Croydon Ducks - Garden Wildlife 2019

Croydon Ducks - Garden Wildlife and Foxes 2019

Latest update: 26th December 2019

Photos from the garden in 2019 of foxes and birds. Two fox mothers, grandmother and their cubs this year. Lots of Parakeets and a Sparrow nest.

Older Photos of Garden Wildlife - 2018

6th February 2019, two sisters waiting for food at dusk.

18th February, dusk again, grandmother and her two daughters having dinner in the rain.

And burying food in the flower bed.

25th March 2019, grandmother closest to the camera, the two sisters probably have cubs by now, but we don't see them until May.

4th May 2019, two for breakfast today, grandmother has a darker coat.

4th May 2019, two mothers here for breakfast, with the crow. Not easy to see, but they have teats hanging down from feeding their cubs.
Seen fox cubs running around the garden after dusk, but too fast and dark for photos.

11th May 2019, 8:30am, first day time visit of a fox cub, they run around so fast hard to photograph.

Fox cub has just run through hole in fence.

Actually two fox cubs although managing to hide. They all have white tips to the tail.

Mother patiently waiting for food, she will come right up to me in the garden, but the cubs will run away as soon as they see me, even
through the window.

Two cubs and mother.

Still running around. A neighbour saw six cubs.

12th May 2019, dusk, grandmother and two mothers waiting for dinner.

13th May 2019, breakfast, cub sitting on the raised bed watching mother.

So cute.

13th May 2019, dusk, mother having words with a cub.

Cub and mother waiting for dinner.

Cubs are still very nervous of humans, quite rightly so.

Two cubs eating dinner on the grass.

Three cubs running around, watched by one of the mothers. Very hard to photograph the cubs since they don't keep still for more than
a few seconds, unless eating.

14th May 2019, dusk, two mothers and grandmother eating dinner.

15th May 2019, dusk, mother and cub eating.

Rare for the cub to stay still.

But this is really what she wants.

Still suckling from mother. Grandmother watches.

Now the cub and seen me through the window, and will run away.

16th May 2019, late breakfast, still waiting for food.

19th May 2019, cub and mother in the morning.

Exploring the garden.

Joined by grandmother, still waiting for breakfast.

Trouble is cub will run away as soon as I go outside with food.

But she came back for the food.

So sweet.

20th May 2019, 9pm so almost dark, two cubs suckling from mother.

Mother moves around, the cubs cling on for milk.

Still at it.

Now there are at least three cubs suckling.

22nd May 2019, early morning, cub and mother.

22nd May 2019, evening, both the mothers wait patiently near the back door most nights for dinner, watched by Bella the cat.

Later that night, two cubs and mother eating. The mothers don't often leave enough food for the cubs.

Now three cubs eating.

And now four cubs, very rare to see that many together. Don't know how many there are in total.

Now playtime for the cubs.

23rd May 2019, just one cub tonight.

Cub suckling from mother, getting too large now really, mother is very reluctant.

25th May 2019, two mothers and cub.

28th May 2019, dusk, three cubs eating dinner.

Cub still eating.

3rd June 2019, one of the mothers waiting for dinner.

5th June 2019, all three mothers waiting for dinner.

And eating it.

6th June 2019, two mothers waiting for breakfast.

Sometimes they sit on the patio wall to get a better view in the windows, waiting for me to appear.

7th June 2019, 8:30pm two cubs waiting with mum.

But they really want milk not dog food.

8th June 2019, same following evening, two cubs suckling. Getting too large now.

But they will also eat solid food.

Still very sweet.

11th June 2019, the two mothers are sisters and often groom each other.

Three cubs and mother on the lawn, two ducks on the pond.

Lots of running around tonight, two cubs and mother.

12th June 2019, morning, cub being submissive to mother.

Now having a drink from the pond.

12th June 2019, evening, ducks are back for bird seed on the grass, mother waiting for dinner.

A little later, two cubs eating dog food.

14th June 2019, evening, two cubs behind mother.

