THE BREEDING SEASON HAS SPRUNG INTO LIFE

In my last post I posed the question about swallows returning, speculating they would probably come this weekend, but little did I know they were much closer than I thought.

I spotted the first on Saturday 07^th April, a day earlier than last year and another one was sighted on Monday.

The previous dates for the first swallow sighting have been:

2017 – 08/04

2016 – 10/04

2015 – 21/04

2014 – 19/04

And they couldn’t have timed their arrival better as the weather is expected to rise dramatically next week.

The wildlife must expect it because the blue tits are constantly hanging around the most popular nest box, while the one nest box that has never been used, aside from a small wasp nest a few years ago, is seeing nesting action!

Not only that but it’s a bird I see around the garden, but has never nested there before.

A wren has been spotted taking nesting material into it and I’m delighted because I’ve spent the last few years training ivy to grow around it and offer a hidden nesting spot. Blink and you'll miss it on this video.

While I don’t expect all seven nest boxes to be used this year, if the wren does use and build to use it’ll mean all have been used at least once and take the number of species up to five – blue tit, great tit, robin, house sparrow, tree sparrow and now wren.

The flora is also showing signs of growth, with the lawn growing fast and the trees and bushes finally realising that winter is finished – well for now!

The robins and blackbirds have gone quiet in and around the garden, but a female blackbird has been spotted with nesting material out the back, so it’s all go on the nest building front, which means egg laying is close.

Insect movement is increasing with the odd butterfly and bee flirting with the garden, finding which flowers have bloomed and taking great interest in the growing tree blossom.

WILL THE GARDEN SEE SNOW IN MARCH?

Recent overnight frosts have not appeared to be too damaging to the flora that has emerged a little earlier than usual.

Indeed plenty of blossom and traditional spring flowers were out before the first snowdrops appeared.

I had wondered whether any birds had started nesting, but after a check up on all the nest boxes I have seen no evidence of any nesting material.

It meant good news for installing a new camera to replace the one in the triple sparrow nest box, which had been broken thanks to a mouse that hadn’t taken to kindly to it being in a place it was sleeping.

The camera was obviously putting off the birds nesting, as the other two boxes sections have been used since it was first erected. The mouse and a new nest box (with roof space for the camera) have meant a change of camera location.

The new camera installation has taken three sections of work, but is now fully operational as the images below demonstrates. The first one is the new nest box, the second one the original one.

Now there will be a lot of finger crossing as human eyes will be firmly focused on both cameras to check for any movement.

The new nest box has a smaller entrance as I’m hoping to bring back the blue tits, as they have not nested in the garden for a number of years – mainly sue to the house sparrows, tree sparrows and great tits.

There has been no sign of the caterpillars and I suspect they have crawled away to hide from the recent overnight frosts and prepare for warmer spell before emerging again.

Finally, the long tailed tits have been visiting regularly in recent days. It’s lovely to see and hear these birds in close proximity to the house although as there were only two of them I do wonder if the previously seen larger group has disbanded ahead of the breeding season, or these are two outcasts. 

WINTER TEMPTATIONS NOT ATTRACTING USUAL WINTER VISITORS

This weekend the garden had three pairs of human eyes looking out for birds, although they weren’t the only eyes looking at the garden. There was also by a pair of cat eyes – an unwelcome sight for everyone else.

Once the cat was chased off the counting began; the first tick in the box came for the… grey squirrel, which was quite ironic as we’d not seen one for a couple of months!

But the usual suspects started turning up soon after and within an hour we’d seen most of the birds we see during a weekend.

House sparrow – 8

Tree sparrow – 5

Blue tit – 4

Goldfinch – 4

Dunnock – 4

Blackbird – 3

Robin – 2

Great tit – 2

Magpie – 2

Wren – 1

Unfortunately no long tailed tits, great spotted woodpeckers or starlings, but I know they’re around.

