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!

ARE THERE EGGS IN NESTS?

Following the unusually warm Easter Bank Holiday, we’re now experiencing some proper April weather.

Heavy rain and even hail, along with lightning and thunder, has helped to fill the pond back up, and provide some much-needed water to the flora.

There isn’t much life in the pond at the moment, and what life there is, is very small.

However, it will probably be next year, when a full year in the life cycle of the water feature will have concluded, that we’ll see bigger users and habitants.

Life around the birds has quietened down a little bit recently, although the numbers of house sparrows has increased, while both a male and female blackbird have spent time feeding around the lawn and borders.

The great tits have been around, but have been much quieter, while the wet weather has brought in the robins to feed in the garden.

I’m still putting out fat snacks and peanuts, but this will only last until the warmer weather starts properly in May.

That’s when I’ll get in the mealworms, and I’m sure it’ll coincide with the emergence of many chicks in the garden and surrounding area.

I’m going to check the nest built in the fruit tree this weekend, as I suspect a pair of woodpigeons have been paying close attention to it – perhaps it was one they abandoned last year but will come back when the tree has more foliage.

I’ve not seen much of the swallows, although I did hear them quite a bit before the wet weather really took hold.

They’ll probably welcome the rain so they can make the mud to construct their nest(s), and they sometimes use the puddles near the house, so I’ll be keeping an eye on them.

STALLING THE BREEDING SEASON?

Given the cold weather recently, the wildlife could be forgiven if they have delayed spring for a few weeks.

The blossom may have blown from the trees, the buds may be showing and new leaf growth emerging, but the weather isn’t tempting many to start bringing the next generation into this world.

Now of course you could understand if they used Brexit as a reason for stalling, but this is one area that the wildlife has in their favour – they don’t know anything about it!

The dawn chorus has been somewhat dampened since the clocks went forward, although the voice of a few blackbirds is now competing with the robins to see who can wake us up first.

A female blackbird has been seen around the garden in recent days, so I wonder if they try to nest in the conifer hedge again – last year seemed to fail, which was probably due to the local cats.

I’ve not noticed any activity around the nest boxes, but with the lighter nights I’ll have more chance to investigate – but given the cold weather I doubt that much action has taken place.

The pond is very good shape, and while there is unlikely to be much large animal action this year, it’ll definitely be a good resource for insects as a refuge and birds as a drinking/washing station.

April will no doubt warm up, but I don’t expect much breeding action from the birds until we get to the end of the month.

TYPICAL SPRING WEATHER?

It’s turning into proper early spring weather, with stormy conditions followed by calm and sunny weather, with cold nights.

Many days recently have had the dawn chorus become louder, varied and earlier, as birds anticipate the start of the breeding season.

This was particularly noticeable at the weekend, when songs from the usual suspects of blackbird, robin, blue tit, great tit, dunnock, house sparrow and more became evident.

There’s also been magpies appearing to nest in nearby trees, although I’m slightly concerned this will impact the garden birds and their nesting.

The lane has recently become a meeting place for a number of frogs, with them seemingly happy to place themselves in the path of traffic (ok not much traffic goes down the lane), in the hope of finding a mate.

The pond isn’t quite ready for them yet, and I only managed to get one oxygenating plant from a water world garden centre, as many others aren’t ready.

I will make another attempt this week, although one thing I did manage to get was some water snails, hidden in the plant.

I’ll make another attempt to get plants this week, at another garden centre that has said they ‘have loads’, but hopefully the pond will look good ahead of when we’ll experience lighter nights and warmer spring weather.

I doubt the frogs will use it this year, but I just want it to be established first.

I’ve not been able to fully check the nest box cameras, so it might end up being something I save for when we move house – that will be a sad day leaving here.

Until then it’ll be all about enjoying the wildlife in the small garden wildlife oasis we have.