Monday 16 November 2009

Night Prowler

Most nights the video camera captures a fleeting glimpse of one of the local cats hurrying through the garden. It would appear that the Cat Gard is doing a good job of keeping most at bay. The other night though there was one feline invader which seemed to be completely unaffected by the ultrasonic screeching. Not a lot of action to show but it was the first time I had noticed that cats, like dogs, move their ears like little radar dishes checking for the slightest sound which may be of interest. This cat spent nearly three minutes almost still at the edge of view of the camera before it obviously noticed a target. Unfortunately the final pounce was missed by the recorder. After 30 seconds of inactivity it stops recording and in the second it takes to start up the cat had disappeared from view. A week or so ago I saw a black cat, presumably the same one, go dashing past the camera with either a mouse or a frog in its jaws so it an accomplished hunter.



Plenty of heavy rain this morning but even while it was bucketing down the Sparrows kept up their chirping hidden somewhere in the bushes. Although I could hear them there was not one to be seen. The rain stopped for a while, the Sun broke through the clouds and the invasion began. I should think there were over 20 Starlings which descended on the feeders. One made me jump as it glanced off the kitchen window at full speed but it just turned round and flew away.

When I went down to the shed I noticed a very delicate looking spider investigating the doors. I often wonder how such thin legs can support even the small weight of their body.

Spider

It reminded me of the old nursery rhyme:

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

5 comments:

  1. Frustrating to have a hunting cat visit John. I've got a new one on the block but it's owners have given it a bright yellow colour so hopefully.....

    I see what you mean about the spider's legs - they are very deleicate indeed!!

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  2. He certainly had something in his sights John.

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  3. Hi Tricia. I have a feeling that may be a homeless cat and have a litter to feed. It was in exactly the same place the next night so there may be a mouse nest under the shed, which is what it was looking at.

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  4. It is interesting, Keith, to watch the patient, stealthy approach of a cat compared with the all out charge of a dog.

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  5. The cat certainly looked like it meant business. I'm glad I didn't see it catch anything though! You have reminded me to put new batteries in my cat deterrents :)

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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