Still taking milk from mother.

15th June 2019, two mothers and two cubs for breakfast in the sun. The cubs still chase any pigeons that land on the grass.

16th June 2019, breakfast, cub playing with a suet fat ball. The foxes have eaten several hundred suet balls over the last few months, mainly
because they are take away food the mothers can pick up and take back to the cubs in their den four gardens away. Bonus is the pigeons
and cows have trouble eating suet balls.

Cub chasing pigeons.

Cub now eating breakfast.

The cubs are growing fast.

Now two cubs with their mothers.

17th June 2019, two mothers and one cub waiting for breakfast.

Late that evening, two cubs eating dinner.

18th June 2019, cub sitting at the end of the garden in the morning sun.

Joined by a second cub, now running away.

Cub and mother fascinated by something.

Two cubs for dinner.

Fox cub eating dog biscuits.

21st June 2019, fox and cub being very noisy.

24th June 2019, ducks and foxes mostly ignore each other.

26th June 2019, mother grooming cub.

30th June 2019, three cubs at dusk.

2nd July 2019, much better photos in morning sunshine.

The cubs are now almost fully grown, a lighter coloured fur and white tail end are now the main differentiators from adults.

3rd July 2019, cub eating dinner.

4th July 2019, three foxes for breakfast.

Large cub and two mothers.

5th July 2019, two mothers again waiting for breakfast.

10th July 2019, 7:30am, two cubs playing, another behind the pond, watched by two mothers.

All three cubs looking for food, but breakfast is at the end of the garden, and they'll run away as soon as I go outside.

Still waiting for food.

Two cubs now sitting patiently all watching something.

Now the pigeons want breakfast.

That evening, all back for dinner,

A neighbour has kindly donated a chicken carcass, cub loves that. Crows will take it if allowed.

20th July 2019, two cubs behind the tree, two mothers.

Now eating bird seed.

22nd July 2019, cubs having dinner watched by mother, no suckling now.

23rd July 2019, cubs can now jump up onto shed roofs.

Two mothers grooming each other.

Joined by a cub for dinner.

25th July 2019, mothers and cub first thing in the morning.

Cubs have long legs.

And a slightly narrower head. But hard to tell apart from mothers.

4th August 2019, three adults and one cub having dinner.

A little later, three cubs having dinner.

6th August 2019, think it's cub and mother, getting harder to tell.

7th August 2019, two cubs having diner. The cubs are now watching me put food out from the end of the garden, rather than running away.

10th August 2019, cub at end of garden eating crisps.

11th August 2019, cub waiting for breakfast.

12th August 2019, two mothers and cub eating dinner.

15th August 2019, mother at midday, still hungry.

Three mothers waiting for dinner at dusk.

Joined by two cubs when I feed them, although one has already run off with some food and another is following.

One of the cubs is back for more.

19th August 2019, two mothers eating near the kitchen, cub and third mother eating at end of garden.

20th August 2019, 7am, don't often see four foxes waiting for breakfast.

And still waiting even after being fed, cub watching from flower bed.

7pm same day, back early for dinner, probably mother lying down and two cubs.

Cubs want to play with mother, she is not having it.

I finally give them some food.

Now near the kitchen.

21st August, evening, foxes and pigeons all hungry.

23rd August 2019, two cubs and mother waiting for dinner,

And now eating, cubs are almost fully grown, hard to tell them apart, except for behaviour, more cautious than their mothers.

24th August 2019, four foxes waiting at 7:30pm.

27th August 2019 7:30pm four foxes waiting again.

And eating dinner.

2nd September 2019, 7pm, two mothers and one cub.

3rd September 2019 7pm, four foxes waiting at the end of the garden.

And now eating dinner.

6th September 2019, another evening, waiting partiently for food as usual.

8th September 2019, 9am two foxes eating dog biscuits on the patio. Harder to feed them in the morning since the pigeons eat everything.

10th September 2019 cubs waiting for dinner at 6:30pm.

12th September 2019, another evening, waiting patiently.

