Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[patsylabrador]

I've always had crows, magpies, jays & squirrels in my garden and they've ticked on alongside all the smaller garden birds reasonably. Now I've had an explosion in the population of small garden birds including blackbirds and there is a hedgehog I had seen occasionally.

The main thing that's changed is that I got the chickens who terrify the local cats. I used to get three cats hunting daily in the garden, but I never see them now.

I think that is quite interesting, please don't think I'm anti-cat, I'm not, just talking about my garden populations.

[Patricia W]

We have a cat, and she give the chickens a wide berth- and pretends she doesn't really see them. Neighbouring cats just peer fearfully over the fence!

[Old Speckled Hen]

I have had cats all my life and I love the present one to bits but there's no getting away from the fact that they murder countless garden birds. My Cornish Rex has always preferred being indoors; something to do with temperature control with such a poor coat I suspect, but she does bring home the occasional mouse.

[craftyhunnypie]

We have our own cat ( indoor cat) & a adopted garden cat who visits daily we call her Smudgesock. The silkies chased her off today - poor thing. She is very soft & we feed her & make sure she has water too. She has hung round our garden for about 7 years now - so more or less ours.

We have lots of squirrels & they got in the loft early this year. We left them to it . They used to play in the guttering - though they did nibble the lead flashing round one of the chimneys.

We get magpies sometimes. This time of year we have lots of robins & blue tits. We also had a barn owl on the roof last year. I love nature. Not keen on Mr. Fox though for obvious reasons. Oh & I hate frogs.

 

Emma.x

[LauraJ]

We have noticed the same thing - lots more little birdies since the arrival of our hens. I was wondering if it was all the chicken food that gets kicked about, but now you mention it I havn't seen our neighbours cat in a while! We do have a ferocious light sussex hen!