22 replies to this topic

[sunny]

I forgot to mention the other day that we found not one but two tortoises in our vegetable patch within an hour. Last year I didn't see any at all.

Our partridges seem to be thriving and we think one is sitting on an egg. Watch this space.

[Abi]

Whilst it was warm a couple of weeks ago the weather turned and apart from the odd day it's not so warm so we haven't seen any tortoises yet, but I will keep my eyes on my kangal when she is in the garden as she will eat them if I don't get to them first.

I also mentioned a while ago that I found a dead baby squirrel when I opened the front door, well it would seem that my kangal likes them as well as my husband caught her, she had something in her mouth and was shaking it turned out to be an adult squirrel, sadly it was too late

How exciting about the partridges, hope the egg hatches and the others start laying.

[Fil]

When I was 6 I was savagely attacked by a squirrel in Valentine's Park, Ilford. I still bear the scar on my finger.

[Abi]

Oh poor you Fil, whilst I do like to see them running around the garden I did understand that they can be nasty and sorry you found out

[Cukurbagli]

I'm fed up with the tortoises rampaging around my garden, the dogs don't like it either because the tortoises keep knocking their shells together and waking the dogs up.

I'm going to make some nice plectrums for my guitar one of these days.

[Abi]

What a lovely photo Cukur, when will the babies be due?

[Cukurbagli]

Well there is a gestation period of between three weeks and three years!!! That's between mating and laying the eggs, I suppose they wait until the time is just right for laying, then it is eight to twelve weeks to hatch. They will lay eggs in my sand pile so I have to be careful when I'm knocking up some more concrete. Often the only clue I see is little trails away from the sand pile which tells me they have hatched.

[sunny]

That's an interesting piece of info. I didn't know that tortoises could wait up to 3 years for a suitable time to lay their eggs . Don't fancy doing that with babies!

[Cukurbagli]

That's an interesting piece of info. I didn't know that tortoises could wait up to 3 years for a suitable time to lay their eggs . Don't fancy doing that with babies!

It might be a useful thing to do with the eggs though eh?

[Abi]

I didn't know that either Sunny, it's a very long time.

[sunny]

Now we've got a pair of collared doves trying to make a nest on one of the spars that are under the eaves of our house. Unfortunately this is above the area of our front door so, as they are not adept at nest building we keep finding bits of twigs all over the floor!

[Abi]

Have Fils daft doves moved to your house then Sunny or are they all daft

[sunny]

Think they are all daft. I think that the pigeon family is well known for being useless nest builders!

[Fil]

Our daft dove is still sitting on the nest/collection of twigs. She went off for breakfast on Saturday and we saw two eggs.

[sunny]

I can't easily see what, if anything, is on our collection of twigs. I'd have to remove the 2 sliding windows (they are small)and stand on a chair to be able to get far enough out to see anything.

[selcuk]

woow, what a lovely photo, i wish i have a garden and i can fed tortoises and something similar in future

[Fil]

I am sorry to report that the daft dove has abandoned the nest, the eggs definitely did not hatch out, she must have just got bored, I hear the discos have opened already down in beach park.

Speaking of eggs, we tried Cukurbaglıs boiled egg recipe, but they were a little too runny, a tiny bit longer in the water next time.

Edited by Fil, 26 April 2010 - 06:37 PM.

[Abi]

What a shame Fil, I suspect that Sunny's daft doves won't do much better.

[Fil]

The daft doves are back this year. Same window ledge, same three twigs by the look of things. So sad.

[Abi]

Let's hope she doesn't get bored again this year and has some chicks.