THE CALM BEFORE SPRING STARTS?

Well we’re all awaiting the Coronavirus impact, while nature carries on regardless.

The dawn chorus is getting louder every morning, and my walk to work is full of various birdsong, from blackbirds and robins, to blue tits and chaffinches.

The buzzard that had been hanging around in the area hasn’t been seen for a week or so, but a kestrel has replaced it.

I’ve seen the kestrel perched a few times over the half-flooded fields, mainly on hedgerows, and the smaller birds always keep their distance.

A few frogs have been seen on the road, unfortunately all squashed by vehicles on the lane.

I’m sure there are a few around, but I don’t think any will frequent the pond, mainly because I’ve not done much upkeep on it recently.

I will be getting in the garden in the next couple of weeks and will hopefully get some seeds planted.

I’ll stick to sunflowers and tomatoes, and also get some small plants for the borders to help stop the cats using them as a toilet.

The feeders are still going down quickly, with long tailed tits still seen almost every day.

The lighter mornings and evenings enable me to see bird activity, and perhaps even another glimpse of the robin taking nest material into the ivy, close to the place he/she chose last year.

Whether we have a nest this year, only time will tell.

IS SPRING IN THE AIR?

After reviewing the changes on the garden during 2018, it’s now time to see what’s been happening in the garden this year.

Well we’ve already had snow, which is still a rarity for this garden and an omen for other places in the wider areas.

As the garden is at almost sea level (about 30ft), if the garden gets snow then other places will have lots more!

The recent cold snap has seen the usual flock of long tailed tits come visiting – on an almost daily basis.

Added to that a few chaffinches have been seen and they have bolstered the number of birds seen, along with the blue tits, great tits, robins, dunnocks, house sparrows and the odd goldfinch.

There hasn’t been much blackbird activity in the garden recently, although they have been spotted down the lane, in the hedgerows, so there must be still some good food sources amongst the bramble and small fruit trees.

The tawny owls have been quite in the last few days, although this might be to do with the windy weather.

Nothing has been done on the pond, mainly because it was frozen, but it has remained full, so in the next few weeks it’ll be scraped out a little bit and oxygen-rich plants put in.

Buds have started to appear on the fruit trees in the garden, while snowdrops are now flourishing in some areas of the garden.

They have been joined by the odd crocus, and I’m sure further arrivals of both plants will have daffodils for company soon.

However, while spring is certainly in the air, I suspect winter is not done yet!

HOW SUMMER CHANGED THE GARDEN

So here’s how the garden looked in the summer months of July and August.

The tree and house sparrows continued to fledge broods and the full effect of the summer sun in July and the rain in August can clearly be seen.

Next week I’ll look at October and November, with a seven week gap between the last one of August and first one in October – due to a stay in hospital.

In other news the female great spotted woodpecker has been seen feeding on the fat snack in the garden on most days, while a few female chaffinches have been seen around the garden.

On the lane there’s already been construction started on a number of nests, so I’ll mark where they are and monitor progress as the leaves return and bring camouflage.

Finally a number of bulbs are starting to sprout, so I’ll get some pics and bring news on here later this month.

July

 

 

 

August

  

 

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.

 

HORSE MANURE, HARVESTING AND CATS

Another trip to get horse manure – this time three heavy bags of it – and I was ready to get started on the garden again.

The only negative was being struck by an energy-sapping head cold, which meant I was shattered last night and tonight after spreading all that manure.

I harvested the last of the carrots and potatoes, leaving only the parsnips left in the ground. With the colder nights starting to bite, it won’t be long before they come up to – hopefully they’ll last until Christmas.

Once again this weekend I’ve been turning the soil over in the planting areas, trimming back the dead plants and generally giving the garden a good platform to over-winter in a good condition.

This time I wasn’t followed around by a robin, which did surprise me given the huge amount of worms that I was ‘working’ with.

The bird population doesn’t seem to be visiting the house in any numbers I thought they would be, apart from the seemingly combined flocks of house and tree sparrows.

The blue and great tits have been making the most of the remaining sunflowers, foraging on the seeds.

I’ve not seen a blackbird for a few weeks, although I have heard them, while the evening often brings a large number of birds, including chaffinches and goldfinches, to the area with trees and bushes – which also contain one of my bird feeders.

I do wonder if the natural food supplies or the plethora of cats in a couple of the houses here are to blame for the lack of activity from the birds. I suspect it’s a bit of both, but hope that when the colder conditions begin, the birds do make the most of the food I provide for them.