The new nest box has been up for a week and it now has one of the cameras inside it. I hope it will not put off the birds like it has done in in one of the boxes in the triple sparrow nest box.

There is hope for it because it does have a pitched roof, which can house the camera and not interfere with nest building or even put any birds of nesting there.

The only location for the nest box is underneath the triple sparrow nest box, and hopefully the ivy growing up the wall will act as a cover to the entrance. It could even keep the noise down from the noisy sparrow neighbours!

With winter only showing glimpses of its might, sometimes just for a night of low (ish) temperatures before reaching 10c or more the next day, it’s no wonder not many fieldfares, redwings and other wintering birds haven’t been seen.

Instead tulips, crocuses, daffodils and snowdrops are all either growing or flowering. It’s great adding colour to the garden in January, but I fear winter has one big icy blast up its sleeve.

And given the odd report of swallows wintering in the UK and ducklings being born in December and January, I hope no garden birds decide to start the breeding season early and get caught out by winter finally getting its act together.

IS AUTUMN REMINISCING ABOUT SUMMER?

The swifts, swallows and house martins have all gone long since, but autumn appears to be still holding a candle for summer; well it certainly feels like that with the recent warm weather

Ok, so the sunny days have been replaced by the occasional cool night, but it’s still good to see the sun, rather than the wind and rain we usually associate with autumn.

I know, it’ll be wet and windy soon enough, but for now let’s be happy with the current conditions.

In the garden it’s a similar theme, with birds stalling in their feeding habits, preferring the open countryside and hedgerows, to the comforts of garden hand-outs.

The garden has mainly seen small flocks of house sparrows, with the occasional tree sparrow, great tit, blue tit and dunnock present at the fat snack and peanut feeder.

But in general these visits are frequent or for very long, with robins, blackbirds and magpies hardly ever seen.

The garden will only become a ‘real’ food station when it is visited by a flock of long tailed tits, and not one had been seen since very early in the year.

The food supplies are now stocked up, so when colder weather does hit and the birds come calling, there will be plenty to go around.

Until then I’m sure everyone is happy with the current climate.

WINTER GRIPS WITH FROST AND SNOW

There’s been a few very cold nights recently and with the heavy frosts and snow, it’s meant our wildlife is facing up to the depths of our winter.

The garden has seen a layer of snow, which has now turned very icy and some areas of the lawn are inaccessible for the birds and small mammals.

I’ve noticed that the bird feeders are quickly being eaten, while the food that inadvertently drops on the floor is quickly being hoovered up, by a combination of birds, mice and voles.

The long tailed tits are now spending regular time in the garden and I can hear them coming well before they arrive.

A couple of robins are now singing a number of times a day as they defend their territory ready for the breeding season.

As 2015 approaches we’re heading for a mild spell of weather, but I suspect another very cold snap will soon be with us, once again testing the resilience of our wildlife.

One of the first jobs of 2015 will be to fit the new power cable to the original nest box camera and monitor both for winter roosting and early signs of nesting.

Nest building in 2014 started in late February, was delayed by a cold snap, before recommencing in the middle of March.

The first chicks were heard in the middle of April and a total of four broods in both the blue tit nest box and sparrow nest box, but both for sparrows, house and tree.

The swallows first appeared on 16^th April, so will they be earlier or later in 2015? As they are my favourite bird, joint first with the peregrine falcon, I hope it’s earlier.

So here’s to a wildlife friendly 2015 and both of my bird nest box cameras working!

WHEN WILL AUTUMN TURN TO WINTER?

After a few months away due to illness, the wildlife blog is back as we approach winter and the shortest daylight hours of the year.

The weather has so far been kind to the wildlife in the garden, although I’m sure it will soon change and make the offerings I put out for the birds even more vital.

I’ve not been able to fix the broken power cable to the nest box camera, but I hope it can be fixed before the box becomes a roosting place for one or more of the small garden birds.

