The Great Balancing Act

Good Bye Freaky Bugs

You know those toxic caterpillars whose nest I’ve been sticking my face into to photograph for you?  The Men In White came to eradicate them today.

Critter Update

Curtis just reminded my rocket scientist mind that we had a community allert about these "Oak Processionary" caterpillars last year.

"The oak processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea processionea Lepidoptera), related to the pine processionary caterpillar, is found in several European countries. It usually lives in oak forests or on single-standing oak trees. Caterpillars are usually three to four centimetres long, brown and hairy. At the start of spring the caterpillars come out of round, white, fuzzy nests built in trees (normally property owners will burn these nests if they see them) and travel down the tree and across the ground in single file, sometimes stopping in writhing circles. This phenomenon will continue well into the summer.

These caterpillars are extremely dangerous as they "burn" the flesh of any animal, child or person that touches them. A small animal can die from the burn on contact. If a pet comes in to contact with these caterpillars it is advisable to seek veterinary assistance immediately."

Guess I'd better call the work order poeple in the morning before I head to the youth hostle with the Girl Scouts.

Maybe there's something to Holly's bug phobia . . .

Critter Update

 

They seem to be involved in mass chrysalis building – be afraid, be very afraid.  There are three such nests around the base of the tree.

You Just Don't See That Everyday

 

I guess the caterpillars are spawning?!  That is some freaky stuff!

Child Labor

Eight new mole holes today – we’ve got to put those kids to work.

I guess next time Katie sees a mole she won’t coo about how “cute” it is

I fought the mole and the mole won, I fought the mole and the mole won, . . .

We have had several days of cool, rainy weather – ideal mole conditions.  For some reason, when it’s cool and damp, the moles prefer to dig closer to the surface.  The closer to the surface they are operating, the bigger mounds they dig.  It took about an hour to clear their work out of the yard yesterday.  This morning there are five new mounds.

Moles

To be drawn out with a scowl on your face and a deep growl in your voice, “moles.”  They did the work pictured above in just 4 hours.  I fear that our yard is going to cave in!

Now before you start sending me lists of great ways to take care of these little creatures, they are protected in Germany.  So, we can’t kill them.  We can’t put that handy Scotts product on the lawn to kill the grubs and therefore deny the moles of their food source in our yard– such chemicals are banned in Germany to protect the ground water.  Our only recourse is these smelly moth ball type things that you shove down into the mole-holes.  The moles are supposed to hate the smell of them and head off for better smelling ground -- presumably the neighbor’s yard.  They don't work.  The nasty little creatures just push them back out of the holes. 

Whenever we get one section of yard cleared of holes and reseeded they tear up another part.  (This is assuming that the grass seed gets to grow in the first place before they push up a hole in the same spot again.)  They make us crazy!  Many of the neighbors share our angst.  One of the worst parts is that they are more likely to tear up your yard if you maintain it since the grubs they like to eat are more active in moist ground.  If say the neighbor never waters their yard, guess who’s coming for you.  It seems that the little monsters make the Germans as crazy as they do us.  The article below was featured in the German media about a year ago.

“Man Electrocuted by DIY Mole-Killer”

“A German pensioner who wired up a high-voltage cable to try to wipe out the moles digging up his garden killed himself instead.

Uwe Werner, police spokesman in Stralsund north of Berlin, said the 63-year-old retired construction foreman was found dead in the garden of his weekend house in Zingst next to a 380-volt cable and metal spikes rammed into the ground.

“The moles survived,” Mr. Werner said, noting the voltage was enough to run a cement mixer or heavy-duty power saw. “It was, in any event, an unorthodox method to try to get rid of moles.”  

Meet Lefty

Lefty the One Eared Squirrel has been visiting us since we first arrived here.  We actually have a lot of these fuzzy little guys in the area, but they are virtually impossible to photograph!  Well, Lefty has finally discovered the squirrel feeder we put up, so I got him!  When I put the squirrel feeder up, I figured that since you always hear about people complaining about squirrels in their bird feeders that they would discover it right away.  It took almost six months!  Finally, we have a picture of those squirrels I've talked about to offer you.

We also now have two species of woodpeckers roaming around in the back.  Our old friend the ant eating Green Woodpecker, and a new one that is nesting in the tree right behind us.  Our new friend is most likely a Great Spotted Woodpecker, but could be the less common Syrian Woodpecker.  More research, and perhaps some photos are needed.  Either way, I'm on baby woodpecker watch.

Bird Pictures

     I had the opportunity to take some of my own bird pictures today.  Our weather has definitely cooled down -- in a matter of days we've gone from afternoon temperatures of the low 70's to afternoon temperatures of the upper 40's.  The birds are out in force and hungry.  (Both feeders pictured were filled this morning.  These pictures were taken a little before noon.)  I am pretty excited to be able to offer you a few pictures that I took myself, and a link to a new bird I have identified -- the Eurasian Nuthatch.  (A second link to some really great pictures of the Nuthatch, but no behavioral information is here.)  The picture below at the feeder by the bird bath is a Nuthatch.  The other pictures shown here are of Blue Tits.  (If you didn't already know, if you click on the picture you can view it larger.)  

Even More Birds

                                Green Finch                                            Siskin