Some of the cats – from a house that doesn’t look after them properly – seem to be making more of an effort to get into my garden around the feeders. I’m making sure that when I see them they are chased away, which doesn’t make too much of a difference.

Perhaps new tactics are required, which frustrates me because why should I, or any other nature lover, have to work at deterring cats from their garden?

It’s a dilemma that many people face and one I think needs addressing overall, particularly in my garden.

Let’s hope the natural food supplies keep the birds with enough food, before they have to dodge the cats to get food from my garden.

WINTER SHOWING ITS TEETH

This week has been cold, mainly overcast, with the odd small snow flurry. Typical February really, allowing winter to demonstrate it’s his season and warmth is something that only March can start to have.

The good thing for wildlife watchers is it gives you chance to attract wildlife by providing food, then sitting back and enjoying the show.

My fat snacks, peanuts and seed mix have all been enjoyed by a wide variety of small birds during the day, while I’m sure the local vole and mice population has taken the free hand-outs dropped by the birds during the hours of darkness.

Once again the main birds on show have been the three tits – great, blue and long tailed – while the flock of house sparrows has been joined by a small one of chaffinches.

The blackbirds and robins have also been making the most of the food, while a few dunnocks are also about regularly.

I’ve not seen many magpies or jays, so can only assume I’ve either missed them or they come when I’m not at home.

What I did see today was the greater spotted woodpecker, which is good news as I thought the resident one had long gone. It scared the other little birds from one of the fat snack feeders and gorged for a few minutes before one of the many resident cats spooked it and other birds to flee.

As the nights become lighter I’m looking forward to seeing more action around the garden, although it looks increasingly like I won’t be seeing anything inside one of my nest boxes.

I’ve been trying to fix the problem – and find it – for a few weeks now and I think it’s a problem with the antenna from the camera to my remote receiver by the TV.

The final chance is if an engineer at the place it was bought will be able to help when I call later this week.

Keep your fingers crossed there is a solution and we can all see some nest box action this spring.

SONG THRUSH SONGS BRIGHTEN UP ANY WINTER DAY

As winter keeps us on our toes with bouts of cold weather and potential snow, the wildlife seems to be more and more attracted to my garden.

In the last week the flock of long tailed tits has visited at least once a day, often more than once, with one or two jays – I think it may be a pair – now feeding confidently in the garden; well as confident as this shy bird can be!

My favourite piece of recent news is the arrival of a song thrush to the garden, which appears to have taken up residence in and around the garden.

It has been singing from various high points in the trees in the last ten days, sometimes for hours on end.

The very latest on the song thrush is that it now appears there are two of them – I’m hoping the singing has been performed by the male and he has attracted a female.

I hope they have found a place to nest and that it is close by. The songs have been beautiful and I must have heard at least 20 different ones over the last week or so.

The flocks of smaller birds are getting bigger, with the blue tits, great tits, tree sparrows, house sparrows and chaffinches often joined by robins, blackbirds and the odd wren in the garden.

They’re all enjoying the fat snacks, peanuts and seeds I’m putting out for them and when I refill the feeders, the birds seem to know what I’m doing and I can hear them excitedly chattering and gathering close to where I put them in the trees.

I haven’t heard the wailing of mating foxes this year, although I know they’re about. To many people the sound is very distressing as it’s often in the middle of the night and does sound like a baby crying from a lot of pain.

The tawny owls have not been heard for a few weeks, although I’m sure they’ve taken refuge further towards the woods for greater protection from the weather conditions; I hope to hear them again soon.

Until then, let’s hope the promised cold weather and snow won’t have too negative effect on the wildlife and the birds benefit from my handouts.

BIRDWATCH 2013 BRING SURPRISE VISITOR

After the wildlife in and around my garden spent the last few weeks dealing with the cold, frosty and often snowy weather, this weekend brought a whole new set of meteorological setting for them.

The snow melt and heavy rain has led to lots of flooding, but also an opportunity as temperatures rise and a host of flying insects took to the air.

Looking at the week ahead would suggest that the weather will be windy and fairly wet, offering not much comfort for those insects. The good news is those insects are about and hiding when the weather is cold.

I carried out the RSPB’s 2013 Birdwatch survey this weekend and it was good to see plenty of the birds I usually see coming along for me to officially count.

Three types of tits – great, blue and long-tailed – along with jays, blackbirds, wrens, tree and house sparrows, dunnocks, chaffinches, robins and a lovely surprise in a female bullfinch.

This survey is important and I had help from my young daughter who was very excited seeing the robins and blackbirds.

The blackbirds are a couple and she now calls them Mr and Mrs, well after I’d tried to tell her the colouring differences between male and female. Perhaps I’ll leave that again for another day!