The six regular visitors over the last couple of weeks have been; blue tit, great tit, robin, blackbird, tree sparrow and house sparrow.

I’ve also seen magpies taking some of the fat snacks, but one visitor I didn’t expect was a kestrel, which caused consternation among the garden birds, although non fell prey to its claws.

I’m now starting to feed the birds regularly and once the colder weather grips expect to see a few more types of birds – and hopefully the great spotted woodpecker.

The local tawny owl population has been decorating the long dark nights with calls, although I’m yet to see any of them in the day time.

Now I’m off for another walk down the lane to see what animals are out and about.

TIME FOR A SUMMER STORM?

Is the summer finally over? It would appear that the forecasted ‘summer storm’ is signalling the early start of autumn, although I live in hope that the remainder of August will bring sunshine and warmth.

The cooler (not cold) weather is certainly good for the gardens and crop growers, but now we’ll need to see some sunny weather to help the final crops reach their maximum potential.

While the numbers of insects, butterflies and bees has slowed somewhat, there are still plenty about when the sun comes out.

What is proving remarkable is the tree and house sparrow parents appear to be raising a fourth brood!

I heard today the first faint cries from newly hatched chicks, which I’m amazed at – although slightly frustrated because of the failure of both nest box cameras to deliver footage of these chicks.

The garden has started to fill up with families of small birds recently, as the parents appear to be completing their annual moult and showing their offspring which gardens are good to visit for food.

I only wish the garden was bigger so I could provide more nesting sites, but maybe one day that will be the case.

The next blog post will be in the aftermath of this storm that is meant to be arriving this weekend, the remnants of Hurricane Bertha.

SUMMER THUNDERSTORMS BRING RELIEF TO THE HEATWAVE

This week must be all about the summer weather, in particular the thunderstorms that swept the country and delivered much needed rain to many places, along with flashes of excitement.

In the garden the thunderstorms arrived in the early hours and while the thunder and lightning had left by 9am, the rain continued all morning and led to flooding down the lane that leads to the house.

But it was all over fairly quickly and the sun soon returned to dry up most of the water and provide the flora and fauna with some energy with which to continue growing.

I managed to take some images of the lightning, although not exactly very successfully. It only lasted for a couple of hours and trying to predict where the next flash would be turned out harder than I imagined.

The three flashes I did manage to capture show the garden and beyond lit up like it was daylight, but I can assure you it was pitch black at the time.

 

 

 

In other news the third tree and house sparrow broods are close to fledging and a number of blue tit chicks have been frequenting the garden, although I’m not sure if they fledged nearby or are simply visitors from the area who have happened on the garden.

The sunflowers are growing rapidly and at least four are as tall as me, with one over 10ft tall. More about them and the buddleia flowering which is attracting numerous butterflies next week, which means the diary of images about the garden growing will start in August.

 

 

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED, JUST AS THE SNAILS ARE 'LEAVING'

Those damn snails stretched and broke my patience after eating numerous new plants that I’d put outside, meaning about 40 per cent had been killed or brutally attacked by snails and slugs.

Enough was enough and I bought some eco-friendly pellets to protect the remaining and newly planted greenery.

In one night I estimate over 40 snails and slugs fell victim to the pellets, while several more have done the same in the following nights. I also ‘rehomed’ about 20 in the last couple of days so I’m hoping the attack on my plants will soon be over.

I took delivery of a box of mealworms this week and they’ve been readily accepted by a number of house and tree sparrow parents along with a great tit family.

The tree sparrow family have already raised one brood and I suspect the second one is not too far away, while the house sparrow youngsters are very noisy when food is being handed out.

Unfortunately the issues I’ve had with my nest box cameras has meant I can’t see inside any nest boxes this year – very frustrating, but great to know nature is carrying on as normal and that new types of birds are utilising the nest boxes.

Here’s one of the house sparrow parents waiting to fly to the tit nest box to feed its youngster. They’re getting used to us slowly, but still create lots of noise when near the nest!

