The RC garden has been very productive this year. In addition to the masses of baby birds (mainly Sparrows and Starlings, but also Dunnocks, a Magpie and various others) that seem to live entirely off of our bird tables, we have the doves that have nested in Mrs RC's home made nest.
This is the second pair of babies that this pair have produced. We just hope that they are more intelligent than their parents...
We also have a mass of baby goldfish. These have been separated from the big fish. Some are in a pond outside, while a small group has been moved indoors for closer monitoring.
|You can see the reflections on the surface of the water.
We are trying to keep both lots safe from predators and things that might compete with them for food, but otherwise we are letting nature take its course. No chemicals, no culling of those that do not meet certain criteria for shape, colour, etc. This is Mrs RC's project, but it is fascinating, and we often find that, while watching TV in the evenings we keep looking at the tank to see what our little friends are up to. The other evening we had a lot of interruptions when mosquito larvae were spotted and had to be removed - Mrs RC is getting good at catching them with long tweezers, snatching them out of the water before they know what is happening.
She is now getting ideas about breeding other things - notably Custard, our Labrador who is now approaching 10 years of age...
Do you think the world needs more Custard?
8 comments:
The world can never have enough custard. I lurve custard.... oh waitaminnit.... you meant the dog?
Nice baby fishies, your pond family is growing beyond your wildest dreams. And your avian family too! Must be a high hormone count in the air around Chez Rock Chef.
Awww! More Custard for sure.
Aww! Of course we need more Custard!
I love your backyard habitats. And I love that Mrs. RC takes so much concern for the baby fish. Thanks for sharing the pics. Still no hedgehog?
Shammickite - I ain't sayin' nothin'!
Riot Kitty - :-)
ShadowRun - Mr Chuffington, the hedgehog, is very anti-social and hisses savagely if we get too close. Don't want to distress the poor thing by forcing him to do a photo shoot...
Hmmm... are those bedroom eyes Custard is making at the camera??
Nice baby fish photos! I think it's great fun to watch over what happens when nature takes its course with fish - a fun hobby for the whole family. Of course, in my current fish situation, it's not so good... The monsters refuse to die.
Abby - survival of the fittest...
It seems that the RC garden is turning into a regular nursery with all sorts of new additions. I'm kinda thinking along the same lines as Shammickite - seems to be rather fertile in the garden, no?
We've got plenty of doves around here but they tend to nest in the spring and the babies are out flying in droves by the summer. And we could always do with a little more Custard. He's definitely working that pose for the camera.
You got some pretty amazing pictures, especially of the fish! Can't wait to see what becomes of all of them.
And I'll definitely cast a vote for more Custard!
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