild was constantly campaigning to get Selly Oak changed over from black bags to wheelie bins but the council just wouldn't do it.

[Kim]

A massive swarm of shitehawks was sighted over Silly Oak earlier.  I'm not entirely sure why.  *nervous*

Are your bin men still on strike?

Weirdly not.  Although they're back to refusing to collect anything that's not in the...

(click to show/hide)

...wheeliebins!

Have the city council provided the students^[1] with wheelie bins yet?


[1] The whole time I was a student 2000-2007 the guild was constantly campaigning to get Selly Oak changed over from black bags to wheelie bins but the council just wouldn't do it.

It finally happened in late 2015: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=49529.msg1934361#msg1934361

During the strike the wheeliebins couldn't cope and mountains of black bags accumulated.  As this coincided with the start of term, the current generation of students don't appear to have learned the normal futility of leaving extra bags out.

But I don't think that explains the seagulls.  The bin and random fly-tipping situation is broadly stable (indeed, the ones on our road were collected yesterday), but the swarm (it wasn't organised enough to be a flock) only lasted about half an hour.

[hellymedic]

Bloody pre-recorded junk call awoke kitten sleeping peacefully on warm patch on my kitchen floor.
Shouldn't be allowed!
(Unavailable number. Am registered with TPS and have 1572 enabled.)

[Kim]

Bloody pre-recorded junk call awoke kitten sleeping peacefully on warm patch on my kitchen floor.
Shouldn't be allowed!
(Unavailable number. Am registered with TPS and have 1572 enabled.)

Tech the cat to answer the phone.   

(Never do this.  My aunt's cat worked out how to do it back in the 80s, and they were regularly incommunicado for hours or even days until the handset was discovered off-hook.)

[hellymedic]

Our kitchen door is made of clear glass.
Sometimes there is cat food on the mat by the door.
Hungry cats knock at door...