20th September 2019, getting darker earlier so dinner is now about 6pm.

Now eating their dog food while the pigeons finish the bread.

Now five foxes, don't often see that many. Still don't know of many cubs survived.

Does not take long of five foxes to finish a tin of food, so mother is pleading for more food.

27th September 2019. 6:30pm, initially three foxes waiting.

Now five of them eating.

Although now scattered around the lawn, there are six foxes, so at least three cubs have survived, with the three mothers.

1st October 2019, 7:30am unusual to see three foxes in the morning,

Now eating the cat food not eaten overnight which is left out for birds and foxes first thing.

4th October 2019, another early morning, just two foxes today.

14th October 2019, 5:30pm dinner is now on the patio slabs, lawn is too soggy to walk over.

A cub eating what is left, while the others wating for more food.

19th October 2019, 8am, two foxes eating breakfast.

27th October 2019, 9:30am late breakfast, the crow family really wants to eat the left over cat food, but the fox got there first.

19th November 2019, 8:30am four foxes for breakfast, very rare to see that many, usually asleep in daylight.

I think this is limping mother, who has a horrible wound on her face. She does not seem to notice, eats and runs around normally, slowiy
healing over the next month.

8th December 2019, 5pm, waiting for dinner, limping mother's face is a little better.

28th June 2019, lots of Koi carp and thinner Comets in the pond enjoying the sunshine, some are almost 2 feet long.

9th January 2019, Starlings on the new bird feeders.

Few minutes later and the Parakeets arrive.

And even more Parakeets. The evenings are very noisy, there must be at least two dozen Parakeets in our flock by summer.

The Parakeet also try and eat from the Starling bread feeder, but are too large to get inside.

5th February 2019, a few times a year, all the local crows congregate in one of the trees to squawk at each other, and maybe pair off to
mate. This summer the Parakeets have been congregating in the same tree, but being green coloured with green leaves, photos don't show
much, Maybe they'll continue during the winter when there are no leaves.

9th March 2019, Parakeets are still visiting daily to eat seed and suet balls.

As are the Starlings.

11th May 2019, Parakeet eying cherries, not ready yet.

15th May 2019, it's Starling breeding season so lots of fledglings are following their mothers to my garden for food, but not very good at
eating it yet, mostly drop bread on the ground where the pigeons eat it.

16th May 2019, Starlings paddling in the shallow area of the pond, adults have spots, fledglings are still grey.

More Starlings.

16th May 2019, heard a lot of bird song from the house roof, finally discovered a sparrow nest in the eaves next door. Adult on the
telephone cable, not sure who is entering the nest hole.

Fledgling sparrow looking out on the world.

17th June 2019, lots of fledgling Starlings on the feeders, they are eating up to three loaves of bread a day, but dropping a lot for the pigeons.

Think that is a fledgling sparrow on the roof.

And now of the wire.

Adult sparrow leaving the nest.

19th June 2019, the cherries are now ripe, a Parakeet has one in it's claw.

And is eating it.

But not the cherry stone, there are hundreds under the tree.

View from the ground of the Sparrow nest.

The Sparrows spend a lot of time over the road from their nest paddling and drinking in the road gutter, after rain.

And otherwise looking for seeds in the overgrown garden.

10th July 2019, large flock of fledgling Starlings on the lawn.

11th August 2019, Parakeets still visiting the feeders.

25th August 2019, the crows having breakfast.

19th September 2019, the crow family, probably two fledglings and parents.

25th September 2019, the sparrows are still drinking from the road gutter.

3rd November 2019, parakeet trying to eat seeds.

30th November 2019, breakfast for the fox, crows and magpies, who can get to the chicken bones first.

Four noisy parakeets on the tree.

9th December 2019, the goldfinches have this feeder to themselves, no-one else can reach it, meanwhile a parakeet and starling on the
fat ball feeder behind.

More goldfinches and parakeets.

Goldfinch closeup.

24th December 2019, crows waiting their turn for breakfast.