Tag Archives: bat

Winter attacks

Went down to the patches and took some pictures.

The problem with the mouse that left droppings on the table was actually a microbat. The tiny Australian bat. It came in through the wall slabs on the gable. We were watching a film one evening and in it flew and then out again so there. We covered he entry hole with some fly netting. That problem solved. Now we can finally have a table cloth on the table again.

Jojo det var minifladdermöss som flög in under tacknocken och ner i vardagsrummet, bajsade på bordet i flykten och letade insekter sen ut igen. Nu är det hålen täppta med flugnät.

Next problem started just two weeks ago. We know Dale said animals and insects out here are voracious feeders but who and which ones are they? The cabbage moth has laid all their eggs and their larvae are all gone. It is rainy and chilly. So all of a sudden the bean leaves are eaten. At first just some bites, then all of them and some just bitten off!. A bit of digging around finds no snails so what then? The netting on no. 1 has started to break up and is hanging in rags but the bad insects have not flown so high up so they get in so we have not cared. Now all of a sudden the bean leaves in no 1 are also eaten and the leaves of the beets. Very odd. In no. 2 we put some bubble plastic over some and they went untouched but forgetting the plastic and leaves are eaten. Finally we figure birds, early birds. So we put new netting on no 1 and covered all bean rows in both 1 and 2 plus the rocket and squash seedlings which was next in line to be eaten. Did not make it out today to see if all was well are if it was for nothing. No one suspect are the Satin Bowerbirds. We need to redo the nets on no 1 but also wer are working on a 4:th patch while the ground is wet and easy to work. We are also working on two flat parts to put the table on during summer months. The grass from the 4:th patch will end up on these parts.

Nästa problem var vad är det som äter bönbladen och sen squashbladen och sedermera rukolabladen. Stort frågetecken. Måste vara katydider, larver, sniglar men icke. Kanske possumen? Men icke det heller. Näten på ettan har varit lite trasiga länge men så pass högt upp att inga kålfjärilar har tagit sig in där så vad kan det vara då. Kålisarna har slutat fladdra omkring nu i kylan ändå. Alltså fåglar. Dit med nytt nät runt ettan lite slarvigt tillfälligt, måste fixas bättre sedan, och gamla nät runt och överallt på alla ätna plantor. Hoppas de tar sig. Få se imorgon om det fungerar. De misstänkta är nu Satin BowerfåglarPtilonorhynchus violaceus. Eller på svenska då Satänglövsalsfågel.

Just nu jobbar vi på den fjärde plätten och gräset som vi tar bort lägger vi på två platta ställen som vi har arrangerat som vi sen kan ställa bordet på i sommar.

 

 

 

Some winter harvesting: 2 pumpkins, lettuce, spinach, a small cauliflower sort of head, lots of nice daikon and some kale.

Vinterskörd till några måltider är pumpor purjo kruskål daikon spenat och sallat som trivs just i vädret vi har nu.

Also Davidsons plum, some bird pecked orange and water melon seeds for spring.

Davidsons plum börjat bli mogna och ramla ner, också apelsinerna och övriga citrus kommer nu, sista melonens kärnor som blir sådd i vår.

 

Our third attack was again from mice who had found a hole behind the tv shelf. They have been coming in 1 – 3 per evening for a while now and made Fatso very very satisfied. Mostly Mick feeds him but one day Jen did and he flew to the table, did not pick the mouse but looked at her, checked the mouse and checked her. She said some encouraging words and he took the mouse and flew away. This was very odd but nice.

Ett gäng möss började komma in. Vi hittade ett hål i väggen som går ner under huset där de kommer in. Kookaburran Fatso har fått från 1 till 3 möss om dagen ett tag nu. Vi har täppt hålet och ser fram emot att kunna sova med öppen dörr från sovrummet nu. Vi får se. Fatso får svälta stackaren.

 

Larvaes on the brassicas

Wednesday. Up early. Rained all night. Weeded no 3. Somebody had been inside and left jumping tracks but seems to have eaten nothing. Lots of green larvae on the broccoli and one sleeping orange spotted tiger moth. Picked surely 50. Most leaves were eaten, some to the core! Rinsed the lentils that had soaked over night, for sprouting, ripped the oregano leaves of the tiny branches for last bit of drying before mortar and jar. Mick kept on digging on the flat spot. Now we have soil and sandy soil in lots of places and have not really decided what todo with them piles but we will soon figure it out.

The ghost mouse must be a tiny bat. Again droppings on the table and it knocked one of the traps from the beam. We have put one trap on each ceiling beam.

We might have a pear tree. Put net around every fruit  (4 fruits) so they will not be eaten like last year.

Onsdag. Upp tidigt. Regnade hela natten. Rensade ogräs i nr 3. Någon hade varit inne och lämnade hoppspår men verkar ha ätit ingenting. Massor av gröna larver på broccoli och en sovande brandgul prickig tigernattfjäril. Plockade säkert 50 larver. De flesta blad blev ätna, några till kärnan! Sköljde linserna som hade legat i vatten över natten, för att spira, rippade de små grenarnas oreganoblad för sista torkningen före mortel och burk. Mick fortsatte att gräva på den platta platsen. Nu har vi jord och sandstenig jord på många ställen och har inte riktigt bestämt vad vi gör med dem högar men vi kommer snart att räkna ut det.

Spökmusen måste vara en liten fladdermus. Återigen droppings på bordet och det knackade en av fällorna från ena takbjälken. Vi har lagt en fälla på varje takbjälke.

Det verkar som om det ena trädet är ett päronträd. Vi har satt nät om varje frukt så att de inte blir ätna som förra året. De är bara 4!

Bats

We have some fruit bats around the house now and then.

This one came into the house once and it made it´s rounds into the shed part looking for the big moths but never finding them. We think they ate all the grapes.

Bats, other animals and insects come around when there is something good for them or just looking for something and then either go away or die off (in the case of the flies).

 

A couple of mornings we were awakened by an odd scratching sound at the bed headboards. We could not figure out where it really came from. Not mice! Then we located it to the window frame. Mick went outside in the dark and notice that the window frame was a bit loose. Inside there were 4 bats squishing together. Well we made them homeless. Too bad. Pity we did not get a pic of that. If they had kept quiet we would never have known.

 

They ate all the grapes and tried out some of the Yellow Guavas and since we have not seen them.

Fruit bat, ate all the grapes