 

I managed to track the great tit on its feeding forages between the place I put the mealworms, to the nest. It’s located behind the house in the garden of the farm house behind. About twenty foot up an old oak tree, hidden away in thick ivy is a number of great chick tits in a cosy nest – feeding on mealworms.

I’ve not seen the robins for a few days, while the blackbirds have also been scarce, apart from the males singing from roost posts at dusk.

The swallows are obviously enjoying the recent weather and the plethora of insects. Their song and aerobatic flight is a joy to watch and listen to. It may only last for a few months, but it’s still my favourite part of summer.

So the next week will bring wet, but fairly warm weather which is great for the growing plants, although it gives the snails and slugs the perfect conditions to try and destroy my plants!

This time I have a better defence, or so I think…

In the meantime here’s some of the broad beans and one of the foxgloves are getting on. Don't ask me why but they won't face the right way!

 

SNAILS, SLUGS AND SUNFLOWERS

It feels like it should be April rather than May. Sunshine and heavy showers this week are providing excellent conditions for the flora to grow, although given the temperatures each day haven’t been high, significant growth may have to wait until it gets warmer.

I think the tree sparrow chicks in the triple nest box have fledged this week, but there are more that have hatched in the tit nest box with the broken camera.

It’s very frustrating that I can hear the chicks, but can’t see them particularly as it’s a new species that has nested in the one box.

I’ve tested the power cable and it would seem to be beyond repair, but until I can get in the nest box to test a spare cable, I just won’t know.

In other news it appears the swallows are once again nesting in the horse stables; a place they moved to when the small outbuildings at the back of the house didn’t suit anymore.

The wrens and robins are very vocal at the moment around the garden, particularly when a cat is around, which leads me to believe that they both have young chicks.

It may just be my garden, but there has been a huge amount of snails this spring. Most of them have been devouring some of my young plants, with the sunflowers being affected most.

I’ve been gathering about ten a night and they have all been ‘re-housed’ in the garden waste bin, along with grass cuttings and plenty of twigs and leaves.

Not sure if they appreciate the new home, but as long as they’re not eating my sunflowers I’ve not got much sympathy for them – I won’t kill them unless it’s absolutely necessary.

There is some promise of warm weather coming in the next few weeks, so I’m hoping to get the tomatoes outside and watch all the flowers and vegetables growing rapidly.

Perhaps even the onions will emerge and give the garden its first harvest after three years of trying!

WINTER WARMTH PROVES BLOOMING ENTICING

The winter storms are continuing and causing chaos for people and wildlife across the country. The ground in the garden is soggy, while the stream that runs passed the house is often full to bursting – luckily it would take an apocalyptic level of rainfall for it to come anywhere near the garden.

Fields around the house are always flooded sometime covering up to 80/90 per cent of the area. It does make me wonder what’s happening to the crops that have already been sown or the grass that is waiting to make an appearance for spring.

Despite the threat of a proper winter cold spell last week, it continues to be very mild and this is being shown in the emergence of spring bulbs, including the crocus, tulip, daffodil and snowdrop.

Remarkable the first one to flower was the crocus, which shows just how mild it must be for it to flower before the snowdrop.

I’ve not noticed any birds taking shelter in the camera nestbox, although the new camera will be in place by next weekend so hopefully that will show if the triple sparrow nestbox is being used as a roost.

The size of the flocks of birds coming to the garden feeders is fairly steady, with daily sightings of all the usual suspects for my area – blackbird, robin, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, house sparrow, tree sparrow and dunnock.

I rarely see chaffinches, goldfinches, magpies, jays and wrens, but I know they’re around. Plus flocks of starlings and redwings are often seen flying at low level over the garden.

My main task this week has been to remove and uproot to trees to make more light for the canopy floor, encouraging wild flowers and creating areas for vegetables to be grown.

