what have you found in your garden recently?

[Carakeel]

Yesterday we came across a beautiful Hawk Moth (or Hummingbird Hawk Moth) in our secret garden. It was the first time I have seen one. It was about 2" long and nearly as thick as my thumb, also very lively! I had to quickly move it away from the dogs as Gilly was wanting to play with it. Hope we eventually get to see the Hawk Moth in flight.
This is the little fellow we found:

http://i1098.photobuc...20Garden/P1010118.jpg

What creatures have you found in your gardens this year?

[mrs.chappie]

I saw a sparrowhawk take a sparrow earlier. I'd not seen a sparrowhawk for a long time.

[wolf63]

Up until I was about 38 I was a dog person. When my last dog died I was adopted by a cranky, grumpy old tom cat.

I thought that cats were just like dogs - only smaller. I vividly remember waking up one morning in the early days of his dictatorship to find him on my pillow crunching a spider - it's legs hanging from his mouth. I was freaked out by this. Almost 10 years on I am (almost) impervious to such things happening.

;-)

[Jules001]

Yesterday I had at least 8 long tailed tits in my garden, it is very rare for me to even see one in my garden let alone 8+. When they had flown off, I went out to fill up the feeders (they were already empty when the tits had arrived) hoping they might come back, but sod's law they didn't:(

[heathfield]

Standing at the front door yesterday afternoon, I saw a young hedgehog sniffing about at the base of the beech hedge at the bottom of our garden. Picked it up and took it indoors to show my wife. (Awwww!). Put it back, and we watched it disappear into the hedge. Now we're concerned. Last Sunday we came across a dead adult hedgehog lying on the grass in our back garden, just lying there with its eyes closed as if asleep. Can't figure out what could have happened to it. We're just hoping it wasn't the young one's mum.

[boxtops]

This morning, I found a big bumblebee trapped in a spider's web. Sorry spider, but it was a pleasure to release it.

[boxtops]

LOL, trim, only you could have a rat-cage....:-)

[boxtops]

When we lost Rover, the vet lent us a trap - you could have fitted a small hippo in it (it didn't catch anything, but it weighed a ton).

[notasyoungasiwas]

what..the? the buff tip moth is fabulous, just like a piece of wood! I've never seen one of those before and the birth of the luna moth is good too. Brilliant.

[craft1948]

Yesterday in my garden I found a rather tall, exotic looking male of the species, with gorgeous dreadlocks................aka my new gardener. He's coming back next week to plant me a lavender hedge (I may swoon).

[boxtops]

got a pic, craft?

[bensmum]

http://i1180.photobuc...baconmr2/DSC00138.jpg
This was in the garden yesterday, my son took several pictures and some video using his iphone and was able to get pretty close to her. She obviously wasn't bothered

[Prudie]

I've always wanted a lavender hedge, can you send him my way craft once you're done with him?

[albaqwerty]

you'll never get him in his prime prudie, craft has a repuation amongst gardeners:)

Hi craft.. x

We have lovely little finches and other small birds in our back garden, the crows and seagulls can stay in the front.

[Prudie]

Hi alba, I realise it would be a tough act to follow :-)

[Carakeel]

Thank you all for your wonderful answers, especially the clips. Amazing, some of these!
Craft, did you release that male species back into the wild then or give it a good home? lol, lucky girl!!

[annieigma]

Hi
Just to add a bit more, we had thousands of baby toads invade the garden. there is a river/land drain across the road, it was pouring with rain, and there were absolutely thousands of tiny toads everywhere, they were crossing the road and trying to jump up the pavement, then down the steps and into the garden. they were in the garage, the greenhouse, you could not walk without stepping on them. they were still coming over the road the next day. the green house has loads living in it, they are getting bigger by the day. I am now frightened to cut the grass or dig anywhere as they are still jumping around..
Thinking about renaming the house " Toad hall"

Annie.