Some extra information for the animal lovers: wild inhabitants around the farm
Toad
this fat toad lives near the house from the moment we bought it. And he has no plans of leaving this place.
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Bird- and bat boxes
Four bird boxes have been installed to attract owls. Two are hung in the shed, and the other two under the rooftop.The batbox found its place under the roof-gutter
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Offspring of the buzzard
Every year, a couple of buzzards raises one or two youngs. This picture was taken when the young one landed in one of our nuttree.
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What s up?
To learn the young buzzard how to fly, to land and to take his prey apart, the parents by means of excercise throw a prey on the meadow. This way, they force their young to land next to it and feed upon the dead prey.
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Jay
Jays are so vocal. you can hear and see them everywhere. And so does the hawk too. They are very alert and like to steel easy food, like young birds in nests. In spring time, the young jays are at the same time hunted by hawks, buzzards, foxes and martens.
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Personal toilet for the marten
Before we made a attic pool out of the first floor of the shed, it was the kingdom of the marten. In order to help him finding the toilet between the pooltables, we made a big toilet for him.
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Pond full of live
Children have always been magically attracted by water and life in it. Snakes, waterbugs, thick heads, frogs and toads, it all belongs to their interests.
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Small tree frogs
The thick heads of the tree frogs are already metamorfized into small frogs. You have brown, light green, dark green ,grey and even pink ones. With their special legs, they can even stick on glass.
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Migrating birds are welcome
Every year one couple of barn swallows comes back to lay their eggs. And we could welcome 4 youngsters this year.
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These mice...
He s everywhere. The tiny mouse. We got a young example and he simulated some kind of strange fatigue, till we dropped him in the grass....and ...gone he was.
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Back again
our old friend Bufo bufo.
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and...
this time a small green toad on our hands. This species doesn t live in Western europe.
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Rare
Fresh water lobster, only on 350 m away from us
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Sometimes is help needed...
In case of this young buzzard, which we caught during winter. He was completely exhausted and had wet feathers, so wasn t able to fly. We took him in the car, put him in a carton box in the cellar next to the heating, in order to dry. We gave him meat, and after a while, was able to fly again.
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Silent hunter
When he is sitting in the grass, you almost can t see him. But when he s flying around, he looks rather clumsy. Just follow him, and see what he is up about. Interesting animals, these praying mantis.
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"Dovie"
A young pigeon fell out of the nest too soon, so had no chance to survive. So we raised and fed him. A joyfull entertainment for our daughter.
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In the woods around the farm are roedeer and wild pigs. The lynx has been seen only 300 meters away from the house. Wolves and bears are in a distance of 40 km. Raven and buzzards can be observed almost daily and nest in the region: the buzzard has its nest 150m away from the house. Also hawk and sparrow hawk are common. Sometimes you can see them hunting other birds. Fox, marten and weasel have been spotted near the farmhouse. A male marten lives at the farm, frequenting the attic of the shed and the attic of the house. A juvenile grass snake has been living near the pond, but suddenly disappeared when the frogs disappeared (he ate them all??). Next to the green forgs and toads, tree frogs and brown frogs can be found. Wild bees can be heard and seen from the moment the flowers blossom. Lots of different butterflies can be observed on the meadows. Singing birds are using the birdboxes to nest. Green woodpeckers use the attic of the shed to escape from the faster hawks. During winter, migrating birds from the north have a feast on the remaining apples.
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