Hi Annie
Hoglet was out again last night. Unfortunately she doesn’t appear until late so I can’t make sure no-one else eats the food. She was last seen on the cam just before 1 a.m., which is unusual – normally it is about 6 a.m. So I am wondering whether it really is hibernation time. Either that, or she has moved somewhere else. I will be quite pleased, really, if she has hibernated, as I think rat is getting more of the food than hoglet. The other night (on the cam) rat was having a quick snack when hoglet appeared and rat shot off pretty quick, which I was pleased to see. Unfortunately none of the cats has been seen at the same time as rat.
Sorry to hear about the flooding – must be a nuisance. Have you thought of putting some ornamental grasses in the border as a compromise. Many of them are clump forming. I introduced a few this year into my flower border, as well as some yellow stemmed dogwoods, which you can keep quite small. I am really pleased with them, especially now, when there is not so much else to see. (Although, I have to admit that I originally got them because there was a special offer.) There is a huge variety, some with attractive and tactile seed heads. You could also put some amongst the peashingle. Not sure whether they would mind being water-logged, but worth a try. The roots going down might help to dissipate the water too.
Alternatively, if you are going to put grass seed down, a wild flower mix might be better and give the other plants more of a chance, although, more delicate ‘tame’ flowers might not be able to compete so well. I think even quite small patches help, so maybe you could have a small separate patch rather than mixing them all together. It seemed to me that the hogs liked medium length grass, so they could get through it quite easily, but there were more bugs, etc. in it than if it was neatly mown. Some of the, annual, wild flowers (corn-: flowers, cockles and marigolds, etc.) might not mind the peashingle and they would die down in the winter anyway, so the water wouldn’t be so much of a problem.
Poor Frank – how dare there be water on his peashingle! I keep wondering what colour he is?
I gave up putting peanuts out here. The birds didn’t seem to get through them very quickly (not sure why, as they seem to elsewhere) and I didn’t want them getting mouldy and harm the birds, so kept having to throw some away. I put a fat square out today. It has been nibbled at the edges, I didn’t see who by – I don’t think the starlings have found it yet. They normally descend in the mornings so, I wouldn’t be surprised if by this time tomorrow it is all gone. I have just got stocked up with loads of fat balls for the birds’ Christmas treat. I hope some long tailed tits come here too – such cheerful little things.
