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What a privilege! Unusual things in our gardens.

(111 Posts)
nanna8 Tue 25-Feb-25 12:22:38

Tonight I saw an eastern barred bandicoot in the garden at our holiday house. They were declared extinct on the mainland a few years back but were re introduced on fox free Philip Island and have bred up. I was so excited to see the little thing just hopping around under a tea tree.
Anyone else seen anything unusual in their gardens?

SiobhanSharpe Wed 26-Feb-25 13:39:08

We’ve had muntjac deer in our garden, much to DH’s disgust (they destroyed our sweetcorn crop) plus green woodpeckers, redwings and fieldfares.
Oh, and a friendly black lab that had escaped from the nearby farm. I think he was after food, he forced his way through the thick hedge despite an electronic collar that was meant to keep him in and was eyebrows deep in the outside compost bin when we found him🤢.

kibera10 Wed 26-Feb-25 13:35:36

Interesting nature sightings for me are usually at our allotment site and include a badger (last May about 7,30pm), we'd thought we had badgers visiting but this was the first sighting and a wildlife camera subsequently set up revealed several visited. A Camberwell Beauty butterfly - a Jersey Tiger moth - caterpillars of the Toadflax moth and of the Mullen moth. A 'wasp spider'. We have Foxes here and regularly see them day times.

Mojack26 Wed 26-Feb-25 13:31:19

Helps if weknow which part of the world you are in???? Australia?

Gogo84 Wed 26-Feb-25 13:21:12

About 40 years ago I saw a pair of turtle doves in the oak tree in our garden. But only once. We were living in the countryside at the time. Also a pied flycatcher. We live by a canal in the middle of a city now so just Canada geese, ducks, cormorants and the occasional heron

Quizzer Wed 26-Feb-25 13:16:07

Delila

Does my sister’s unusual sighting count? This morning she saw a green parakeet in her garden on the Dorset coast.

When we lived in Essex green parakeets were common and breeding profusely!

Indigo8 Wed 26-Feb-25 11:23:33

I once found a large friendly pig in my garden, I lived near several farms at the time.

JamesandJon33 Wed 26-Feb-25 11:04:09

3 pairs of rooks now. Stealing twigs from each others nests

Astitchintime Wed 26-Feb-25 07:56:08

We have a pair of blue tits setting up home in our nesting box for the third year running.

kittylester Wed 26-Feb-25 07:43:14

Not in the garden but on the road outside our house - a magnificent stag, nonchalantly wandering along.

We live in the middle of a large, busy village.

Delila Tue 25-Feb-25 23:22:00

Yes, Nanthewiser, my daughter in SW London has crowds of them in her garden too, but they’re not a common sight in this part of Dorset. There are some of the larger red parrots in parts of Bournemouth, further east.

So I still claim an unusual sighting on my sister’s behalf.

nanna8 Tue 25-Feb-25 22:23:57

Just to add, we’ve got too much of it just now, everything is parched and dying - you’re welcome to help yourself to a slice.

nanna8 Tue 25-Feb-25 22:22:19

Oh I love these and the sun made me choke over my muesli. Can’t beat the British humour, Grannygravy13 😂

Grannmarie Tue 25-Feb-25 21:07:02

Nothing exotic but I saw three tiny robins in our church garden the other morning, hopping about under a tree. I dont think I've seen three together, made me smile. ☺

SueDonim Tue 25-Feb-25 21:01:27

Over the garden of my son’s previous house I’ve seen parakeets and red kites at the same time. So bizarre!

I once saw a hoopoe in Egypt. I didn’t realise they were so small. They’re regarded as dirty in some countries because they fossick in amongst animal dung and excrete a foul odour to keep predators away.

LucyLocket55 Tue 25-Feb-25 15:20:04

We have black squirrels in our garden. Apparantly they escaped years ago from Woburn Abbey and have bred in the wild

JamesandJon33 Tue 25-Feb-25 15:15:58

We have just been watching two pairs of rooks building nests in our oak tree. It’s going to be a noisy summer .

Witzend Tue 25-Feb-25 14:56:36

Jaxjacky

Delila we get green parakeets in S Hampshire

Masses of them here, outer SW London. They used to hog the bird feeders - I’d have 7or 8 on the tree, waiting their turn. Little birds didn’t get a look in - until we finally found a feeder they haven’t been able to get into.

Witzend Tue 25-Feb-25 14:51:53

Sago

Our daughter in Cheshire had two hoopoes dancing on her lawn.

Amazing! I thought we were very lucky to see one on the grass just outside a BiL’s house near Dijon. The only other place I’ve ever seen one was in Cyprus.

NanTheWiser Tue 25-Feb-25 14:47:12

Delila

Does my sister’s unusual sighting count? This morning she saw a green parakeet in her garden on the Dorset coast.

I get those all the time! On the borders of London and Surrey, and opposite the local park, where they breed. Flocks of 20+ fly over regularly and are extremely noisy!

Jaxjacky Tue 25-Feb-25 14:46:09

Delila we get green parakeets in S Hampshire

Hellogirl1 Tue 25-Feb-25 14:42:38

I don`t have a garden, but saw a large, fat, dark brown furry rat in my yard, presumably from the canal out front. It didn`t bother me at all, just went about it`s business and disappeared out of the gate.

AskAlice Tue 25-Feb-25 14:42:37

I once looked out and spotted a frozen leg of lamb on my lawn - my very strong, very naughty cat had pinched it from the butcher's freezer in the garden outbuilding two doors along!!

midgey Tue 25-Feb-25 14:09:42

Can’t compete! I had a rook in my garden.

J52 Tue 25-Feb-25 14:06:03

GrannyGravy13

JamesandJon33

We have two unusual trees. An Indian bean tree and a Tulip tree.

I absolutely love Indian Bean trees 💙

When DH retired he didn’t want a gift, but asked for an Indian Bean tree to be planted in a public open space. His wish was granted.

SueDonim Tue 25-Feb-25 14:01:53

We’ve had next door’s cat in our garden, bullying my cats! 🐈