I know it has been Easter and people expect to see all sorts of chocolate eggs about but I have had a mystery in my garden and so far *it* has happened twice!
Not far from here, I was pottering in my garden and I noticed that there had been some disturbance in a pot of chives! Looked like an animal had scraped some of the soil off the top of the pot and had thrown it on the patio. There was a little mound on the edge of the pot and I dug my hand in, hoping it wasn't cat's mess and found an egg! It could have been laid by a bird but it was a brown hen's egg and to make matters worse, there was a sell by stamp on the side of it! I know what you are all thinking. It's a joke! The family are playing a prank on Maggie May!
Well let me tell you, it isn't a joke. I had watered that pot of chives the night before and there was no sign of the egg then. My son and family were on the south coast having a break and although my older grandsons had been here one of the weekends previously, the eldest has an aversion to eggs and certainly wouldn't handle them (one of his autistic traits) and the younger one could never have kept a secret like that. Besides....... no one has been outside the back door but me because of the nesting wrens.
My daughter would have thought it was a waste of an egg and I would have set her off laughing when she saw my puzzled expression if it had been her, so I know it had nothing to do with Deb.
Harry is as mystified as I am and he really isn't good at jokes. What you see in him is what you get..... he couldn't have anything to do with it I am one hundred per cent sure. So my family has been ruled out!
My garden is fairly secure though I suppose anyone could get in anywhere if they really wanted to.
The first time it happened was some weeks ago when I noticed an egg in the gravel by the side of the kitchen, following the underpinning work. It was sucked down tightly into the wet gravel and when I prised it out, it broke. That was also a brown hen's egg with a stamp on the side of the shell.
So it looks like an animal deposited the eggs. What could it be, do you think?
Could a cat have carried one without breaking it? Could a squirrel or a rat? A magpie? A fox?
If they could, why would they do it? Why not eat the eggs? Where did they come from?
All you people who live in exotic places, need not tell me it was a raccoon or a posssum or anything that we don't get here. I want to know what British animal could have done this?
Any ideas gratefully received and it really is not a joke!
In case any of you are wondering why I have a photo of pansies and not chives, well it is raining today and I already had a picture of my pansies but not of chives! Saved me getting wet and I am also a little scared of going out and finding another egg!
Not sure why but my Blogroll gadget didn't show up my last post The Main Attraction on anyone's blog.
38 comments:
Most intriguing. Sounds like a fox, but as you say, where did it get the eggs from? Perhaps chickens have become sensitive to claims about salmonella and lay eggs ready date stamped!
I would guess at a squirrel, Maggie. At our last house I started finding, over several weeks, odd things in the pots on the inside of the conservatory. One day I was just sitting trying to doze, and I heard a noise, opened my eyes, didn't move, and there was a squirrel pushing in the pot a piece of glass... smooth and round though. I was amazed, but I am sure no one believed me at the time.
Love Granny
I reckon it is a squirrel also - they seem intelligent creatures - as seen on TV when the Springwatch or Autumnwatch BBC TV series devised an agility course for the squirrels - they were amazing.
Obviously, it's and egg-straordinary animal....
How odd, are you going to mount an egg-spy watch?
I have no idea, Maggie, but I didn't want to stop by without leaving a comment. If it is a squirrel, there is still the mystery of where he gets the eggs.
I love your pansies. I wish I could post a photo of my pansies, but I have none such in my flowerbed. Only very fast growing jasmine and an unidentified bush and a little tree. I will take a picture of them and post it.
XOX
Irene
oooh er ! That is a little strange, and even if it is a squirrel, it must be a grocery shopping one!! :) Love the pansies, I have that identical blue pot.
Oh, what fun! I do LOVE a mystery...keep us posted if you find any more "clues." This one will be fun to track down! ~Janine XO
I think you should claim that my "chemobrain" is contagious :-) Hanging around my blog could be dangerous...perhaps I should be quarantined? LOL. Alzheimer's is terrible...and so we will NOT allow that!!! And you are so "young" at heart, I don't think it could possibly be anything else...Cheers! Janine XO
I have GOT to know what did that!!!! I'm doubting a squirrel, because unless you have larger ones than we do, I can't see HOW it would carry an egg. Do fox's hide food? I think they just eat food and don't hide it. A snake wouldn't hide it's food either.
So I have no idea! But I must know.
I have no idea, Maggie May! I would have guessed a stray hen until you said the egg had a "sell-by" stamp on it, so that rules a chicken out unless they have become highly technological, too:)
I do hope you find out and let us know; I love a good mystery!
