A REVIEW OF 2019 - PART 2/4

At this time every year I take a look back at how the garden changed during the year.

This is the second of four posts that will charter the changing view of the garden; April to June.

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

CHICKS ON THE GROUND

April ended in typical April fashion, with cooler and wetter weather.

But, unlike last year when we had glorious sunshine and warm weather, May started with distinctly cooler and wetter conditions.

However, despite this there have been several new additions to the garden; all seen in the last few days.

A number of robin chicks, with their distinct mottled chests, have been in and around the garden, feeding on small invertebrates.

While the most seen in one go has been two, I suspect there are at least a couple more.

One of the parents has always been around, looking for danger and sometimes helping find food.

There have also been a few sightings of blackbird chicks, although not in the same numbers as the robins.

The blue tits are still hanging around, although where they are nesting is unknown – I suspect it’s not anywhere near the garden.

The great tit pair in the garden are now showing any signs of having chicks, but with the cameras now working it’s difficult to know.

I’m not hearing the tell-tale signs, but this might be because the parents are still on eggs.

Given the new chicks, and suspected other birds with at least built nests, if not eggs, the first order of mealworms has been placed.

I’m hoping to be able to test whether there are any newly hatched chicks when the mealworms are placed out later this week.

If the adult birds aren’t feeding on the mealworms, and instead gathering a beak full of them, I’ll then try and track them to the nests.

With the BBC’s Springwatch programme not far away, I do hope the weather warms up and helps us see lots of growing wildlife.

WILDLIFE MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME

May is proving to be an exciting month for the garden, with new life and new nesters!

The blue tits have indeed been the birds to have used the original nest box, and the sound of chicks begging for food was heard on Sunday morning.

However I first suspected something was going on when I saw both blue tits scurrying around the garden searching for caterpillars and insects.

They sped around so fast, hanging upside down looking underneath leaves, that my first thought was they must be looking for food for their chicks.

There was an urgency not seen when they are ‘child free’!

Unfortunately it looks like Mrs Wren didn’t like to location or build of the nest by the kitchen window and they appear to have somewhere else.

Not all is lost though, because just two days ago a pair of robins were seen taking nesting material to that very nest.

They must either be a new or, as I suspect, the garden robins that have had their first nest nearby found and raided by a predator – my money is on one of the local cats.

I’m just hoping they continue with this nest, lay eggs that are successfully hatched and fledge all their chicks.

In the meantime all of the tomato, broad bean and sunflower plants are outside in the greenhouse, growing rapidly.

I suspect it’ll be bank holiday weekend when the first ones are put out in the garden, when they are strong enough to sustain any attacks from slugs and snails.

The weather looks like being good for a while, so watering the garden will be crucial in the coming weeks, not only to keep the flora going, but also help the birds with keeping their thirst quenched and food available.

They will of course get mealworm supplements from me while chick rearing season is going on.

WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER & AUTUMN IN THE SAME MONTH?

We’ve not yet finished April but we’ve seen weather representing all four seasons already.

Hail and a little snow started the month, before spring(ish) conditions followed, then last week summer took over, while autumn came along today and looks like staying until May – or until winter starts the sequence again.

What’s been lovely to see, up until today, has been the swallows dancing in the air, chattering and making plans for breeding, plans that may be on hold for now!

The nest building in the garden continues, with the blue tits and blackbirds making their choices of nest location well known.

The male wren has been entertaining the female at his nest in the previously unused nest box.

It’s been difficult to assess her feedback, although she has been spotted a few times so perhaps this nest ‘sale’ is still under discussion.

What’s been very distinguishable is the dawn chorus, and what a lovely sound the birds are making around the garden.

Wren, blackbird, blue tit, house sparrow, robin, dunnock, goldfinch, chaffinch, swallow, chiffchaff and great tit all providing a cacophony of alarm bells from the first chink of light – at the moment 5am is late for some birds!

The big question for the birds is will there be enough food for when the chicks arrive, particularly for those that have laid eggs recently, as the colder weather isn’t beneficial for the usual spring gluttony of caterpillars.

One thing I do is order mealworms, and the first batch is due to arrive this weekend, so it’ll be interesting to see which birds fly off with big bunches of them first.