Little did I think that one month after writing my second post (about squirrel pox in Wicklow) that I would be writing something very similar - squirrel pox in South Dublin hit the RTE News on Thursday. With expert advice, surveying of the local red squirrels started on the hill last November. However as of today, it has stopped. Sadly, but I'll never know for definite but it is possible that the squirrel tubes being used may have progressed the spread of the disease. A red squirrel was found dead last weekend and it was confirmed that it was infected by the fatal pox disease carried by grey squirrels. My only hope is that the remaining small population survives this outbreak.
The saying there is more than one way to skin a cat seems appropriate. This may be a stumbling block to the fight against the grey squirrels. I'll just go around to the other side for a clearer view.
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Sunday, 1 January 2012
2012 - Signs of hope and growth
Happy New Year. I've never been able to get too excited over New Year's celebrations. Last year was yesterday. So much can happen in a day. For me it is the changing seasons which brings joy and inspiration.
As I sit at home, on this first day of 2012, watching the birds selectively pick out their favourite seeds, I wonder what the Spring holds. They say that this is the best time to plan your gardening activities, browse through the seed catalogues, list various must do tasks. What is top of the list for me is to lift and separate my many thousand snowdrops after they have covered the lawn in their nodding white bell flowers. Most of mine are the double form with flecks of green on the petals. Lifting and splitting the clumps is always a messy job but best to do it 'in the green'. Flowers have finished and green foliage remains.
Sadly, I never got around to doing my tulip bulbs for their Spring display. Maybe last year's will offer some level of colour. However, I'll take this opportunity to plant some lily bulbs for the Summer. For the time being that is enough armchair gardening. I'll return to watching the coal tits and great tits pick out the sunflower seeds and dump the cheap millet onto the ground for the local robins and pheasant to clean up.
As I sit at home, on this first day of 2012, watching the birds selectively pick out their favourite seeds, I wonder what the Spring holds. They say that this is the best time to plan your gardening activities, browse through the seed catalogues, list various must do tasks. What is top of the list for me is to lift and separate my many thousand snowdrops after they have covered the lawn in their nodding white bell flowers. Most of mine are the double form with flecks of green on the petals. Lifting and splitting the clumps is always a messy job but best to do it 'in the green'. Flowers have finished and green foliage remains.
Sadly, I never got around to doing my tulip bulbs for their Spring display. Maybe last year's will offer some level of colour. However, I'll take this opportunity to plant some lily bulbs for the Summer. For the time being that is enough armchair gardening. I'll return to watching the coal tits and great tits pick out the sunflower seeds and dump the cheap millet onto the ground for the local robins and pheasant to clean up.
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