I have been watching our family of Welcome swallows since the adults began hanging around at the end of September and built their nest in October this year. They built their nest in our carport and when the five young fledged on 26th October, we thought they'd be gone forever. To our absolute delight, they have been returning to our carport and roosting either in or next to the nest almost every evening since they fledged.
Over the last week, we only had one swallow roosting in the carport. I can't say for sure if it is an adult or one of the fledglings, but I suspect it is a fledgling. For the last three nights, the carport has housed only a car. I can't help but wonder if our Welcome swallows will be back. Let's hope.
Monday 15 December 2014
Thursday 4 December 2014
Rats are T O U G H !
I have a confession. I intensely dislike, no that's not quite right. I actually hate introduced rats and mice around my home.
We have had a bit of an infestation at Casa da Ayre since we moved in - they live in the palm trees in our garden and I've had a bugger of a job getting rid of them because we have dogs and cannot risk poison. Even though the risk of secondary poisoning is very low and treatment with Vitamin K will reverse the toxin of choice, Brodifacoum we still would rather not use poison. Brodifacoum is the poison used on Australia's most successful eradication campaign, on the world heritage sub-Antarctic territory, Macquarie Island.
Anyway, we had a rat decide to move into our garage. I'd seen the cheeky big sod about a dozen times over the last month, and it had successfully evaded my every trap. Until tonight. With great satisfaction I caught the rat tonight in a trap. Rolled oats mixed with peanut butter was the successful lure.
To my surprise, I discovered the rat was a tripod. It only had had three legs - it was missing it's front right leg above the knee. I had no idea it was so incapacitated, and the times I'd seen it, it was off like a rocket, without any sign of injury or mobility problem. The injury appeared to be quite old, and perfectly healed. So either Belmont rats are made of tough stuff indeed, or we have more than one living in our garage . . . I suspect the latter.
The battle continues !
We have had a bit of an infestation at Casa da Ayre since we moved in - they live in the palm trees in our garden and I've had a bugger of a job getting rid of them because we have dogs and cannot risk poison. Even though the risk of secondary poisoning is very low and treatment with Vitamin K will reverse the toxin of choice, Brodifacoum we still would rather not use poison. Brodifacoum is the poison used on Australia's most successful eradication campaign, on the world heritage sub-Antarctic territory, Macquarie Island.
Anyway, we had a rat decide to move into our garage. I'd seen the cheeky big sod about a dozen times over the last month, and it had successfully evaded my every trap. Until tonight. With great satisfaction I caught the rat tonight in a trap. Rolled oats mixed with peanut butter was the successful lure.
To my surprise, I discovered the rat was a tripod. It only had had three legs - it was missing it's front right leg above the knee. I had no idea it was so incapacitated, and the times I'd seen it, it was off like a rocket, without any sign of injury or mobility problem. The injury appeared to be quite old, and perfectly healed. So either Belmont rats are made of tough stuff indeed, or we have more than one living in our garage . . . I suspect the latter.
The battle continues !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)