Stag Beetles and Urban foxes

[silverfoxcc]

Watching Springwatch last year and the Welsh chap said he had never seen one. around here last year we were blest with a veritable clutch of them and saw about 2-3 dozen over the flying period. Did some swatting up and it appears that they may come in cycles as the period from egg to emerging can be anything from 3-7 years. Luckily out local councils in now leaving falling and cut trees in situ so they have places to lay the eggs.
This year there was not many. so the thought may well be true.
Anyway we have had two slices of tree trunk in the garden over that last few years and this year they have crumbled away.
On moving the top one.. saw two grubs and they were Stag beetles ( could well be more). will have to move them as they are on concrete and the poor little buggers burrow down into earth to pupate. so a space is being arranged in the garden. Hopefullyvwont disturb them much and may be able to do a 'head count'. will get pics up if worth looking at

Foxes
Live on a housing estate and forthe last year have had a trail cam out at night whenever we get chicken bits. Good news is the foxes are visiting to feed ,Bad news is so are the local feral felines, However have progressed from looking at vidoes to watching them with the door open behind a big piece of cardboard with slits.
Now i am sitting on the front step and they are waiting outside for scraps. Luckily a friendly butcher sells the odd Chicken carcass which i cut up into bit size pieces and feed them they are slowly getting used to this and are approaching to just under a foot away from me.Also has reduced the visits of the 'domesticated vermin' as a neighbour calls them Personally i cannot understand people who just let them out at night to and crap in his garden as well. Had to chase a few from the garden after seeing them eyeing up the pond ( luckily covered with netting to catch the leaves) and hiding under the bird feeders .Again should decent pics be had will post then. Never realised just how neat they are.

[Simpo Two]

silverfoxcc said:

Personally i cannot understand people who just let them out at night to and crap in his garden as well.

So you encourage fox st but cat st is bad?

There are plenty of cats around here; mine no doubt goes into other people's gardens and theirs come into mine.I can't remember the last time I saw a cat turd.

[Who me ?]

Cat turds. plenty round here. I've even got a nearby neighbour who complainds when her borders are dug up by cats , letting her cat wander. One day my little Jack cross will find it and she'll have a 3 legged cat. Cat turds, I treat as overhanging branches. Return to owner for disposal. As far as Im concerned, its her cat ,so I simply return cat poo over the fence. Lady nect door got fed up with one neighbour and returned cat + dog poo in a bag, with promise that next lot woul be returned without bag, but through letterbox. Dogs were then kept in.

[craigjm]

Last time I mentioned how to deal with cats I got banned for a week

[Jasandjules]

We get loads of Stag Beetles around here but in about 2 year cycles, so for two years we get loads then two years very few. Last year we could not leave the house without running into at least one, this year we've only seen one in total.

[nute]

Ive not seen a stag beetle since I was a kid. You are very lucky to have them.

[NDNDNDND]

Foxes get shot on sight round my way.

Encouraging foxes in an urban environment is incredibly antisocial.

Nice work on the stag beetles, though.

In my experience, people who complain about cats tend to be mental.

[Silvanus]

Jasandjules said:

We get loads of Stag Beetles around here but in about 2 year cycles, so for two years we get loads then two years very few. Last year we could not leave the house without running into at least one, this year we've only seen one in total.

I've hardly seen any this year either, typical considering I've started a little research project on them. Better luck next year

[ATG]

Used to see Stag Beetles in West London near Kew/Richmond/Kingston. First one I ever saw was flying around the staircase at a train station at night. Great rattling droning noise and this almighty bug lumbering around in the air. Very cool, if somewhat creepy and alarming there first time.

I have a soft spot for urban foxes. Here, out in the sticks, you're lucky if you get within a 100m of a fox before they just melt away into the landscape. But on the Isle of Dogs last Weds I passed a fox on the pavement. I was heading south, he was heading north. He didn't bat an eye as he marched past me all of 2m away, him on the road side next to the parked cars, me next to the fence line.

[Jasandjules]

Silvanus said:

Jasandjules said:

We get loads of Stag Beetles around here but in about 2 year cycles, so for two years we get loads then two years very few. Last year we could not leave the house without running into at least one, this year we've only seen one in total.

I've hardly seen any this year either, typical considering I've started a little research project on them. Better luck next year

Yeah my wife and I were discussing whether it was the much colder summer this year that affected them. No idea, but the numbers are really, really down this year at least in our village. Whereas in previous years every single dog walk I'd have to collect at least one if not two or three and put them to the side of the road, or they'd be flying around us.....

[Sporky]

silverfoxcc said:

However have progressed from looking at vidoes to watching them with the door open behind a big piece of cardboard with slits.

Foxes, right?

[Silvanus]

Sporky said:

silverfoxcc said:

However have progressed from looking at vidoes to watching them with the door open behind a big piece of cardboard with slits.

Foxes, right?

The nextdoor neighbours