Watching the female bullfinch was a nice surprise and while I’ve seen bullfinches before in my garden, their visits are rare.

One sight that is rare in the summer and not much more common in the other seasons is the long tailed tit.

In winter I often see a flock of them hanging from all sorts of angles in the trees, chattering to each other before one, and then the rest descend on my feeders – mainly the peanut ones.

The flock numbers about ten and during the last few days they’ve been seen every day.

So will the change in weather bring any more exciting visitors, or perhaps more indications that thoughts of the birds and other wildlife are turning to the breeding season.

I’m now going to try and fix the nestbox camera and see which if the tits will be first to claim it for their own this year.

WINTER WEATHER WINGING OUR WAY

The warm start to 2013 has been abruptly halted as we experience some cold weather, with the promise of some snow on Monday.

I’m still sceptical that the snow will reach my garden, but I’m hoping it does. It’s not great for the plants and animals, but it’s an important part of the nature for British wildlife.

Most of the birds, mammals and insects will be happy once the results of the winter weather give them a good chance of a positive breeding season.

In 2013 my garden has twice been visited by a passing group of long tailed tits, but as the weather wasn’t too cold they moved on fairly quickly.

I expect to see more of them in the next week or so. Today a small group of chaffinches visited the garden, making up a bigger flock of visitors with the tree and house sparrows.

There has been a splendid looking robin in the garden, which I’m presuming is a male as he’s looking dominant and very brightly coloured. If an artist had painted on his red breast it wouldn’t be better than how this robin is currently ‘dressed’.

The blue tits and great tits are still around and I’m hoping to have my nest box camera working to see if any are roosting in there.

As I have four nest boxes around the garden, I hope that the small birds use them to escape the winter cold.

Two years ago I noticed a great tit roosting in there in January and February, giving it control over nesting rights. I’ve stocked up all my feeders and will check them every other day while the cold snap continues as I’m expecting them to be ‘popular’.

So bring on the snow and frosty nights, and I can see which animals are leaving footprints in my garden and the surrounding lanes.

CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS THROUGH FLOODWATER

As we near the end of 2012, it can be remembered for just one thing, one thing weather wise anyway – rain, rain and floods.

It has been a truly monumental year for rain as almost every part of the country has felt the force of floodwater and the devastation it causes to us humans, but what about the wildlife?

I know from personal experience how wildlife has suffered with the great tit family of eight chicks dying, not long after hatching. The wet weather meant caterpillars were washed away or hadn’t hatched, therefore resulting in starvation for the chicks.

The failure of the great tit family in my garden was not the only one, as I heard of many small bird families across the country feeling the same affect from the weather.

Obviously either side of the food chain would have been affected as the failure of small insects breeding was partly responsible for the small bird families not having much breeding success and therefore contributed to larger birds and birds of prey not having as much ‘food’ for their young.

All in all 2012 has not been brilliant for wildlife, but before we write it off as a failure, we must take it into context.

Nature has a wonderful way of balancing itself out over a period of many years and while this year might not have been great for a number of reasons, the overall picture can’t be viewed for many years to come.

Perhaps 2013 will provide a bumper crop of insects and in turn a larger number of small bird chicks that fledge. Only time will tell and that is something we must all look forward to.

As for my garden, the recent wet weather has ensured a plentiful supply of worms for the blackbirds and robins, while my peanuts, fat snacks and seed mix has given the great tits, blue tits, tree sparrows, house sparrows and dunnocks enough food to supplement the natural bounty.

I’ve only seen fleeting views of chaffinches, goldfinches, while the jays are seemingly taking up residence in the trees and hedgerows of the lane.

Christmas has no effect on wildlife, it’s just another time of the year, but if we all gave a little thought and made sure there was enough food and water (there might be enough of this) for them, we all might benefit when it comes around to the spring and summer as bird song lightens up our light mornings and long evenings.

WINTER VISITORS SIGHTED?

The frost and for that greeted me this morning was another indication that winter is starting to wrap her hands around the country, particularly where I live.

There are positives to the cold of winter; it kills of bugs/germs that would otherwise thrive in non-freezing conditions, plus it ensures the survival of the fittest wildlife so making the next generation the strongest possible.

Last winter wasn’t cold enough to deliver the usual benefits and this spring and summer have made for terrible breeding conditions for a lot of wildlife. None more so than the great tits that lost all eight chicks in the nestbox that contains a camera in my garden.

I’m expecting to see some winter visitors soon, although as we’re on the western side of the UK, not as many as those who live in a more easterly direction.