It was hard work and my hands, shoulders and arms are feeling it now. So until next week enjoy the pictures of what’s been happening in the last week.

 

IS WINTER FINALLY SHOWING ITS COLD SIDE?

A couple of overnight frosts have led to an increased number of bird sightings in the garden.

I carried out the BTO’s Early Bird Survey this week and witnessed a wide range of birds visiting the garden before, during and after dawn.

In no particular order I saw blackbird, robin, blue tit, dunnock, magpie, great tit, tree sparrow, house sparrow, long tailed tit and great spotted woodpecker.

The range of species so early in the morning utilising the fat snacks, peanuts and seeds I put out shows that wildlife can sometimes depend on human handouts to help them through the winter.

I think there are at least two male robins battling over the space around my garden, with one currently occupying the garden and another taking up space that includes the garage.

I mentioned it previously that the garage robin has been appearing in the doorway every time I go in there, often taking some food from a feeder that I leave while filling the others.

This week I managed to get a picture of the robin and you can see him nicking some food below.

I’ll be keeping an eye on both robins, along with any others, to see if I can map the territories and distinguish between them to see if they all visit the garden at some point.

Images of the long tailed tits are my next aim, although I’m not seeing them every day so it might be a little trickier.

Now that the storms have stopped for a while, I wonder if we’ll see any severe frosts and/or snow. I hope so, as it’ll give the flora and fauna a point at which to start planning for spring.

CAN SOMEONE CALL SPRING, SHE'S LATE!

The snow and winter has unleashed its worst weather so far this season and it’s meant to be spring!

This time last year it was 17/18c and lovely spring sunshine, but this year there’s up to a foot of snow and a bitterly cold easterly wind.

The birds look in shock when I see them in the garden and the forecasts suggest that even Easter won’t escape winter’s unwelcome extension.

Luckily in our garden we have shelter from the east winds and the birds have made the most of the area of lawn and border that hasn’t seen a single flake of snow. On the other side is drifting snow!

It’s been so cold that a lack of traditional spring food supplies has driven a great spotted woodpecker onto the fat ball feeder on my garden and literally 10ft from the house. I couldn’t find my camera quickly enough and before long it had taken flight, although I suspect it won’t be long before I see it again.

The regular supplies of food I give the birds are very welcome for them at the moment and I’ve seen plenty this week. Blackbird, chaffinch, house sparrow, blue tit, robin, great tit, long tailed tit, tree sparrow, goldfinch, woodpigeon, magpie, wren, dunnock and even a pheasant.

The camera nest box still isn’t working and I’m going to leave it for this year as a pair of great tits and blue tits have been inspecting it and even clashing over the rights to nest there.

I suspect that this battle will continue, but it’ll be the ‘who is roosting first’ challenge for the next week or so.

I think the pair of robins are using a nest site that they’ve used before, among the tree roots and vegetation that grows from the brook near our garden. They won’t use the nest box I’ve got up again this year because the honeysuckle plant hasn’t covered it up enough.

Finally I’ve not seen one bird inspect the sparrow nest box and while this weather persists I suspect they’ll only do so at dusk if a current roost site it disturbed.

Hopefully the weather will start to act like spring from Easter onwards and the wildlife can start acting accordingly – until then keep feeding them and always making sure a water supply is available.

OCTOBER PROVIDING LAST CHANCE TO BREED?

As the wet and cool summer gave way for a wet September, most people could be forgiven for thinking October would be cold and even wetter.

So far it's turned wet, but the cold weather hasn’t really materialised, the odd exception apart. In fact the weather is due to become a little milder in the next few days.

This has been backed up by regular sightings of swallows and house martins across the UK, despite the fact they should have been half way to Africa now.

I last spotted a large number of swallows at the end of September, but others have reportedly seen some in the last week, while there’s been one tweeter (excuse the pun) posting about house martins still nesting.

Wildlife has the knack of adapting to weather conditions and changing things like breeding habits, migration and even food sources.

