On 10/11/05 16:32, in article
, "Sue"
wrote:


"Malcolm" wrote
Sue writes
Ah just what I wanted to know! I sometimes hear the screeching owl-calls
at night around here, but this afternoon there were a couple of those
ghostly hoo-hooing calls and I was wondering what sort of owl might be
abroad at that time of day.

It's the Tawny Owl that hoo-hoos - and tu-whits. They start doing it in
August and carry on for months - pairing up and defining territories.

I do hope my garden will be in their territory then. The rough grass in the
'wild' end seems to have lots of little inhabitants that go squeak in the
night, so might attract them. Thanks for the info.

If you leave a goodish sized patch of rough grass you might attract larks,
too. I've had those in one garden and the long grass patch wasn't exactly
huge. That's another species that seems to be almost rare now - we
sometimes walk the dogs on Dartmoor up at the Commandment Stones and my
husband remembers hearing many larks at a time up there but I have yet to
hear one. He's been living here since 1981.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Sacha" wrote
If you leave a goodish sized patch of rough grass you might attract
larks, too. I've had those in one garden and the long grass patch wasn't
exactly huge. That's another species that seems to be almost rare now -
we sometimes walk the dogs on Dartmoor up at the Commandment Stones and
my husband remembers hearing many larks at a time up there but I have yet
to hear one. He's been living here since 1981.

We do leave grass in the bottom third or so to grow all summer, then cut it
in September. I'd be thrilled to have skylarks but sadly they also seem to
have deserted us now (in Norfolk). When we moved to our present home, 25
years ago, we used to hear them singing every summer as they hovered over
the cornfield at the back. Also Song Thrushes - only see the odd one now
and again, whereas we regularly used to have them nesting in the garden.

--
Sue

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

If you put up a ½m × ½m platform with a lip of something like 1" × 1½"
(sorry to mix systems) and they do get in, they'll like that, especially
if it's near the peak on a gable-end.

We've got the scaffolding until next monday so that we can touch up the
windows this week end. Ta for the advice but I won't go upthere myself.
I had a funny turn on the scaffold. Half way there my legs frozed and
my life flashed before me (

*SOME* light is necessary though: they are unlikely to nest in total darkness.

Ho! I guarantee light. My 15 years old alien is moving in the bigest
room. He can't switch lights off. But perhaps I could mention this to
the chap visiting us tomorrow evening. We need some repairs to the
gable and I don't want my husband to do it.

The message .com
from "La puce" contains these words:

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

If you put up a ½m × ½m platform with a lip of something like 1" × 1½"
(sorry to mix systems) and they do get in, they'll like that, especially
if it's near the peak on a gable-end.

We've got the scaffolding until next monday so that we can touch up the
windows this week end. Ta for the advice but I won't go upthere myself.
I had a funny turn on the scaffold. Half way there my legs frozed and
my life flashed before me (

*SOME* light is necessary though: they are unlikely to nest in total
darkness.

Ho! I guarantee light. My 15 years old alien is moving in the bigest
room. He can't switch lights off. But perhaps I could mention this to
the chap visiting us tomorrow evening. We need some repairs to the
gable and I don't want my husband to do it.

I meant inside the loft (I thought you did, too - they won't nest outside.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 10/11/05 19:35, in article
, "Sue"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
If you leave a goodish sized patch of rough grass you might attract
larks, too. I've had those in one garden and the long grass patch wasn't
exactly huge. That's another species that seems to be almost rare now -
we sometimes walk the dogs on Dartmoor up at the Commandment Stones and
my husband remembers hearing many larks at a time up there but I have yet
to hear one. He's been living here since 1981.

We do leave grass in the bottom third or so to grow all summer, then cut it
in September. I'd be thrilled to have skylarks but sadly they also seem to
have deserted us now (in Norfolk). When we moved to our present home, 25
years ago, we used to hear them singing every summer as they hovered over
the cornfield at the back. Also Song Thrushes - only see the odd one now
and again, whereas we regularly used to have them nesting in the garden.

We get no skylarks here but when I lived in Jersey a garden I had many years
ago had the long grass patch I describe. It wasn't very big but to our
delight and astonishment, was big enough for a skylark. Cling to hope!
Judith lives in your area so may be able to tell us if skylarks visit her.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On 8/11/05 21:54, in article , "Kate
Morgan" wrote:


I am told that there is a albino buzzard around here, must go and look
for it, will make a change from Jackdaws :-)

It certainly will if *that* builds a nest in your chimney! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)