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This year's lodgers

I was pleased to see a nesting moorhen after a gap of a couple of years. I missed the black cotton wool balls. They're not good parents at all. They take the kids on cross country walks, desert them in the road if a car comes by, it's a wonder they aren't extinct.

The bats are roosting in one of the south facing dormers. This didn't go well last year as a nursery roost, there's not much space and it gets extremely hot. On the first fairly warm day they were hanging out under the eaves in day time. I fear some of the babies may have cooked.

I told them, but they didn't listen. They can have the entire roof space if the go in via the barge boards on the ends of the house. It's what they did for years previously.

I shall await developments

 



In the sticks near Peterborough
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Posts

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    That's lovely Nut, we usually have a few bats flying round but have only seen 1 so far this year, I'm not sure where they live though image

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Moorhens imageimageimage (or as they were called in the village where I lived 'Waterhens')

    Bats imageimageimage


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AWBAWB Posts: 421

    I enjoy reading such a post that reflects my own views about nature and the changing seasons. 

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I run the garden as a nature reserve AWB. I don't have trouble with pests, it all balances outimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    Nut, how lovely for you about the moorhen, there are some around here, but my favourites are the coots and the teenage swans, who look like rather grubby small swans and go wherever their parents go and then finally make their own way in the world. It's a  shame the bats don't listen to your adviceimage

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    They don't listen when they come in at 2 and 3am to feed the babies. I tell them to turn the volume down, but they don't.

    artjak do you think coots are less people friendly. There are lots on the Nene and washes but they never visit me.

    Love watching the swans as well, they don't live here either



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    I think coots like bigger areas of water - waterhens go for more intimate environments image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Do they. Maybe that's why I'm not very familiar with then at all. I just see them as I drive by the washesimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • flowering roseflowering rose Posts: 1,632

    moorhens have red beaks ,coots white.

  • What kind of bats have you got, Nutcutlet?

    Wearside, England.
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