It’s difficult to tell what the long or mid-term results will be of the wet summer we’ve had, but one thing could be our summer migrants staying later, risking their lives, to increase the breeding population for next year.

You could even say (without any biological evidence) that old birds are potentially sacrificing themselves to give their youngsters the chance to keep populations of their species going.

Of course you could also say that they could be first time parents or know that leaving it late will still give enough chances to raise a successful brood as insects hampered by the wet summer continue breeding in to autumn.

I was checking a couple of my nestboxes this week, ones that haven’t been used for nesting, when I came across a dead tree sparrow in one. I couldn’t see any reasons why it had died, other than old age or starvation.

The starvation one seems unlikely as I supply the birds visiting my garden with a range of seeds and nuts, so can only presume it died of old age or a genetic condition. A sad sight, but just part of nature.

The blue and great tits are still enjoying the sunflower seeds, so I’m not clearing up the plants until all seeds are gone.

My garden flowers are still producing a colourful backdrop, and there seems to be plenty of takers to the pollen on offer. I wonder if they, like the swallows and house martins, are relying on late breeding insects to prolong the breeding season and make up for a very poor spring and summer?

Winter and next year will help provide some of the answers.

THE 'DROUGHT' CONTINUES AND A SURPRISE RETURN

Despite the rain, wind and minor floods, the 'drought' continues, although it didn't put off the return of summers most welcomed visitor.

Yes that's right, the swallows returned on Thursday evening about 6pm, just before a torrential downpour that lasted for hours and caused the stream down our lane to flood the road.

I can only imagine what they thought, but the next couple of days they were seen dancing in the sky, seemingly revelling in being back at their summer home.

I was slightly worried that they wouldn't return for some reason or another, though reports on social media seems to suggest most have delayed their return to these shores until about now.

So the only question now is, when will they confirm the nest site?

The nestbox camera on the great tits isn't working still, so I'm forced to guess what is happening inside. I'm sure the nest is fully built, but not sure if any eggs have been laid, mainly due to the weather.

The May weather forecast could be for more wet, windy and cool conditions, which won't help them too much. I'm not sure this year will be a good breeding time, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

In other news the tree and house sparrow groups visiting the garden seem to be getting bigger, though I'm not sure if they're nesting. Maybe next year I'll get a combined nestbox for them to use.

The blackbirds, robins and dunnocks appear to be in the garden every few hours, while a pair of goldfinches is now making more regular visits along with a pair of magpies.

A pair of blue tits is also in the garden on a daily basis and I think they're nesting nearby again. When the rain stops I'll make a more detailed search to confirm any nest sites.

SOME BIRDS ARE BACK

So the fat snacks have been out for over a week and the birds are starting to show interest.

A few blue tits, great tits and the odd robin have been feeding on the snacks, but the numbers of tree sparrows, dunnocks are higher.

I've seen about four to six tree sparrows on each visit, whereas the dunnocks come in similar numbers.

The house sparrows are also making the odd appearance, but I'm still waiting for the long tailed tits to come and take advantage of the snacks I've put out for them.

As autumn struggles to force cold weather on the UK, the birds appear to be content to continue feeding in the fields, hedgerows and woodlands around the house.

With further warm(ish) weather forecast for this weekend and early next week, I suspect I won't see an increase in the birds visiting my garden for a while.

It's good news for the birds and my family, but we all know the cold weather will come along and it's good for the birds to know there's a place to find food when necessary.

Finally the nestbox camera has been cleaned and adjusted. Now it's a case of waiting to see who comes along to make use of the nestbox for winter roosting.

FEEDERS ARE FULL BUT STILL NO BIRDS

Today I bought my first fat snacks of the winter for the birds.

It can still be relatively cheap (no pun) to by these snacks and the birds love them. The added benefit is any scrapes dropping on the floor can provide food for voles and birds that prefer to feed on the ground.

