What's going on in your garden (2018-2022)?

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TastyReuben said:
Yup, just the one so far. Maybe an advanced scout.
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We get yellow-bellied sapsuckers here durning the cold months. They come down for winter, and back North for summer. They are quite destructive. They peck quarter-inch holes in live oak tree bark to get to the sap (live oaks run sap all year).

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CD
 
What I love most about red headed wood peckers is when two competing mobs meet, they perform the most fantastic aerial dog fights, trying to drive each other out of a feeding and nesting area.

It's a visual treat.
 
Had the garage door earlier and from outside I saw a bird had flown in and trying to find a way out. It was a fantail ( pea- woka- woka.) I went in and shooed it out. Closest I've been to one of them, they are really lovely flying around the bushes out back.
We have Beetroot almost ready to bottle. Stock has been poor this season. Good weather for May.
20 deg c here and about three weeks from winter. Still picking chillies daily and freezing.

Russ
 
caseydog said:
We get yellow-bellied sapsuckers here durning the cold months. They come down for winter, and back North for summer. They are quite destructive. They peck quarter-inch holes in live oak tree bark to get to the sap (live oaks run sap all year).

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CD
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Did you post that pic on purpose, knowing I'd spend a good 10 minutes trying to find the bird in it? 🤪

rascal said:
Had the garage door earlier and from outside I saw a bird had flown in and trying to find a way out.
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That happens a couple of times a year here with hummingbirds. They get into the garage, then get up between the opened garage door and the ceiling and can't find their way out. I'm about 9/10 getting them out, though, but they're stubborn!
 
I reported on the appearance of a red-headed woodpecker a few days ago. I've seen one every day at the feeder since then.

I've also since noticed a, shall we say, persistent jackhammer drumming reverberating through the house, coming from the back side.

There is 0% exposed wood on my house, so I don't think the culprit is having much luck finding bugs in the wood. I did a little research with Professor Google, and it turns out that vinyl siding (which I have) is a pretty good deterrent to woodpeckers who are looking for a meal, but that they do still love to pound away at it anyway, in hopes of attracting a mate.

Apparently, they also like banging on the metal pole that holds my OTA TV antenna. The antenna itself is unobtrusive, but it is affixed with a very short little pole, so maybe he's working out his mating call on that.

I've gone out (with binoculars, no less) and inspected for any damage, can't find any, so for the time-being, I shall let him continue to peck away for true love.
 
TastyReuben said:
I reported on the appearance of a red-headed woodpecker a few days ago. I've seen one every day at the feeder since then.

I've also since noticed a, shall we say, persistent jackhammer drumming reverberating through the house, coming from the back side.

There is 0% exposed wood on my house, so I don't think the culprit is having much luck finding bugs in the wood. I did a little research with Professor Google, and it turns out that vinyl siding (which I have) is a pretty good deterrent to woodpeckers who are looking for a meal, but that they do still love to pound away at it anyway, in hopes of attracting a mate.

Apparently, they also like banging on the metal pole that holds my OTA TV antenna. The antenna itself is unobtrusive, but it is affixed with a very short little pole, so maybe he's working out his mating call on that.

I've gone out (with binoculars, no less) and inspected for any damage, can't find any, so for the time-being, I shall let him continue to peck away for true love.
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You don't see much vinyl siding in North Texas. My house is brick, with composite trim. I think a woodpecker would hurt its beak on my house.

CD
 
I found a birds nest under our eaves (corner near spouting) and removed it and filled the gap with rtv. (Compound for filling holes)
This was pre painting.
Not a lot going on in the garden ATM.

Russ
 
I just sprayed weed killer all over the rampant mint. I don't like using weed killer if I can help it, but this crap is getting out of control. I was reading online about how to eradicate it and the answer was to drown it in weed killer, and then drown it again, and keep doing that all summer long and maybe, just maybe, it'll be gone.
 
TastyReuben said:
I just sprayed weed killer all over the rampant mint. I don't like using weed killer if I can help it, but this crap is getting out of control. I was reading online about how to eradicate it and the answer was to drown it in weed killer, and then drown it again, and keep doing that all summer long and maybe, just maybe, it'll be gone.
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I know the feeling about herbicides, but I also know how hard it is to get rid of mint. There should be a BIG warning label on mint plants at the nurseries about how invasive they are.

CD
 
caseydog said:
I know the feeling about herbicides, but I also know how hard it is to get rid of mint. There should be a BIG warning label on mint plants at the nurseries about how invasive they are.

CD
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I had the same problem with thistle, and it took two summers of spraying, spraying, spraying, and I finally got it under control.
 
Tesco have been selling boxes of mixed plants for £10.00, TVC bought a box a couple of days ago, this afternoon he planted them i the back garden, I planted some bulbs-they will get thoroughly watered in when the rain comes back.
 
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