A Grass Snake and Fossil Hunting in Charmouth

Delighted to see a grass snake basking in the morning sunshine. He/she was at the base of the bank, in the back kitchen garden, by the size of it I would guess it is a mature female.

We have been in Charmouth for the past week, it is a charming place, the locals were friendly and the weather mostly good. It is not comercialised and is a good place to search for fossils. We found cracking pieces of slate on large stones produced many, the slate was on the sandy part of the east beach, lower down than the pebbles and broke easily, most times we broke slate we found at least one ammonite.

The west beach produced belemnites and crinoides, we didn't find any pieces of crinoid stem, but plenty of stones and rocks showed crinoid leaf like fossils. (My daughter told me the place to find pieces of crinoid stem is on the beach at Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire). Crinoids are fossilised marine creatures which look like plants and are known as sea lilies.

The last few hours in Charmouth were spent on the east beach and it was then and there that I managed to find two tiny perfect ammonites, a perfect end to a perfect week.

The Growling Squirrel

I was intrigued this morning by a squirrel, he was obviously hungry but didn't dare to reach any food on either bird table because they were both being guarded by another squirrel, who fought off any squirrel brave enough to venture near the food.

The hungry squirrel sat on the roof of one of the bird houses and continually jumped from one bird table roof to the other. He didn't dare to lower himself onto the table to feed or even to move across to the windowsill to take the proffered biscuit. The whole of the time he growled. I have heard squirrels in trees make sharp, short defensive noises but have never heard one growling before. This one was certainly very good at it, it was non-stop and so loud I heard it indoors.

Eventually I reached right across and held the biscuit right up to him, whereupon he stopped growling, came and took the biscuit, jumped down, ran across the lawn, climbed the old bendy apple tree sat on a branch and enjoyed his treat.

Although loud enough for me to hear indoors, the growling was very deep and was continuous. This is the first time I have heard the low, deep growling of a hungry and frustrated squirrel.

Do Slugs Eat Worms?

The answer is a resounding , "Yes, slugs definitely eat worms".

I know this for a fact because today on the garage forecourt, I glanced down and saw a fat slug with a large worm in two pieces, one was on the tarmac in front of the slug and the other was in the slug's mouth.

As I watched one half was slowly but surely disappearing into the slug. Prior to this if anyone had asked me this about slugs and worms, I would have said I have never seen evidence of this myself or heard of it happening.

However now after having knelt motionless in the rain watching this happening, I can categorically write, slugs do eat worms!

This begs the question of why I didn't rescue the worm or at least the uneaten half. The reason i did not rescue the worm was because one half was very firmly in the slug's mouth and the other half appeared lifeless, even when touched.

Some of you may be thinking rescue a worm, why would anyone do that?

Well, I have to admit that I do rescue worms, whenever or wherever I find them needing help. For instance waterlogged in the pond or a large puddle, I fish them out and find a quiet, shady, earthy place to lay them, gently covering them in case a passing bird finds them. Drying on a path I again move them to a safe place.

I have no objection to them being eaten by birds and moles, worms are a substantial and necessary part of their diet. In fact when gardening I will often throw a worm to a robin loitering nearby.

Worms seem to me to be a valuable creature to be treasured -- especially when they are helping to make my compost.

Interesting Blackbird Behaviour

Just after 2:00 p.m. yesterday I noticed two male adult blackbirds, on the lawn outside the lounge patio windows.

One blackbird was chasing the other, then the one being chased would stop, turn and start chasing the chaser. This behaviour continued for several minutes at a time, it was interrupted at intervals by one of them leaving the lawn and flying into the cherry tree or onto the garage roof, quickly followed by the other. however as soon as the second one landed the first one flew back down onto the lawn again, swiftly followed by the other. This was followed by more of the chasing behaviour.

This odd behaviour continued for the next six hours until 8:00 p.m. There was no visible or audible aggression, in fact it looked to me as if there were both enjoying it. Unless they were flying there was no opening of wings, no rushing at each other, no physical contact whatsoever.

Today I kept a watch for them, this morning only one blackbird appeared, he spent much of the time feeding on the lawn. Late morning he disappeared.

Late afternoon, I glanced out of the window and saw the two blackbirds back again and indulging in the same odd behaviour, I don't know how long it had been going on but it only lasted another twenty minutes.

This is the first time I have seen this behaviour and I found it fascinating. It certainly did not look territorial, I have seen many territorial disputes between blackbirds and this was not one.

Does anyone reading this have an explanation.

Return of the Starlings and Greenfinches

I have missed the busy, raucous starlings during their absence from the garden. Lately we have been delighted to see an odd one now and again. A few days ago we were pleased to see two in and out of the garden, they were feeding on the ground, the bird tables and the hanging bird feeders.

Today I was so happy to see four of these gregarious birds in the garden. I love the rainbow colours in their feathers, when the sunlight catches them. I am also quite endeared to the different calls they make, not as beautiful as some of our best known and loved song birds, but if you listen carefully when they call quietly, there is a sort of attractive melody --- if only to their young and me!

I am also pleased to report that the greenfinches have returned to the garden.

Great Tits, Love-in-a-Mist, Antirrhinums, Foxgloves and Jasminium Beesianum

The great tits nesting in the bird box fixed to the red flowered ornamental tree at the far end of the garden, flew this morning. Unfortunately I missed their going so I have no idea of how many young were bred in that box this year.

Against the patio windows a row of love-in-a-mist have sprung up, they are various shades of blue, from the palest (almost white), right through to the deepest blue. They look so attractive and as they are self sown each year a real bonus.

Like many other flowers in the garden this year they have grown so tall, far above their usual height. For instance the love-in-a-mist are over four feet tall this year and last years antirrhinums have come up in thick clumps over three feet tall.

The foxgloves always surprise us, we never know where they will spring up and this year is a particularly good year for them. They are all very strong plants, over seven feet tall and many of them have six or more side shoots.

The Jasminium Beesianum with its mass of tiny red flowers is looking wonderful, and as always when in flower the plant is covered with bees. It always surprises me that a plant that has such tiny, insignificant flowers can produce so many, that the whole plant appears red and is so attractive to bees. The loudness of the bees buzzing has to be heard to be believed.