This week I’ve noticed chaffinches and goldfinches close to the garden, while I’m sure a flock of redwing flew over the garden.

As the weather gets colder then I’m sure the influx of visitors will increase and my nut feeders will feature a wide variety of birds.

A grey squirrel has been noticed close to our garden on a regular basis, and I’ve even see it in my garden once. I suspect it’ll be back when the weather gets colder.

The grass has grown long in the garden, but I’m leaving it for a while so the insects that are sheltering there can make it to the leaf-laden borders and long term winter residence.

Having not spent much daylight time at home and in the garden I’m hoping the next few weeks will give me a better indication as to what is happening with the local wildlife.

RETURN OF THE TIT CAM

So winter has finally arrived, although only some of the country has seen snow. Yes I'm jealous that my garden has not seen a single snowflake.

Since the start of the proper cold spell, I've noticed that my nestbox camera has been filming something other than the inside of the box.

It coincided with the camera actually working after it stopped emitting images for most of January.

For the last week a great tit has been roosting in the nextbox and I'm hoping it continues to use the nestbox in a similar pattern to 2011.

That's when a great tit roosted from February until it and its mate started nest building int April and the produced eight eggs, before raising and fledging eight chicks.

I doubt if all have survived as the local sparrowhawk can often be seen down the lanes, but I do hope a few have made it to this breeding season.

One thing I do wonder is if this great tit is the same one as last year, though I guess I'll never find out.

I'll be updating this blog more regularly now and hopefully it'll continued to focus on the nestbox camera.

In other news the garden has seen hardly any of the usual visitors, with great tits, blue tits, blackbirds, robins, dunnocks, tree sparrows and house sparrows continuing to visit the garden and my winter handouts of fat balls and peanuts.

Only in the recent cold weather have a witnessed a family of long tailed tits along with a few chaffinches and goldfinches.

Last winter the long tailed tits, greater spotted woodpeckers and jays were commonly seen in my garden, but this year the mild weather has meant natural food supplies are still in stock meaning many birds are not requiring the hand outs from gardens.

Currently the great tit is getting more sleep in one night (14 hours) than I do in two! Luckily I know this will diminish to about five hours per night if chicks are produced.

I love winter, but do enjoy the live and wildlife activity of spring, which is handy because it'll soon be the season of breeding.

WARM DECEMBER

December has been completely different to last year and sometimes during the month it resembled spring; so much so that some of the plants in the garden started producing flowers and a few tress around the house actually showed a few buds.

The odd cooler spell ensured these quickly stopped, but unless cold weather comes soon they'll start up again.

The forecast suggests colder weather is on the way, but will it be cold enough to make sure nature will refresh life.

I'm continuing to feed the birds, but I've still not seen many of the usual winter visitors to the offerings. Long tailed tits, chaffinches, wrens, great spotter woodpecker and jay are just a few of the winter sites I've become fond of seeing.

Instead it's the robins, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks and sparrows (tree and house) that are feasting on the peanuts, seeds and fat balls.

This year started off with a very cold January and lots of snow, had a mild spring, a wet summer, a windy autumn and finished with a mild start to winter.

The great tits occupied the main nestbox (with camera) and raised a brood of eight chicks, all who fledged. How many have survived until now is anyone's guess - probably about three or four.

I've been keeping an eye on the nextbox through the camera and have not seen any activity - last winter various birds roosted there but I expect to see some if the really cold weather comes upon us.

Finally this year will be the last for the pond, as it makes way for a more child-friendly boggy area. Still it's another area of the garden that is wildlife friendly and I'll start work on that in a few weeks.

A HELPING HAND

I had some assistance today from my 16-month old daughter today when filling up the feeders. She didn't seem to understand exactly what was happening, but I waited with her to show her the birds when they started feeding - it took about 30 seconds!

Once the birds saw what was happening they appeared from nowhere and it shows they must be around waiting for the feeders to be refilled before descending to make the most of the free handout.

My daughter (Poppy) has even started to make 'tweet tweet' noises to copy her dad imitating the birds.

With the warmish weather continuing the variety if species visiting the garden isn't huge. Robins, great tits, blue tits, dunnocks and tree sparrows, but I'm left waiting to see the likes of chaffinches, long tailed tits and goldfinches. Even the blackbirds are proving scarce.

As November tumbles towards December I'm not alone in wondering when the cold weather will arrived and when is does, will it bring much of the white stuff?

I'm sure it won't be long for everyone to find out.

I'll be keeping an eye on the visitors to the garden and update when new visitors come and say hello.