Your day at the zoo post didn't show up on my blogroll, so I'm glad you pointed it out. Those cataburras are so cute! But what an awesome sight it must have been to see the lambs being born.
It is intriguing, I love a good mystery. I have no idea what would cause that, besides another animal, somehow carrying it in. A possum? Racoon? I don't know, but I would be on the look out.
Now I'll be wondering with you.
XXXXX
Oh I so want you to find another egg and if I lived near I would sneak in and put one of janets there LOL
spookie or what..
x
Maggie, don't be scared of finding another egg in your garden, you mustn't let it traumatize you!!!!
Perhaps Harry has turned over a new leaf?
Hope you will sort out the mystery and let us know soon :)
Well what a mystery! I hope you find out what's leaving the eggs. :)
I think it might be a lion! Was the mark on the egg a little lion?
Seriously, very strange - perhaps the squirell thought it was a large acorn but surely it would have hidden it in a tree. I'm stumped! Eddie
I'm just laughing at the reference to exotic places for people who have racoons and possums. They are both vermin and we get them in downtown Chicago - that most exotic place!!!
Perhaps it's next doors dog stealing them from his/her own kitchen? Have you checked with the neighbours? Someone is probably wondering where on earth all the eggs are disappearing to.
I also love your pretty pansies. As to the egg mystery - I haven't a clue! Hope you find out soon.
I'VE HAD THIS!!!!!! I, too found an egg in one of my borders; an ordinary, lion stamped hens egg. I puzzled over it for ages. Husband said it was brought in by a fox, but how did a fox get it? I'd forgotten all about it until this post.
I bet its a fox , we have one that visits us , he usually eats what the dog leaves. May be I will leave a note for him to bring something with him next time lol.
Maggie you are good at gardening, I want some Welsh poppies in my garden , any idea what they are really called?
WORKING MUM.......I am over joyed that I have found someone with the same eggy problem as I had. Seems likely to be a fox as we live in an area where urban foxes abound. We sometimes see them on the roads and there are also plenty of cafes and places where eggs might have been put out for bin day and stolen!
I had also thought of a hedgehog!
VALLEYS MAM....... I have emailed you with a link suggestion. But the Welsh poppy comes from the Papaver family.
Meconopsis cambrica
Thanks for EVERYONE your suggestions.
I have not ruled out a squirrel! We have them here!
I've read this several times and am still completely baffled, but then we don't have foxes, or badgers, or raccoons etc... here.
And the Aussie possums seem to have been elimanated from around here.
hope the extra eggs soon stop. huggles and care, Mickle and Zebbycat
A very interesting mystery. Keep us posted if you figure it out.
Now that is strange! Of course I have my own theory but I won't say! Can't imagine an animal carrying it in the garden, especially if the garden is secure.
Do keep us posted.
CJ xx
This link reports the fox as a likely culprit. Other URLs I've Googeld speak about them hanging around places where they can steal discarded food...
"Many foxes live in the grounds of schools. These are ideal habitats - there are dry spaces under portacabin classrooms, plenty of discarded food..."
Perhaps the eggs were hard-boiled and rejected from a child's lunch?
HILARY...... you are brilliant! You have the answer.
The eggs were raw but I have my own idea as to where they come from, that I will be posting on Wednesday!
The link was very helpful.
I think this is very interesting. Maybe Hillary is onto something. If it says a certain time of the day that they do this deed perhaps you could put a camera there around that time. Maggie, our lives have so many critters, don't you agree?
I'm afraid I can't help you, as I live across the pond, over a few ranges, and out-out-out WEst. We do have squirrels and raccoons as you do.
So Hilary had the answer.
I was relieved. :)
I had no clue absolutely.
That is really funny and quite unusual too. Around here, I would tend to suspect raccoons or perhaps a fox although I wasn't aware that foxes might take things and hoard them. But I suppose anything is possible.
How funny, Maggie, for me to be reading this post AFTER the subsequent post. It took the mystery out of it, but it was delightful nonetheless. And lovely photos too.
It's the Easter Bunny, Maggie. Has to be. He does exist you know?
Having read the answer at your following post I have to say that I would not have guessed what it was. Great post though and made me laugh as I could imagine how intrigued you were! A x
But of course, this is a winner!!!! Congrats on your POTD! ~Janine XO
Very interesting! Congrats on the Post of the Day Award from Authorblog!
You stole some critter's egg! That makes you a poacher. Congrats on the nomination for Post of the Day.
Great post...congrats on POTD...hey if you have a minute (whenever you get a chance) I would love to know how you put your signature at the end of your blog...I rather like that!
Post a Comment