I use about ten snacks a week so costs about £8 a month to keep the birds with a constant supply.

Today I filled my feeders and felt I was being watched I as placed them around the garden. My feelings were right as the feeders were barely out of my grasp when a robin came to sample the delights.

The robin spent most of the afternoon nibbling on the snacks and was joined at various stages by a couple of great and blue tits.

I'm expecting more arrivals over the next few days, although the weather isn't too cold so the majority of birds do seem to be content with the food they can get in the fields and hedgerows.

Tomorrow I'll be spending a bit of time in the garden cleaning out the nestboxes so hope to catch a few different birds, including chaffinches, goldfinches, long tailed tits and tree sparrows.

More updates next week.

NESTBOX UPDATE

The great tit's nest is becoming more and more comfortable and tonight I watched it snuggling down.

I almost thought it was rolling the eggs over, but it would have been the quickest egg laying in history as I had only looked at the nest an hour ago!

The builder of the nest is female, and sightings of the male in the nestbox have not been made, although that's not to say he hasn't been around.

When will there be eggs? I'm hoping next week sometime, but I'll bring daily updates here with new pics and video.



So life continues outside the nestbox and eggciting (sorry couldn't resist) news from the blackbirds next door. They appear to be using the same nest in the same bush as last year and this afternoon I noticed one was 'depositing' an empty egg shell on the other side of the house.

I did notice the blue tits looking at the nestbox today but yet again they've been too late. Maybe they'll use the nestbox they've been roosting in or even the hole in the wall next door.

I'm hoping to spend a bit of time in the garden this weekend, and will feedback any news on all the birds.

I'll obviously be focusing on the great tits, blut tits and blackbirds, but will be casting an eye for the swallows, goldfinches, tree sparrows and the male pheasant.

An order for mealworms will also be placed so I'm hoping to find out exactly who has chicks next week.

SPRING SUNSHINE LIGHTS UP MARCH

The glow of spring sunshine is becoming a frequent image when I look out of the car, house or office.

The warmth isn't quite there yet, although in sheltered spots with little wind you can get an idea of what it'll be like in a few weeks. The daffodils are loving it though

But the blossom on some of the trees is a beautiful light pink colour, reflected brilliantly be the low sun.

Birds are obviously getting excited about the arrival of spring, with the dawn chorus a cacophony of sounds claiming territories and demonstrations of masculinity by many of our male feathered friends.

My excitement levels have reached unprecedented levels this week, not because of the sunshine or dawn chorus tunes, but by the emergence of a new TV star in my house!

Two weeks ago I fitted the nestbox, that has been used every year since I put it up, with a tiny camera that feeds live images 24-7 into a channel on my TV.

With four nestboxes I've trusted that the one I've chosen will be used again this year and provide some great shots of a family of great or blue tits growing up.

It still needs adjustment to the focus and wiring route, but it works and, it's what I've waited patiently for since 2007.

I checked it every night for five days, then left it over a weekend. On Sunday night I sneaked a view while Sarah wasn't looking and mush to my amazement, a bird was snuggled up in there!

In the last week I've checked every night and the same looking bird has spent the night in the box, only once giving me a clue to its identity. I think it's a great tit, but will confirm soon.

I want to leave it and get it settled so it knows the nestbox is a safe place to bring up a family, then one day soon it might start building a nest.

In other news the dunnocks are busy flirting with their fluttery wings, while the robins seem to have established which parts of the area they'll be 'owning' this year, after seemingly sharing some parts during the cold, ice and snowy conditions.

The blue tits, blackbirds, chaffinches, goldfinches, tree sparrows, long tailed tits and wrens are all in our garden daily, with frequent visits from a great spotted woodpecker, jays, woodpigeons and the resident cock pheasant.

This weekend I'm making final checks on my nestboxes before keeping my fingers crossed at least three of the four are used.

The pond will also be given a makeover, to help any returning frogs to spawn.