CHRISTMAS LOCKDOWN MEANT LESS VIEWING TIME FOR WILDLIFE

So, Christmas 2020 and the start of 2021 went well didn’t it…

With all plans out of the window and the focus on making sure the family and kids had fun, it meant time writing the blog took a back seat for a few weeks.

Introducing a video element will take place, but only when we’re in a new pattern for the current lockdown.

Before Christmas, I finally put up a bat box on the side of the house, in probably the only space not occupied by a bird box – more on the latter shortly.

While we do have bats down the lane and sometimes seen around the house, I’m not sure it’ll be an instant hit or even be found by the bats.

Perhaps nearer the summer this year will give a proper indication as to whether it’s useful or not.

I took a thirty minute window between Christmas and New Year to remove any old nests from the nest boxes, to see how many nests were built in the garden and how successful they were.

I knew the robins were successful at the third attempt, the great tits had one nest fledge and the goldfinches too, but was there any surprises?

Well yes and no. The robin nests were discovered, well the two nests that weren’t attacked and robbed by the magpies.

They did use the next box in the ivy, but I don’t know if this was the one that was unsuccessful around the start of the first Lockdown at the start of April, or whether it was the third and successful nest in the ivy.

As there were no eggs or ‘unfledged’ dead chicks in the nest found in the nest box, I can only say with 50% certainty that the nest box was successfully used.

The higher up single nest box in the ivy also had a nest in, but I can’t say again for certain if this was used fully or successfully.

The nest wasn’t really fully formed and if it was used then it can only have been by the robins.

The usual nest box was used by great tits and successfully, albeit one chick didn’t make it; you can see the skeletal remains if you look closely at the nest.

As the cameras are now definitely not working, I’m looking at investing in a new camera for one nest box although the uncertainty of the current lockdown might put that investment back a couple of weeks.

One final note is the return of the blackbirds to the garden, primarily because of the apple cores and other fruit left out for them.

They have demolished an apple a day over the last week, so their doctor must be happy!

WINTER UNLEASHING FULL FORCE ON THE GARDEN

There’s plenty of severe weather around at the moment, although the garden is mainly being affected by strong winds.

Snow is always an unlikely feature in the garden, but strong and bitterly cold winter winds often whistle through.

With a north-facing garden, a prevailing westerly wind and open farmland to the west of the garden, it often bears the brunt of any Atlantic winter storm.

The smaller birds do have shelter within some parts of the garden, particularly the evergreen hedge and growing ivy, but it’s not ideal.

However, the food put out is gratefully received and quickly consumed in winter’s colder weather.

The apples have been generally eaten by a solitary make blackbird, with the odd small black slug taking advantage.

The blue tits, great tits, robins and house sparrows have been seen regularly recently on the peanut feeder, often reducing it by half in a day. The robin is often in song, seemingly protecting his territory.

They seem to ignore the fat feeders, although the local skulking cats might be playing a part in that.

The fat feeders are in a heavily fortified area, slightly away from a hedge and in a very spiky pyracantha bush – my hands get ripped when I put a new snack in.

Visits from a flock of long tailed tits is still irregular, although this might be more down to the fact most of the time I see the garden in darkness at this time of year.

Still, there’s the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch to do in little over a week, so perhaps that might mean I see more of them.

WINTER WEATHER INCREASING USE OF GARDEN FEEDERS

Hard frosts and cold days have resulted in the garden birds spending more time around the feeders in the garden.

Long tailed tits are now frequenting the garden, suggesting the natural food source is running low.

A flock of around 15-20 house sparrows spent about 30 minutes hoovering up from underneath a feeder, thankfully without any of the local cats noticing.

A pair of blackbirds has been feasting on the apples; with three down and one to go.

The male and female visit separately, but can spend up to an hour (without any disturbance) eating and digesting the fruit.

I do wonder if the fermenting fruit does make them slightly tipsy!

I’ve not checked the nest box cameras since before Christmas but, with the cold weather likely to be around for a while, January is a good time to check in on them and see if any winter roosting is taking place.

Coming back to the feeders around the garden, it’s interesting to see that the peanut seed feeders are finished first, while the fat balls and snacks feeders seem to have much less attention.

This could be down to the fact the former two are easier to pick food up from and move to a place of security, while the fat snacks need them to stick around a feeder for a time.

I could conduct research into this, but unfortunately work and family leave me no time.

NOT MUCH FESTIVE SPIRIT FROM THE LOCAL CATS

The Christmas apples left in the garden have been largely untouched, which means the local birds are either finding food not too hard to come by.

The fat snacks are going down quite well, but the ones in the garden are going much slower than the ones in the trees opposite the garden.

I have noticed a couple of cats skulking nearby recently and I think this is putting the birds of coming into the garden and feeding.

It’s time the cat scaring patrols were stepped up, because living in the countryside is all about immersing in the wildlife and way of life, not having too many local domestic cats ruining it for you and the wildlife.

My feeling on domestic cats are well known; I don’t hate them, but I hate what they do to our local wildlife.

In other news Christmas brought the garden a new abode – a ladybird hotel.

This has been located in one of the only available places in the garden that’s suitable and will hopefully provide a good place for ladybirds and other insects to shelter.

However, given the amount of wildlife friendly devices in the garden and the loitering cats reducing visits, I think it’s time I found a new bigger garden to maintain as a wildlife haven.